International Brand Strategy

There’s a significant chance of failure when expanding into global marketplaces.

Your odds of success are not optimal when you expand into international markets – conservative estimates suggest the failure rate for launching a new product is 50%. However, leveraging the power of your target consumer’s perspective can help increase them. Most companies make the mistake of communicating with consumers from a corporate perspective rather than reflecting consumers’ realities to them. Profitable brands know how to offer value from their consumer’s perspective. These brands create offers that align with customers’ needs and current options while reflecting their values and culture in their language. 

Even established brands can fail when expanding into global markets. For example, Target – one of North America’s biggest retailers – had to abandon overly ambitious plans to expand into 124 stores in the Canadian market. Target’s expansion attempts were ineffective because the company neglected to live by its corporate mission and brand values, choosing instead to pursue...