5 Ways to Build your Brand in International Markets.
SMEs that are starting their export journey often talk of their strong brand as one of their key strengths but in a new market they have no brand. Your brand value in a new market is zero and hence the need to start marketing and creating the brand value for your new market.
Building a brand is never easy and when you need to build that brand internationally on a limited budget that is even more difficult. It takes more than creating a simple marketing strategy, it takes creativity!
OpenVentures can help you build the required and desired brand that you need to be successful in international markets.
Here are 5 ways to launch your international brand.
1. Think Big
When building a brand for a local market, always keep in consideration the possibility that you may want to expand internationally at a later date and design a brand that will allow you to go international.
When designing your international marketing always keep the bigger picture and your vision in mind but act small, focus on certain markets and even certain areas in those markets.
2. Adapt Messaging
Messaging will need to be amended from market to market but you should try and keep the main messaging and position similar. For example; if your core messaging is about sustainability, then sustainability should remain the core messaging even if you are using pricing to promote the product. Sustainability needs to remain the core message. Today, with the internet, buyers have the ability to search and hence the need for messaging to remain similar but adapted for each market.
3. Maximise Low Cost Marketing Efforts
As you create your marketing strategy for the new markets, look at the tools that you can use that are inexpensive but may need an injection of creativity. Creativity is the key to success in creating a brand in international markets. Being creative will allow you to maximise your limited budget to create an international brand.
4. Ensure that the Right Upfront Work is done.
Ensuring that you have firstly done the research and got the data and information that you need to make the best decisions but secondly, the need to combine that information with the best analysis. For example; do workshops with your team to ensure that the best ideas have been talked about. Research should be ongoing and can be used as great content to develop your organisation into a thought leader.
5. Create a Story
Create a brand story by documenting your brand’s life. Video all activities in your organisation, some of which can be used but the remaining content can be used as a reference to create your story. Video can be a cost-effective way of recording your company’s growth. The company’s story is critical to creating a brand story and hence a brand. Use your customer’s stories to develop your own story. Intertwine them in your story and your brand will come to life.
Need help with your export strategy? Contact us sales@openventuresconsulting.com