Summary

Entering a new market, the instinct is to carry the core story over unchanged. The real problem is trust you haven’t earned yet. The change happens when proximity and proof set the order — one buyer, one problem, one outcome. That’s when relevance, credibility and momentum follow.

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Our Perspective

What this means for leaders navigating growth, change or transformation in their organisation.

The Real Barrier

Market entry doesn’t fail because the story is weak; it falters because the market hasn’t granted you the right to tell it yet. New buyers bring different thresholds for proof, different shortcuts to trust, and different reasons to say “not today.” The practical question becomes: what is the smallest, most credible claim you can make that a local buyer will accept on day one?

Resonance, then, is less about translation and more about proximity. You’re building closeness on three fronts—linguistic, cultural, and evidential—so buyers can recognise themselves in the promise and verify it without effort.

Proximity Before Promise

Language is a trust signal, not a courtesy. CSA Research reports that 76% of online shoppers prefer to buy when information appears in their native language, and 40% won’t purchase if it doesn’t. That’s not about style guides; it’s about reducing perceived risk at the moment of decision.

Prioritise proximity signals that shorten the cognitive distance:

• Language and tone that read as “from here,” not “to here.” Avoid idioms that travel poorly.
• Local relevance: examples, use cases, and measures tied to specific regulations, norms, or buying cycles.
• Familiar risk reducers: local pricing conventions, guarantees, and service expectations that align with how decisions actually get made.

Build Proof First

Don’t sell the arc; sell the act one outcome. In our experience with organisations entering unfamiliar regions, early momentum comes from a single verifiable result that a buyer can check with someone they already trust, not from a sweeping aspiration.

Design a compact proof architecture that compounds quickly:

• One segment, one problem, one measurable outcome that matters locally.
• Evidence buyers can validate: named references, live pilots, or partner-backed credentials.
• Distribution that reaches the first 100 ideal buyers with depth—events, communities, and channels where social proof spreads sideways.

Leadership Implications

Locality is a purchase driver, not a footnote. McKinsey notes that about 47% of global consumers weigh whether a company is locally owned in their decisions—so signals of rootedness, partnerships, and on-the-ground capability carry commercial weight.

This has three practical consequences. First, sequence ambition: broaden only after the first outcome is proven and repeatable. Second, invest where trust is built fastest—language, local proof, and credible alliances—before reach. Third, align metrics to momentum signals: verified references, conversion among the first defined segment, and referral velocity. Get those right, and the broader story will feel earned rather than asserted.

Done well, market expansion stops being a test of persuasion and becomes a pattern of evidence that travels further each quarter.

Sources:

• Consumers lean local over global (McKinsey ConsumerWise Sentiment Survey) — McKinsey
• Customer Local Preferences — CSA Research

Further Resources

1. Brand Architecture for Scalability Post-M&A
2. Brand Mergers: When to Rebrand vs Integrate
3. Repositioning Your Brand for Growth Beyond the Familiar

Brand clarity often begins with the right questions — we’d be glad to explore them with your team. Start the conversation.

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