Market Localization Strategies

In 2007, I helped Google go from 'the American Yandex' to Google in Russia. In the UK, mentioning I worked at Google would get such gushing reactions that I stopped sharing it. At Moscow dinner parties: Confused Pikachu expressions 😅 Background: As a Google Product Marketing Manager I moved to Moscow to help change that perception. Google's initial playbook was simple: launch markets from a central hub, without localisation. The assumption was that search was universal. Which was a mistake. Sure, it worked in most markets. But Russia was different. It had a strong local competitor in Yandex that had successfully copied what Google was doing in the US. Our strategy had to go against Google's playbook. So we built a local team to deeply understand Russian users' needs. We started by optimising the product for Russian language search, and then localised products like Gmail and Maps. The problem: Many Russians had tried Google's non-localised offering before and been disappointed in the quality of the search. We weren't just acquiring new users. We were trying to win back trust. Which is 100 times harder. Even for a titan like Google. Although Google gradually shifted from "American Yandex" to a legitimate competitor, closing the gap by a 1/3rd, Yandex has always remained on top. For founders, there are important lessons here: • Market Fit ≠ Market Transfer Success in one segment proves you understand that segment - nothing more. • Localisation vs Transformation  Don't just localise  your product. Transform your entire understanding of what users need. • Speed > Scale Your greatest competitive advantage might be your willingness to adapt quickly when others won't. That’s where startups will always outmanoeuvre F500 behemoths. ♻️ Found this helpful? Repost to share with your network. ⚡️ Want more content like this? Hit follow Maya Moufarek.

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned from building businesses in Saudi Arabia is the power of what I call glocalization, which is the art of blending global strategies with local market insights. For brands to thrive in today’s interconnected world, they need to balance the strengths of global expertise while staying deeply connected to the local culture. Here’s how glocalization can help create a brand that resonates with Saudi consumers while positioning it for regional and global growth: 𝟏. 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭: Saudi Arabia is undergoing a rapid transformation, but local values and cultural nuances still drive consumer behavior. Understanding these insights allows you to tailor your offering to meet local expectations while leveraging global best practices. 𝟐. 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐎𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 & 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲: When I worked at Majorel and now with X-Shift, we focused on embedding our brand into the local fabric by being authentic and owning our Saudi identity. Localization is not just about the translation of material to Arabic, but about relevance and creating real connections with consumers. 𝟑. 𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐭 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬: Don’t just import a strategy. Make it yours. While global frameworks provide a solid foundation, they need to be adapted to fit the unique needs of the local market. Successful brands take the best of both worlds. 𝟒. 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡: Once you’ve built a strong local presence, you’re ready to scale. By aligning your brand with local needs, you set yourself up for expansion into regional markets with similar cultural touchpoints then later realize your global ambitions. There’s no universal formula for success, but the key is finding the perfect balance. My experience building businesses in Saudi Arabia has taught me that success comes from creating something that truly resonates with people where they are, all while thinking ambitiously. When you master this balance, you build a brand that is not only deeply connected to its local roots but also flexible and ready to thrive on the global stage. What strategies have you found most effective in balancing local relevance with global ambition? Share your thoughts in the comments! #business #global #local #growth #KSA #SaudiArabia

When I started thinking about market expansion for the next episode of #MarketerinTech: 𝐔𝐧𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐝, one name came to mind instantly—Winifred Wong. Having worked with her before, I knew her POV would be gold. She’s is working firsthand on what it really takes to turn global ambition into local traction—and she didn’t disappoint. Winifred’s approach to local market success starts long before a campaign launches. It begins with deep listening—to local sales, to customers, to the macroeconomic and cultural pulse of the region. It’s not just about translating messaging, but truly tailoring it to reflect real customer needs. She and her broader team constantly refines based on feedback, local terminology, and channel preferences—yes, including region-specific SEO reviews. But that’s not all. They bring in local voices too—amplifying success stories from nearby customers to build resonance and trust. One of her strongest plays? Building a local partner ecosystem. These aren’t just resellers—they’re trusted allies who co-solution, co-sell, and bring regional relevance to every engagement. That’s how you scale and stay close to your customer. ------ #𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝑻𝒆𝒄𝒉: 𝑼𝒏𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝑺𝒏𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒌 ------ ✅ Top 3 Takeaways 1. 𝑫𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌 — Culture, customer needs, and macro context shape your GTM more than you think. 2. 𝑺𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒌 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒖𝒂𝒈𝒆 — Tailor your messaging and your channels. Translation ≠ localization. 3. 𝑩𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒔 — Partner ecosystems amplify reach, relevance, and relationships. 💡 My 2 Cents Market expansion isn’t a launch, it’s a relationship. The teams who win are the ones who embed—not broadcast. And nothing says commitment like showing up in the right channels, in the right language, with the right local partners. #B2BMarketing #MarketExpansion #GotoMarket #PartnerMarketing #GTMStrategy #CMO #leadership #MarketingPOV

In 2015, with a 12-person team, we scaled marketing operations to 15 countries, 23 in total, in 12 months. It was my second job. Here's the full breakdown of how we did it: For context, this was performance marketing for a classified business at Rocket Internet. Like AutoScout24 for cars, but in emerging markets like Indonesia, Pakistan & Nigeria. We managed 10-15 different marketing channels across these countries with our tiny team in Berlin. 1. Team Structure Everyone had both a marketing skill and a language they could command. - Our French marketer handled all French-speaking African countries - Our UX designer was Indonesian and spoke Bahasa  - We had Pakistani colleagues for Urdu Between our team and the content team, we covered every language we needed. This solved localization and capability. ___ 2. Marketing Strategy We divided our efforts into 2 types of campaigns: demand capture and demand creation. - Channels like paid search captured existing demand - people already looking for cars online. - Channels like paid social created demand. In emerging markets, people weren't used to finding cars online yet. We needed to push the idea that you could now do that. Demand Capture: For SEM, we built semantic tables for every possible search term people would use to find a car. (Make, year, color, etc.) We coded every permutation of keywords including syntax rules for each language. When our local sales teams provided listings, we'd place them in a structured product feed and press a button. Hundreds of thousands of keywords and ads would be created automatically, in each language. _ Demand Creation: We automated social ads using catalog feeds: - Imported listing images directly into Meta ads - Automatically replaced images based on click-through rates - Pushed out fresh listings constantly Based on performance data, we could decide which creatives resonated with which audiences and replace underperforming ones. ___ 3. Results - 12x traffic volume growth worldwide - Scaled from 7 to 23 countries in one year - Google and Facebook wrote case studies on us - 20% reduction in cost per lead across markets - Won Rocket Internet's internal competition for fastest growing company Looking back, these were pretty good numbers for a young team. But the best recognition of our work is the success the people in the photo below went on to have: Caterina → Senior Program Manager at Trusted Shops Vincenzo → Data Product Manager at Treatwell  Luky → Senior Strategic Designer at BCG  Rafał → Performance Marketing Team Lead at Limango  Christina → Strategy & Operations Lead at Google  Canberk → Co-Founder at Ninja  Mohamed → Global Director of Growth Marketing & Martech at Urban Sports Club  Ana → Head of Operations Data and AI at SumUp I was young and still had a lot to learn about leadership. I admit I made many mistakes. But one thing I got right was working with this incredible team.

Over the weekend, I was chatting with a friend, and the discussion turned to my favourite topic: Levers of growth. In particular, the key lessons for global companies that seek to expand and grow in Asia Pacific region. I have a strong belief that to succeed in Asia Pacific, a well-crafted go-to-market (GTM) strategy is more important than relying solely on a product-led growth approach. Yet quite often, I see a product designed for the US (or European) market, which does wonderfully well in their home market, being parachuted for Asian context with mixed results. Here are some key reasons why a strong go-to-market strategy is crucial for APAC success: 1. Cultural and Market diversity: Asia is hugely diverse - in cultures, languages, and business environments. What works in India may not work in China, what is established in Australia may be taboo in Japan. Therefore, a localized GTM strategy that factors in cultural norms and local preferences becomes imperative. 2. Regulatory Complexity: Regulatory landscape e.g. Data Residency, PDPA (Opt-ins vs Opt-outs), Advertising guidelines, licenscing rules etc varies significantly across Asia. Your GTM strategy needs to understand these local compliance requirements and avoid costly missteps. 3. Relationship-Driven Markets: Many Asian markets are relationship-centric, where trust and personal connections play a significant role in business transactions. Just throwing a great product that has seen success in the US doesnt offer a guarantee that it will find acceptance in Asia 4.Pricing Strategy: Asia's price sensitivity varies widely across markets. Your GTM strategy should incorporate a pricing approach that considers local economic conditions, competition, and consumer expectations. 5. Localized Marketing: Effective marketing in Asia involves not only translating content but also understanding and adapting messaging to resonate with local audiences. For these reasons and more, I believe while a product-led growth approach can be effective in some contexts, the sheer complexity and diversity of the Asian market often necessitate a more comprehensive go-to-market strategy. What do you think? Are there additional reasons? #growthmarketing #strategicplanning #gtmstrategy #plg #revenuegrowth

A new chapter for Mangrove is starting, and with our expansion, I’m thinking a lot about the death of creativity and connection. Random... I know! On the surface, it feels like we’re entering familiar territory. So, I am trying to converge my experiences of building in Western and then emerging markets and take learnings. I think the most valuable lessons I have learned are from emerging markets. I've learned that true localisation isn't just about language... it's about understanding the core motivations of a user base. Here is how I got thinking about this topic. 🥔 A simple crisp brand in Thailand can create a Thai curry flavoured chip that instantly resonates with the local consumer. They get it. 🍫 A famous chocolate brand introduces a matcha creme version to boost assimilation of chocolate where it is not typically consumes. They get it. But for tech companies, especially in AI, localisation often feels like an insurmountable challenge. It's been a big conversation starter lately. Why can crisps and chocolate get it right? But not Big Tech, with endless data and money? It’s because they’re not building for the user; they're curating for a global audience that doesn't exist. Take a look at delivery apps. 🪷 In Thailand, apps like Grab and Foodpanda are big on combo deals and savings. It’s a core part of the user experience and consumer behaviours. 🌽 In Colombia, the Rappi app goes further, delivering cash and medicine. A response to local needs and infrastructure. These examples of deep localisation are about operational resilience, not just a feature. This is the lesson we're taking to heart with Mangrove's expansion. 💚🌱 Our strategy isn’t just about translating a product; it’s about having the curiosity to get to the ground, get messy, and build something that truly resonates with the local reality of our new markets. To me, curation is the death of creativity. To win, you have to be willing to get real. What's the most surprising localisation difference you've seen? 👀