How to show up right: marketing strategy for regional expansion

July 15, 2025

A localized marketing strategy

You’ve got the green light. Southeast Asia or the MENA region expansion is in the plan, and your company is finally making its move. Operations? Underway. Hiring? In progress. Local presence? Coming together.

Marketing and communications? That’s rarely top of the list.

It’s understandable. When there’s pressure to launch quickly and prove early value, the priority naturally shifts to the things you can see – an office, a license, people on the ground. In that context, it’s tempting to pick up existing messaging and reuse what’s already been approved and tested in other regions.

But what works in one market doesn’t always land in another, something we’ve touched upon before.

Familiar tactics don’t always travel well

Buying behaviours vary: Sales cycles and customer journeys differ region to region.
Media consumption patterns shift: From business-specific newsletters in Singapore to Linkedin’s dominance in the UAE, platform preferences vary.
Cultural cues matter: Tone, visual language, and even humour may not translate—or worse, could alienate your audience.

Market diversity is often underestimated

While it’s convenient to talk about ‘Southeast Asia’ or ‘MENA’ as if they’re single entities, neither region is uniform. For example:

In Saudi Arabia, more than 50% are Saudi nationals. In the UAE, just 15% are Emirati. You’re communicating to a bigger portion of an international audience, and your strategy should reflect that.
How your prospects in Saudi Arabia consume information – and where they find it – is different to those in Qatar, or Egypt for example. The same applies across Southeast Asia – even before allowing for language differences.
In China, WeChat is a critical – not just ‘nice to have’ platform for businesses and needs regular, relevant posts.
The regulatory and business landscape between countries in MENA is vastly different. A new AI fund launched in the UAE may signal regional direction, but it doesn’t define the happenings in other countries.

In other words, assuming consistency across borders is a classic giveaway that you don’t understand the region.

First impressions count

Whether you’re building reputation, looking for leads or opening doors with partners, how you show up in those early weeks and months sets the tone for everything that follows.

We’ve seen strong businesses underperform in regions where you’d expect them to thrive. Not because the product wasn’t right, but because it wasn’t introduced in the right way. Missed context, misread competitors, overlooked opportunities. These aren’t dramatic errors but seemingly small niggles add up quickly.

What it takes to ‘show up right’ in new markets

Start with local intelligence

Who are the key decision-makers?
What drives their decision-making?
Which platforms, publications, and influencers do they trust?

Conduct regional competitor analysis

What are local and global players saying?
Are there gaps in messaging you can own?
Where are your strengths most differentiated?

Understand the local marketing landscape

Which channels are efficient and effective here: earned media, digital ads, events?
Are awards or rankings credible and influential?
How do regulations affect what and where you can promote?

Focus on adaptation, not reinvention

Your global brand equity matters. But to build local traction:

Adapt messaging to local market needs and norms
Localise campaigns for channel relevance (e.g., WeChat in China, LinkedIn in Saudi Arabia)
Engage local experts—whether in-house teams or marketing agencies that know the ground

Local insight, not just local presence

This isn’t about reinventing your brand for every new market. It’s about taking what makes you strong and making it relevant, and making sure you’re finding the places that connect you to your local audience.

With the right insight, you can adapt faster, avoid false starts and build momentum that lasts. Because expanding into a new region isn’t just about showing up. It’s about showing up right.

Key takeaways

Why isn’t reusing global messaging effective in new markets?

Buyer behaviours, cultural cues, and media preferences differ significantly. Reusing global messaging risks alienating or failing to connect with local audiences.

What are the key elements of a successful regional marketing strategy?

Local intelligence, competitor insights, understanding platform relevance, and nuanced adaptation—not reinvention—of your brand messaging.

How can companies avoid early-stage marketing missteps in MENA or SEA?

By engaging local experts, respecting regional differences, and adapting communications to resonate with decision-makers and consumers in each market.