Expanding globally: Key marketing strategies for New Zealand brand

Once the business fundamentals and strategy are in place, these naturally feed into marketing. Clearly defining your core purpose and values is crucial; these become the bedrock for developing marketing messages.

Simon Sinek hit the nail on the head in Start With Why when he said, “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” Being clear with your core purpose lets us weave this into your marketing material, highlighting this key differentiator.

For business success, whether you’re aiming internationally or not, defining your customer personas and mapping your customer journey is critical. This also directly informs your marketing.

Once we know who our customers are, we can plan to engage, speak, and connect in ways that resonate with them. This is where our core purpose and values shine through—just like speed dating, we want to get ‘who we are’ out in the open, and fast, so people can determine whether we’re a good fit.

Once we have these fundamentals sorted, we then need to focus on these critical factors:

1. Robust brand strategy: Does your brand communicate all the juicy stuff above? Can people grasp who you are and what you do? Are you consistent across your brand? If you’re fun and breezy in your comms, does your imagery also depict this?
2. Digital shop front, your website: Whether in New Zealand or offshore, your website needs to work hard. Remember, a website isn’t a billboard that you slap up and forget for the next 6 months (or 6 years). It requires a continuous growth strategy—always reviewing, refining. Are you sharing your latest customer projects? Showcasing your innovative nature? But more importantly, are you making a stellar first impression? Can people navigate your site easily, finding engaging content and building a connection with why you do business?
3. Use your digital channels: There are so many ways people can peek into your business. Whether they’re an Instagram user, prefer websites only, or like to stalk via LinkedIn. Whatever the channel, make sure you’re putting your best foot forward, always. Yes, there are loads of digital channels (TikTok, X, YouTube) and you don’t have to be on all of them. But whatever you choose, commit and do it well.
4. Have a plan: NZTE’s Marketing Roadmap template is a great tool if you’re mapping out your marketing ideas. Keep in mind, you wouldn’t ask your HR manager to start doing financial management. Same goes with marketing. Bring in the experts. Utilise the knowledge that a Business Growth Consultant with marketing experience brings to the table.

You may be thinking, “Well, none of this is new, how is it different for an international market?”

Honestly, it’s not. These boxes need to be ticked for New Zealand or international marketing. What changes is adapting your strategies and localising them for the market you’re entering.

• Adapt your communication channels: Discover what the preferred communication channels are for your international target market. When you know where your audience spends their time and how they like to receive information, you can ensure you adapt accordingly.
• Build local partnerships: Collaborate with local advocates and partners. They can accelerate your market penetration and build trust quickly. These partners understand the local nuances and can help tailor your approach to resonate with the new audience.
• Refine your language and brand message: Are you relevant in the new market? You may need to revise key messaging to ensure you’re hitting the mark with the new audience.
• SEO: Explore how you’re ranking and determine if you need a local strategy. You might need to invest in a ‘.com’ website rather than a New Zealand URL. Perhaps you need to incorporate local languages or keywords.

Preparing yourself for international market success really does start at home. The team at Two Tides will work with you to ensure alignment across leadership, strategy, and customer, which all feed directly into marketing.

Need help? Let’s chat and make a plan to help your business succeed internationally.