How to market when exporting products

One of the main challenges for exporting companies is how to market their products or services abroad.

It’s not just a matter of resources or investment. New markets, where exporting and commercializing begins, may have different habits and customs, and many times we don’t know the rules of the game.

In Uruguay, we may have grown over time through word of mouth, not necessarily through marketing and communication. This is important, because when we start exporting, we are faced with questions about how to generate demand for our products or services outside our country—where no one knows them.

So how do we approach marketing abroad?

Some guiding principles to follow:

Preparation: export marketing planning stage
Adjust or adapt the packaging design and label (for products) to fit the taste and design ecosystem of the country we are exporting to. One affordable way to achieve this is by thoroughly researching images and examples of packaging and labels online from the target market. This research should not be limited to our product category—it should be broad.

We must pay attention to colors, modernity, designs, and formats that could indicate different preferences. For example, the colors on product labels and packaging in Brazil or Mexico tend to be more vibrant and contrasting than those in the Río de la Plata region.

If it’s possible to travel to the market—which is even better—you can visit retail outlets, observe window displays and exhibitions, and take photos. It’s also possible that the chosen market is at a different stage of the product life cycle, which can affect elements like usage instructions, among other things.

The same applies to understanding communication, messages, and advertising in the market. The more we can observe about similarities and differences, the more it will help when introducing the product.

Market entry: sales and commercialization stage in the new market
Here it’s crucial to ask ourselves questions like: What are the main communication channels used by companies and brands in that market? What are the key messages, and how are product benefits conveyed? What social media platforms are primarily used for advertising? Who are the leading brands there and how do they communicate? How is our product category priced and positioned? And how is the product communicated through the main distribution channels we've chosen?

Based on this kind of questioning and market research, we can get a clearer idea of the strengths and weaknesses of the category and find the best way to communicate our product’s unique value.

Clients and consumers look for products that offer them different benefits. “You not only have to be it, you have to look like it.” Clearly understanding what those benefits are in that market and being able to communicate them is key to success. For example, in some cases the differentiator might be that the product is Uruguayan, and in others it might be design—as in the case of fashion.

Alliances and suppliers
We’ve seen that some companies underestimate the contributions that allies can make in marketing and communication. These allies can be from Uruguay or from the new market we’re entering. I’m referring to suppliers such as designers, creatives, researchers, printing companies, agencies, and distributors, among others.

When making initial exploratory trips, a good suggestion is to plan well in advance to identify this type of potential partner. Preparation is key: search social media and the internet, reach out to business chambers and organizations like Uruguay XXI, embassies, and contacts living in the target country. All this groundwork can often lead to setting up meetings with companies and people who can add value at every stage of the export journey.

It’s important to set aside one or two days of the trip to meet with local advertising or promotion agencies, creatives, illustrators, printers, and store or point-of-sale managers. We’ve often been pleasantly surprised by the openness and generosity of these companies, and the valuable insights that come from prepared questions and careful market observation.

We have a recent example from a visit to Peru and Paraguay with a clothing company client, in which we arranged visits with store owners at shopping malls and commercial managers. While not all the information gathered was relevant, much of it was—and it proved to be key in adjusting the commercial proposal for that market.

The digital opportunity
Unlike a few years ago, the internet and social media are now accessible communication tools for exporting companies. However, there are two important principles to keep in mind.

First, “stick to what you know best.” When developing a digital strategy, we must rely on professionals and experts in the field. Second, even though the internet and social networks are borderless, as we mentioned earlier, uses and preferences can vary—even between similar countries. It will be the diligent work of our team and the professionals involved to tailor the strategy accordingly.

Marieta Sudy
CEO and founder of MSUDY Consulting and MSUDY Panels.