Mastering New Markets While Keeping Existing Customers Close
Hey there Brand Explorers! 🌍🌎🌏
In today's fast-paced world, taking your business to new markets can be both exciting and daunting. When a brand enters a new market, it's important to do so without alienating its existing customers.
One way to do this is to communicate your expansion plans to your existing customers early and often. You should also ensure that your products and services are still relevant to these customers.
I've got the scoop on how Häagen-Dazs and Blue Bottle Coffee pulled off their global growth without leaving their beloved customers behind.
Let's dive in!
Step 1: Keep Your Customers in the Loop
Blue Bottle Coffee is a lesser known brand that has successfully entered new markets without alienating its existing customers. Blue Bottle Coffee was founded in 2002 in Oakland, California, and it has since expanded to over 60 locations in the United States, Japan, and South Korea.
One of the reasons why Blue Bottle Coffee has been so successful in entering new markets is because it has been very careful to communicate its expansion plans to its existing customers.
Blue Bottle Coffee with customers on social media, sent friendly emails, and made in-store announcements about their expansion plans.
Blue Bottle Coffee also offered customers incentives to try its new products or services in new markets.
By involving customers in the journey, Blue Bottle Coffee kept the excitement alive and showed how much they valued their input.
Step 2: Embrace Local Flavors
Häagen-Dazs is a well-known global brand with operations in over 50 countries, a strong reputation for quality, with its products being known for their rich taste and creamy texture.
To win over taste buds in different countries, both brands added a dash of local flavor to their menu by adapting its products to meet the needs of different cultures.
Häagen-Dazs introduced delicious new ice cream flavors inspired by the local cuisine, like Green Tea Matcha in Japan and Lychee in Japan.
Meanwhile in Japan, Blue Bottle Coffee offers matcha lattes and other Japanese-inspired coffee drinks.
Step 3: Take it One Step at a Time
Instead of trying to conquer the world in one go, Häagen-Dazs and Blue Bottle Coffee chose a gradual approach.
They carefully handpicked promising markets, did their homework, and started small.
This way, they could learn the ropes, make tweaks, and grow without getting overwhelmed.
Step 4: Stay True to Your Roots
As they branched out, both brands stayed true to their identity. They held onto their reputation for quality and top-notch experiences.
This made their existing customers proud, and attracted new fans who appreciated authenticity.
The Sweet Outcomes
Häagen-Dazs and Blue Bottle Coffee's smart moves paid off big time!
The existing customers of both brands cheered them on, feeling connected to the journey.
In new markets, the blend of international charm and local touch drew people in, leading to lots of happy faces and loyal customers.
As a result of its careful planning and execution, Blue Bottle Coffee has been able to successfully enter new markets without alienating its existing customers.
In fact, the company's expansion has been so successful that it has been acquired by Nestlé for $425 million.
Häagen-Dazs has also been able to successfully enter new markets without alienating its existing customers.
In fact, Häagen-Dazs's expansion has been so successful that it is now one of the most popular ice cream brands in the world.
The Bottom Line?
Entering a new market can be a great way to grow your business.
But it's important to do it carefully to avoid alienating your existing customers.
Blue Bottle Coffee and Häagen-Dazs’s successes can be attributed to their careful planning and execution.
By following these strategies, you can increase your chances of success when you expand into new markets while keeping your cherished customers close:
Communicate your expansion plans to your existing customers early and often.
Ensure that your products and services are still relevant to your existing customers.
Be transparent about your reasons for expanding into a new market.
Offer your existing customers incentives to try your new products or services.
Sprinkle local flavors into your offerings to cater to diverse tastes.
Start small, learn, and grow steadily in new markets.
Stay true to your brand's essence and win hearts around the world.
How do you plan to maintain your brand loyalists as you expand your brand internationally?
Share your thoughts in the comments below. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me.
Cheers to success and happy expanding! 🌐📈🚀✨
#GlobalizationThroughLocalization #InternationalExpansion #BrandStrategy #CustomerRetention
