What Brands to Need to Know to Enter and Establish in the Americas
International brands have to consider multiple facets while planning entry and establishment in the U.S. market. These facets range from mundane to complex; understanding and addressing these will maximize return on investment, and more importantly, help avoid pitfalls.
In the last 10 years, BrandMX has witnessed many brands that have seemingly done all the right things, yet faltered in finding a foothold or in sustaining sales.
Brands that are ready to foray into the U.S. market usually have well-established presence and entrenched sales in their respective home markets/regions. They may have started to trade with American retailers, conducted market research and analyzed the appetite for their products by exhibiting in American trade shows, and/or built a strong local social media presence. Importantly, the brands may have committed financial backing in place for investment expenses.
The steps for actual entry into the U.S. sound simple: deploy few corporate employees, find local talent, consult with an attorney, hire accounting services, contract with a PR firm, engage a logistics partner, export products, exhibit in trade shows, market and sell products, and fulfill orders.
Well, it is not that simple. There are layers to peel to truly understand the facets, to make sense of applicable regulations, and to select the most efficient tactics. In order to set and follow good practices with a long-term view in mind, brands have to understand nuances past the simple checklist.
In the next set of articles, we share our learning and experience on the following topics:
- Legal considerations
- Omni-Channel Sales Network
- Brand-building and Marketing
- Warehousing and Logistics
- Administrative functions
Legal considerations require special attention, so we will cover this one first and in length.