Entering a New Market: How to Avoid Communication Pitfalls
- Dec 3, 2025
- 2 min read
Expanding into a new market is always a risk. A single communication misstep can cost both reputation and budget. So how do you avoid that? ITCOMMS expert Alina Morozova shares practical advice on how to adapt your PR strategy to a new cultural and media landscape.
Start Preparing Early
The first step when entering a new market is to analyze the information landscape. It’s important to understand what’s already publicly known about your company: have there been any news mentions, case studies, or interviews? If there’s no footprint at all, the focus shifts to the industry and competitors — which media cover them, how they work with journalists, and whether they rely on paid placements.
This kind of “X-ray” helps build a roadmap for your PR campaign: where it makes sense to prioritize interviews, and where research or expert commentary will gain more traction.
Understanding a New Audience
Market expansion is impossible without studying the audience — and this happens on several levels:
Context: cultural, historical, and social nuances; values and behavioral triggers
Media landscape: which channels people consume and trust — bloggers, Telegram channels, traditional media
Consumer behavior: purchasing power, habits, attitudes toward brands
Communication channels: LinkedIn performs well in the US, WhatsApp in Latin America, WeChat in China
The same message can be perceived completely differently across markets. The US values personalization; in Germany it may feel intrusive. Europe prioritizes transparency and sustainability, while in Asia social proof is key. In the Caucasus and Central Asia, personal recommendations and community trust often become decisive.
Adapting Your Value Proposition
Your values and communication can’t simply be “translated” from your home market. In Central Asia, reliability and contribution to the local economy matter most. In Georgia and Azerbaijan, it’s quality of service and a human-centered approach.
Slogans, visuals, tone of voice — everything requires adaptation. What sounds convincing in Europe may feel too formal or too grandiose elsewhere.
Local agencies and experts become essential guides: they help you fit into the cultural context, avoid missteps, and build trust. The goal isn’t to change who you are as a business, but to show genuine respect for local traditions and real interest in the region’s development.
Testing and Staying Flexible
You don’t always need a large budget at the beginning. What matters is testing micro-hypotheses — experimenting with dozens of small messages and formats to quickly see what resonates.
“Weak signals” are incredibly helpful: local memes, discussions, and spontaneous social media trends. These often reflect audience sentiment faster and more accurately than formal research.
Your content should be flexible. Instead of one “global” creative, it’s better to have a modular framework that can be adjusted locally — both in messaging and visuals.
The Power of Offline Events
In many countries, offline events are an excellent launch tool. Media briefings, meetups, and local conferences help build trust, generate newsworthy moments, and establish direct relationships with journalists. This approach is especially effective in Central Asia and the Caucasus, where in-person connection is valued far more than cold advertising.
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