For industrial companies with headquarters overseas, local marketing teams are frequently very small and focused on operational tasks such as supporting sales and events. This leaves little time or resources to develop strategic approaches to brand building and effective storytelling.
In a recent discussion, Ms. Corinna Seidel discussed this topic with Mr. Friedhelm Best from BEST-inter and Ms. Angela Exner, Digital Marketing Strategist and PALLAS BrandFare Representative in Thailand against the backdrop of international markets.
Brand building is important, even for industrial B2B companies
When companies expand into new markets, the main challenge is that their brands may be well known in their home market, but they are not yet recognized locally. In some cases, customers in the region may be familiar with the brand because they previously encountered it in their business context. But that number is not many. Therefore, building brand awareness and trust is critical for a new market entry.
In new markets, the sales team often must introduce not just the product, but also the company’s origin, values, and credibility. The reputation of being a German or Austrian company may help create initial interest, but it’s not enough. The brand story of how a company in a new market is different from its mature country needs to be clearly communicated to establish authority. Unfortunately, the materials or “playbooks” provided by headquarters often fall short in addressing this challenge.
The positioning needs to be market-specific
Centrally provided branding and marketing materials, including the storyline, often use abstract or high-level language. When these same assets, that have not only their own language but also a different way of looking at companies, products, visuals, and even services, are used in new markets, messages can become unclear or even confusing. On top of this, translations from German to local language may lose key meanings, making it difficult for potential customers to understand what the company actually offers.
This lack of clarity at the top of the sales funnel can result in missed opportunities, as potential leads disengage early. This is even more true for technical products that require not only explanations on the products themselves but also convincing communication about why to collaborate with this company. Trust is often conveyed indirectly, by strong visuals or a certain tonality.
Beyond messages and language, differences in communication expectations across regions must also be considered. In European markets, trade publications tend to favor direct and concise articles that focus on solutions and their advantages. In contrast, Asian audiences often expect more background information, like who the company is, its origins, and the industries it serves, before engaging with technical details. Simply reusing content created for a European audience without adaptation can result in a disconnect and reduce impact in Asian markets. This highlights the need for companies to develop tailored communication strategies that reflect the context and expectations of each target market.
Digital marketing should not be undervalued – also in B2B
Digital marketing – particularly social media – is often underestimated in the context of global strategy and localization within the industrial sector. Traditionally seen as a low-effort activity, it has often been maintained through ad-hoc content posting without a clear strategic direction. However, the low-effort content approach has shifted over the past years, with social media proving to be a powerful communication channel for B2C and B2B marketing alike, especially when it comes to localized approaches targeting specific countries and territories.
When implemented strategically, social media enables companies to precisely reach and engage local audiences, making it an increasingly essential tool – not only for driving sales but also for brand building. Despite this progress, many industrial companies still do not consider social media as a key component of their strategy, underestimating its potential to connect with customers throughout the funnel, thus missing valuable growth opportunities.
Final thoughts
Industrial companies can no longer treat brand building and digital marketing as secondary concerns. Do you think so? Let us hear your thoughts!
More topics as well as deep dives into sales, branding and digital marketing in the industrial sector, will be discussed in the following blog articles. Stay tuned for the next episodes!
About featured guest speakers
Corinna Seidel is the founder and Managing Director of PALLAS BrandFare, which supports industrial companies, technology providers, and service companies with strategic and targeted operational marketing for market entry and growth between Europe and Asia – from product-market fit through brand building to targeted marketing. Corinna’s focus lies in strategic marketing and business development – from product-price strategy through distribution to cross-media communication – for internationally operating companies. She supports companies as advisor and interim manager.
Friedhelm Best, founder of BEST-inter in Singapore, has spent 22 years helping companies succeed in international markets. He’s served as Managing Director in seven countries, and has built operations across four continents, including regional organizations in Europe and Asia. Friedhelm currently acts as a cross-border interim manager, supporting SMEs and Mittelstand in the B2B market with leadership transitions, turnarounds, and growth initiatives in Asia Pacific.
Angela Exner is the founder of Digital Nuts Limited, where she helps companies fully leverage digital marketing opportunities. Most recently, she joined PALLAS BrandFare as Digital Marketing Strategist and Representative in Thailand. With 20 years of experience in digital marketing, she specializes in social media marketing, supporting businesses in building, modernizing, and refining their B2C and B2B communication strategies and customer journeys.
