Observations
A New Audience and Old Packaging: Why Copy-Pasting Kills Expansion
No sensible manufacturer would try to sell an electrical appliance with a Chinese plug in Russia. Everyone knows an adapter is necessary. Without it, the product simply won’t work. It’s obvious.
However, in the B2B world, we constantly see companies trying to enter a new market—a new industry or segment—using the old “commercial plug,” which is completely incompatible with the local “socket.” They take their tried-and-true presentations, case studies, and price lists and try to apply them to a new customer’s world.
The result is predictable: “It does not work.” The problem here is not the product itself, but rather its “packaging.” By “packaging,” I don’t just mean design; I mean the entire system of your interaction with the market, from the value proposition and case studies to the pricing model and sales process. Copying this system from one market to another is one of the most common and costly mistakes in an expansion strategy.
In this article, we will examine four key elements of this “packaging” that require review and adaptation before taking the first step into a new territory. This will help you avoid a false start and save resources.
Packaging Element No. 1: The Value Proposition
This is the foundation on which everything else is built. The main mistake is assuming that a new audience values the same things in your product as an old one does.
For example, imagine that your core market is technology startups. For them, the main value of your product lies in speed and flexibility. They are willing to tolerate the absence of certain enterprise features in exchange for the ability to launch quickly and test hypotheses. All of your marketing messages are built around this idea.
Now, you decide to enter the segment of large banks. You approach them with the same proposition: “We will help you be fast and flexible.” However, to a bank, “fast and flexible” sounds like “risky and insecure.” Their core values are stability, security, and compliance with regulatory requirements. They would rather sacrifice speed for reliability.
By using the old value proposition, you not only fail to meet their needs, you also scare them away. You are speaking a language that contradicts their corporate culture and risk assessment system.
Before entering a new market, you must conduct fresh research and validate the value proposition. You need to go “into the field” and conduct problem interviews with representatives of the new market segment to determine which “job” is most important to them and how your product can help them accomplish it. Only after that should you develop further communication strategies. Otherwise, you risk building a magnificent structure on someone else’s unsuitable foundation.
Packaging Element No. 2: Marketing and Sales Materials
Once you have formulated or reformulated the value proposition, it must be packaged into tangible tools such as the website, presentations, case studies, and commercial proposals. The second trap is the temptation to simply replace logos and names in old, proven materials.
But this does not work. A potential client from a new segment wants proof that you understand their world. When the head of an industrial enterprise sees a case study about an IT startup on your website, they won’t closely examine the numbers. They draw a single conclusion: “These guys are not from my industry.” Trust is undermined from the first screen.
Adapting materials is not just about changing names. It requires a complete rebuild of the content based on the new value proposition. This requires using the language and terminology of the new segment. It means focusing on solving the problems identified during the research stage. It means demonstrating results that specifically matter to this audience.
What is the practical takeaway? When planning an expansion budget, allocate resources for advertising and promotion as well as for creating a “starter pack” of content for the new niche. At a minimum, the pack should include one “anchor” case study, one adapted presentation, and a separate website page that speaks the new audience’s language and addresses their concerns.
While your old, successful materials are not ready-made tools for conquering a new market, they are valuable “ore” from which you will need to “smelt” a new, sharp, and precisely targeted arsenal.
Package No. 3: Pricing and Commercial Model
Even if you formulate a perfect value proposition and prepare relevant materials, the deal could still fall apart at the last moment if your pricing model does not align with the expectations and procurement processes of the new segment.
A commercial model is more than just numbers in a price list. It is a fundamental part of your “packaging.” How you collect payment is no less important than what you collect it for.
Imagine you have a SaaS platform that you have successfully sold to startups using a per-user monthly subscription model. This model is convenient for them because it offers operating expenses (OPEX), flexibility, and the ability to quickly add or remove users.
Now, take this model to a large, conservative factory. What would you hear from their CFO? “We need to include this in the annual budget as a capital expenditure,” and “We don’t need per-user pricing; we need a license for the entire factory.” Your convenient, flexible model becomes an insurmountable obstacle for their purchasing department.
The conclusion is simple: Before entering a new market, it is critically important to research the standard commercial practices there. How are they accustomed to making purchases? What are their budgeting cycles? Your pricing model must be profitable for you and convenient for them.
Package No. 4: Channels and Sales Process
The final element of “packaging” involves how you deliver your value proposition to customers and sell your product. A common mistake is assuming that the channels and methods that worked with your old audience will be just as effective with the new one.
For example, you successfully sold your product to small businesses through contextual advertising and a simple digital funnel. This worked because your audience was tech-savvy and preferred self-service. Now, your target audience is C-level executives at large banks. They look for solutions differently. They attend closed industry events, listen to peer recommendations, and rely on personal connections. Your digital funnel is invisible to them.
To enter a new market, you must review both the channels and the sales process itself. You may need to reduce your digital advertising budget and invest in industry partnerships or hire two expensive enterprise salespeople with an established network of contacts. Your sales strategy must align with how your new audience is accustomed to buying.
Expansion as the Launch of a New Product
The value proposition, marketing materials, business model, and sales channels must all change. As we can see, practically everything must change when entering a new segment, except perhaps the technological core of your product. This is why expansion should be viewed not as scaling up current activities, but as launching a new product.
For a new audience, the product itself is your new “packaging.” The success of your entire growth strategy hinges on how carefully and respectfully you adapt to their world.
Before instructing your team to move into a new market, gather your colleagues from marketing, sales, and product. Lay out the four elements of your current “packaging” and ask one question about each: “Are we confident this will work for the new audience, or are we just hoping it will?” Honest answers to these questions will save you months of time and millions of rubles.
