For an established food brand entering a new country, distribution can feel like a logical place to begin. But according to Marketing Bee founder and CEO Sharon Latour, this is only one part of successful international expansion.
Many Asian and European food brands enter Australia, New Zealand and other international markets with decades of heritage and loyal customer bases. Yet recognition in one country rarely translates automatically into another. Success depends on understanding consumers, retailers and the cultural context that shapes purchasing decisions.
For Latour, that perspective is also personal. Having grown up in Mauritius, a multicultural nation influenced by African, European and Asian cultures, she understands firsthand the balance between adapting to a new environment and preserving cultural identity. As a migrant founder, she brings that same understanding to the international brands she works with, helping them expand without losing the authenticity that makes them distinctive.
Building Brands Beyond Market Entry
Securing supermarket distribution is often seen as the milestone that defines international expansion. In reality, it’s only the beginning.
Major retailers need confidence that a product has a clear place within the category, a compelling value proposition, and a strategy capable of generating long-term consumer demand. Building that confidence requires far more than advertising alone.
Marketing Bee approaches international expansion by combining branding, packaging, strategy, public relations, content creation, digital marketing, photography and video production through The Food Hive Studio into a single integrated model. By aligning commercial objectives with FMCG marketing activity before products reach supermarket shelves, the agency helps brands launch with stronger retailer support and clearer consumer positioning.
The agency’s production capabilities have also become an important part of that process. Through The Food Hive Studio, international clients can produce market-specific photography, video and branded content locally, allowing overseas marketing teams to maintain global brand consistency without the complexity of coordinating production from overseas.
Just as importantly, Marketing Bee has developed an operating model that allows international clients to collaborate seamlessly regardless of location. Using specialised project management, production and approval systems, marketing teams across Asia, Europe and Australia are able to review creative work, provide feedback and approve campaigns in real time despite operating across multiple time zones.
“International collaboration only works when clients have complete confidence in the process,” says Luca Pagnut, Production Director at Marketing Bee. “Our systems allow teams across multiple countries to collaborate seamlessly. Where possible, we also visit our clients, as understanding how they operate helps us produce work that is both authentic and commercially effective.”
Rather than supporting brands only during launch, Marketing Bee works alongside clients throughout their expansion journey, helping strengthen retailer relationships, build consumer demand and adapt strategies as markets evolve. That long-term approach has contributed to a client retention rate of more than 96 per cent, reflecting the agency’s focus on lasting partnerships rather than one-off campaigns.
Cultural Understanding Drives Commercial Success
International expansion isn’t simply about translating information. It’s about making brands culturally relevant without stripping away the identity that made them successful in the first place.
A message that resonates in Singapore, India, or Malaysia may not have the same impact in Australia. Likewise, multicultural markets rarely consist of a single audience. A campaign may need to connect simultaneously with consumers who grew up with the brand, second-generation families who recognise it through their heritage, and shoppers discovering the category for the first time. Just as important is understanding how local retailers assess, range, and support products.
Marketing Bee’s multicultural team brings diverse cultural perspectives to this process, helping brands preserve their authenticity while communicating effectively with mainstream Australian consumers and multicultural communities alike.
As Latour has previously observed in discussions about multicultural food, today’s consumers are increasingly engaging not only with products themselves, but also with the stories, heritage and experiences behind them.
Staying Close to Global Markets
For Latour, helping brands succeed internationally also requires a detailed understanding of the commercial landscape, from supermarket structures and specialty retail to e-commerce, category trends and changing purchasing behaviour. Without that knowledge, brands risk securing distribution before creating demand, or investing in marketing without a clear pathway to purchase.
Maintaining that level of insight requires more than desktop research. Marketing Bee’s leadership team regularly attends major international food and FMCG exhibitions, including FHA Singapore, Gulfood and other leading global industry events, allowing the agency to stay informed about emerging consumer trends, retail developments and product innovation.
The team also travels internationally to visit client manufacturing facilities, gaining firsthand insight into production processes, quality standards and the heritage behind the brands they represent. Those visits help strengthen relationships while ensuring marketing strategies accurately reflect each client’s operations, capabilities and long-term commercial objectives.
Latour has also shared this expertise more broadly, including through FMCG workshops delivered for government and trade organisations, such as a Canadian trade delegation focused on the Australian retail landscape, consumer behaviour and the practical considerations international companies face when entering the market.
Bringing Strategy, Production and Commercial Thinking Together
International expansion often becomes fragmented when brands appoint separate agencies for branding, creative production, public relations, retailer engagement and commercial advice. While each provider may perform well individually, disconnected strategies can make it difficult to build momentum in a new market.
Marketing Bee has built its model around bringing these functions together.
From brand strategy and packaging through to photography, video production, content creation, consulting and retailer support, every element is designed to work toward the same commercial objective. Creative decisions are considered alongside retail expectations, distribution goals and long-term growth plans rather than being developed in isolation.
The agency’s ability to coordinate this work remotely has become particularly valuable for international clients. Marketing, commercial and leadership teams across Asia, Europe and Australia can collaborate efficiently through shared systems and structured workflows.
Rather than requiring multiple local suppliers, international brands are able to manage Australian and regional activity through a single strategic partner that understands both their global objectives and the realities of local retail markets.
Building Long-Term Growth
Launching into a new market is a milestone, but sustainable growth depends on what happens afterwards. Consumer awareness must continue to build, retail relationships require ongoing support, and strategies need to evolve as purchasing behaviour and market opportunities change. This longer-term perspective increasingly defines Marketing Bee’s work with international brands across Australia, New Zealand and the wider Asia-Pacific region.
Marketing Bee has also continued strengthening relationships with organisations including Austrade and other key industry bodies, further expanding its international network and supporting brands looking to grow across Australia, New Zealand and the wider Asia-Pacific region.
For Latour, successful international expansion is ultimately about more than translating packaging or adapting advertising.
It requires understanding culture, consumer behaviour, retail expectations and commercial strategy while building systems that allow global teams to collaborate effectively across borders.
As international food brands continue expanding into increasingly competitive markets, that combination of strategic thinking, local expertise and long-term partnership is an increasingly valuable advantage for businesses expanding across borders.
To learn more about Marketing Bee’s services and success, visit marketingbee.com.au.
