I don’t know about you, but I get nervous attending events without a dress code.

Who am I kidding? I get nervous at the ones that do have a dress code, too.

“Business casual” means different things to different people. And if it’s an event in a country or culture I’m unfamiliar with? Forget about it. I’m texting everyone I know asking, “What are you wearing?”

Inviting me to a wedding? Please include diagrams. And reference photos. Ideally, a Pinterest board.

That’s what entering a new market (or going after a new customer segment) feels like for us marketers. You think you know the rules — and suddenly, nothing fits.

What seemed polished back home looks like you’re trying too hard here. What felt natural sounds off. And your highest-performing playbook? Oh lookie, it just flopped.

If your go-to launch strategy suddenly stops working (or you don’t even have one!), don’t panic.

In this issue, I’ve got four tips (and an invitation) on approaching creator partnerships when you’re in unfamiliar territory.

Tip #1: Decide what job influencer marketing is doing for you

Creators can help with lots of things: driving conversions, building awareness, testing positioning, and creating content for paid ads.

But when you’re entering a new market, trying to do all of them at once is the fastest way to waste your budget.

Some brands use paid ads first to test demand. Others go straight to influencers. Both work, but they serve different purposes.

If you ask creators to drive sales before anyone knows who you are or why your product matters, you’ll probably be disappointed.

Here’s a guideline:

• If your product is cheap, obvious, or solves a pain point people already know, you can often get away with jumping straight into performance.

• If it’s expensive, unfamiliar, or requires explanation? You need a longer runway. That means using creators to build trust and recognition first.

Marit from Loop Earplugs gave us a great example. When expanding into new markets, she started with Loop's sleep product first. It’s $20, has a simple message (you’ll sleep better), and is low-risk. Once that landed, she introduced their higher-end options.

The key takeaway? Make sure your creator strategy matches the market’s readiness.

If your brand is totally unknown or the market is more cautious, start with awareness campaigns. Watch for signs that your brand is beginning to stick:

• Comments like “I’ve seen this everywhere lately”

• Creators getting DMs about where to buy

• Engagement that shows real curiosity, not just likes

Those are your signals to shift from using creators for awareness to a sales-focused campaign.

Tip #2: Redefine “brand fit” (your instincts might mislead you)

In your home market, you probably have a sense of what the “right” creator looks like. Certain metrics. Certain aesthetics. You know who feels on-brand and who doesn’t.

In a new market, those spidey senses often misfire.

What feels premium in one country might come off as cheesy in another. What reads as playful at home might fall flat elsewhere. And sometimes, the most effective creators for your new audience are the ones you wouldn’t have considered at all.

I heard from one marketer: 

In a new market, the goal isn’t to stay perfectly on-brand. The goal is to get your product in front of the right people in a way that feels familiar, credible, and culturally aligned.

That might mean:

• Prioritizing connection over polish

• Choosing creators whose audiences trust them

• Messaging that fits the local tone (even if it’s not your usual)

• Content that feels native, not imported

Let go of your old checklist for a moment. Focus on who can make your brand make sense to the people you’re trying to reach.

Tip #3: Don’t assume the audience is local

This one trips up even experienced marketers. You find a creator based in Spain. Your product is launching in Spain. Great, right?

Weeeeeell.

What if 70% of their audience is in Latin America? Or the US? Or scattered across Europe with no real local concentration?

We’ve seen this mistake quietly wreck campaigns. Everything looks right on paper until you realize most of the audience lives somewhere else.

Creators based in a country don’t always have local followers. Some build global audiences. And if your product is only available in certain areas or priced for a specific economy, that mismatch can tank the whole campaign without any obvious red flags.

Before you commit to a creator, ask:

• Where are their followers actually located?

• Are your target customers likely to see this content?

• Is the creator known and trusted in that market?

Audience location matters as much as creator location.

Tip #4: Don’t just copy-paste what worked at home

It’s tempting to reuse what’s already working, especially when you’ve already proven your strategy elsewhere. But the things that worked at home often fail quietly in a new market.

Almost every marketer we spoke to said the same thing: we had to change more than we expected.

Sometimes it was the product. One team told me their best seller didn’t work in the new market because the shipping costs made it a terrible deal. They had to switch focus to something lighter and smaller.

Other times, it was the offer. The price point. Even the way people shop.

And often, it was the content format itself.

One team found that short-form Reels flopped in their new market, where long-form YouTube reviews were the norm. Another had to swap polished creator content for something more low-key and homemade, because that felt native in the local feed.

So, ask: 

• What does "influencer" even mean in this market?

• Are creators seen as entertainers or trusted recommenders?

• How do people shop? Is price sensitivity a factor?

• What formats do they engage with when they’re in buy mode?

You don’t have to reinvent everything. But you do have to adapt.

Bonus tip: Learn directly from those who’ve done it before

Want to see how a global team actually does this?

Piia Õunpuu, Bolt’s Global Influencer Marketing Manager, is pulling back the curtain on how her team launches in 50+ markets — from Toronto to Tallinn and everywhere in between.

What you’ll learn: 

• How to pick creators by market readiness, not vibes

• Launch without losing trust (or money)

• Build tiered campaigns that plug into your full marketing strategy

This session will save you hours of second-guessing, whether you’re launching in market #2 or #52.

RSVP here - it’s free!

Can’t make it live? Register anyway, and we’ll send the replay.

Handpicked job openings

• Whoop is looking for a Talent & Ambassador Marketing Specialist

  in Ireland. The role is remote. 

• Tarte Cosmetics is looking for an Influencer Marketing Coordinator in New York, USA.

• Gotyu is looking for a Freelance Influencer Marketing Specialist in the USA. The role is remote.  

• Rhode Beauty is looking for an Influencer Marketing & Community Manager in Los Angeles, USA.

• Diageo is looking for a Global Influencer Manager in London, UK.  

I’m working on something big behind the scenes, so ROI will be biweekly for the next few months! 👀

See you in two weeks!
Eleni Zoe xx
Marketing @ Modash. Say hi on LinkedIn or visit Modash.

📌A NOTE ABOUT WHAT YOU JUST READ

The tips in this newsletter might not be right for your specific case. Use good judgment when deciding whether to take advice from the internet—even mine. My team and I survey & interview influencer marketers whose advice and observations come from their direct experience. ROI is meant for you to connect the dots and be inspired or challenged to think about your influencer marketing in a way you haven’t before.