So this happened to me over the weekend… I went to another blind wine tasting event.
Didn’t win this time, but I walked away with something arguably better — a crash course in white wines. From steely Chablis to oily Eden Valley Riesling, it hit me: I knew shockingly little about how regional differences shaped what was in my white wine glass.
Every sip told a story. Of limestone-rich soils, sun exposure, elevation, and centuries of trial and error. It’s called terroir — the French notion that place changes everything. Not just how a wine tastes, but what it is.
And somewhere between swirl, sniff, and sip, it clicked.
Marketing has terroir too.
What works in Tokyo won’t fly in Jakarta. A Facebook ad that crushes it in Toronto might flatline in Bangkok. Growth isn’t some universal cheat code. It’s not plug-and-play. Especially in this APAC region, where we have 48 countries and more than 2,300 languages!
Just like wine, the success of a brand is shaped (and sometimes limited) by the soil it’s planted in: geography, culture, behaviour, and timing. Ignore that, and you’re not just tone-deaf, you’re toast.
Because in branding, like in winemaking, if you don’t respect the terroir, you miss the magic.
1. Localisation is Not a Line Item. It’s Your Lifeline
If you think localisation is just slapping a translation on your homepage and calling it a day, you’ve already lost.
Global brands don’t fail locally because their product sucks. They fail because they assume fit is universal. But in growth, as in wine, the soil matters. A great Burgundy grape doesn’t automatically thrive in Barossa heat.
Take McDonald’s. In the U.S., it’s Big Macs and fries. But step into a Singapore outlet and you’ll find the Chicken McSpicy is a local cult favourite that would torch your average Western palate. In Japan? You’ll see seasonal Tofu Teriyaki Burgers and Ebi (shrimp) Filets on the menu. This isn’t cultural fluff. It’s product strategy as localisation.
Even digital players aren’t exempt. Netflix, for example, doesn’t just dub its shows for APAC audiences; it rewrites the playbook. Titles like “Sacred Games” in India, “Trese” in the Philippines, and “Alice in Borderland” in Japan are tailor-made to resonate with local audiences, from the scripts to the story arcs to the font styles on the title cards.
Takeaway: Localisation strategy isn’t a checkbox on your go-to-market adaptation plan.
It’s the make-or-break foundation for product localisation that actually scales.
2. Behaviour is Culture-Coded: One Size Rarely Fits All
We like to think data is our universal truth. But behaviour? That’s a different beast, shaped more by habit than by numbers.
In India, for instance, mobile-first isn’t just about UI design. It’s about microeconomics. Missed calls (literally ringing someone once and hanging up) are a communication strategy, not a bug. Brands that get it? Use “give us a missed call to subscribe” as a CTA.
In China, if you think WeChat is just a chat app, you’re already 7 years behind. It’s a payments platform, social network, food delivery app, e-commerce portal, and health passport all rolled into one. That’s not user behaviour. That’s a culture-coded ecosystem.
Too many marketers treat users like logic-driven personas. But here’s the truth: consumers aren’t rational agents. They’re cultural by-products.
Takeaway: To win across markets, you need to stop exporting strategy and start importing insight.
Consumer behaviour by region and user behaviour patterns must inform every cultural marketing strategy you build.
3. Messaging That Travels Starts with Listening
Your clever pun might kill in Sydney. But drop that same line in Seoul, and you’ll get crickets.
The problem? Brands don’t just mistranslate words, they mistranslate emotion.
In the U.S., you sell with “freedom,” “choice,” and “individuality.” In Asia? The winning cards are often “belonging,” “family,” and “respect.” The same message with a different flavour, and if you miss the nuance, your campaign falls flat.
Because messaging is more than copy. It’s cultural translation. It’s context over cleverness. And in this game, the best copywriters aren’t just wordsmiths, they’re anthropologists with keyboards.
Take Apple’s “Shot on iPhone” campaign. It works globally not because it’s universal, but because it’s interpretative, allowing local creators to bring their world to life on their terms. The message flexes with the market, not against it.
Takeaway: You’re not just writing. You’re listening. The most successful brand messaging localisation starts with empathy not ego.
And that’s the heart of any marketing communication strategy that moves people.
Final Thoughts: Growth Has Roots
Back to that white wine flight. I couldn’t guess the grape. But I learned something better: how to taste the place.
That’s the magic of terroir, and the same applies to growth.
We chase hacks, tools, and channels. But the real unlock? Context.
Brands don’t grow in a vacuum. They grow in soil, geography, culture, and behaviour.
Know your soil before planting your seeds.
So before your next campaign, pause. Ask not just what you’re selling, but where and to whom.
Because in wine and in business, the truth is simple:
Terroir is everything.
🫶🏻 Thanks for reading till the end.
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