In this episode of Content Logistics, co-hosts Dallion Durán-Ballén and Baylee Gunnell sit down with Emma Blackmore of Emma Blackmore LTD – Fractional Marketing, a fractional CMO with over 15 years of marketing experience across London, New York, and Stockholm. Emma shares insights from her global marketing career, offering practical advice on expanding into new markets—both internationally and domestically.
Emma highlights the importance of a well-thought-out market entry strategy, emphasizing the need to adapt brand positioning and messaging to fit local nuances. She discusses the significance of market research, customer segmentation, and scrappy marketing approaches, especially for startups with limited resources. Emma also stresses the value of sales and marketing alignment to support growth efforts.
The conversation wraps up with Emma sharing tips on building effective teams for international expansion and addressing the challenges of cultural differences. With practical examples and actionable insights, this episode offers a comprehensive guide for businesses looking to scale across borders.
Featured Guest
Name: Emma Blackmore
What she does: Fractional CMO
Company: Emma Blackmore LTD – Fractional Marketing
Noteworthy: 15+ years in global marketing for startups, agencies, and corporates.
Featured Guest
Key Insights
The Power of Market Research and Scrappy Marketing
Emma emphasizes the importance of conducting thorough market research before entering new markets, whether internationally or domestically. She advises using a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods like customer interviews, surveys, and data analytics. For startups and small businesses, she recommends a “quick and dirty” approach, where speed and adaptability are prioritized over extensive processes. This agile methodology allows companies to gather just enough data to make informed decisions without being bogged down by complexity or high costs. Emma’s advice is especially valuable for businesses with limited budgets and resources that need to pivot quickly.
Aligning Sales and Marketing for Global Expansion
Emma highlights the critical need for sales and marketing teams to work closely together, particularly when expanding into new markets. She shares her approach of sitting down with sales teams to align on commercial objectives and dissect sales decks for clarity and relevance. This alignment ensures that both teams are working toward the same goals, with marketing supporting sales efforts through clear, compelling messaging that resonates with the target audience. Emma believes this collaboration is essential for simplifying complex products and creating a more compelling customer journey, particularly in highly technical industries.
Navigating Cultural Nuances in International Markets
Breaking into international markets comes with its own set of challenges, especially when dealing with cultural and linguistic differences. Emma shares her experience helping businesses adapt their brand positioning and messaging to better resonate with local audiences. She stresses that entering a new market often requires more than just translation—it involves understanding the cultural context, body language, and even legal regulations that can vary from country to country. She also highlights the importance of hiring local talent who understand these nuances and can bridge gaps between the company and its new market. This approach helps businesses build trust and credibility in foreign markets.
Episode Highlights
Emma’s Global Marketing Experience and Third Culture Background
Emma opens the discussion by sharing her global marketing journey, which began early due to her upbringing as a “third culture kid.” She highlights how her personal background of growing up in different countries influenced her professional interest in international marketing. Emma discusses how this background, coupled with her experience working across major markets like London, New York, and Stockholm, has shaped her understanding of how to navigate cultural differences in marketing strategies.
“I grew up as what’s called a TCK, or a third culture kid… I spent most of my life living in Egypt, so 10 plus years there. I went to international schools in Zambia, Botswana, Malaysia, Canada… I’ve always had an interest in, personally and from a business standpoint, in working with people and businesses from across the globe.”
Determining When and Why to Expand Internationally
Emma discusses the need to carefully assess whether a company should expand into new markets. She emphasizes the importance of understanding the commercial objectives behind such a decision. Rather than jumping into expansion for the sake of growth, businesses must first establish whether there is a genuine need to enter new markets. Emma underscores that not every business is ready for international expansion and that the decision should align with the company’s overall strategy.
“It’s really understanding the why and the need to expand internationally in the first place… what are the benefits? What does market growth look like? Or what could it look like? You know, is there a need? First and foremost, there may not be a need.”
Challenges of Cultural and Linguistic Differences in New Markets
Emma highlights the unique challenges businesses face when expanding internationally, particularly those related to cultural and linguistic nuances. She explains that entering a new market involves more than just translating materials into the local language; businesses must understand cultural contexts, including communication styles and body language. This insight extends to legal compliance in different regions, a factor that can significantly impact a company’s success in a new market.
“It’s more about… what are the linguistic differences in terms of the cultural nuances that extend to communication, body language, ways of perceiving information? And then, of course, there’s even legalities around compliance to avoid potential legal issues or fines.”
The Growing Trend of Fractional CMOs in Lean Business Models
Emma discusses her role as a fractional CMO, a growing trend in the post-COVID business landscape. With companies tightening budgets and reducing headcounts, the fractional CMO model allows businesses to access high-level marketing expertise without the full-time commitment. Emma explains how this role allows her to work with multiple clients, providing flexibility for both the business and the CMO, while still driving meaningful results.
“Businesses are realizing that they can tap into, in my case, a CMO at a fraction of the cost for a fraction of the time and still get the results… of perhaps a full-time CMO that they are unable to commit to at this specific time.”
