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What's the hardest part of expanding a consumer brand to new countries?

The growth flip came from a strategy Caroline calls "multi Geo, multi infrastructure and multi product." After 18 months hyper-focused on Australia, Hello Clever built banking relationships globally — going from about two to roughly 60 — and got its Australian Financial Services License.
— Caroline Tran, Hello Clever (Ep 29)

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CT
Caroline Tran
Hello Clever · EP 29

The growth flip came from a strategy Caroline calls "multi Geo, multi infrastructure and multi product." After 18 months hyper-focused on Australia, Hello Clever built banking relationships globally — going from about two to roughly 60 — and got its Australian Financial Services License.

Episode ↗
See Caroline Tran's full take

Caroline says exponential growth "really happens when we started our strategy around multi Geo, multi infrastructure and multi product." They started in Australia in 2022 and "been hyper focused to Australia until actually early 2024, so that was 18 months." The catalyst to go global was risk: "for you to depend on one single bank to grow your business is not ideal — what if they say no to you?" So from mid-2024 they pursued "more and more banking relationships globally," strengthened compliance, and got their Australian Financial Services License. The result: "we've got about 60 banking relationships globally… instead of like two 24 months ago," with banks "in Japan, Philippines… the US and banks in Australia," and the Philippines as "our strongest market."

EY
Ethan Yong
Umami Papi · EP 20

According to Ethan, it's not as simple as sending a bunch of pallets over to the supermarket and letting it sell itself. In a new market people don't know your brand, so you have to invest time and money into how people will hear about it — especially for a premium product at a premium price point, like in Malaysia where the chilli oil might cost three times as much as a locally made one.

Episode ↗
See Ethan Yong's full take

Umami Papi set up sampling booths and ran promos and live activations — things they hadn't done much of in Australia, where they relied more on the internet and word of mouth. It also means speaking to the locals, understanding what they like and respond well to, since dishes that pair well with the product in Australia might feel strange to local tastes elsewhere.

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