Breaking into the US fashion and luxury space requires strategy, and if your brand is coming from abroad, it requires a specific expertise. After a long comms career both in-house and agency side, Novella Paghera started her own shop to do just that. We spoke with Novella to learn some of the challenges to bringing overseas brands stateside, and how she navigates these nuances to make local brands globally relevant. 

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What are the unique challenges for overseas brands trying to break into the US market? 

There are many unique challenges for overseas brands trying to break into the US market, the first being the very obvious cultural difference – the US market is aspirational and therefore can be a bit saturated, so you have to be strategic about cutting through while also keeping the values and DNA of the brand’s story top of mind. There are also minor challenges such as time zones and communication as well as shipping of samples as our clients are predominately fashion brands and the product/samples are so important to tell the brand's story. While there are a few challenges it is still very exciting to be able to help create awareness and make an impact for international brands in the US market.

What tactics have been working from a marketing & PR perspective?

My agency works as an extension of our clients, that way we are able to really define the brand's DNA and key pillars to effectively craft a tailor-made strategy that will best tell their story. My mission is to promote excellence, craftsmanship, and culture. We do this through creative thinking, strategic planning, and unique experiences aligned with their ethos to support and help them grow in the US market.

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What are a few of the nuances of the US market that overseas brands should understand? Are there any different approaches for marketing luxury brands, specifically? 

Understanding the nuances of the US market is essential for overseas brands and becomes even more critical when marketing luxury brands. Some of the key nuances we are constantly looking at are the diverse consumer preferences as the US is a melting pot of cultures and knowing your target demographic while maintaining the brand identity is very important. A few other nuances are the strong importance of the value of authenticity and the priority of a digital presence – luxury brands should have a strong online presence including a well-designed website, engaging social channels, and potential collaborations with influencers and creators. 

Any overarching advice for making a local brand globally relevant? 

My best advice would be to really understand the brand, who they are and what they are trying to say and the product that they are trying to sell; from there you can look to identify media, outlets as well as key opinion leaders to align with and craft creative projects specific to relevant trends and insights across the US market, that will not only create buzz but make a lasting impact.