When a company enters the international market, it is important to understand the context of each market: local user habits, query languages, business decision-making behavior, deal cycle length, and channels that actually convert. Without this, even the best advertising campaign is not an investment, but an experiment with a high entry price.
The client approached us with a clear request: “Develop a marketing strategy for launching a SaaS product on the international market”.
Objective: to build a scalable, effective, and measurable marketing system that enables:
- research demand and the competitive environment in target regions;
- select and test channels with the best results/cost ratio;
- monitor performance metrics and adjust strategy in real time;
- scale up in an organized manner, without chaos and budgetary “mergers”.
We have signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), so the client will remain anonymous in this case.
Details about the project
Our client is a B2B SaaS company focused on SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises).
Main product: a digital tool that solves specific business problems — process automation, integration, and operational efficiency improvement.
Task: Entering international markets, taking into account local competition characteristics, audience behavior, differences in pricing, and communication channels.
The company provides comprehensive business support, including:
- registration of companies in various fields (from IT and startups to real estate agencies and trading);
- assistance in opening bank accounts and obtaining resident visas;
- legal, tax, and accounting support for businesses;
- services in administration, office rental, personnel recruitment, and marketing support.
Many years of experience guarantee clients complete investment security and effective adaptation of their business to the new environment.
Before launching active marketing activities, the client had: a working product, a minimal sales funnel, but insufficient data on where it is best to start, how to communicate value, which channels generate the most leads, and what is the lead/deal economics in new markets.
Market analysis
Before investing in promotion, lead generation, or building a marketing department, you need to ask yourself a fundamental question:
How well does the product align with current market trends and consumer behavior?
This is precisely what we address in the first stage — through comprehensive marketing research of the market:
🟡 Market demand and dynamics — volumes of non-brand queries, seasonality, growth trends.
🟡 Level of business digitization in target regions — how ready companies are to implement SaaS tools.
🟡 Competitive environment — positioning models, user engagement strategies, messaging, USP.
🟡 Behavioral patterns — how customers search for solutions, what barriers arise in the decision-making process, and what triggers a purchase.
🟡 High-conversion channels — media that work best at different stages of the funnel (from awareness to decision).
This enables us to form expert conclusions and recommendations:
- Which market segments have the highest growth potential.
- What local messages evoke an emotional response.
- What is the optimal media mix for each stage of the user journey?
- What positioning model distinguishes the brand from its competitors?
Insight: The highest ROI comes not from obvious needs, but from customer expectations that no one has noticed yet. It is invisible “pain points” that create new niches and open up markets where there is almost no competition.
In-depth market analysis allows you to identify key trends, external demand factors, and target audience expectations. This stage provides insights into demographics, the economic climate, and relevant segments to focus on.
Therefore, in order to understand the challenges, we first gathered all available data on Ukraine’s interaction with the UAE and the profile of a potential customer.
Before the war began, Ukraine’s trade turnover with the UAE reached a record $1.147 billion, indicating active economic cooperation.
90% of the UAE population are expats, and the country’s authorities deliberately attract businesses from abroad (no income tax, “golden visa” programs, etc.). For example, approximately 30% of wealthy migrants arrive in the UAE under investment programs.
- All this means that the client’s services should be sold to a high-income international audience, rather than to local entrepreneurs.
We also studied macro- and microeconomic conditions in detail:
For example, the population of the UAE exceeded 9.5 million people in 2023 (an increase of 0.8% over the year), which continues to expand the base of potential customers.
Almost all (88.5%) residents are foreigners, so clients are perceived as part of the international business community rather than the local market. We have also noticed a significant increase in the number of wealthy entrepreneurs from CIS countries, and Forbes and the Ukrainian business community are actively promoting the advantages of relocating to the UAE (no taxes, minimum start-up amount of $10,000).
The trends section showed that the country continues to actively invest in technology and e-commerce. The food, entertainment, health, and construction industries also remain popular, which is an argument for including cases from these areas in future communications.
👉 If you are planning to enter new markets, order a free diagnosis from Solve Marketing. We will show you what opportunities this strategy will open up for your business.
Competitor analysis
At this stage, we identified the behavioral patterns of potential customers.
Business does not exist in a vacuum — customers always evaluate you through the prism of their previous experience, so it is important to understand that competition is not only with companies, but also with expectations that have already been formed in this niche.
We researched more than 6 competitors, including local leaders in business education, international certification platforms, and niche academies.
Each was analysed using a 360° framework:
– website structure;
– offers on the home page;
– funnel;
– depth of educational programmes;
– positioning (education vs business support);
– narratives on social media;
– promotion methods;
– real reviews.
What we found
- For 80% of players, positioning is at the level of “providing knowledge” rather than “solving a business problem.” This leaves room for differentiation through applied results.
- Most competitors promise “feel like a CEO”, but do not show any case studies or real changes — room for enhanced evidence-based communication.
- Course pages are not personalized enough — lack of logic in the product catalog.
Social media is mainly informational, without personal stories or expert analysis. There is no deep connection to the audience.
Insight: In an oversaturated information environment, the market no longer responds to promises of knowledge — it seeks clarity, structure, and actions that lead to results. Those who replace “content flow” with real solutions and systemic changes are setting a new standard of value for business.
It is important that we involve various experts at the research stage:
- Content marketer — studies how players work with stories, meanings, and USPs in texts and videos.
- Operational marketer — focuses on tactics: funnels, retargeting, tripwires, lead engagement.
Owners or internal marketers often fail to see objectively what the market looks like in the eyes of customers. That is why an external strategic audit is critically important at any stage.
The “Choice Factors” Framework
When a business faces fierce competition or enters new markets, it is important to have a clearly defined strategic advantage. To do this, you need to know: what exactly does the customer consider important? Why do they choose you or your competitor? How do priorities change for different segments and stages of selection?
To do this, we at Solve Marketing use our own methodology — the “Choice Factors” framework. It is a tool that allows you to:
- systematically identify all key factors influencing customer choice;
- assess which of them have already been implemented in the product, communications, website, and service;
- based on this, create relevant positioning, messaging, website, lead magnets, content, and advertising triggers.
We compile a list of 100+ factors based on:
- competitor analysis;
- customer reviews;
- interview with the client’s team;
- and the overall market situation.
Next, we classify them, after which they are transformed into a list of tasks for implementation — from positioning to advertising creatives.
Thanks to this approach, our strategy does not remain at the level of “abstract ideas“, but is based on real “pain points“, triggers, and audience expectations.
For more details about this unique Ukrainian framework and the results of its implementation, please refer to this article on our website.
The framework has been developed and is constantly being improved by our Solve Marketing team based on 100+ developed strategies. Instead of superficial conclusions or cookie-cutter personas, we provide our clients with a deep strategic foundation for decisions in all areas: communication, website, advertising, packaging, service, and content.
This tool also provides:
- focus for the team;
- advantage over competitors.
- flexibility in scaling.
Want to understand why customers choose you and what makes them go to your competitors? Request a free consultation: we will diagnose your business and discuss a plan for the future. Take the first step toward an effective strategy!
A marketing strategy is a system for achieving business goals.
The strategic work for our client became an example of how in-depth analysis and clear methodology transform marketing from tactics into a growth management system.
We developed a step-by-step action plan and provided strategic recommendations on key areas:
1. Positioning
Positioning determines how a business sounds in the customer’s mind.
2. Website
The future website should not be a showcase, but a conversion center. We have included in our recommendations an analytics-oriented structure, an SEO implementation plan, and lead generation tools with the possibility of scaling.
A website is not an element of identity; it is a point of decision-making.
3. Lead generation
We have developed a basic lead generation funnel with clear KPIs for 4+ months. This allows the company to forecast the flow of applications and control the funnel for each inquiry.
4. Content and social media
To build up our expertise, we’ve come up with a basic content strategy that shows off not just our services, but also the value of our expertise.
A basic content plan and brand tone of voice have been developed for Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
Insight: Content is not only a sales tool, but also evidence of the company’s expertise. Content in consulting should serve as a marker of competence, demonstrating thought processes, analytical depth, and understanding of the client’s business context. Therefore, the main goal is not to “sell a service,” but to create confidence that this particular consultant thinks more strategically than others.
5. Partnerships
A separate vector is building a partner ecosystem with real estate agents, financial advisors, and business clubs.
We prepared a detailed plan for implementing a partnership program with conversion tracking and presentation materials. This direction proved to be one of the most effective sources of warm leads among the competitors analyzed.
So, we designed a comprehensive marketing system in which each tool performs its own function: from positioning to analytics.
Why do businesses need a marketing strategy?
1. Defines focus and priorities.
A strategy provides a clear understanding of who your ideal customer (ICP) is, what their key needs are, and which interaction scenario will bring the most profit. This allows you to focus on those who really deliver results.
2. Forms a unified business logic.
When the brand, product, sales, and communications work in sync, each touchpoint with the customer reinforces the previous one.
3. Optimizes budget and resources.
A strategic approach allows you to invest only in proven hypotheses. Each channel has its own role, and advertising is launched after demand has been validated.
4. Accelerates the business learning cycle.
The strategy introduces consistency into testing, analytics, and decision-making. Less intuition — more data, which allows you to scale faster and avoid repeating mistakes.
5. Creates scalability.
The marketing strategy sets out a clear growth logic. Thanks to its structure, processes, and metrics, it is easy to scale in new regions, channels, or directions.
Marketing is not about advertising. It is about managing demand, decisions, and the company’s reputation.
The next step is your strategy
Our team at Solve Marketing has experience in over 35 industries and has developed more than 100 marketing strategies for B2B, SaaS, eCommerce, consulting, and other companies.
If you want marketing to start working as a system rather than a set of tools,
📩 Sign up for a free strategic diagnosis.
We will show you how to transform your marketing into a structured growth engine.
