From Argentina With Love

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We sat down at a quiet French café tucked inside an old shopping arcade in downtown Los Angeles, on Spring Street—a remnant of the 1920s banking district. It reminded me of another place: Santiago, Chile. And for Gerard and Carmen, our guests that afternoon and originally from Argentina, it evoked something familiar as well—echoes of Buenos Aires.

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They were in the final stretch of their U.S. visit, finalising production plans for a new product line designed in Mendoza. It’s an ambitious project: to enter the American market in 2026 with an innovative offering in a saturated category. The groundwork is already in motion—banking, licenses, even leasing a place to live. What they now need is clarity around one big question: what will their brand mean to American audiences?

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What followed was a conversation in two languages—Spanish and English—a reflection of the dual identity they’re about to adopt. Their brand must connect with both worlds: it must honour their Argentine roots, while seamlessly integrating into American culture.

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What many international founders fail to see clearly at the start is this:

You’re not just entering a new market.

You’re entering a new culture—one with unique demands, spread across a vast and fragmented landscape.

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The United States isn’t one audience.

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It’s a segmented, often contradictory network of values, habits, regions, and generations.

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From East to West, from urban hubs to rural strongholds, American identity is fluid and contextual. Success requires more than logistics. It demands an almost anthropological approach to understanding how Americans think, aspire, and choose.

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And this is where promising brands often stumble.

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They arrive with attractive products and strong teams but fail in cultural translation. They focus on features and pricing. But Americans buy into stories. Into trust.

They buy to feel like they belong.

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For immigrant audiences—particularly Latino, Asian, and Middle Eastern communities—acculturation adds another layer of complexity. Within these groups are countless nuances: first-generation parents, second-generation children, bilingual homes, English-preferred or Spanish-first households. Each segment brings different motivations, emotions, and brand expectations.

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Gerard and Carmen are open to learning all of this.

And that, I told them, may be their greatest advantage.

Because the brands that win in America aren’t the loudest.

They’re the ones that listen best.

The ones that decode the American story—and find a meaningful role in it.

Business schools teach you how to build a company.

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But what international founders need to learn is how to build relationships

So where do you begin?

1. Know the culture before the category

Gerard and Carmen have spent nearly five years travelling across the U.S., identifying where their product might perform best and meeting their consumers face-to-face—something data alone can’t uncover. Study your market deeply before launching. Understand how Americans shop, what they value, and what triggers them to act. Brands are built on emotional understanding, not just product features.

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2. Segment precisely

Not all Americans are the same. Geographic, generational, and cultural segmentation (including levels of acculturation) should guide your messaging, visual presentation, and brand positioning. Latinos in Los Angeles differ significantly from those in New York or Miami.

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3. Don’t just translate

Literal translations often miss the mark. Adapt your story so it feels native to the U.S. market—without losing authenticity. That’s where real resonance lives. AI tools might offer cheap shortcuts, but that path leads to disaster. Invest in true connection. Once you deeply understand your audience, you’ll know how to use technology wisely to scale.

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4. Earn trust with consistency

Trust is everything. Americans trust brands that feel familiar, dependable, and consistent—in tone, message, and presentation—across every touchpoint. Prepare for a long game. Like any real relationship, trust takes time to earn—and can vanish quickly if your brand cuts corners or becomes inconsistent.

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