‘Gearing’ up for an APAC Expansion? Here Are Three Ways to Succeed, According to a Global Tech CRO

In this AZK Media original ‘Walk and Talk’ video, we discuss everything global tech vendors must do to drive growth in new and emerging markets with someone who’s ‘been there and done that'.

A digital revolution is driving growth across the APAC region and global tech companies, unsurprisingly, want in on the action. In fact, the International Monetary Fund expects the region’s emerging markets and developing economies to grow 20% faster than the global average. The report suggests that the introduction of new sector verticals is drawing record-breaking investments, which is fuelling the growth of larger, more valuable start-ups in the region.

Localisation as a key driver for growth

SnapLogic CRO and President George Mogannam shares the joys and challenges of breaking into a new region like APAC. With cloud application and big data adoption on the rise in Australia and New Zealand, SnapLogic saw an opportunity to meet the growing demand for its leading iPaaS solution and opened an office in Melbourne. 

Here, Mogannam reflects on entering the APAC market and reveals how critical it is to partner with a local PR and marketing firm who can do the “heavy lifting” to get your brand noticed. “The way you grow the business is by penetrating new markets,” Mogannam says.

“APAC is obviously a huge market. And the most exciting part of the process for me is hiring the right folks that allow us to build this business. It takes a unique type to be effective in a market where you're trying to break into. So to me, that's the most enjoyable thing and then watch it develop and grow the business.”

The secret recipe for building opportunity in APAC

Entering a new market like APAC has its challenges. A big one, Mogannam says, is getting noticed above the competition. It’s likely they’ve already been there for years, carving out a name for themselves. They have the brand recognition, trust and customer base you still need to build. 

Getting to that level means getting in gear — or three gears, rather. “You have to apply multiple gears to break into a new market like APAC,” he says. “The first is the marketing gear. Then there’s the channel gear where you build a healthy channel to identify new opportunities. And the third gear is everything the sales team must do to develop opportunities and find new logos to break into. It’s a heavy lift, and it’s not easy. But the only way to grow a start-up is by things like that.”

The critical importance of PR and marketing investments to growth in a new region

When it comes to getting noticed by local prospects, having the right PR and marketing support is crucial. “The most critical gear that we expect to generate the most opportunity is marketing and PR. That is the largest way to get brand recognition,” Mogannam points out.

“Marketing and PR generate enough opportunity for the salespeople to go and identify opportunities. They are critical, especially when you're breaking into a new market.”