Why local marketplaces, ads, and PR activities aren’t enough to truly conquer the market…

Dear friend, Many international e-commerce companies want to expand into the German market. They see the potential: enormous purchasing power, strong loyalty, and a massive e-commerce sector. And they are convinced: “What worked in our other markets will also work in Germany.” But as soon as they take the first steps, they quickly realize: Germany reacts completely differently.

And the more actions they take, the clearer it becomes: The German market follows entirely different rules. No worries — this happens to most companies out there!

Many international e-commerce companies underestimate the German market. They list products on marketplaces, run ads, or book influencers, hoping to gain clues about demand and potential.

But this assumption is misleading. Ads and PR don’t provide deep insights into how the German market actually works or what your brand needs to become successful here. They only give surface-level feedback.

You don’t learn how German consumers think, which values matter to them, or which messages build trust. You also don’t learn which positioning works, which barriers you must overcome, or how to build purchase intent.

Local marketplaces show only whether a product is seen, not whether it’s embraced. Ads show which creatives get clicks, not whether they fit culturally. PR generates visibility, but not real relevance.

The common misconception is believing that tactics that work elsewhere will automatically work in Germany. But the German market is built differently. It does not reward loud promises or superficial hype. Germans value reliability, transparency, substance & quality.

Local marketplaces, ads, and PR cannot measure this. That’s why we keep seeing the same pattern: You launch tactical measures, the results are inconsistent or disappointing. The learnings are useless — and you still don’t understand Germany.

They fail because they haven’t recognized the fundamental factor without which nearly every market entry is doomed from the start…

Germany is a market with its own rules. People make purchasing decisions differently, value different things, and expect a particular kind of trust. If you don’t understand these mechanisms and don’t know which arguments, pain points, and values matter here, your actions will feel foreign. That’s why international standard campaigns and translated messages often fall flat. They don’t reach German consumers because they’re not speaking their language. Without a deep understanding of market logic and a culturally aligned positioning, your ads and PR efforts fade into nothing. Success in Germany doesn’t come from more budget alone — but from precise messaging, cultural accuracy, and positioning that makes your brand “buyable” in this market. Without that, every euro invested is a gamble with low odds of winning.

Once you understand how German consumers think, decide, and buy, it becomes easier to position your brand correctly and develop an effective strategy, regardless of your marketing channels.

To successfully enter the German market, your company requires three key elements:

Click the link to book a free initial consultation with me! During this 60-minute session, we’ll figure out how we can implement these steps in your company — so your entry into the German market becomes not a risk but a true success story.

I wish you the best of success, and I hope we’ll speak soon!