ALL ARTICLES AND INSIGHTS
Explore strategy, markets, and business perspectives.
The First Shipment Gets You Listed. The Second One Keeps You Listed.
Most market-entry plans are built around the first shipment clearing, listing and going live. Marketplaces judge something else: whether the product is still in stock weeks later. For a US brand entering Japan, South Korea, India or Singapore, restock time varies sharply by market, and a stock-out costs more than the sales lost during the gap.
The Market That Is Growing Faster May Deserve a Closer Look
Market growth alone does not determine whether a market is worth entering. Discover how Samana Insights’ Market Prioritisation Framework helps executives assess growth alongside accessibility, competition, profitability and execution challenges to make more informed market-entry decisions in Asia.
Your Product May Be Ready. Your Supply Chain May Not Be.
A strong factory does not guarantee market readiness. Discover how manufacturing capacity and regulatory compliance can determine whether a brand successfully delivers its first order in a new market.
Before Comparing Prices in Asia, Understand Where Your Brand Comes From
Before setting prices for an Asian market, brands need to understand where they stand in their home market. This insight explores how home-market competitors, pricing, and positioning provide the baseline for making better-informed pricing decisions, protecting margins, and building a stronger market-entry strategy.
Your FOB Price Is Not Your Retail Price: Understanding Where the Margin Goes
Population and current market size are the easiest numbers to find, and the easiest to over-trust. Using sports nutrition across India, Japan, South Korea and China, this article shows why headline size misleads, and what a better first screen asks instead.
Population Is Not Demand: Why Size Alone Is a Poor Starting Point for Choosing an Asian Market
Population and current market size are the easiest numbers to find, and the easiest to over-trust. Using sports nutrition across India, Japan, South Korea and China, this article shows why headline size misleads, and what a better first screen asks instead.
The Factor That Looks Smallest on Paper Can Matter Most at Launch
Market size and growth often dominate research, but less prominent factors can determine whether a market is actually ready for entry. Learn how to identify the assumptions and requirements that could have the greatest impact on execution.
A Market Assessment Has a Shelf Life
Market conditions change, especially regulation and competitive activity. A decision built on outdated evidence can create problems during execution. Learn why market assessments need to be dated, monitored, and revisited.
An Assumption Is Not a Finding
A market recommendation can appear fully evidence-based while one unverified assumption quietly shapes the conclusion. Learn how to identify assumptions that could change the decision—and where further research matters most.
The Assumption That Looked Like a Finding
Market decisions often rest on a few facts nobody actually verified, entered reasonably because time was short. The risk is not the assumption. It is when it sits beside real evidence looking identical, so no one can tell which conclusions are solid and which are educated guesses.
Fast-Growing Categories Often Create Better Expansion Platforms Than Mature Ones
The largest category is not always the strongest opportunity. Fast-growing categories can offer greater strategic flexibility, stronger retailer engagement, and more room for differentiation, making them valuable platforms for long-term international expansion.