The US bestseller travelled to Southeast Asia’s marketplace lists. The exact SKU did not demonstrably follow. A snapshot of protein powder rankings shows why brand presence is not product fit, and why the hero at home is only a candidate abroad.

Brands often assume more SKUs mean more revenue. In a new market, overlapping products split the same demand, dilute velocity and strain distributor attention. The commercial question is what each SKU adds beyond the ones already chosen, not how well it sold at home.

Most brands choose their first international product before they understand what the market already rewards. Here's why that sequence — and not the product itself — is usually the mistake.