Markets
Built for DACH. Ready for English.
Our focus is the German-speaking DACH region – Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Internationally, we work in English-speaking markets. This page explains what that means for positioning, copy, campaigns and pages.
(01)Our market focus
One focus region. One international language.
We concentrate on markets where we understand the language, the culture and the buying habits well enough to write for them directly – not through a translation layer.
Why focus
Marketing for expertise-driven businesses depends on nuance. The difference between an offer that feels trustworthy and one that feels generic is often a single word, a missing detail or a tone that is slightly off. Those nuances are only visible to people who know the market from the inside.
That is why we work in two clearly defined spheres. The German-speaking DACH region is our home market: we write, test and build there natively. English is our international language: for businesses that sell to English-speaking audiences, and for DACH businesses that want to expand beyond the German-speaking world.
(02)The DACH region
Three countries. One language. Different contexts.
Germany, Austria and Switzerland share a language, but not every expectation. Treating them as one market works for some offers – and costs trust for others.
- DEGermany
The largest German-speaking market and the centre of our work. Buyers tend to read carefully, compare thoroughly and expect clear information about what is included, how the process works and who is behind the offer.
What we check
- Formal or informal address – “Sie” or “du” – decided per audience
- Detailed, well-structured information before the call to action
- Credentials and process made visible, not implied
- ATAustria
Shares the language with Germany, but not every word, reference or habit. Austrian German has its own vocabulary in places, and audiences notice when copy was clearly written for somewhere else.
What we check
- Regional vocabulary checked where it matters
- Examples and references that feel local
- Tone that is personal without being overly casual
- CHSwitzerland
A multilingual country with German, French, Italian and Romansh as national languages. In the German-speaking part, written Swiss Standard German differs in details – for example, it uses “ss” instead of “ß”.
What we check
- Swiss spelling conventions applied consistently
- Prices and offers presented in Swiss francs where relevant
- Clear, understated tone over loud promises
In practice
For most expertise-driven offers, one German-language journey can serve the whole region – if it is written with all three audiences in mind. Where the offer, the price or the regulation differs, we build variants: separate campaigns for each country, adapted landing pages or simply different examples and references.
The decision is made deliberately in the brief, not discovered by accident after launch. Campaign structures are set up so that results can be read per country, and pages are built so that variants can be added without rebuilding everything.
Copy should be written in the language of the people it addresses – not translated from another market.
Written for the audience
(03)English-speaking markets
International, in English.
English opens the largest addressable audience for expertise-driven offers. It also raises the bar: the competition is bigger, and generic messages disappear faster.
- 01Audience
English-first businesses
Personal brands, education businesses and service providers who sell to English-speaking audiences in the UK, Ireland and internationally.
- 02Expansion
DACH businesses going international
Companies with a proven offer in the German-speaking market who want to reach English-speaking customers without starting from scratch.
- 03Language
British or American English
Spelling, vocabulary and conventions are chosen per audience – optimisation or optimization – and then applied consistently.
- 04Context
Prices, time zones, proof
Currencies, call availability across time zones and the kind of proof each audience expects are part of the brief.
What changes
Moving an offer from German into English is rarely a translation job. Hooks that work in one language may fall flat in the other; arguments that need detailed explanation in one market are taken for granted in another. Even the length of a sentence changes how direct a message feels.
We therefore develop English campaigns and pages from the positioning, not from the German copy. The core promise stays the same. The words, the order of arguments and the examples are chosen for the new audience – and tested there.
(04)Localisation
Localisation, not translation.
Four layers decide whether a message feels native. Translation only covers the first one.
Language
Grammar, spelling, vocabulary and idioms – correct, natural and consistent with the chosen variant of the language.
Tone
Formal or informal, understated or direct, technical or personal. The same promise can sound confident in one market and boastful in another.
Proof
Which evidence convinces: credentials, process transparency, examples, guarantees. Expectations differ – so does the order in which proof appears.
Offer
Price presentation, currency, payment options, availability and the next step itself – adapted where the market requires it.
(05)One system
One system, several markets.
Positioning, campaigns and funnels are built to carry over from the DACH region to English-speaking markets – without starting from scratch.
How it is built
Shared where possible, specific where necessary
One positioning core
The audience definition, the core promise and the proof are defined once and documented as the reference for every market.
Market-specific messaging
Hooks, arguments and examples are developed per market from that core – in the language and tone of each audience.
Separate campaigns
Campaigns are structured per market or language, so budgets can be controlled and results read separately.
Page variants, shared structure
Landing pages share their architecture and components; copy, examples and offer details are adapted per market.
Comparable measurement
The same measures are used across markets, so learnings from one market can inform decisions in another.
(06)Market checklist
What we check before a market goes live.
A short excerpt from the questions we go through for every new market or language version.
| Topic | What we check |
|---|---|
| Language variant | German for Germany, Austria or Switzerland; British or American English – chosen once and applied consistently. |
| Form of address | Formal or informal tone, and whether it matches the audience, the price point and the brand. |
| Offer & price | Currency, price presentation, payment options and what exactly is included. |
| Proof | Which credentials, examples and process details the audience needs before the next step. |
| Next step | Form, application or call booking – and whether timing and availability work for the market. |
| Campaign structure | Separate campaigns or ad sets per market, with budgets and results that can be read independently. |
| Legal pages | Legal notice and privacy policy reachable from every page, in a form that fits the market. |
Before launch
Readiness
- Copy reviewed by a native speaker of the target variant
- Examples and references feel local
- Forms, emails and confirmations in the same language
- Measurement separated per market
After launch
First review
- Which hooks work in which market
- Where the journey differs between markets
- Which questions come up in enquiries
- What to adapt in the next iteration
(07)Common mistakes
Six mistakes we see when businesses expand.
Most problems with new markets are not caused by the market. They are caused by shortcuts taken at launch.
- 01Copy
Translating the ads one to one.
A hook that works in German can sound odd in English – and the other way round. Translated ads often keep the words and lose the effect.
- 02Proof
Reusing proof that means nothing abroad.
Local media mentions, regional associations or references that are well known at home can be meaningless to a new audience. Proof has to be chosen for the market.
- 03Budget
One campaign for all markets.
When several markets share one campaign, budget tends to flow to wherever results look cheapest – not necessarily to where the business wants to grow.
- 04Logistics
Ignoring time zones and availability.
A booking step that only offers slots in the middle of the night for the new market quietly ends the journey. Availability is part of the offer.
- 05Language
Mixing language variants.
British and American spelling on the same page, or German and Swiss conventions mixed in one email. Small inconsistencies make a brand look less careful.
- 06Focus
Launching everywhere at once.
Several new markets at the same time spread budget and attention thin. Testing one market properly usually teaches more than testing three superficially.
(08)Market notes
Three things we keep in mind.
Short notes that shape every brief, regardless of the market.
- 01
Written for the audience.
Copy is developed in the language of the people it addresses – not translated from another market. The positioning is shared; the words are not.
- 02
One system, several markets.
Positioning, campaigns and funnels are built to carry over from the DACH region to English-speaking markets – without starting from scratch.
- 03
Local context in every brief.
Tone, trust signals and buying habits differ between markets. Each brief starts with the market – before the first headline is written.
(09)Questions
Questions about markets and languages.
01Do you only work with businesses in the DACH region?
No. The DACH region is our focus, and we work internationally in English – with English-first businesses as well as DACH businesses that want to reach English-speaking audiences.
02Can you run one campaign for Germany, Austria and Switzerland?
Often, yes – if the offer and the price are the same and the copy is written with all three audiences in mind. Where they differ, we recommend separate campaigns or page variants.
03Do you translate existing German copy into English?
We adapt rather than translate. The English version is developed from the positioning, with hooks, arguments and examples chosen for the English-speaking audience.
04British or American English?
Whichever fits your audience. We choose one variant at the start and apply its spelling and conventions consistently across ads, pages and emails.
05Can we test a new market before fully committing?
Yes. A focused test – one offer, one audience, one landing page variant – is often the most sensible way to learn whether a market responds before building out the full journey.
06What about other languages?
Our work is in German and English. For other languages we can prepare the positioning and structure, but we do not write the copy ourselves.
Planning a new market?
Tell us where you are today and where you want to go. We will help you decide what to keep, what to adapt and what to test first.