Vasiliki Panay, Founder & CEO of RENOM, designs brand communication strategies that bridge Asia and Europe.
She emphasizes that when a brand enters a new market, the very first step is not simple translation or promotion, but understanding how people in that market perceive value, quality, trust, and risk. While many brands approach international expansion as a matter of campaigns, visibility, and localized copywriting, Vasiliki views the core of market entry as a process of "interpretation." To her, what comes first is understanding the meaning of the product in that specific market, what consumers require as proof of credibility, and how a brand can demonstrate genuine respect and preparation.
In this interview, we spoke with Vasiliki—who has supported countless brands and founders across Korean, European, and Mediterranean contexts—about building communication that earns trust in new markets, the essential mindset needed for cultures with strong identities, and what it takes for a global brand to achieve lasting relevance.
Q1. When a brand enters a new market, what does it need to understand before translation, marketing, or promotion begins?
Before any communication begins, a brand needs to understand how people in that market make sense of value, quality, credibility, and risk.
Many brands start with translation, but the first step should be interpretation. What does the product mean in this market? Who is it speaking to? What expectations already exist in the category? What makes people hesitate? What kind of proof do they need before they trust the brand?
A brand also needs to understand the local rhythm of decision-making. In some markets, consumers respond quickly to novelty and visibility. In others, reputation, endorsement, consistency, and social proof matter much more. The same message can feel premium in one country, aggressive in another, and vague somewhere else.
This is especially important for brands entering markets with strong cultural identities. People can recognise when a brand has simply translated its material and when it has taken the time to understand the local context. Trust begins before the campaign. It begins with the work a brand does to understand the people it wants to speak to.
Q2. You work across Korea, Europe, and international business contexts. In markets with strong cultural identities, what kind of communication helps a brand earn trust?
The communication that earns trust is specific, respectful, and consistent.
In strong cultural markets, general global messaging is usually too broad. People want to feel that the brand understands where it is, who it is speaking to, and what matters locally. This does not mean changing the brand’s identity for every market. It means expressing the brand in a way that feels relevant and credible within that culture.
For example, Korean audiences often pay close attention to detail, presentation, reputation, and the social meaning of a brand. In parts of Europe, the emphasis may be placed more on heritage, craftsmanship, taste, quality, or restraint. In Cyprus and the Mediterranean, personal connection, lifestyle, relationships, and local relevance can strongly influence how a brand is received.
The strongest communication keeps the brand’s core identity intact while adjusting the language, proof points, tone, and cultural references. A brand should sound confident, but never detached from the market. It should show that it understands local expectations without trying too hard to appear local.
Trust is built when people feel that the brand has entered the market with respect, preparation, and a point of view.
Q3. Through RENOM and The Global Founder, you have worked with founders, brands, and entrepreneurs. In your view, what separates brands that build lasting global relevance from those that disappear quickly?
Brands that last usually have a strong sense of who they are and enough discipline to express that consistently across markets.
Many brands can create attention. Fewer brands can turn attention into trust, and even fewer can maintain that trust over time. The difference often comes down to clarity, consistency, and substance.
A brand with lasting relevance understands its own identity before it expands. It knows what it stands for, what it offers, and why people should care. When it enters a new market, it does not rely only on visibility or short-term promotion. It invests in positioning, communication, relationships, and the details that shape how people experience the brand.
Founders also play an important role. The brands that grow well internationally are often led by people who are open to learning from each market without losing confidence in their original vision. They listen carefully, adapt where needed, and protect the parts of the brand that should remain unchanged.
Brands disappear quickly when they chase attention without building meaning. They may launch loudly, but there is no deeper reason for people to remember them, recommend them, or return to them.
Lasting global relevance comes from a brand being understood, trusted, and remembered for the right reasons.
For Vasiliki Panay, the hallmark of a truly global brand is not merely expanding into more markets.
It is about a brand clearly understanding its own identity and maintaining consistency, while deeply respecting the language, expectations, and standards of trust within each market. In a new market, a brand must first be understood before it seeks to be seen. Brands that endure do not stop at merely capturing attention; they continuously build the very reasons why people remember and trust them.
