International Marketing & Export Growth
Take your business global.
International marketing agency for NZ businesses expanding into new markets. Go-to-market strategy, international SEO, paid media, and content that converts in-market.
TL;DR
- Louis spent four years inside a NZ company taking it global - as its marketing lead, not its agency - from pre-revenue to selling in 30+ countries.
- That playbook - launch, in-market demand, dealer networks - is what we now run for clients: 7 to 95 dealers for one, first Australian leads for another.
- You don't need an office in your target market. The channels are digital - distance isn't the barrier, the playbook is.
- Each market still gets its own strategy. Export marketing isn't domestic marketing with a different flag.
A note from Louis
Co-Founder, King Tide
Most export advice comes from people who've never exported.
Here's the thing about international marketing advice: most of it comes from people who have never taken a product into another country. I have. I spent four years leading marketing inside a NZ company going global - from pre-revenue to selling in 30+ countries. Launches in the US and Europe, dealer networks, paid media in markets I'd never set foot in.
Keep reading
The biggest lesson from doing it: the demand already exists in your target market. While NZ exporters wait on trade shows and distributor word-of-mouth, their competitors are running ads and ranking in searches, quietly collecting the buyers. Show up digitally in-market and you skip years of the slow ramp.
The second lesson: you don't need an office over there. From right here we've grown a Kiwi foiling brand from 7 dealers to 95 across North America and Europe, and landed a NZ software company its first Australian leads within three months. Distance stopped being the barrier years ago. Not having a playbook is the barrier.
One thing that hasn't changed: every market needs its own strategy. The positioning, keywords, and creative that convert in Germany aren't the ones that convert in Texas. That's why we start every engagement with market-specific research - not a translated version of your NZ campaign.
We've run the export ramp before, from the inside. That's the whole pitch.
— Louis
The Opportunity
NZ's export economy is booming.
$105 billion in exports and a government target to double it by 2034. The businesses that invest in international marketing now will capture the growth.
Markets we help NZ businesses enter: Australia · United States · United Kingdom · Canada · Europe · Asia-Pacific · Middle East
$105B
NZ exports (2025)
140k+
NZ businesses exporting
2x
Govt growth target by 2034
59%
Exporters growing in 2025
One market first. Then scale what works.
We don't launch you everywhere at once. We prove the playbook in one market, then roll it out - so every dollar after the first market is spent on something already working.
Market Entry Sprint
Deep research on one target market - search demand, competitor gaps, buyer behaviour - turned into a go-to-market strategy: positioning, channels, budget, and a step-by-step roadmap. Yours to keep, whoever executes it.
Prove The Market
We run the plan in-market: localised ads, international SEO, content, landing pages, and conversion tracking - with reporting by market. One market, until the numbers say it works.
Scale What Works
The playbook that cracked your first market gets rolled into the next ones - run in parallel, with budget shifted to whichever market is converting best that month.
Proof — Manta5
From NZ startup to global brand.
We helped build the marketing function for a NZ-based hydrofoil company from pre-revenue through to selling in 30+ countries. From launch strategy and brand positioning through to paid media, content, and dealer acquisition campaigns across the US, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. Thousands of enquiries, hundreds of dealers signed, and a brand known worldwide.
See more client results →"Louis has a rare and hard-to-find talent for reaching and engaging a target market. He made marketing a core competency of our business. I'm still blown away by the reach and engagement we had on social media and the thousands of enquiries we received over the years."
Guy Howard-Willis, Founder
30+
Countries sold into
1000s
Enquiries generated
4 yrs
In-house marketing lead
$80M+
Company valuation
Case Studies
Real results from real businesses.
View all →
Just Bathrooms
A brand new bathroom renovation business launched with a 48-page search-built website and an AI tool that reimagines a customer's actual bathroom in seconds.
48
Pages live at launch
~13s
To reimagine a bathroom
NZ Concrete Group
A 22-page Wix site replaced with a 49-page search-optimised website, live in six days. Google impressions up more than five times over in the first seven weeks.
5.6x
Google impressions, first 7 weeks
2.9x
Clicks, first 7 weeks
Airmax
A basic WordPress site replaced with a 98-page, search-optimised website - built with AI. Two months later: search visibility up 29x, Google clicks up 6x, and the phone doesn't stop.
1 → 10+
Calls per day
29x
Search visibility, 2 months
Empower Software
A workshop-software company with a tight ad budget and a flat year behind it. Three months later: a paid lead engine that scales, a search-optimised site pulling free organic traffic, and the first leads landing in Australia.
31
Qualified workshop leads, first 3 months
~$102
Cost per qualified lead
Alpha Trailers
A tired WordPress site replaced with a fast, search-optimised website - built with AI, live in six weeks. The owner now edits it himself in plain English.
199
Google clicks, first week
4,360
Impressions, first week
River Path Home Loans
A team of mortgage advisers left an established brokerage to start their own firm - no brand, no website, no online presence. Seven days later they had all three.
7
Days to launch
55+
Pages built
PPC Foiling
From 7 dealers to 95 - how a Kiwi wing foiling brand built a global B2B channel from scratch with King Tide.
7→95
Dealers across NA & Europe
Consistent
Reorders from dealer network
Smart Housing Solutions
From tyre-kickers to 6 signed contracts in two weeks. How a husband-and-wife tiny home business in New Zealand transformed their marketing from scattered to strategic.
6
Contracts in 2 weeks
10+
Quality leads per week
Pricing
Transparent pricing.
International marketing is several jobs at once - ads, SEO, content, and reporting, run per market with localisation on top. Priced as the machine it is: prove one market, then scale.
Market Entry Sprint
$3,500
Research and strategy for one target market. Yours to keep.
Prove The Market
From $2,000/mo
One market, run end to end. Everything below, in-market.
Scale What Works
From $3,000/mo
The proven playbook, rolled into more markets in parallel.
Testimonials
Don't just take our word for it.
“The team deliver results at more than twice the pace and impact than normal marketing executives. A real hands on do and deliver team. Jumping from strategy to execution and results in days. The best marketing exec I have ever worked with.”
Mark Robotham
CEO, Manta5
“Louis has a rare and hard-to-find talent for reaching and engaging a target market. He made marketing a core competency of our business. I'm still blown away by the reach and engagement we had on social media and the thousands of enquiries we received over the years.”
Guy Howard-Willis
Founder, Torpedo 7
“The foiling industry is super competitive, and standing out isn't easy. We've made huge progress - we're selling more to end consumers and signing up dealers faster than we ever have. It's momentum.”
Sam Loader
Founder, PPC Foiling
“The team at King Tide are great people to work with. They strike a rare balance between big picture strategic thinking and sharp execution to ensure they deliver actual results, not just glossy reports. Highly recommend.”
Greg Johnston
37 South Capital
“Louis and Ella at King Tide are incredible, after a full brief, intel gathering and outlining our current frustrations and what we were looking for, these guys delivered!! Not only were they incredibly responsive, but they were also intuitive to tap into our Industry to produce result quickly, collaboratively and without fuss - would 100% recommend.”
Cherrie Wheeler
Presto Resourcing
“We've been using King Tide for 12 months as a general advisor for all marketing. The improvement we've seen in our business is off the charts and I see no other reason for it. They're awesome to deal with, incredibly knowledgeable, and their advice works. Can not recommend enough.”
Jake
RB Thomas Building
Common questions.
What markets can you help us enter?
We work with NZ businesses expanding into any English-speaking market (Australia, USA, UK, Canada) and can support entry into non-English markets through localisation partners. Most of our export marketing clients target Australia first, then the US or UK. We'll help you prioritise based on your product, competition, and budget.
How much does international marketing cost?
A market entry strategy is $3,500 for a single market. Running that market end to end starts at $2,000/month, and scaling into further markets starts at $3,000/month. The investment depends on how many markets you're targeting, whether you need content localisation, and how competitive your space is. We scope everything upfront so there are no surprises.
We already export - can you help us grow faster?
Yes. Many of our clients already have international revenue but haven't invested in digital marketing for those markets. We audit your current international presence, identify gaps, and build a plan to accelerate growth in your existing markets or expand into new ones.
What's the difference between translation and localisation?
Translation converts words from one language to another. Localisation adapts your entire message - tone, cultural references, value propositions, even pricing presentation - to resonate with a local audience. A landing page that converts in NZ might fall flat in the US without localisation. We focus on localisation.
Do you work with NZTE-registered exporters?
Yes. Several of our clients work with NZTE and we complement their support. NZTE provides market intelligence, connections, and funding support. We handle the digital marketing execution - the SEO, paid media, content, and conversion infrastructure that actually drives leads in-market.
How long before we see results in a new market?
Paid media can generate leads within weeks of launching in a new market. SEO takes longer - typically 3-6 months to build meaningful organic visibility in a competitive international market. We'll give you a realistic timeline based on your specific market and competition.
Can you help with go-to-market strategy or just execution?
Both. We can build your full go-to-market strategy from scratch - market selection, positioning, channel prioritisation, messaging - or we can take an existing strategy and execute the digital marketing side. Most clients come to us with a target market in mind and need both strategy and execution.
Do you work with businesses outside the Waikato?
Yes. Our international marketing clients are based across New Zealand - Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and everywhere in between. The work is digital and we operate globally, so your location doesn't matter.
Ready to take your business global?
Call Louis on 021 027 61476 or get in touch. We'll look at your target markets and tell you honestly what it'd take to build real traction.