For too long, “understanding cultural nuance” has sounded like a soft skill, something nice to have, but not mission-critical. And in customer marketing, where metrics like pipeline and influence dominate, it’s easy for cross-cultural awareness to get deprioritized.

But here’s the thing: if your programs don’t resonate across the regions you serve, they won’t land. Full stop.

What works in one country might fall completely flat in another, not because your strategy is bad, but because it’s culturally misaligned.

The good news? You don’t need to be a global expert or speak ten languages to make an impact. You do need to show up with curiosity, empathy, and the willingness to partner with the people who know those markets best.

It starts with a shift in mindset away from one-size-fits-all and toward something more human.

Interacting with different cultures and regions | Learning with Leadership
Florian Engel, Director of EMEA Marketing & Global Customer Marketing at Aiven, shares some tips on interacting with different cultures and regions both within your internal culture, and externally when interacting with customers.
Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield

Adapting strategies for international markets

Successfully adapting a customer marketing strategy for international markets begins with a genuine understanding of the cultural nuances and preferences of each audience. 

This means going beyond the basics of product messaging to develop a deep awareness of what makes each region and each customer unique.

Research alone isn’t enough

Cultural analysis and research are critical foundations, but they won’t tell you everything. Language plays a pivotal role, especially in markets where English isn’t the first language. 

Even when customers can speak English, the way they express themselves, their comfort level, and even their expectations can differ dramatically.

Go beyond translation – localize

Translation isn’t the same as localization. Spelling differences, idioms, tone, and references can all impact whether a message feels “off” or completely relatable. 

Each market also comes with its own regulatory environment – something that must be factored into campaigns to avoid compliance issues and maintain trust.

One of the most effective ways to localize strategy is to collaborate with local teams. These are the people closest to the customer and most aware of cultural dynamics. Working with them – not around them – ensures marketing efforts truly support regional goals and resonate with target audiences.

Techniques for tailoring messaging and communication

Tailoring your messaging starts with getting close to your customers. Face-to-face (or even virtual) conversations bring valuable insights that traditional research often misses. 

These direct interactions help marketers grasp not just the pain points but also the emotions, behaviors, and unspoken needs that drive decision-making.

Leverage global English, but don’t expect perfection

In many regions, English is used professionally even if it’s not the native language. Marketers shouldn’t expect perfect fluency, nor should they let that be a barrier to valuable conversation.

 Even imperfect conversations provide key insight, and the act of trying shows respect.

Turn internal collaboration into customer impact

Internally, close collaboration with sales and customer-facing teams is key. Join go-to-market calls. Present at town halls. And, most importantly, build one-on-one relationships. Informal chats – like virtual coffee breaks with account execs or CS managers – go a long way in building trust.

Advocacy starts with relationships

Trust from internal stakeholders opens the door to their customers. That trust grows when they know advocacy efforts will respect and elevate their relationships – not misuse them. 

Customer advocacy isn’t just about driving revenue, it’s about giving customers the spotlight, helping them elevate their role internally, and telling their story with integrity.

Building inclusive internal communication across cultures

At a company-wide level, fostering inclusion internally requires intention. One example that works well is running cultural activities, like virtual cooking sessions where team members prepare dishes from their home countries. 

It’s a simple, joyful way to learn about each other’s cultures – and to create meaningful, memorable connections across regions.

The power of active listening

One of the most underrated tools in cross-cultural communication is active listening. Not just hearing, but truly listening. That means setting aside assumptions and being open to new perspectives – even when they challenge your own way of thinking. 

Active listening helps teams navigate complexity and build trust.

Cross-cultural enablement should be ongoing

Formal enablement matters too. Ongoing training and workshops on cultural nuance, localization, and advocacy best practices help global teams stay aligned. These aren’t one-off sessions – they’re part of creating shared understanding across departments, from field marketers to demand gen to customer marketing teams.

Structure teams to reflect customer diversity

Representation matters. That’s why structuring customer marketing and advocacy teams to reflect the diversity of the customer base is so important. Doing so brings new voices, fresh insight, and a deeper layer of authenticity to your programs. 

Customers can feel when they’re truly being represented – and they value it.

Leading with curiosity and connection

Cultural intelligence starts with curiosity. Don’t expect customers or colleagues to educate you. Take initiative. Show interest. Ask questions. When you approach cultures with humility and openness, you build trust faster and gain insight that no data set could ever provide.

Remote work has opened up global collaboration, but it’s also created new silos. It’s up to marketing leaders to create connection. That means facilitating opportunities for interaction, not overwhelming people with activities, but finding the right balance to make everyone feel part of something shared.

Resources for growing cultural competency

At the moment, there’s no single dedicated program for cultural competency in customer marketing – but there should be. It’s something worth exploring and building collaboratively. Every company, team, and customer is unique, so rigid frameworks rarely apply across the board.

The best resource? Your own internal experts. Talk to sales. Talk to the field. Learn from your customer success teams. They know the customers and the markets. Listen to them. Ask them what’s working. Partner with them to co-create the most culturally aligned strategies.

Nobody gets it right every time. Mistakes happen – and that’s okay. What matters is learning from them, being transparent, and improving with each iteration. Cultural competency isn’t a destination. It’s a mindset. One that gets stronger with feedback, humility, and consistency.

One of the most powerful things any marketer can do is join a community. As a member and mentor within the Customer Marketing Alliance, I’ve seen how impactful it is to share best practices, swap stories, and support one another.