許多國際品牌都垂涎于登陸美國的前景。這里是全球最大的消費市場。然而，該國高度管制的法律環境、苛刻的投資要求、激烈的競爭和復雜的多文化的人口特征，也讓很多公司望而卻步。人們往往認為美國市場昂貴、危險而復雜。不過對某些人來說，為了贏得增長和壯大的機會，這些障礙不足為懼。Pret A Manger、Best of the Best Quality Chicken、Nando’s、100 Montaditos和我的公司巴黎貝甜（Paris Baguette）都在進軍美國市場上取得了一定的成功。其他品牌應當如何復制我們的努力呢？

把握趨勢

如果你想讓自己的概念在美國發展起來，成功的關鍵，首先在于了解市場趨勢和消費者的習慣。你需要當心，避免成為時尚的犧牲品。重要的是，不僅要理解競爭格局，還要掌握文化背景。別指望著把原來的行事標準照搬到一個新國家還能取得成功。

例如，中國的星巴克咖啡店就比美國的設有更多座位和空間。美國人喜歡買了咖啡帶走，但中國人不同，他們更多地把咖啡店看做一個目的地。星巴克需要據此做出調整，才能確保在中國擁有競爭力。盡管公司不需要在擴張時完全改變自己的品牌，但他們必須調整適應新國家的文化——而不是指望對方適應自己。

準備好應對監管上的挑戰

公司必須做好準備，應對法律和監管上的挑戰。公司第一次登陸美國時，往往會期待一切都像在本國一樣進展順利。然而，美國的法律和監管體系是全球最模糊、最復雜的，每個州、每個郡乃至每個城市都有不同的規定。

在遵守各州不同的特許經營法、了解房地產政策等方面，這些公司將遭遇難題。授權人需要擁有開放的思維，靈活處理問題，避免被欺負。解決這些難題的一個好辦法，就是聘用美國律師，而不是使用本國的代表。

了解和適應法律和監管體系，是一個持續的學習過程。特許經營咨詢委員會可以讓許多品牌得到慰藉。這些委員會讓特許經營者有機會發聲，坐下來表達自己的擔憂和遭遇的困難。特許經營的管理者可以直接處理這些問題。

管理好期望

美國市場存在著激烈的競爭，這讓公司的初次登場變得十分困難，即使他們擁有周全詳盡的啟動營銷計劃。公司必須控制對成功的期望，設立合乎實際的發展時間表十分重要。例如，我們一流糕點品牌巴黎貝甜在韓國本土，開設一家門店只需要30天，而在美國則需要將近六個月。因為監管方的要求完全不同，整個開店流程要長得多，還需要與總部的高管進行溝通。

這可能會很有難度，不過管理期望極其重要。巴黎貝甜在韓國擁有超過3,000家門店，從消費者的角度來看，你可能很難找到一個不知道該品牌的人。然而在美國則相反，你很難找到認識這個品牌的人。在美國，一切要從零開始，而公司的領導層卻可能很難回憶起創業時的境況——那段時期，公司可能需要非常努力才能贏得增長。避免期待過高的最好辦法是，在公司內部進行公開坦誠的交流，請謹記，國際購買力未必能轉化為在新國家的成功。

根據研究公司Technomic的數據，在美國市場，青睞外國概念的地區包括邁阿密、洛杉磯、華盛頓特區和紐約。掌握正確知識，得到恰當支持、采用合理方法的情況下，外國品牌就可以成功地打入這幾個世界上最大、最有利可圖的市場。（財富中文網）

譯者：嚴匡正

作者拉里·斯多提系巴黎貝甜的首席發展官

Many international brands salivate at the prospect of entering the United States, the world’s largest consumer market, but many companies are discouraged by the country’s highly regulated legal environment, high investment requirements, fierce competition, and complicated multicultural demographics. The U.S. market is often viewed as too expensive, risky, and complex, but for some, the opportunity to grow and prosper far outweighs the barriers. Companies such as Pret A Manger, Best of the Best Quality Chicken, Nando’s, 100 Montaditos, and my company, Paris Baguette, have had some success expanding into the U.S. How can other brands replicate our efforts?

Get the trends

For concepts looking to expand in the United States, understanding market trends and consumer behavior is the first key to success. You need to be careful not to fall victim to fads. The critical issue is not just comprehending the competitive landscape, but the cultural landscape as well. Companies cannot bring their own norms to a new country and expect to find success.

For example, Starbucks cafes in China have more seating and space than in the U.S. Unlike Americans who grab their coffee and go, the Chinese view coffee shops more as destinations. Starbucks needed to make this adjustment to ensure it was competitive in China. While companies do not need to completely change their brands when expanding, they must adapt to fit with the new country’s culture—not the other way around.

Prepare for regulatory challenges

Companies must also prepare upfront for legal and regulatory challenges. When companies first enter the U.S., they often expect that things will move as quickly as they do in their home country. However, the American legal and regulatory environment is the most ambiguous and complex in the world; it varies state-by-state, county-by-county, and city-by-city.

These firms face challenges such as obeying regulations of states with different franchising laws and understanding real estate policy. Franchisors need to have an open mind and be flexible in order to avoid being taken advantage of. One of the best ways to navigate these challenges is to hire a U.S.-based attorney rather than utilizing representation from their home country.

Understanding and adapting to the legal and regulatory environment is an ongoing educational process. Many brands find solace in franchise advisory councils. These councils give franchisees a voice and seat at the table to express concerns and challenges, which allows franchise executives to address them head-on.

Manage expectations

The U.S.’s hyper-competitive market makes a debut challenging, even if a company comes in with a strong and sophisticated launch marketing plan. Expectations for success must be managed and it is important to set a realistic timeline for development. For example, Paris Baguette, our premier baking franchise, can build a store in 30 days in its home country, South Korea, while it takes nearly six months to build in the U.S. Because the regulatory requirements are completely different, the entire process takes significantly longer, which needs to be communicated with executives at the home office.

This can be challenging, but managing expectations is incredibly important. Paris Baguette has over 3,000 locations in South Korea, and from a consumer standpoint, you would be hard-pressed to find one person there who did not recognize the brand. In the U.S., though, you would be hard-pressed to find one person that did. It can be difficult for the company’s leadership to recall its entrepreneurial beginnings—during which it may have struggled to gain traction—while starting from scratch in the U.S. The best solution for outlandish expectations is open and honest communication within the company, and remembering that international buying power does not necessarily translate to success in a new country.

Popular U.S. markets for international conceptsinclude Miami, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and New York, according to Technomic. With the proper knowledge, support, and approach, foreign brands can find success tapping into one of the largest and most profitable markets in the world.