Project details
Client: U.S.-Based Lifestyle Brand
Industry: Consumer Lifestyle & Wellness Products
Location:: United States → Thailand & Singapore
This lifestyle brand designs affordable wellness and daily routine kits aimed at health-conscious individuals. Known for clean design and practical solutions, the company built a strong U.S. following but needed new growth channels. The brand partnered with aboveA to enter Southeast Asian markets, focusing on localization, digital visibility, and trust-building in Thailand and Singapore.
Services Provided:
International market research for Thailand & Singapore
Localization of product messaging and landing pages
Multilingual SEO implementation with regional hreflang setup
Paid search campaigns tailored to local search intent
Checkout flow redesign with local payment options
Partnership development with logistics providers and influencers
Ongoing CRO and performance tracking using GA4 & Hotjar
Solutions Implemented
SEO Strategy And Content
We conduct keyword research, create website architecture and content map with timelines as well as facilitate full production
Local audience research
We’ll dive deep into cultural mores and habits of the target audience, analyze effective messaging, organic search landscape, and purchasing habits.
Hyper-Targeted Advertising
We create focused ad campaigns on social media and Google designed to reach specific high-intent audiences.
Strategic Partnerships
We establish partnerships with leading influencers and affiliate marketers in your industry and put your product in front of broad and interested audiences.
Expanding to Asia: How a U.S. Business Scaled Growth in Thailand and Singapore with aboveA
In this case study, you’ll discover how aboveA helped a U.S.-based lifestyle products company expand operations from the U.S. into Asia, focusing on Thailand business expansion and Singapore market entry. If you’re a founder or manager exploring international expansion strategies in Southeast Asia, this story shows how localization, digital growth, and strategic partnerships can build momentum in new markets.
The Challenge
The client was a mid-sized U.S. lifestyle brand with strong domestic traction but no presence in Asia. Their goal was to tap into the fast-growing Southeast Asian markets of Thailand and Singapore.
Key challenges included:
Limited local visibility: The brand ranked in U.S. search engines but had no footprint in Google Singapore or Google Thailand.
Cultural misalignment: Marketing messages designed for U.S. buyers didn’t resonate with Asian consumers, who valued community, trust, and long-term brand credibility.
Fragmented distribution: Without localized e-commerce partnerships and delivery networks, entering Asia risked delays and high costs
The company recognized the need to expand into Asia to reduce its reliance on the U.S. market, but lacked the necessary strategy and digital infrastructure to succeed.
Our Strategy
To ensure a successful international expansion into Asia, aboveA focused on both digital growth and market alignment:
1. Market Entry Research & Localization
The brand entered Asia with a U.S.-centric approach. English-only product descriptions and generic lifestyle messaging missed the mark with Thai and Singaporean buyers. Mobile pages loaded poorly in Bangkok, and checkout lacked local currencies or payment options. Competitors already used localized language and design, so the brand felt foreign and hard to trust.
English-only content limited reach in Thailand
No pricing in local currency
Generic ad copy failed to connect with Asian buyers
Weak mobile performance in key markets
aboveA redesigned messaging for Southeast Asian audiences. Thai content included local lifestyle references, while Singapore ads leaned on relatable, modern wellness language. Landing pages were restructured with local currencies, faster UX, and checkout flows adapted for preferred payment methods. SEO keywords like “wellness kits Singapore” and “daily balance products Thailand” were integrated across campaigns.
Product descriptions localized into Thai & Asian English
Mobile-optimized landing pages built for Google Thailand & Singapore
Currency and payment flows adapted regionally
Competitor insights shaped keyword and tone adjustments
2. SEO & Paid Ads for Regional Visibility
U.S.-style ad campaigns drove impressions but failed to convert. Singapore CPCs ran 22% higher than benchmarks, while Thailand ads struggled with CTRs below 1.5%. Without localized landing pages or hreflang tags, visitors bounced quickly. Organic visibility was minimal, leaving the brand invisible in high-intent searches.
CPC in Singapore above U.S. benchmark
CTR in Thailand below 1.5%
Bounce rates high from generic landing pages
No hreflang or structured SEO for Asia
aboveA rebuilt the search funnel for local relevance. Ads were rewritten in Thai and regionally adapted English, with a focus on emotional intent. Landing pages became faster, mobile-friendly, and featured trust signals. Structured data and hreflang boosted search rankings, while the keyword strategy aligned with local demand.
CPC down 18% in Thailand, CTR >5%
Singapore conversions at 3.8%
Organic traffic in Singapore up 112% in 3 months
SEO-driven positioning improved visibility in both markets
3. Partnership Development & Distribution
Shipping relied on U.S. fulfillment, creating 2–3 week delivery times and high costs. Without local distributors, the brand lacked presence on popular e-commerce sites in Thailand and Singapore. Customers faced unclear refund processes, eroding trust. Competitors offered faster, cheaper, and more reliable delivery.
Delivery delays up to 3 weeks
No regional e-commerce visibility
High shipping costs discouraged buyers
Refund process unclear and slow
aboveA secured logistics and e-commerce partnerships to localize fulfillment. Singapore deliveries dropped to 3–5 days, and Thai orders averaged one week. Partnerships with micro-influencers built social proof, while clear refund policies reassured buyers. The brand gained recognition as a regional player rather than an outsider.
Delivery times cut by 60%
Partnerships with trusted platforms in Thailand & Singapore
Influencer campaigns increased positive brand mentions
Refund requests reduced significantly
Results After 4 Months
The expansion plan delivered clear business impact, proving that a U.S. brand could successfully adapt to Southeast Asian markets when strategy and execution were localized. By aligning content, advertising, and logistics with local expectations, aboveA helped the client secure stronger conversions, higher visibility, and improved brand trust across both Thailand and Singapore.
Conversion Rate & Engagement
Adapting the funnel for local markets completely reshaped performance. In the U.S., conversion rates stagnated at 2.1%, and buyers abandoned carts due to unclear messaging. By introducing localized trust signals and region-specific UX design, Singapore and Thailand visitors engaged more deeply, staying longer on site and completing purchases at higher rates.
Before
Conversion rate stuck at 2.1% in the U.S.
Cart abandonment high due to limited payment options
Visitors dropped off quickly, with short time on site
No local trust signals (reviews, delivery guarantees)
After
Singapore conversion rate reached 3.8%
Thailand buyers converted at 3.4% within three months
Time on site increased by 41% on localized pages
Cart abandonment emails with regional tone saw 29% higher opens
SEO & Paid Ads Performance
Search visibility was almost nonexistent before the expansion. Paid campaigns used U.S. keywords, leading to low CTR and high CPC in Asia. aboveA rebuilt both organic and paid funnels, matching campaigns to local search intent and optimizing landing pages. This brought down ad costs while driving significant increases in organic traffic and engagement.
Before
CPC in Singapore was 22% higher than U.S. benchmarks
Thailand CTR below 1.5%
Organic traffic negligible in both markets
No hreflang tags or structured data for Asia
After
CPC dropped 18% in Thailand with CTR above 5%
Singapore campaigns reached 3.8% conversion rate
Organic traffic in Singapore grew 112% in 3 months
Local SEO keywords like “wellness kits Singapore” drove sustained visibility
Brand Awareness & Sentiment
Brand trust was initially low, as customers in Asia saw the company as a foreign seller with long shipping times and no cultural alignment. aboveA introduced local influencers, e-commerce presence, and faster fulfillment. This improved reviews, reduced refund requests, and repositioned the brand as a trusted lifestyle choice in Asia.
Before
Seen as an outsider brand shipping slowly from the U.S.
Refund requests high due to delays and unclear policies
Limited word-of-mouth in Thailand and Singapore
Social mentions minimal and mostly neutral
After
Positive reviews highlighted “trusted U.S. quality, Asian-friendly design”
Refund requests dropped by 38% in Thailand, 41% in Singapore
Social media mentions in Thailand rose by 47%
Influencer campaigns built strong word-of-mouth awareness
Why It Worked?
The success came from aligning global ambition with local reality. Many U.S. companies fail in Asia because they copy and paste their domestic strategy. aboveA took a different path: listening to regional buyers, adapting language and design, and building trust through faster logistics and community-driven marketing. By connecting search intent, cultural context, and distribution, the brand positioned itself not as a foreign outsider but as a relevant player in Thailand and Singapore. This balance of SEO-driven visibility and partnership-led credibility created a foundation for both short-term sales and long-term growth.
Discover How aboveA Can Help You Expand Your Market Reach In Asia
Project Heroes:
Vita Klimaite
head of Growth
Amber Maritz
SEO Specialist
Teerisra Donlunwad
Market Development Specialist
Siwat Panchakunathorn
Market Expansion Partner
