We’re a Russian pet care brand and we just made the decision to launch in the US in Q2. The problem: we have exactly zero connections in the US creator space. We have great products, decent marketing budget, but no idea who to reach out to and honestly, we’re terrified of wasting months on cold outreach that goes nowhere.
I’ve been doing some research and it feels like every approach has trade-offs. LinkedIn outreach with agencies? Slow, expensive. Direct creator outreach? Could work but feels random. Waiting for inbound interest? We’ll be waiting for months. Using platforms to find creators doesn’t give us the partnership context we need.
What we could do is use local partnerships to get introductions—like, we know pet industry people, we could ask for introductions. But I’m worried that approach keeps us in shallow networks and we miss creators who could actually move the needle.
Here’s what I’m really stuck on: what’s the most efficient way to build trust with US creators when you’re brand new to the market? How do creators actually qualify whether you’re a serious brand worth investing time in? And when you’re starting from zero, do you lead with one strong partnership or try to build multiple partnerships simultaneously?
Who else has launched in a completely unfamiliar market? What actually worked instead of just hoping?
Okay, so I’ve been the person making these introductions for a while now. Here’s what I’ve learned: creators evaluate new brands on about three things: (1) Is this brand going to treat me professionally? (2) Will working with them feel authentic to my audience? (3) Are they reliable?
You can’t prove any of these with a cold email or LinkedIn message. You need a warm introduction. So honestly? Your instinct about leveraging local partnerships is right, but you need to be strategic about it. Don’t just ask for any introduction—ask for an introduction to someone who also distributes in the US pet space or has connections there.
One thing that helps: when you get an introduction, the introducer should say exactly why they think this partnership makes sense. That endorsement carries so much weight with creators. It’s like saying “I trust this brand, here’s why, and I think they’re serious.”
I’d also recommend starting with one or two strong partnerships in a niche (like sustainable pet products or eco-friendly brands) rather than trying to hit all of the pet market at once. Creators talk, and if your first partnerships go well, you get inbound from similar creators. Speed comes from depth, not breadth.
Pro tip: when you’re in a new market, your first partnership should be with a creator who is also building in that space. Someone who’s maybe 6-12 months into their own growth journey. They get the scrappiness and appreciate working with brands that are equally scrappy. Plus, you grow together and build real relationship, not transactional stuff.
From a market-entry perspective, I’d analyze this in stages. First, identify the micro-segments of the US pet market where your competitive advantage is strongest. Then find creators who already serve those micro-segments. Don’t try to appeal to “US pet owners”—that’s 100M people and it’s impossible.
Let’s say you have a strength in sustainable/eco-conscious pet products. Find creators in the eco-friendly space who also have pet audiences. There are maybe 50-100 creators in that intersection. That’s your initial outreach pool, and it’s way more efficient than shotgunning.
Second: look at proof points. Find 2-3 brands similar to yours (maybe other international pet brands) and see who they’re working with. Those creators have already been vetted for international brand partnerships, which dramatically reduces your discovery time.
Metric that matters: creator audience overlap with your target customer. If you know your customer is millennial women in urban areas, find creators whose audience matches that. Don’t just look at follower count—use creator tools to verify audience demographics.
Final point: partnerships from zero-network founders actually succeed more when you’re transparent about it. Like, “we’re new to the US market and we’d love to partner with creators who are excited about introducing us” performs better than pretending you’re already established.
We faced this exact situation when we launched in Europe. Here’s what worked: we didn’t try to build a massive creator network immediately. We found one person in each market who understood both the international space and the local market really well. Usually that was someone who’d worked with other brands expanding into that region.
We called these people our “market anchors.” Their job wasn’t to be the only creator we worked with—it was to help us understand the market and introduce us to creators worth knowing. We paid them a small retainer to be strategic advisors, basically.
That approach meant our first month in a new market wasn’t efficient (one person can only introduce you to so many creators), but our second month was exponentially more efficient because we had credibility and warm introductions.
For the US specifically, I’d find someone who either: (1) has worked with Russian or international brands before, or (2) is really well-connected in the US pet space and values working with emerging brands. That person becomes your entry point.
Also, don’t lead with your follower count or market position in Russia. Lead with your product story and why you think their audience would care. US creators are more interested in product quality and brand authenticity than in your track record elsewhere.
From a strategic market-entry perspective, I’d avoid the “build a massive network quickly” approach. It usually leads to shallow partnerships that don’t drive real business results. Instead:
- Identify 3-5 creator clusters (groups of creators who collaborate and influence each other). Target one cluster at a time.
- Find the cluster connector—the creator who has credibility across the cluster. Get them to buy in first.
- Once they’re in, they’ll open doors to other partnerships in that cluster.
For pet care specifically, clusters might be: eco-conscious pet brands, premium/luxury pet space, or pet wellness/health. Don’t try to hit all at once.
Trust is proven through: (1) professional brand materials (website, product quality, clear positioning), (2) warm introductions from people creators respect, (3) willingness to do a smaller partnership first before committing to bigger budgets. Show you’re serious without overcommitting.
I’d also recommend doing 1-2 ambassador partnerships rather than trying to hit 5+ partnerships simultaneously. Ambassadors are creators who really believe in your brand and will help you navigate the market and make subsequent introductions. They’re way more valuable than hit-and-run campaigns.
I advise emerging brands entering new markets to use this playbook:
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Months 1-2: Research & Layer Mapping – Identify creator layers: top-tier influencers (not your first outreach target), mid-tier creators (actual starting point), and rising micro-influencers (where you build long-term partnerships). Map who influences each layer.
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Month 2-3: Strategic Entry – Find 1-2 rising micro-influencers or mid-tier creators in the exact niche where you’re strongest. Don’t broad-appeal. Do partnerships with them.
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Month 3+: Leverage & Expand – These first partnerships open doors. Your partners introduce you to adjacent creators. This is where network building accelerates.
For a Russian brand entering US pet market: you might find that American eco-conscious creators are more aligned than mainstream pet accounts. Start there, get 2-3 partnerships, use those as social proof, then expand.
Also: use community platforms (forums, Slack groups for pet businesses, etc.) to build slow credibility. You’re not selling immediately, you’re answering questions and being helpful. That positions you for eventual introduction requests.
Timing: 3 months to build a working network of 5-7 creator partners. That’s realistic.