Expanding your business in the United States is an exciting adventure, but there are many challenges. How, then, to concretely assess the opportunities and risks of this market?
The answer is in Scouting Trips, strategic trips that combine direct observation and detailed analysis to ensure effective and targeted planning.
These exploratory trips, which we like to call learning trips because of the amount of information learned, are an irreplaceable tool for anyone who wants to enter the U.S. market on the right foot.
Why Scouting Trips are crucial for successful U.S. exportation
Scouting Trips are not simply trips, but strategic scouting activities that allow companies to gather important information to effectively plan for entry into the new market.
Directly exploring the context in which you want to expand your business allows you to immerse yourself in the local business fabric and acquire vital information on the ground that is difficult to find through remote research.
What is the purpose of Scouting Trips for Export to the USA?
Scouting Trips are used to acquire useful material for making informed decisions about the positioning of a product or service. Let’s delve into the main benefits:
1. Observe competitors closely
During a Scouting Trip, you have the opportunity to see how your competitors position themselves in the marketplace:
- Packaging analysis: what messages they convey, what materials they use, and how they attract attention on the shelf.
- Price evaluation: compare your product with those of competitors to identify a competitive range.
- Marketing strategies used: from in-store promotions to partnerships with local retailers, everything is a learning opportunity.
2. Understanding customer/consumer preferences.
Direct knowledge of the U.S. consumer is critical to tailoring your offer:
- Consumer styles: understanding how customers choose products, what formats they prefer, and what details attract their attention.
- Purchasing behaviors: for example, finding out whether they prefer large family packages or smaller, more convenient portions.
- Perceived value assessment: useful for understanding how much consumers are willing to pay for product quality, design, or origins.
3. Discovering unseen opportunities
Scouting Trips allow you to identify underexplored market areas or new trends that may benefit your entry:
- Emerging trends: monitor consumer interests, such as sustainability, innovation or health.
- New distribution channels: from niche stores to online platforms, figure out the best access point for your product.
- Local partnerships: create partnerships with distributors, retailers or buyers who could become valuable allies in your expansion.
Scouting Trips for Exporting to the U.S.: B2C vs. B2B
Scouting Trips are a key tool for gathering practical information and guiding expansion strategy, but their purpose and approach vary depending on the type of market being targeted: B2C or B2B.
Scouting Trips to the U.S. for B2C
In the B2C sector, these exploratory trips prove particularly effective because they allow a close look at how competitors’ products are positioned and perceived.
By physically entering stores-from large supermarkets to niche boutiques-you can understand what the ideal distribution channel for your product might be.
In addition, scouting makes it possible to identify local consumer trends, from preferred formats to packaging design to promotional strategies that capture the attention of the American customer.
It is a field exploration that helps define the optimal product positioning in terms of price, target audience and communication.
Scouting Trips in the U.S. for B2B
For B2B companies, however, the focus is more on building business relationships and understanding supply chain dynamics.
Scouting Trips can include attendance at industry trade shows, which are useful for observing the competitive landscape and making direct contacts with distributors or wholesalers.
However, unlike B2C, in B2B it is often more difficult to access detailed information on prices or technical specifications of competing products.
For this reason, it is essential to supplement the journey with an in-depth market analysis, to gather strategic data on potential customers and identify partnership opportunities.
In both cases, Scouting Trips allow you to move from theory to practice: it is not just about “seeing” the market, but understanding it and using this information to optimize your expansion strategy.
Planning Scouting Trips to the U.S.: the essentials
Scouting Trip planning is essential to maximize the value of each moment spent “in the field.”
Such a journey, if well structured, allows one to gather information that will guide future business decisions.
To avoid wasting time and resources, it is important to follow some key steps that will enable you to organize the experience strategically and productively.
Define the goals of the trip
Every Scouting Trip must start with clear definition of the goals to be achieved: focusing on what you want to achieve is critical to directing the trip and making targeted choices. The questions to ask are:
- Do you want to understand how to position your product in the market? If your goal is positioning, you will need to take a close look at consumer behavior, competitor pricing, and the type of buying experience offered.
- Do you plan to meet with distributors or buyers? If you are looking for partnerships or potential distribution channels, plan meetings with local buyers, distributors, or importers who might be interested in your product.
- Are you looking for inspiration to innovate your packaging or marketing? Whether your intention is to update your brand image or create one from scratch, observing how competitors present themselves on the shelves or how consumers react to visual communication will provide interesting insights.
Study the market in advance
Gather as much information as you can about local market trends and dynamics before you go. That way you will know what to expect. Here’s what to do:
- Analyze available data: study prices, sales volumes, consumption trends, and purchasing behavior. Use sources such as market reports, industry studies, and reliable statistical data that give you a detailed picture of the market.
- Identify competitors: map the competition, analyze their offerings, positioning, packaging, and marketing strategies used.
A case for success: Mi Garba and the American market.
A concrete example of the effectiveness of Scouting Trips is the work we did with the Mi Garba brand, a Tuscan company specializing in the production of gourmet ready meals, typical sauces and accompanying creams.
The brand offers fresh, high-quality products characterized by a relatively short shelf life (shelf life) and an authentic flavor reminiscent of artisanal cuisine.
The U.S. market represents a great opportunity for Italian products, but also a challenge, as it requires a strong ability to adapt to local tastes, habits and consumption dynamics.
For Mi Garba, the goal was clear: to identify how best to position its products in the U.S. market, respecting the Tuscan tradition and, at the same time, speaking the language of the local consumer.
During the Scouting Trip, the team directly analyzed competitor positioning in the field, observed American consumer preferences, and identified ideal pricing and packaging strategies. This trip revealed how Mi Garba products could stand out in the market, reinterpreting Italian culinary traditions in a modern and versatile way.
The results obtained were extraordinary, click here to find out!
Scouting Trips for exporting to the U.S.: tools and techniques to use
Effective Scouting Trips require the use of tools and techniques to collect, organize, and analyze information in a structured way.
These are tools that help maximize the effectiveness of the journey, turning every observation into useful data for making strategic decisions:
- Mapping and annotation apps: Tools such as Google Maps or advanced geolocation apps allow you to track stores visited, annotate comments in real time, and categorize observations by sector or geographic area.
- Photography and video: documenting displays, packaging, and store layouts is essential for in-depth follow-up analysis. These visual materials provide a clear reference for post-trip comparisons and brainstorming.
- Questionnaires: useful during meetings with buyers or distributors, questionnaires help gather feedback on product, consumer preferences, and market expectations.
- Data analysis tools: software such as Excel or advanced data analytics platforms make it easy to organize and process the information collected, turning it into useful reports.
From Scouting Trip to US Export Strategy.
Scouting Trips are only effective if the data collected are translated into strategic actions.
Successful business expansion strategy in the U.S. depends on the ability to turn observations and feedback into a concrete and measurable plan.
Here are the basic steps for turning data into action:
- In-depth analysis of collected data: all details that emerge from scouting (competitor observations, market trends, product feedback) must be catalogued and analyzed to identify patterns and opportunities.
- Adapting marketing strategy: leveraging specific trends and needs of the American consumer to create targeted campaigns and design eye-catching packaging.
- Creating a detailed roadmap: build an action plan that includes clear steps, such as setting pricing, selecting distribution channels, and launching local promotional campaigns.
The goal is to use the information gathered during the Scouting Trip to define a structured pathway leading to effective entry into the U.S. market.
Scouting Trips are an essential tool for anyone who wants to enter the U.S. market strategically and consciously. It is not just about observing the market, but understanding it thoroughly and turning the information gathered into concrete actions.
Want to plan your Scouting Trip to the United States? Contact us
