Going Regional: How to Bring Your Findings to Local Markets

By Katharine Rooney, Editorial Director

When organizations are planning their flagship thought leadership reports, they typically have a large, global audience in mind. They want to know what's troubling executives and practitioners at scale and use the data that emerges from their research to identify notable trends across geographies. The greater the sample size at their disposal, the stronger the evidence is for those trends.

But how does that align with the priorities of regional markets? The way that investors are behaving in Singapore, for example, may be quite different to what's happening in the United States; while luxury shopping habits in the Middle East may diverge wildly from what we see in Paris.

Focused cuts have significant value: a global survey of 1,300 executives that we conducted at the end of 2025 revealed that 80% use tailored thought leadership research to shape business strategy [1]. While many of those executives get their personalized content with the help of generative AI, producing local iterations of thought leadership assets can give organizations greater reach and deeper value.

"Regional reports help build awareness in target markets by grounding broader trends in local data and each market's transformation priorities," says CJ Warriner, VP Marketing, Enterprise at fintech firm Broadridge. "Easy-to-share, actionable highlights – such as infographics and short articles – can extend their reach, capture clients' and prospects' attention, and help them identify next steps."

Here are three ways to give your regional reporting the best shot at success.

1. Lead with where the region genuinely diverges from global

Producing regional versions of your anchor reports isn't just about swapping in regional data. What will land in local markets is a story of something unique to the region – but you need to pave the way for that story upfront. Including a reasonable sample size in key target markets will help you generate robust insights at a local level.

We recently produced regional spinoffs for a tech client's report on sales behavior, and they were keen to spotlight the ways in which regions really behaved differently.

"Featuring those distinctive findings is what makes a regional cut feel tailored, rather than interchangeable," said the client's European marketing lead.

Selecting images that will also resonate with local audiences – whether by representing demographic diversity or showcasing recognizable city skylines – adds a layer of authenticity and speaks directly to the "home" crowd.

2. Lean into local talent

Because they will have been watching market developments locally, your in-country SMEs can provide invaluable context on the particular trends emerging within each region, like why businesses are behaving in a certain way, or how specific regulatory environments are impacting growth.

Where possible, using local writing talent means you can double up on market knowledge – and in some countries, benefit from native-language drafts by writers who really understand the industry.

Above and beyond translation, there are cultural nuances to consider in localized versions of reports. This may factor into word choices or even narrative framing.

In Japan, for instance, "They just want clear messages," David Gentle, Global Head of Corporate Content at Fujitsu, has commented. "It's almost more like a sales message than what we would regard as a thought leadership message."

3. Let it breathe

Any coverage of regional or country-based data in global reports is necessarily abbreviated. Building regional or country versions of your reports means you're not trying to squash breakout stories into an already weighty narrative. There's more space for region-specific interviews with on-the-ground industry leaders; helping to interpret market trends for local audiences. One of our clients has recently decided to split out regional versions of their flagship report for this very reason.

Such reports also extend the usability of thought leadership research materials on the ground. Because sales enablement depends on practical accessibility, not just messaging, sales teams need thought leadership content they can apply quickly, as we heard in a webinar [2] we hosted last year for the Global Thought Leadership Institute.

Regional data can easily be repackaged as interactive indices, sales decks, or conference presentations; maximizing the value you can achieve from your original research budget.

"We've seen targeted content work well as a starting point for client roundtables and industry discussions," says Warriner.

Given the rise in demand we are seeing for such discussions, regional analysis is an important component in demonstrating your depth of field – revealing your understanding of growth, challenges, and where focused investment may be required. And when you start with a global program, you've already got the base materials in place.

References

[1] Can AI Make Your Research More Relevant?

[2] How to Turn Thought Leadership into Revenue: Data-Backed Strategies