How to Beat Tariffs and Unlock Global Growth

In this episode of Chew on This, Darvish, CEO and co-founder of OpenBorder, discusses the challenges brands face in the U.S. and strategies for unlocking global growth. He shares his experience from his previous ventures, Lumen and Meridian, emphasizing the importance of international expansion for diversification and growth. Darvish advises brands to test international markets by running existing English ads in English-speaking countries, focusing on storefront localization, and shipping from current warehouses to minimize initial investment and risk. He also touches on optimizing pricing for international markets, handling duties and customs, and leveraging tools like OpenBorder to streamline the process. The discussion covers the shift towards omnichannel strategies, including DTC, Amazon, and retail, and addresses the impact of tariffs on businesses, offering tactics like duty drawbacks and strategic product classification.

Outlines

Part 1: Introduction and Background

Part 2: The Shift to Early Internationalization

Part 3: Tactical Approaches and Pricing

Part 4: Team Structure and Workload

Part 5: Tariffs and Mitigation Strategies

Part 6: Amazon and Fulfillment

Part 7: Conclusion and Call to Action

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Chew on This - Digestable DTC Content

Part 1: Introduction and Background

Introduction to Tariffs and Global Brand Growth

Darvish's Background and Current Challenges for Growing Brands

Polarization of Brand Outcomes and the Impact of External Factors

Part 2: The Shift to Early Internationalization

Tailwinds, Platform Evolution, and the Shift Towards Early Internationalization

Reasons for the Shift Towards Early Internationalization

Part 3: Tactical Approaches and Pricing

Tactical Approaches to Testing International Markets

Pricing Strategies and Tools for International Markets

Overcoming Friction Points and Considering International Across Channels

Omnichannel Approach to International Expansion

Navigating Compliance and Regulations in International Markets

Part 4: Team Structure and Workload

Team Structure and Resource Allocation for International Expansion

Busting Myths About the Workload of International Expansion

Time Investment for Core Departments in International Expansion

Operational Aspects and Effort Comparison with Other Platforms

Maintaining and Scaling in International Markets

Long-Term International Strategy and Market Activation

International Expansion as a Selling Point for Raising Capital or Exiting

Part 5: Tariffs and Mitigation Strategies

The Impact of Tariffs on International Strategy

Tactics to Mitigate the Impact of Tariffs

Choosing the Right Territories for International Expansion

Part 6: Amazon and Fulfillment

Expanding into Amazon Internationally

Fulfillment Strategies in International Markets

Managing Returns in International Markets

Part 7: Conclusion and Call to Action

Final Thoughts and Call to Action

How to Beat Tariffs and Unlock Global Growth

Chew on This - Digestable DTC Content

Part 1: Introduction and Background

00:00Introduction to Tariffs and Global Brand Growth

Introduction to Tariffs and Global Brand Growth

01:17Darvish's Background and Current Challenges for Growing Brands

Darvish's Background and Current Challenges for Growing Brands

04:02Polarization of Brand Outcomes and the Impact of External Factors

Polarization of Brand Outcomes and the Impact of External Factors

Part 2: The Shift to Early Internationalization

05:55Tailwinds, Platform Evolution, and the Shift Towards Early Internationalization

Tailwinds, Platform Evolution, and the Shift Towards Early Internationalization

07:41Reasons for the Shift Towards Early Internationalization

Reasons for the Shift Towards Early Internationalization

Part 3: Tactical Approaches and Pricing

09:30Tactical Approaches to Testing International Markets

Tactical Approaches to Testing International Markets

12:17Pricing Strategies and Tools for International Markets

Pricing Strategies and Tools for International Markets

14:24Overcoming Friction Points and Considering International Across Channels

Overcoming Friction Points and Considering International Across Channels

16:15Omnichannel Approach to International Expansion

Omnichannel Approach to International Expansion

18:03Navigating Compliance and Regulations in International Markets

Navigating Compliance and Regulations in International Markets

Part 4: Team Structure and Workload

20:17Team Structure and Resource Allocation for International Expansion

Team Structure and Resource Allocation for International Expansion

22:51Busting Myths About the Workload of International Expansion

Busting Myths About the Workload of International Expansion

24:28Time Investment for Core Departments in International Expansion

Time Investment for Core Departments in International Expansion

26:33Operational Aspects and Effort Comparison with Other Platforms

Operational Aspects and Effort Comparison with Other Platforms

28:12Maintaining and Scaling in International Markets

Maintaining and Scaling in International Markets

29:39Long-Term International Strategy and Market Activation

Long-Term International Strategy and Market Activation

32:24International Expansion as a Selling Point for Raising Capital or Exiting

International Expansion as a Selling Point for Raising Capital or Exiting

Part 5: Tariffs and Mitigation Strategies

34:13The Impact of Tariffs on International Strategy

The Impact of Tariffs on International Strategy

36:44Tactics to Mitigate the Impact of Tariffs

Tactics to Mitigate the Impact of Tariffs

39:31Choosing the Right Territories for International Expansion

Choosing the Right Territories for International Expansion

Part 6: Amazon and Fulfillment

42:33Expanding into Amazon Internationally

Expanding into Amazon Internationally

44:50Fulfillment Strategies in International Markets

Fulfillment Strategies in International Markets

46:13Managing Returns in International Markets

Managing Returns in International Markets

Part 7: Conclusion and Call to Action

49:14Final Thoughts and Call to Action

Final Thoughts and Call to Action