You need to be on top of your game when you work with the biggest Nordic brands and help them communicate with global audiences.

At Aspidistra, we’ve mastered the art of working across borders. Whether it’s a campaign for a single region or a project that spans multiple countries, we have the skills, tools, and network to deliver high-quality results—on time and on budget.

Here is how we successfully navigate the challenges of working across borders.

Step 1 – Align on a Common Creative Vision

The creative vision is the soul of any project and it needs buy-in from all stakeholders. During one memorable project, we were tasked with producing an original video series for a client. The goal was to build awareness and engagement for the brand across four Nordic countries while maintaining a unified brand image along with the nuances of the local markets.  We worked closely with the client to develop a creative direction that could be applied across all four markets while allowing for necessary localisation to speak to the unique audiences in Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Denmark. The first step was to liaise with the client’s frontline businesses to ensure they were on the same page. Feedback from the frontlines was encouraged and used to tweak the creative vision, ensuring local nuances were respected. The result? Sixteen high-performing and engaging videos were produced over 10 days.

Step 2 – Employ Local Expertise for Authentic Communications

One key principle we work with is to avoid parachuting people into other countries to execute projects. Not only is it inefficient and costly, but it also risks missing critical local nuances. This is where our global network of creatives comes in. From photographers in Brazil and videographers in China to writers in Bhutan, we have built a trusted network over the years. This allows us to tap into local expertise whenever necessary, ensuring that the content we produce is not only on-brand but also culturally relevant. By leveraging local talent, we saved time, avoided logistical issues, and ensured authenticity in every market—all while keeping our eyes on the broader creative vision.

Step 3: Craft Compelling Narratives Using Journalistic Methods

At Aspidistra, our journalistic roots have shaped our approach to finding the right story and building consensus—skills that are crucial when working on multi-stakeholder projects across borders. Journalism is all about getting to the heart of the narrative, whether you’re covering breaking news or working on a feature story. This skill translates directly into how we approach complex projects for our clients. We approach every project like a newsroom assignment. Working closely with the client and local creative teams, we uncover the key story that will allow the brand’s messages to stand out, bring in authoritative and trusted subject-matter experts (while prioritising local knowledge), and suggest the most appropriate channels to get the message to the right audiences. We also leverage our long-standing relationships with our global journalist network to support clients’ cross-border projects.

Step 4 – Implement Effective Global Project Management

Recently, we were tasked with executing a project spread across different countries in the Asia-Pacific region. At Aspidistra, we are especially skilled in handling complex, multi-stakeholder projects by breaking them down into clear, manageable steps. For this campaign, we built a comprehensive project timeline, detailing every step from the creative concept to the final delivery. Each task was assigned specific deadlines and owners, ensuring accountability across the board. Cloud-based collaboration tools streamlined communication while regular check-ins with all stakeholders ensured that potential issues were dealt with early. Flexibility and adaptability were key—especially when managing last-minute requests from the client or adjusting to unforeseen challenges. This is especially critical for cross-border projects and our ability to have a local team on the ground makes this easier to manage.

In today’s global marketplace, collaboration across multiple time zones and regions has become the norm. We don’t see it as a challenge but an opportunity.

At Aspidistra, our journalistic roots, effective project management,  our ability to craft a unified creative vision and the power of a global network, have been key to our success. These pillars allow us to consistently deliver top-quality results, no matter where our clients are located.

Written by Nikhil Sivadas