Internationalization

Going global is a different game. We play it with Google at our side.

One obsession: profitable growth in new markets. The right countries, entered the right way, with the data to prove it.

We remove the guesswork with a rare combination of access and proof, then pair it with full-stack execution to make expansion faster, sharper and less risky.

Only in PTagency in Google's IGAP program

500+SMB international plans in three years

100+internationally active brands

ICOMglobal independent agency network

Going global, guided by Google

Expansion fails on the fundamentals, not the ambition.

Companies rarely fail abroad for lack of ambition. They fail by picking a market on gut instead of demand data, by translating instead of localizing, and by running the same plan everywhere.

An access nobody else combines

We are inside Google's IGAP, an Amazon partner for international commerce, the agency chosen by AICEP and the Portuguese government to build the plans of Portuguese SMBs, and a partner in ICOM. Most agencies expand on opinion. We expand on data, programs and on-the-ground reach.

Intelligence is nothing without execution

Insight only pays when someone runs it well. We pair Google's intelligence with a full-stack team that executes, media, creative, localization, commerce and measurement, in-house. Not a strategy deck and good luck, a partner that takes you into the market and grows you there.

The access and track record nobody else combines

International growth is not one credential. It is a stack of them.

Few agencies have one of these. We built all of them, on purpose, and that is exactly what de-risks your expansion.

Google program

Inside Google's IGAP

The only agency in Portugal in Google's International Growth Agency Program, an invitation-only program that typically admits one or two agencies per mid-sized market. Market intelligence, Market Explorer, website-readiness analysis, tested playbooks and dedicated Google specialists.

Global commerce

An Amazon partner

We develop clients' international business on Amazon and similar marketplaces, connected to our Marketplaces practice.

Government-backed

Chosen by AICEP

Selected by AICEP, Portugal's trade and investment agency, to build the international marketing plans for Portuguese SMBs. More than 500 delivered in three years.

On the ground

ICOM network partner

Part of ICOM, the largest and most advanced independent agency network in the world, with trusted people across markets.

Proven at scale

100+ international brands

Over 100 companies doing serious international business, from Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein to EDP, Sacoor and Parfois.

Destinations

Trusted on tourism

Work with tourism offices on international projects, including a high-end performance-marketing advisory for the Portuguese Tourism Office.

Market selection & opportunity sizing

The most important decision in expansion is where to go.

We make it on data, not on where a competitor happened to land.

Demand-signal analysis

We size real demand market by market using Google's Market Finder and internal Market Explorer data, not just headline market size.

Prioritized shortlist

Markets ranked by demand, competition, estimated CPC cost thresholds, regulatory simplicity and logistics, so you start where you can actually win.

A business case per market

Each opportunity tied to a number and a realistic path, not a flag on a map. A smaller market with strong demand and simple rules beats a huge one full of barriers.

How we take you into a market

Land, prove, then scale.

Once the market is chosen, expansion becomes a repeatable system, not a gamble.

Step 1

Go-to-market playbooks

Localized entry strategies on Google's proven frameworks, full-funnel from day one across YouTube, Demand Gen and Performance Max, in a phased entry that keeps risk contained.

Step 2

Localization & culture

Not translation. Over 60% of global shoppers prefer to buy in their own language, so we localize copy, culture, creative and local search, with our SEO & GEO team.

Step 3

Cross-border commerce

Local-currency pricing (reportedly around 24% more conversion) and the payment methods people actually use, plus VAT, duties, shipping and returns handled end to end.

Step 4

International media

Full-funnel paid per market, search, YouTube, Demand Gen, PMax and programmatic, plus local-first social, with our Programmatic & Agentic team.

Step 5

Optimize to outcomes

ROAS, cost per acquisition and contribution margin by market, not vanity reach. Each market treated as its own business unit with its own targets.

Connected across the agency

Everything a market entry actually needs.

Internationalization plugs into the rest of what we do.

Retail & E-commerce →A store that sells in every target market. Marketplaces →Amazon and marketplace expansion. Programmatic & Agentic →Full-funnel paid, per market. Social Media →Local-first social and creators. SEO & GEO →Built for how each market searches. CRO →Conversion, market by market.

Why Wise Pirates for internationalization

Few can expand a business into a market, with Google's data behind them.

Business results, always

Our only motto. Measured in profitable growth in new markets, not flags on a map.

Access nobody else combines

Google's IGAP, an Amazon international partnership, selection by AICEP and the Portuguese government, and the ICOM global network, in one partner.

Proven at scale

More than 500 international marketing plans for SMBs in three years, and 100+ internationally active brands.

Intelligence plus execution

We do not just advise on markets, we enter and grow them with a full-stack in-house team, and we are a Google Premier Partner.

Dedicated internationalization advising

A specialized team that leverages our IGAP privileges to support execution with advanced strategy and localized market architecture from day one.

Recognized and secure

Among the "Best AI Development Companies to Watch" (Executive Headlines), first PT agency R&D-certified by ANI, ISO 9001 and 27001 certified.

We help brands cross borders and grow in new markets, from first entry to multi-country scale, including over 100 internationally active companies such as Tommy Hilfiger, Speedo, Calvin Klein, EDP (powering international expansion in markets like Spain), Victoria's Secret, Sacoor, Sennheiser, Mo, Parfois and MyBarbecue, plus 500+ international marketing plans built with AICEP.

Frequently asked questions

The questions we hear most.

What is the Google International Growth Agency Program (IGAP)?

IGAP is Google's invitation-only program for a select group of top-performing international agencies. It gives member agencies access to Google's market intelligence tools, country-level demand data, tested go-to-market playbooks and dedicated Google specialists, so they can help clients expand into new markets faster and more predictably. Businesses cannot join directly, they work through an approved IGAP agency like Wise Pirates.

How do I choose which country to expand into?

Choose on demand, not on size or gut feel. The best first markets combine strong search demand for your product, manageable competition, simple regulations and workable logistics. We size this market by market using Google's Market Finder and internal Market Explorer data, then rank a shortlist and build a business case for each. A smaller market with real demand usually beats a huge one full of barriers.

What is the difference between localization and translation?

Translation converts words. Localization adapts the whole experience: language, tone, imagery, offers, payment methods and UX, so the brand feels genuinely local. It matters because reportedly over 60% of global shoppers prefer to buy in their own language. A translated site is understood, a localized one is trusted and bought from, which is why we localize rather than just translate.

How is Wise Pirates different for international expansion?

Two things, and both are rare. First, our access: we combine Google's IGAP, an Amazon international-commerce partnership, selection by AICEP and the Portuguese government, and the ICOM global agency network, a stack almost no agency can assemble. Second, our execution: a full-stack in-house team runs media, localization, commerce and measurement in each market. Access plus execution is what turns a plan into profitable growth abroad.

Do you work with government and trade programs for internationalization?

Yes. Wise Pirates was selected by AICEP, Portugal's trade and investment agency, to build the international marketing plans for Portuguese SMBs, and has delivered more than 500 of them over the last three years. We also work with tourism offices on international projects, including a high-end international performance-marketing advisory for the Portuguese Tourism Office.

Which Google tools help with internationalization?

Market Finder spots promising markets from real search demand, and as an IGAP agency we add Google's internal Market Explorer for deeper country data. We also use proprietary IGAP support to assess each market's website readiness and cost thresholds, insider intelligence that lets our advisors de-risk your launch before you commit.

Do you handle cross-border payments, tax and logistics?

Yes, as part of a working commerce experience. We set up local currency pricing and the payment methods each market actually uses, which reportedly lifts conversion, and we handle VAT, duties, shipping and returns with the right partners. Attention abroad is wasted if people cannot easily pay or receive the goods, so we make sure the whole journey works.

How long does international expansion take to show results?

Paid activation can produce sales within weeks of a well-planned launch, but durable, profitable expansion in a market builds over months as you localize, optimize and learn. We enter in phases: land and prove first, then scale what works, so risk stays contained and budget follows results. We are honest about the curve, because sustainable growth beats a costly rush.

How do you measure international marketing success?

By profitable growth per market, not global vanity totals. We track revenue, ROAS, customer acquisition cost, contribution margin and lifetime value country by country, attributed properly rather than by last click. Each market is treated as its own business unit with its own targets, so you always know which markets are working and where to invest next.

Ready to expand?

Grow into new markets with Google at your side.

Tell us where you want to grow. We will tell you honestly which markets to enter, and take you into them with the data, programs and execution to win.

Start a conversation →