Expanding into new markets is one of the biggest growth levers for B2B companies - but it’s also one of the most complex.
If you don’t prioritise data from day one, you’re setting yourself up for friction, inefficiency, and missed opportunities.
In this blog, we explore how to build a scalable international data strategy that supports expansion without compromising on accuracy, compliance, or go-to-market efficiency.
With insights from Brian Aggerbeck, VP of Professional Services at Cognism, we’ll show how Data-as-a-Service (DaaS) can unify, enrich, and activate global data, while adapting to the nuances of each new region.
You’ll learn how to:
- Validate market opportunity through data.
- Avoid costly compliance pitfalls.
- Build a GTM data engine that scales with regional nuance.
Start with market opportunity, not assumptions
One of the biggest mistakes companies make when expanding internationally is jumping into action - hiring teams, launching campaigns, building territory plans - before validating whether the market actually wants or needs what they offer.
Brian explained:
According to Brian, data should be the starting point, not a supporting act. Before investing resources, businesses need to deeply understand their ideal customer profile and total addressable market in the new region.
He added:
“It starts with analysing that at the forefront. And then as you start expanding into that region, there’s a lot more nuance that you need to take into account.”
This isn’t just about surface-level metrics or copying what worked elsewhere. Each region has unique buying signals, buyer behaviours, legal constraints, and operational norms.
A solid ICP in the US might not map cleanly onto Germany, France, or the Nordics. And without region-specific market analysis, even the most sophisticated GTM playbook can fall flat.
Brian said:
“You have to understand who those folks are, what the potential opportunity is, and then you want to start drumming up some pipeline that you can action.”
This kind of data-led prep ensures that expansion efforts are aligned with where opportunity actually exists - minimising wasted spend and maximising early traction.
One-size-fits-all doesn’t work
When entering new markets, many companies fall into the trap of treating every region the same - lifting and shifting strategies, data models, and vendor relationships from one geography to another.
But according to Brian, this approach almost always creates friction.
Each region has its own set of nuances, not just in language or culture but also in how data is structured, governed, and operationalised.
For example, even something as seemingly minor as address formatting can throw a wrench into your systems.
Brian said:
“German addresses are structured entirely differently. There’s a real benefit to working with a vendor that has experience - not only in expanding to those regions themselves, but in adapting their data to work with how go-to-market teams operate locally.”
Beyond formatting, regulatory environments also vary widely. GDPR is just the starting point - regions like Germany introduce additional layers, such as double opt-in requirements and local DNC (Do Not Call) lists.
If your systems and data aren’t built to account for these differences, you risk breaking the law or simply burning good leads through irrelevant or poorly timed outreach.
It’s not just a legal issue - it’s an operational one. Without localised enrichment and region-aware workflows, GTM teams can’t segment effectively, personalise appropriately, or activate data at the right time.
And when your foundational data is off, every GTM play that follows will be, too.
Choose a partner, not just a provider
Data isn’t just a commodity - it’s a strategic asset. But its value hinges on how well it supports local execution.
Regional effectiveness depends on how data maps to real-world GTM workflows - from how contacts are reached, to how they convert, to what triggers signal intent.
A data partner should be able to help you localise every step of the funnel - from segmentation and routing, to sales outreach and targeting logic.
That means providing not only compliant, accurate data, but also region-specific support and delivery mechanisms that align with your team’s tech stack and maturity.
This becomes especially important when your in-house teams are unfamiliar with the territory. Instead of relying on trial and error, the right partner should act as an extension of your team, filling knowledge gaps, offering guidance, and enabling faster time to value.
Brian said:
“If your current data vendor isn’t set up for that region, they might have coverage, but the data won’t be structured or localised properly. And that’s a real issue when it comes to activating it effectively.”
Ultimately, your data partner should help you scale with confidence, not complexity, bringing regional insight, technical flexibility, and proactive guidance as you grow.
Keep data fresh, relevant, and signal-driven
A growing database means nothing if the data inside it is outdated or irrelevant.
For your GTM teams to take effective action, they need access to real-time, context-rich insights - not static lists that are stale by the time they’re used.
That’s why leading teams are moving beyond the mindset of database maintenance toward data activation.
It’s no longer just about having contacts in the system - it’s about surfacing the right information at the right moment, so sales and marketing can engage with relevance and speed.
Brian said:
“We’ve seen a shift from just maintaining your database to actually being proactively notified of something important. More signals, more contextual information - that’s what helps you understand that now is the right time to reach out.”
This shift requires a new layer of data: intent, engagement signals, technographics, hiring trends, and more - all continuously refreshed and delivered in a way your team can act on.
With these triggers in place, teams know not only who to contact but also why now and how to personalise their message based on where the buyer is in their journey.
At the same time, this real-time approach must be balanced with rigorous compliance. Especially in heavily regulated markets, timely engagement is only valuable if it’s backed by opt-in status, regional laws, and accurate contact permissions.
Brian added:
“Managing consent, opt-in, and cross-checking DNC lists are all crucial. These are the things that have to be paramount to your data strategy if you want to avoid compliance issues.”
In short:
A predictable, effective GTM strategy depends on a living, breathing data engine - one that keeps your teams informed, your outreach timely, and your brand safely on the right side of regulation.
Precision targeting vs. compliance: You need both
The most effective GTM motions today don’t treat coverage, accuracy, and compliance as trade-offs - they treat them as non-negotiables that must be balanced together.
This is especially critical when expanding into strictly regulated regions. The GDPR is just the start - countries like Germany and France often introduce additional layers of consent requirements, Do Not Call lists, and variations in what constitutes lawful outreach.
Your targeting may be precise, but if it’s not backed by robust consent and legal diligence, it can still cause significant risk.
Brian said:
“You have to make sure that your compliance strategy is airtight.”
In these environments, it’s common to take a more gradual approach to market entry - starting smaller, building trust, and learning from early engagement before scaling up outreach.
Brian said:
“We’re seeing more organisations be okay with entering at a lower level… to build a groundswell, get a better understanding of the pain of the user, and bubble that up to decision-makers.”
Precision and compliance don’t need to be opposing forces. The key is embedding compliance into every layer of your GTM workflow - from how you source and enrich leads, to how consent is stored and verified, to how outreach is triggered.
That’s where having the right vendor and internal processes makes the difference between scalable growth and expensive mistakes.
Of course, balancing precision and compliance isn’t just about the rules - it’s about the infrastructure that supports them.
Build infrastructure for scale and flexibility
Having high-quality, compliant data is only half the battle. To make that data usable across multiple markets, you need a technical foundation that’s both robust enough to scale and flexible enough to adapt.
Brian said:
Create cloud-native pipelines that push data into the systems your teams use every day - CRMs, customer data platforms (CDPs), or sales engagement tools.
That ensures your GTM teams aren’t digging through static lists, but working from enriched, real-time insights delivered right into their workflows.
But it’s not just about where the data ends up - it’s how it gets there.
Brian told us:
“Most of the time, at this scale, we’re looking at integrating a DaaS solution into the tech stack. That’s usually a combination of flat file delivery paired with APIs and webhooks.”
Each delivery method serves a distinct purpose:
- Flat files enable large-scale bulk ingestion.
- APIs provide controlled, on-demand access to specific data points.
- Webhooks allow for real-time alerts and automatic updates when new signals are detected.
Together, they form a layered architecture that can power everything from lead routing to lifecycle scoring and personalised campaign triggers.
On the process side, consistency is key - but so is localisation.
Brian said:
“You need to solve for a whole myriad of challenges - making sure you have a source of truth when records get created, enabling real-time notification of updates, and ensuring the data flows cleanly into your GTM motion.”
That means standardising the core processes around data enrichment, scoring, segmentation, and activation, while still allowing for regional customisation.
For instance, your enrichment logic might remain consistent globally, but your segmentation rules and compliance checks need to flex for each market.
Ultimately, this is where Data-as-a-Service proves invaluable - bridging the gap between raw data and operational impact by plugging directly into your tech stack and adapting to your business logic at scale.
Why DaaS makes this all easier
Scaling into new regions isn’t just a sales challenge - it’s a data challenge. You need accurate, compliant, and region-ready information flowing seamlessly into your systems.
But just having the data isn’t enough. You need the infrastructure and flexibility to activate it across geographies, go-to-market motions, and levels of maturity.
That’s where Data-as-a-Service makes all the difference.
Brian said:
“To be able to do this at the scale at which organisations are trying to navigate these problems - to try to tackle different regions in different ways - DaaS solutions are ultimately your best bet.”
DaaS isn’t about pulling a list from a database. It’s about creating a live, flexible data engine that integrates directly into your stack and scales with your needs.
With a DaaS model, you can:
- Pull high-quality data in bulk, when scale matters.
- Customise delivery and formatting to match your tech ecosystem.
- Ingest real-time signals to reach buyers at the right moment.
- Localise activation, so outreach aligns with regional compliance and workflows.
“You need a flexible solution - one that moves with you as your strategy evolves.”
“That’s exactly how we’ve built Cognism’s DaaS. We want to meet you there and make sure you have that partner to deliver data and help you with those local challenges.”
As go-to-market strategies become more dynamic and data-led, DaaS acts as the foundation that ties everything together - from segmentation and compliance to automation and targeting.
It gives RevOps leaders control over how data flows, context for when to act, and consistency across global teams.
Whether you’re entering your second or tenth market, DaaS removes the guesswork and manual lifting so your teams can focus on execution, not infrastructure.
Final takeaways for GTM and RevOps leaders
If you’re planning international expansion, your data strategy is either your biggest enabler or your biggest blocker.
To avoid fragmented systems, manual workarounds, or compliance missteps, you need a global data foundation that’s:
- Locally compliant.
- Regionally enriched.
- Structurally consistent.
- Flexible for evolving GTM needs.
DaaS gives you the infrastructure and intelligence to scale without the chaos.
