The Familiar Trap: Why Like-Kind Market Analysis Leaves Traditional Expansion Strategies Behind
For decades, brands have leaned on instinct when deciding where to grow. Follow the largest markets. Chase where they’ve seen success before. Expand where their teams have connections or history. These are the well-worn paths - and for a while, they worked.
But something has changed. Growth is harder. Markets are saturated. The map is no longer flat.
At The Big Salty Sea, we’ve seen a quiet shift underway - where like-kind market analysis is quietly outperforming traditional geographic strategy. It’s not louder. It’s smarter. And it’s reshaping how brands find their next wave of meaningful growth.
This isn’t about abandoning big markets. It’s about understanding which types of markets behave like your best ones - even if they’re not on your radar.
Pain Point 1: “We Followed Market Size…”
One of the most common growth strategies? Go where the pie is biggest. New York, Los Angeles, Chicago - the gravitational pull is understandable.
But large markets rarely behave like your best ones. They’re expensive, crowded, and filled with entrenched competition. What looks like opportunity often becomes dilution. The cost to win is high. The margin is thin. And the customers may not even align with your brand values.
Like-kind analysis flips this.
Instead of chasing size, it looks for markets that behave like the ones where you already win - culturally, behaviorally, economically. These “peer markets” may be smaller, but they convert better. They scale more sustainably. They don’t undercut your core.
Pain Point 2: “We Expanded Where We Had History… But Not Momentum”
There’s comfort in the familiar. A former team member has ties to the region. You once had traction there five years ago. It makes the decision easy - but not always wise. Particularly if its a market you've poured money into, over and over again.
Markets evolve. Demographics shift. Consumer intent migrates. History doesn’t equal heat. At some point, your marketing dollars no longer travel the same.
Like-kind analysis focuses on now, not nostalgia.
It evaluates signals across data - online behavior, product mix resonance, seasonality, and psychographic overlap. It asks: Where is the energy moving that matches our brand? Not: Where have we been before?
Pain Point 3: “We Picked a Region… and Got Stuck in a Generalization”
Traditional geographic expansion often treats states or regions as monoliths. Texas is Texas. Florida is Florida. But within every state are radically different markets. College towns and legacy metros. Counterculture hubs and commuter belts.
Like-kind segmentation zooms past that.
It doesn’t care about borders. It clusters markets by behavior, not geography. A college town in Iowa may have more in common with one in Oregon than with its own state capital. This kind of grouping lets brands launch smarter - with regional strategies that feel local, even when they’re scaled.
Pain Point 4: “We Wanted to Personalize… But Didn’t Know Where to Start”
Most brands talk about personalization. Few do it regionally. Why? Because national views are too high-level. Local views are too fragmented. It’s hard to know where to focus.
Like-kind analysis gives you a map.
It reveals clusters of markets that are not just demographically similar - but behaviorally and culturally aligned. These segments become launch pads. You don’t need to personalize everywhere. Just somewhere smart - and let the ripple carry.
The Shift Quietly Happening
The most forward-looking brands aren’t just expanding anymore. They’re aligning. They’re using data not just to chase markets - but to match themselves to the right markets.
They’re building strategies around lookalike clusters. Testing messaging in culture-connected cities. Choosing clarity over size. And seeing better conversion because of it.
They’re not abandoning traditional strategy. They’re replacing assumption with pattern.
Like-kind market analysis doesn’t scream. It signals. And when you listen - really listen - you realize:
Your next best market isn't necessarily the largest one. It's the ones most similar to where you've already made your mark. You just need to know where to find them.
