Busting the Myths of APAC Expansion with Victoria Sampson (McCafferty)

In this episode, we dive deep into the complexities of building growth strategies across APAC with Victoria, who leads marketing for Thomson Reuters across an enormous remit spanning from Africa and the Middle East through to Japan and New Zealand. Victoria shares why expanding into APAC is fundamentally different from other regions, dispels common myths about APAC markets, and reveals how sophisticated buyers in these geographies are driving the future of B2B technology adoption. The conversation explores everything from the nuanced approach needed for different markets like Japan's trust-building requirements versus the rapid innovation appetite in Southeast Asia, to how geopolitical shifts create both opportunities and challenges. Victoria also shares her approach to creating bespoke research that serves as both thought leadership and demand generation, demonstrating how to move beyond traditional marketing tactics to become a true business growth driver. Guest Introduction Victoria Sampson (McCafferty) is a seasoned marketing leader with over 15 years of experience driving growth across Asia-Pacific. As CMO APAC at Thomson Reuters, she leads a diverse regional team, combining data, technology, and customer insight to design demand generation programs that deliver measurable impact. Passionate about understanding buyer behavior, she believes the best marketing comes from truly knowing the customer—what they value, how they operate, and when to reach them. Throughout her career, she has been proud to build inclusive teams, champion an ethical, people-first culture, and position marketing as a precision growth engine that bridges business goals with customer needs in meaningful ways. Key Topics Why APAC expansion is different: Cultural practices, timing (e.g., Eid in Middle East), and diverse innovation drivers require long-term commitment (6–24 months depending on market).APAC myths debunked: Markets are often more advanced than US/EU in tech adoption, with larger buying groups and 70% of the journey completed digitally before first contact.The “gateway market” trap: Limiting operations to Singapore and Australia misses growth in China, Japan, Korea, India, and Southeast Asia.Content as advantage: Bespoke research and executive interviews drive both client retention and sophisticated demand generation.The 70-30 localisation rule: 70% of marketing scales regionally; 30% needs localisation around culture, channels, and geography.Channel diversification: WeChat dominates China, Naver in Korea, WhatsApp is rising in B2B, while Japan’s B2B sees low social media impact and declining email effectiveness.Marketing as advisory: Shift from traditional roles to driving business growth with analytics, strategy, and client-centric positioning.Future of B2B marketing: AI handles execution; human skills in messaging, buyer understanding, and connection become key — a return to the “art” of marketing. Resources & Links People Mentioned Professor Scott Galloway - Recommended resource for business insights and contentShahin Hoda LinkedIn ProfileAlexander Hipwell LinkedIn Profile Companies & Tools Discussed Thomson Reuters - Victoria's employerBombora - Intent data platform mentioned6Sense - ABM software platformCanva AI - Content creation toolTableau - Data analytics and reporting Events & Programs Synergy - Thomson Reuters' flagship client event series (Australia, Dubai, Singapore, Tokyo) Subscribe to the xG Weekly Newsletter for weekly insights on B2B growth across APAC: https://xgrowth.com.au/newsletter Contact & Credits Host: Shahin Hoda Guest: Victoria Sampson (McCafferty) Produced by: Shahin Hoda and Alexander Hipwell Edited by: Alexander Hipwell Music by: Breakmaster Cylinder APAC's B2B Growth Podcast is Presented by xGrowth

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