In Sweden, more than 90% are.
Most brands look at a gap like that and see customers to capture. The smarter ones see a category to grow.
Lassie just showed which kind they are.
Last week, the Swedish pet insurer kicked off a nationwide German campaign with the country’s most famous dog trainer. Martin Rütter is the most trusted voice on responsible dog ownership in Germany. In a category built on trust, that matters far more than follower count.
That choice is the whole lesson about entering a new market:
👉🏽 Credibility over reach
Rütter has spent 20+ years teaching Germans what good dog ownership looks like. By Lassie’s account, it took him 8 years to find an insurer he actually believed in. In a market that doesn’t trust insurance yet, one endorsement people believe is worth more than a million paid impressions.
👉🏽 The message is matched to the market, not to the home plan
In Sweden, insurance is normal, so you compete on product. In Germany, it isn’t, so selling features to people who don’t see the need yet goes nowhere. You have to shift the behaviour first. That’s why this is a TV awareness campaign about pet care, and not a price ad.
👉🏽 The home truth becomes proof, not a script
“90% in Sweden” wasn’t translated into German and pasted onto a billboard. It’s the evidence that shows German dog parents where their own market could go.
This is what market fit actually looks like on the ground.
The local voice your audience already trusts, carrying a message pitched at where the market’s head is today, not where your home market arrived 10 years ago.
Lassie isn’t really entering Germany. They’re trying to change how Germany thinks about pet care. A much bigger job, with a much bigger payoff.
Lassie just reported €100M ARR and 1 million pets insured.
So before your brand walks into a new market, one question decides almost everything else:
Are you there to capture demand, or to create it?
Because the answer changes who you partner with and every word you say 🧡
Pic: Martin Rütter (Lassie)
LinkedIn original post: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/angels-bosch
