Why Your UK Story Won't Work in America (And What to Do About It)

You've built something brilliant. Your product solves a real problem, your UK customers love you, and you're ready to cross the Atlantic. But here's an uncomfortable truth: the messaging that won your British clients will likely fall flat in Boston, confuse investors in San Francisco, and leave prospects in New York wondering what you actually do.

Expanding overseas is certainly about logistics, regulations and time zones. But it’s also about recognising that your entire value proposition needs to be rebuilt – or at minimum, thoroughly reviewed – for each new territory. And nowhere is this more critical than when UK founders target the USA.

Why Getting Your Story Right Matters More Than You Think

Your messaging is the foundation of everything. It determines whether investors understand your vision quickly enough to take a meeting. It shapes whether enterprise buyers can justify your solution to their CFO. It influences whether talented people want to join your team.

When you enter a new market, you're starting from zero. Nobody knows who you are. Nobody cares about your UK Tech Week awards or your glowing testimonials from Berkshire county council. Your story needs to work harder and faster than it ever has before.

The American Exception: Why the US Is Different

Every market has its quirks, but the US presents unique challenges that can catch UK founders off guard.

Directness over nuance. British communication relies on understatement and subtlety. Americans want you to tell them exactly what you do, why it matters, and what makes you different – in the first eight seconds.

"We help healthcare providers improve patient engagement" won't cut it. "We increased patient attendance rates by 34% for 50+ NHS trusts and we're bringing that proven technology to US healthcare systems" might.

Scale and specificity. The US isn't one market – it's 50 states with different regulations, dozens of distinct regional business cultures, and vastly different expectations depending on sector and geography. What resonates in the Midwest won't necessarily land in Boston. Your proposition needs to be simultaneously broad enough to travel and specific enough to feel relevant.

Proof points matter differently. UK buyers often value relationships, referrals, and gradual trust-building. American enterprise buyers want data, case studies, and ROI projections – fast. They're less impressed by your tenure and more interested in your traction. Saying you've "worked with the NHS" sounds prestigious to UK ears but means little to a US hospital administrator who wants specifics: did you reduce readmissions, cut costs, or improve outcomes? By how much? For whom?

Worth noting: the NHS serves roughly 68 million people with a budget exceeding £150 billion. That's comparable to major US hospital systems like HCA Healthcare, but there are dozens of such systems across America. You'll need substantial proof points to compete.

Competition is everywhere. The US market is saturated with well-funded, aggressive competitors who've been refining their positioning for years. You might be one of one in Scotland; now you're one of 20 in California. You need to articulate your differentiation with laser precision, because you're not just competing for attention – you're competing for survival.

A Framework for Rebuilding Your Story

Here's the framework I use to help UK companies refine their proposition for new markets:

1. Diagnose your current situation. Before you write a single word of new messaging, deeply understand the landscape you're entering. Who are your real competitors – not just the obvious ones, but the alternative solutions that buyers are considering? What market dynamics drive purchasing decisions? Crucially, do you actually have product-market fit in this territory, or are you assuming your UK success will translate?

2. Identify your Ideal Customer Profiles (ICPs). Your UK ICP might be mid-sized professional services firms in the Southeast. Your US ICP could be completely different: perhaps venture-backed tech companies in major metros or healthcare systems in specific states. Get granular: company size, sector, geography, buying triggers, decision-making structures.

3. Create genuine points of differentiation. What makes you different here, in this new market? Not in theory, in practice. This can often mean repositioning around different strengths than you emphasized at home.

4. Build your messaging strategy from the ground up. Develop a sharp, compelling strapline that communicates your core value. Create supporting messages for different audiences: investors, customers, partners, employees, media. Every word should be tested against the question: would an American buyer who's never heard of us immediately understand what we do and why we matter?

5. Apply it everywhere. Your refined messaging needs to permeate everything: fundraising decks, go-to-market materials, your website, all written collateral. Your pitch deck for US investors should probably look different from your UK version. Your website needs market-specific case studies, testimonials, and proof points. Your sales materials should speak to American pain points in American language.

6. Commit to ongoing communications. Entering a new market isn't a one-time messaging exercise; it's an ongoing conversation. You need a sustained communications strategy (thought leadership, PR, content marketing) that builds credibility and keeps you visible in a noisy market.

Bringing This to Life: The MiPatient Example

This process is exactly what we went through with miPatient, a Scottish digital health company enabling at-home care through AI-enabled daily video check-ins.

Their early messaging was narrowly framed around functional outcomes like "fewer readmissions" and "better communication" – logical benefits that lacked emotional resonance and didn't differentiate them in a crowded market.

Working through the framework, we helped them develop a new strategic approach anchored on a simple, powerful phrase: "When the patient goes home, so does the doctor." This became more than a strapline. It was the brand's emotional core, conveying reassurance to patients, innovation to hospitals, and investability to backers.

From there, we developed stakeholder-specific messaging variants. For investors, we framed miPatient as a profitable, scalable data asset in AI and digital health. For hospital executives, we emphasized better economics and stronger outcomes. For clinicians, we positioned it as a smart, time-saving extension of bedside care. For patients, we highlighted peace of mind and constant connection.

"Absolutely love it," said Manjit Mooker, miPatient's CEO. "It hits the emotional trigger perfectly. Creates comfort and confidence for patients. That continuous doctor presence really resonates." Dan Delgado, their scientific adviser, added: "This is elegant and sophisticated. There's nothing out there solving this particular gap in care. You've landed it."

The company now has a differentiated, emotionally resonant story that speaks to both hearts and balance sheets – one that scales across investors, hospitals, and patient engagement platforms.

The Bottom Line

Expanding overseas without refining your story is like showing up to a job interview in the wrong outfit. You might be qualified, but you've already lost the room. The good news? With rigorous thinking, market-specific positioning, and the discipline to rebuild your messaging from scratch, you can create a narrative that resonates powerfully in any market you choose to enter.

Your UK success proves you've built something valuable. That's genuinely a great achievement. But if you're aiming for the US, it's time to tell that story in a way your new market can actually hear.

Written by Ross Hunter - Lincsus C-Suite Partner & Founder of Copylab

Contact us today if you're planning US expansion.