KINGSTON, Jamaica—A Canadian multicultural marketing firm is issuing a strategic imperative to Jamaican and Caribbean brands: prioritize international marketing to secure sustainable global expansion. Adion Communications, founded by Jamaican-born strategist Shannon Castonguay, argues that despite possessing substantial cultural capital, Caribbean products are losing market opportunities due to insufficient overseas promotional efforts.
Castonguay emphasizes that cultural influence alone cannot guarantee commercial success. ‘While Caribbean exports gain traction in foreign markets, most brands neglect sustained international marketing, resulting in diminished visibility, reduced competitiveness, and forfeited revenue potential,’ she stated. This marketing vacuum often allows inauthentic products—those merely adopting Jamaican colors or claiming ‘Caribbean flavor’—to capture market share that rightfully belongs to authentic brands.
Adion Communications specializes in helping Caribbean brands strengthen their global footprint through culturally anchored strategies, digital marketing campaigns, brand narrative development, and experiential activations. The agency cautions against overreliance on nostalgia or assumptions of existing brand recognition. Castonguay cites Coca-Cola as an exemplar: despite global familiarity, the beverage giant continuously tailors messages for different markets rather than resting on past achievements.
The firm’s methodology focuses on maintaining brand authenticity while navigating international consumer expectations, ensuring expansion strategies honor cultural heritage without dilution. Having worked extensively with Jamaican brands, Castonguay notes the discrepancy between the tenacity shown domestically and the marketing complacency observed abroad. ‘Jamaicans have never been small players—we should apply our characteristic diligence to global marketing as well,’ she concluded.