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Localisation · Design & project management · 2026
Landing kit
How I help international companies get their materials ready for the Dutch market.
TYPEProcess case study
SCOPELocalisation, market-fit checks, production and rollout
CONTEXTScale-up accelerator, Amsterdam
ROLEDesign and project manager
01 — The work
A good product abroad
is not yet a good product here.
At a scale-up accelerator, I work with international companies moving into the Netherlands. My part is the materials (marketing, packaging, launch content) and getting them published on time.
The client work is confidential, so this case study shows the process instead: the stages, the checklist I use, and an invented brand to show what changes.
02 — Beyond translation
Translated is not
the same as localised
Tone and hierarchy
Formal titles and “Dear Sir” feel distant to a Dutch reader.
Selling style
Superlatives and countdown timers can read as pushy here.
Information density
Dutch readers want the point first, details one click away.
Checkout
The payment button people expect is different in every country.
Delivery promise
Parcel lockers, home delivery, pick-up points: habits differ.
Trust signals
A new foreign brand has to earn trust with local proof.
Example lens for the next sections: a Polish company entering the Netherlands
03 — Poland and the Netherlands, side by side
Neighbours in the EU,
far apart in expectations
NetherlandsPoland
Power distance
38
68
Drop titles and formal address; speak to the reader as an equal.
Masculinity
14
64
Cut “the best” and “number one”; modest, factual claims win.
Uncertainty avoidance
53
93
Fewer guarantees and fine print up front; keep details one click away.
Individualism
80
60
Talk to “you” and your choice, not “every family”.
Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, 0–100 · scores via Cyborlink country profiles
04 — Pay, deliver, trust
The last three steps
decide the sale
PAY
Poland: BLIK and other bank transfers, about 70% of e-commerce.
Netherlands: iDEAL, now moving to Wero, over 70% of e-commerce.
Put iDEAL first; show the logo the shopper knows.
DELIVER
Poland: InPost lockers are the favourite, about 47,000 of them.
Netherlands: home delivery and carrier pick-up points.
Rewrite the delivery step; don’t assume lockers.
TRUST
Netherlands: reviews first, then trust marks like Thuiswinkel Waarborg, and a .nl domain.
Reviews and trust marks visible on every product page.
Sources: Landmark Global; Cross-Border Magazine (2025); KVK
05 — The process
Five stages, each ending
with something to sign off
- 1
Intake
Collect every existing asset and agree on goals and dates.
LEAVES BEHINDAsset inventory and launch timeline
SIGNED OFF BYClient and project lead
- 2
Market check
Language, tone, rules and habits: what has to change here?
LEAVES BEHINDChange list: language, legal, format
SIGNED OFF BYClient and local advisers
- 3
Adapt
Redesign layouts, rewrite copy, keep the brand intact.
LEAVES BEHINDAdapted designs and copy, with notes
SIGNED OFF BYClient brand team
- 4
Produce
Final files, print specs and approvals from every side.
LEAVES BEHINDPrint-ready and digital files
SIGNED OFF BYPrinter, platform, client
- 5
Roll out
Publish, track and fix what the first weeks reveal.
LEAVES BEHINDPublication plan and first-weeks review
SIGNED OFF BYClient and project lead
06 — The Dutch-market checklist
Six things that almost always change
Language
Dutch first, even where many people speak English.
Tone
Direct and plain; choose informal “je” or formal “u” once, and stick to it.
Mandatory text
Required product information on packaging, in Dutch.
Formats
Day-month dates, decimal commas (€ 2,49), metric units.
Text length
Dutch words run long; layouts need room to grow.
Payment
Online shops offer iDEAL, the payment method Dutch shoppers expect.
General guidance, not legal advice
07 — Before and after, on an invented brand
“Haverly” oat drink
lands in Amsterdam
BEFORE · UK PACK
Creamy oat drink
1 litre · £1.99
Best before 11/12/26
AFTER · DUTCH PACK
Romige haverdrink
1 l · € 2,49
Ten minste houdbaar tot 11-12-2026
English: “Creamy oat drink · 1 l · €2.49 · Best before 11 December 2026.” Same brand and layout; the language, price format, date order and wording all change.
Haverly is fictional
08 — How I keep it moving
Many people, several time zones,
one plan
One source of truth
A single timeline and asset list that everyone can see.
Short written updates
Done, next, blocked: readable in any time zone.
One feedback round per stage
All comments collected together, not drip-fed.
09 — What this shows
Design judgement and project discipline, in the same person.
I can see what has to change for a new audience, and I can get it designed, approved and published on time.
Let’s connect: verakarulina1@gmail.com