Macedonia-Export is a strategic consultancy specializing in export, branding, and international market development. With over a decade of experience building and scaling brands, the company is known for bridging the gap between Balkan manufacturers and global buyers. One of its flagship projects is TIP OF THE WEEK—a personal and professional development book series that has become a household name across the Balkans.
The concept is built around 40 practical, actionable tips written by entrepreneurs and professionals from the region, aimed at sparking change and continuous improvement in everyday life.
While TIP OF THE WEEK had already found success in the Balkans, the team wanted to take the brand global. The goal was clear: test the product with international audiences and discover which customer segments would resonate with the concept. But entering the global publishing market without validation—and printing thousands of copies in advance—wasn’t an option.
The challenge was to test the product, validate the concept, and identify ideal customer personas at a global scale without upfront risk. The chosen method: a structured, low-budget crowdfunding campaign designed not just to raise funds, but to deliver market proof and build a launch-ready international brand.
We broke the project into four key phases: Pre-Launch Strategy, Design Strategy, Launch, and Release.
Pre-Launch Strategy:
Our first step was understanding the existing audience—who they were, what they valued, and how they interacted with the product. Using that as a starting point, we developed a set of global customer hypotheses and personas. These would be tested during the campaign through messaging, targeting, and conversion data.
We treated the crowdfunding campaign as a full-scale product launch—applying lean startup principles to test product-market fit in real-time. Solveo worked closely with the TIP OF THE WEEK team to define brand positioning, target markets, pricing, and channel strategy.
Design Strategy:
We developed a complete visual identity system for the global release—covering brand design, campaign visuals, packaging, and content. A compelling campaign video and supporting website served as the core communication assets. Every visual element was built to reflect the product’s purpose: clarity, consistency, and motivation.
Launch:
Over a 30-day period, we ran a fully managed crowdfunding campaign, using it as a dynamic testing ground. We tested different value propositions, messaging, and audiences through an omni-channel distribution approach. Solveo’s growth and marketing team optimized continuously across channels—shaping the campaign strategy in real time based on live results.
The result was a fully funded campaign, backed by people from over 50 countries. The data from the campaign clearly identified which messaging worked, who the core users were, and how to position the product for scale.
Release:
After 8 months of preparation and execution, the global edition of TIP OF THE WEEK was launched and distributed. The book was sold in over 30 countries, and a new customer segment had been validated. What started as a regional concept had now gained global traction—with an audience ready to keep growing.
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