Cross-cultural growth marketing

Grow your brand across Europe and East Asia

International digital marketing and growth, cross-cultural insights, and an expert network for companies expanding across Europe and East Asia.

50+ clients · 30+ industries · 15+ markets

Free 30-minute market insights, no sales pitch.

Patric Sawada, founder of Silkdrive cross-cultural growth marketing agency

Patric Sawada·Founder, 2015·Amsterdam, NL

Trusted by teams expanding across Europe and East Asia

We have run growth marketing and market-entry work for companies in a wide range of industries, in both directions of the corridor.

50+
Clients

Across Europe and East Asia, from founders to enterprise teams.

30+
Industries

Retail, automotive, energy, life sciences, logistics, and more.

Since 2015
Founder-led

Every engagement is led by Patric Sawada, backed by a vetted expert network.

Patric [Sawada] enables us to exceed the goals of our LinkedIn Ad campaigns. […] extensive knowledge of tooling and data-driven work.
Christian Crauwels
Christian Crauwels
Marketing Coördinator
A nice guy who integrated smoothly in the team, being pro-active and delivering much more than expected. Patric [Sawada] is data-driven […], not doing stuff for nothing, and a strong advisor. […] we made a lot of improvements during this 4 months.
Petra Vunderink
Petra Vunderink
Head of Marketing Communications, Exact
Patric [Sawada]'s creative way of thinking is really inspiring and […] results with Linkedin (one of the hardest marketing channels to use out there) are absolutely staggering!
Simran Singh
Simran Singh
Head of Growth, Recruitee

How we work

Three steps, one goal: growth that holds up in a new market.

Connect

We map the market and bring in the right local experts, so you start with people who already know how it works on the ground.

Adapt

We adapt your product, message, and channels to how people actually decide and buy in each market, not a translated version of your home campaign.

Grow

We run and optimise the campaigns, then keep tuning until the numbers move. We execute, we don't just advise.

What we do

Full-service cross-cultural growth marketing, from your first market-entry plan to live campaigns in each market.

International Digital Marketing

Full-service international marketing execution, SEO, paid media, social, and performance campaigns across Europe and East Asia.

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Cross-Cultural Insights

Cultural adaptation, localisation, and training that help your team and campaigns connect authentically in unfamiliar markets.

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Growth Marketing

Market entry strategy, growth experimentation, and fractional leadership to turn international expansion into measurable results.

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Training & Coaching

Growth, marketing, and cross-cultural training plus executive coaching and market entry webinars for teams working across Europe and East Asia.

Browse Programmes
Takashi Kawatani, lead trainer for Silkdrive's Japan training programmes
Takashi Kawatani
35+ years · 20,000+ alumni · Diversity Management Institute (Tokyo)
Patric Sawada, founder of Silkdrive and growth and cross-cultural marketing trainer
Patric Sawada
12+ years · Founder · Growth & cross-cultural marketing trainer (Amsterdam)

Ways to work with us

Pick the shape that fits where you are. Not sure? Book a call and we will tell you straight.

Sprint

Scoped per engagement

quoted before any work starts

A scoped engagement to solve one growth problem.

Discuss this engagement →

Workshop

From €1,900

per 3-hour session

Cross-cultural training for teams working across the corridor.

Discuss this engagement →

Fractional CMO

From €3,800

per month, one day a week

Senior marketing leadership, embedded part-time.

Discuss this engagement →

Advisor

Scoped per client

per month, light retainer

A light retainer for steady, senior input.

Discuss this engagement →

Cross-Cultural Insights

Latest thinking on EU ↔ East Asia growth marketing, cross-cultural strategy, and international expansion.

Social Media in Belgium: Usage Statistics (2026)
July 15, 20269 min read

Social Media in Belgium: Usage Statistics (2026)

A cite-ready reference of social media usage in Belgium: Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok user numbers and penetration, the three-language market structure, and why a Dutch campaign should never be copy-pasted into Belgium. Every figure sourced to DataReportal Digital 2026: Belgium and StatCounter.

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Social Media in the UK: Usage Statistics (2026)
July 15, 20269 min read

Social Media in the UK: Usage Statistics (2026)

A cite-ready reference of social media usage in the United Kingdom: YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Snapchat user numbers and penetration, X's 21% decline, and what British advertising culture means for creative. Every figure sourced to DataReportal Digital 2026: The United Kingdom and StatCounter.

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Social Media in Europe: Usage Statistics (2026)
July 14, 20269 min read

Social Media in Europe: Usage Statistics (2026)

A cite-ready reference of social media usage across the EU: user numbers and penetration for Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, and the Netherlands, the Eurostat EU averages, and why one European campaign rarely fits 27 markets. Every figure sourced to DataReportal Digital 2026, Eurostat, and StatCounter.

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FAQ

Questions we get a lot

Our Story

Our name is inspired by the legendary Silk Road, a symbol of connectivity, cultural exchange and commerce.

Silkdrive aims to channel the spirit of the original Silk Road, transforming it into a digital force that drives sustainable growth, across Europe and East-Asia.

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