A plug-and-play export pathway helps regional brands reach Asia without building overseas operations
Updated
February 26, 2026 4:29 PM
Coupang headquarters in Silicon Valley. PHOTO: ADOBE STOCK
Two western Pennsylvania companies — Kate’s Real Food and Healthy Origins — are expanding beyond the U.S. through a partnership with Coupang.
Coupang, a U.S.-technology and Fortune 150 company, operates one of the largest e-commerce platforms in South Korea. It allows American sellers to reach customers overseas without setting up their own distribution networks. Businesses ship products to a domestic Coupang logistics facility. From there, the company manages storage, fulfillment and delivery directly to customers abroad.
For Kate’s Real Food and Healthy Origins, this system opens the door to new markets without requiring on-the-ground operations. Kate’s Real Food makes organic energy and protein bars. Healthy Origins is a family-owned supplements business based near Pittsburgh. Both are now selling to customers in South Korea and in Healthy Origins’ case, Taiwan as well.
That structure addresses a practical gap for growing brands: how to access international demand without building international operations. Instead of navigating foreign warehousing and retail partnerships independently, sellers plug into an existing marketplace and logistics system.
“At Coupang, we’re proud to help thousands of American small and medium-sized businesses, agricultural producers and larger brands sell their goods to customers around the world”, said Coupang vice president Bill Anaya. “We’ve built an innovative, AI-driven export engine that enables great American entrepreneurs — like those who created Kate’s Real Food and Healthy Origins — to expand their horizons, find new revenue abroad and keep growing their local teams".
For Kate’s Real Food, the move marks its entry into South Korea for the first time. For Healthy Origins, the results have been measurable. The company reports that sales of its products on the platform have increased more than 50% year over year since partnering with Coupang. It has also expanded into Taiwan.
“Partnering with Coupang has been a significant step forward for our business”, said Bret Eby, CEO of Healthy Origins. “Coupang makes it easier to deliver a great shopping experience and we’ve appreciated the collaboration and support throughout the process. Its scale, efficiency and consumer reach in Korea are unmatched and launching on Coupang allowed us to elevate our presence and connect with customers in a much more impactful and direct way”.
The broader relevance lies in the model itself. Digital marketplaces are building integrated cross-border infrastructure. That shift changes what international expansion requires. Smaller regional brands no longer need to replicate warehousing, logistics and retail partnerships in every new market. Instead, they can plug into an existing system and reach customers abroad.
In this case, two Pennsylvania companies are doing exactly that. Their expansion illustrates how platform-led trade is reshaping the path from local operations to global reach.
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How startups can use nostalgia marketing to build trust, spark loyalty and stand out with storytelling, vintage design and emotional connections.
Updated
January 8, 2026 6:35 PM
Vintage beer pong posters showcasing colorful, diverse designs from different eras in one collection. PHOTO: FREEPIK
Turning the subtle power of nostalgia into meaningful marketing.
Think of nostalgia as a time machine for brands—it doesn’t just take people back; it brings their emotions forward. And emotions sell. For those who are unfamiliar, nostalgia marketing is a strategy where brands use elements from the past—like familiar sights, sounds, or stories—to evoke warm memories and emotional connections with their audience.
This emotional pull isn’t just anecdotal—research shows its real impact: according to The Team and Forbes via The Drum, 80% of millennials and Gen Z are drawn to brands tapping into nostalgia, while 92% of consumers say nostalgic ads feel more relatable. And for startups competing in noisy markets, this is a goldmine.
In this article, we’ll explore why nostalgia marketing can be a game-changing strategy for your company.
Out of all the popular marketing methods—like influencer partnerships or attention-grabbing ad campaigns—nostalgia is unique because its impact starts intrinsically, in the brain. By triggering the release of dopamine, a reward-system neurotransmitter, Nostalgia evokes feelings of warmth, happiness and comfort. Consequently, people don’t just remember a moment—they relive it. Take, for instance, your favorite cereal brand bringing back childhood cartoon characters or using retro fonts and colors. You might choose it over a healthier breakfast option simply because it reminds you of the mornings you enjoyed as a kid. Similarly, speaking of stirring fond memories, Coca-Cola has mastered this effect, using classic holiday ads, vintage packaging, and iconic imagery. Those associations make people see Coke as more than a drink—it’s a familiar feeling they’re willing to pay extra for.
New marketing campaigns can spark curiosity but often trigger skepticism—especially when audiences lack prior connection to the brand. Nostalgia marketing breaks down this barrier by tapping into familiarity, using retro jingles, vintage fonts, pastel colors, or familiar packaging that immediately resonate. This recognition builds an emotional connection and trust with the brand. More importantly, it fosters social connectedness by making consumers feel part of a larger community—giving that reassuring “others remember this too” feeling. As a result, this sense of belonging reduces loneliness, strengthens warmth and trust, and encourages word-of-mouth sharing, naturally amplifying the campaign’s reach and impact.
While luxury brands can afford massive campaigns, startups and small businesses can tap into nostalgia as a cost-effective storytelling tool. In a world where marketing often chases the “next big thing”—from AI to futuristic tech—nostalgia offers the opposite: a chance to revisit the past. More importantly, nostalgia allows brands to stand out in a crowded, fast-scrolling feed by delivering something comfortingly familiar with a fresh twist. Think of Polaroid: in an age where smartphones boast crystal-clear cameras, it wins hearts with pastel hues, a vintage lens, and the tactile charm of instant prints—selling not just images, but a moment that feels straight out of the past.
The same principle worked brilliantly for Tiffany & Co., whose 185-year-old brand refresh featured Jay-Z and Beyoncé in a Breakfast at Tiffany’s-inspired campaign, blending timeless charm with contemporary star power and racking up millions of views. In essence, when done right, nostalgia doesn’t just market a product—it invites people to relive a story they already love.
Nostalgia resonates across generations speaking to diverse audiences. For Millennials, it’s a chance to relive the cultural touchpoints of their youth, while Gen Z approaches it with curiosity, eager to explore eras they never experienced firsthand. This crossover creates a unique marketing sweet spot: one group is driven by memory, the other by discovery. Pokémon proves this power by keeping lifelong fans engaged through retro trading cards while introducing younger audiences to its history. Similarly, Nike used nostalgia to bridge two different generations by reissuing retro classics, keeping both longtime fans and new sneakerheads excited. By appealing to both memory and curiosity, brands can create lasting connections that keep different generations engaged at once.
Nostalgia can be your startup’s non-cliché marketing mantra. Imagine a small bookstore that offers handwritten recommendation cards designed like vintage library checkout slips. This simple touch invites customers to slow down and rediscover the joy of reading. Or picture a local coffee shop serving drinks in mugs inspired by classic diner ware, evoking comforting memories of simpler times. Overall, the lesson is clear: combining nostalgic design with stories that connect people to shared moments creates emotional warmth and trust. Thoughtful nostalgia turns everyday products into meaningful experiences—building loyal communities eager to return.