Your overseas Sibling helps
bridge the brand & culture gap
between the U.S. and Japan.

Sibling is a cross-cultural brand consultancy that helps navigate collaborative spaces between the U.S. and Japan. Based in New York. 🌎

日本語はこちら→

What is a Sibling?

Your counterpart. A business partner-in-crime.

Someone who feels familiar and close to home, because we understand where you’re coming from. When you have a Sibling, there’s always a shoulder to lean on—no matter how close or far apart, we’re here to help you succeed.

Services

  • With our native roots and local expertise in the US, we research and gather the latest insights on market landscapes, trends, and consumer attitudes and behaviors.

  • We assess your brand in its current state across various touchpoints to identify areas of improvement and recommend action items.

  • We help your brand better stand out in a US market by crafting everything from strategy (mission, vision, values, positioning) to messaging (tone of voice, copywriting, story), to visual design (look and feel).

  • We write clear and concise copy ranging from expository to narrative storytelling that sounds native in English and distinctly on-brand.

  • When engaging an agency or external collaborator, we help manage a smooth working relationship by facilitating clear communication, aligning expectations, and reviewing materials for one-off or ongoing cultural checks.

  • For important meetings, site visits, or events, we offer in-person support to help with live translations and on-the-ground assistance as needed.

    (*Subject to location and availability)

Every project is tailored to your specific needs. Tell us what you’re looking for, so we can discuss how to best support you.

See Projects →

Who we are

Mari Iwahara is a Japanese American founder of Sibling, a cross cultural branding practice in New York.

Adapting to a new market or culture is a huge undertaking. It takes determination, patience, and digging into details—in language, history, aesthetics, and behaviors—to truly understand and feel connected to a place.

Sibling is a practice by Mari Iwahara, a brand specialist with a love for decoding cultural nuances and crafting brands that resonate across borders. As a Japanese-American nisei born and raised in New York, Mari grew up navigating both cultures and languages which informs her empathy-driven approach to working with clients. She is joined by like-minded bilingual experts, or ‘Siblings’, who also contribute to projects.

Calling fellow Siblings!

Are you a bilingual practitioner and/or interested in cross-cultural work? Please say hi, as we’re always looking to connect with like-minded folks.

SELECT CLIENTS

Panasonic

•

Suntory

•

NOT A HOTEL

•

Ajinomoto

•

DIFF.

•

Rebase

•

Panasonic • Suntory • NOT A HOTEL • Ajinomoto • DIFF. • Rebase •

Let’s work together

Get in touch →