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. 🌎

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.

  • We prepare effective materials for presentations, meetings, pitches, and events. This includes content outline, writing, editing, design, and delivery.

  • 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.

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.

Let’s see how we can work together