Shem TovIsrael market entry
Marketing agency for companies entering Israel
Israel is a market of about ten million people with its own language, its own calendar and customers who spot a translation in one line. Our launch package gives you the local position, Hebrew and Russian that read as if they were written here, the website, the first campaign, and reporting your HQ can act on, at a fixed scope and price.
Updated: November 1, 2026
Six things that change a launch plan in Israel.
Hebrew changes more than the words
Hebrew reads right to left and has no neutral "you", so every button, form and ad has to address a man, a woman or both. Latin brand names and numbers break lines in ways global templates don't expect, and the tone runs more direct and informal than most corporate English. We start from the meaning your HQ approved, write it for Israeli readers, and you sign off in English.
Russian is a market of its own
Estimates put Russian speakers at about 1.3 million people, roughly 15% of Israelis. In a 2024 survey by the Russian-language site NEWSru.co.il, 61% said they use Facebook, 47% use Telegram and 38% watch Channel 9. That calls for its own messages in its own channels, which is why we run Russian as a separate stream. Hebrew and Russian are native languages for our founder, Anastasia Grishin, and everything in Russian goes through a native speaker before it goes out.
Prices have to read the Israeli way
Israeli consumers expect shekels with VAT included, and often the option to split a larger purchase into installments. Israel's consumer watchdog fined Booking.com NIS 3 million in 2017 for listing room prices without VAT. If your checkout shows foreign currency, or a price that grows at the last step, we'll flag it before launch.
The calendar runs on a different clock
The working week is Sunday to Thursday, Friday is short and Shabbat is quiet. The autumn High Holidays slow most business decisions for weeks, while the run-ups to Rosh Hashanah and Passover are peak retail seasons. In a lead campaign we ran for a learning center, ads went dark on Shabbat and holidays because people rarely leave details then. We set your launch date against the Hebrew calendar.
The news can change the mood overnight
A security event or a national moment can turn a cheerful campaign into a tone problem within the hour. Every launch plan we write says what pauses, who makes the call, and what runs instead.
People ask each other first
98% of Israelis use WhatsApp, and 95% of those users open it every day. Customers expect to reach you there, and a lot of buying advice moves through WhatsApp and Facebook groups. So service, reviews and community are part of the launch plan from the start.
Sources: JNS on the Central Bureau of Statistics population figure for the end of 2025; Wikipedia, an estimate as of 2022; NEWSru.co.il, January 2024, 2,981 respondents; Globes on the Booking.com fine; Globes, citing Israel Internet Association figures for 2024. The Shabbat note comes from our own campaign.
What's includedIsrael positioningWho buys here, who you're really up against, and what has to change from your home market. One short document your HQ can sign off. Hebrew and Russian voiceA message house, a tone guide and a glossary, then the copy itself. Written for Israeli readers, approved by you in English. Website or landing pagesHebrew and Russian pages built for mobile, with right-to-left tested properly, and accessibility, consent forms and analytics in place. Social channelsInstagram, Facebook, TikTok and LinkedIn, set up in your brand, with launch content ready to publish. First paid campaignGoogle and Meta, planned around the Hebrew calendar and run through launch, with every lead traced to its source. Reporting in EnglishOne contact, one work plan and a monthly report that opens with decisions, in a format your HQ can use.
What's in your hands on launch day.
Built to fit how an international company makes decisions.
Your global team keeps the brand. We work inside your guidelines, and every Hebrew and Russian message comes back with an English version of what it says, so approval doesn't depend on having a Hebrew reader in the room. If you have a global agency, it stays the owner of the master creative, and we handle adaptation, website, media and reporting in Israel.
Your regional lead gets one contact, one work plan and a monthly report built for internal review. Every file and login stays with you, whatever you decide after launch.
Who's behind the project
Shem Tov is a marketing group with ten departments. We manage over ₪4M in media budgets a year and have worked with 100+ brands, including Israel Post, Ziv Medical Center, Yango Deli and Techno Test. We've also made the reverse trip, taking an Israeli organization to American audiences.
Case study in Hebrew: Frontline Advocates1.5 million organic views, no paid media
→An Israeli nonprofit talking to American audiences.
Case study in Hebrew: BINA107 leads in 24 days, at ₪16.65 a lead
→A Facebook and Instagram lead campaign for a learning center in Israel, on ₪1,781 of media.
Who it's for
Apps and online servicesE-commerce and delivery brandsConsumer brands launching directlyService companies opening in IsraelIsraeli distributors of international brands
How the project runs01 02 03 04
Call and proposal
What you're launching, what already exists and your target date. Then one proposal with one scope, one price and one launch date.
Market read
Search demand, live competitor ads, pricing, and what customers complain about in your category.
Local plan and build
Positioning, messages, website, channels and tracking. You approve each stage in English.
Launch, then decide
We go live together and review the first numbers with you. From there, you can move to a monthly plan.
Questions about entering Israel
Which marketing agency should a foreign company use to enter Israel?
Look for a team that writes Hebrew and Russian natively, runs the website and paid media in-house, and reports to your HQ in English. Ask which Israeli brands they've worked with and who'd run your account day to day. Our launch package is built that way: one team, one contact, one fixed scope.
What does the launch package include?
Israel positioning, a Hebrew and Russian voice with the copy itself, a website or landing pages, social channels, your first paid campaign on Google and Meta, and reporting in English.
Do we need a local marketing hire first?
Not to launch. An outside team lets you test the market and see real numbers before you commit to headcount. If you hire later, the plan, the files and the reporting move over with no reset.
Do we need Russian as well as Hebrew?
If you sell to the general public, it's worth planning for. Estimates put Russian speakers at about 1.3 million people, roughly 15% of Israelis. We run Russian as its own stream, with its own messages, instead of translating the Hebrew.
Can't we just translate our existing campaigns?
You can, and readers will notice. We start from the message your HQ approved and rewrite it for Israeli readers. The meaning stays, the wording changes, and you sign off in English.
Which channels matter most in Israel?
It depends on the category, but most launches start with Google for demand that already exists, and Instagram and Facebook for reach. TikTok matters for younger audiences, LinkedIn for B2B and WhatsApp for service. Russian-speaking audiences add Telegram and Russian-language media.
When is the best time to launch in Israel?
Avoid the autumn High Holidays and the days around Passover unless you're selling into them. The dates move every year, so check the Hebrew calendar first. We set the launch date with you in the proposal.
How long does a launch take?
It depends mostly on the scope and on how fast approvals move on your side. You get the date in the proposal, before any work starts.
What does it cost?
We quote one fixed price after a 30-minute call. It depends on the languages, the size of the website and how much of the launch you need from us. Media spend is paid separately.
What legal points should we check before advertising in Israel?
Three come up early. The anti-spam law generally requires prior written consent before you send advertising by email or SMS. Websites and apps that serve the public generally have to meet the Israeli accessibility standard, IS 5568. And Amendment 13 to the Privacy Protection Law, in force since August 2025, tightened the rules on personal data. Confirm the details with your Israeli counsel.
Can you work alongside our global agency?
Yes. Your global team keeps the brand, and we handle everything in Israel: adaptation, website, media and reporting.
What happens after launch?
Every file and login stays with you. If you want us to keep going, we move to a monthly plan: social, paid media, video and a report that starts with decisions.
On the legal points, see this summary of the anti-spam law, Kol Zchut on website accessibility (Hebrew) and the IAPP on Amendment 13. This is general information, not legal advice.
Let's talk
Tell us what you're launching and when.
A short call: what you're bringing to Israel, what already exists, and what has to happen first.
Pick a time in our calendar or email office@shemtovmarketing.com.