B-Corps, Edamame and Takenoko. Is there more to Japanese farmers’ markets than meets the eye?
Farmer’s markets are a little known but important trade channel
Japan
Tokushimaru is a mobile supermarket start-up which has caught the attention of industry giant Ito-Yokado
No Japanese retailer has successfully solved the senior shopper conundrum. Is Tokushimaru about to change that?
The Snickers recall has been a long marathon. Can Mars’ commercial teams fight back?
Snickers, the iconic confectionery brand, has global sales well in excess of $3b. Well that is until last year’s voluntary recall that saw the candy bar vanish from shelves. Here in Japan, Snickers was rare in being one of only three global confectionery brands that had almost universal distribution. Besides Kit Kat and Haribo, the …
The Snickers recall has been a long marathon. Can Mars’ commercial teams fight back? Read More »
The food emporium at Hokkaido’s Shin Chitose airport is unsurpassed. No wonder packaged goods brands are elbowing in to reinvigorate street cred!
Want to see a master class in agricultural marketing? Visit Hokkaido’s shin-chitose airport
Steely grip, control and rubber. Unlocking the secrets of snow tyre marketing; Blizzaks in pole position
17% of all tyres sold in Japan are for snow. It’s a marketing gold mine.
The once acclaimed Cool Japan fund fights for survival; an ode challenging Governmental nannying
What can possibly go wrong with a venture fund generously financed by the tax payer topped up by token contributions from a selection of corporates? Quite a lot it seems. Japan and specifically modern Japanese culture like animé, media, fashion and food were cool. Why not brand and fund them to promote the growth of …
Hands launches new corporate logo with Kanji squiggle
This post is an update on (Tokyu) Hands new logo and strategy. Yesterday the company, now a subsidiary of Cainz, revealed its new corporate ‘Hands’ logo. The design maintains Hands’s deep green but adds a new motif, based on the Kanji character of a hand. The new logo will first appear in Nagoya at the …
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Olympus looks to the future appointing its second foreign CEO
The first time Tokyo listed Olympus appointed a foreign CEO it ended in tears. Michael Woodford’s tenure was short-lived. Woodford questioned huge fees paid to unknown companies which had links to criminal entities. Dismissed, he sued Olympus. The case concluded with a substantial out of court settlement in Woodward’s favour. Then Olympus was synonymous with …
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Tokyu Hands changes hands; enter stage left Home Centre giant Cainz
Tokyu Hands was one of the first stores I visited when I came to Japan. I vividly recall their store in Tokyo with many more floors (and staircases) than I can remember; and then there’s the eclectic range of premium merchandise. Want something you can’t find elsewhere? Go to Tokyu Hands, said my colleagues. Founded …
Tokyu Hands changes hands; enter stage left Home Centre giant Cainz Read More »
Asahi beer’s gutsy relaunch of ‘Superdry’ smashes sales targets; short term stock outs!
35 years after its original launch Superdry, Asahi’s iconic beer brand was relaunched this spring. The launch involved a change of flavour to improve its ‘sharpness’ and ‘crispness’ according to the company. According to Asahi’s consumer preference tests over 90% of the target market preferred the new formula, a fact the company has referenced in …
Asahi beer’s gutsy relaunch of ‘Superdry’ smashes sales targets; short term stock outs! Read More »