Cultural Brand Strategist: Managing expectations across borders. Bridging the gap between Western brand identity and Japanese cultural reality, backed by three decades of technical, creative, and marketing leadership.
Brand Audit: SomiSomi Soft Serve & TaiyakiIndependent Cultural & Strategic Assessment Greg Taniguchi Brand Audit Executive Summary SomiSomi, founded in 2016 in Los Angeles’ Koreatown by Matt Kim, has grown into a major U.S. chain (33+ locations across California, Texas, Nevada, Washington, and expanding) by popularizing the “ah-boong” format: a Korean bungeo-ppang fish-shaped pastry filled … Continue reading Brand Audit: SomiSomi
Brand Audit: Yoshinoya USA — Why a Japanese Icon Struggles to Replicate Its Global Success in the American Market ObjectiveIndependent assessment of Yoshinoya’s U.S. operations versus its authentic execution in Japan and Hong Kong, identifying root causes of brand dilution, stalled growth, and lost revenue opportunity.Key Findings Menu strategy drifted heavily toward Chinese-American, Southeast Asian, … Continue reading Brand Audit: Yoshinoya USA