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.
It feels like every time I am at Blue Sparrow Coffee, I hear someone asking what is “Japanese iced coffee.” While at Blue Sparrow, I chuckled out loud even with the dude across from me on a Zoom call of sorts when reading their FAQ because it literally says: “This is by far the most … Continue reading Cultural Critique: When “Japanese” Becomes an Unearned Quality Mark
Ambitious Scale Meets Branding Dilution – Lessons from a Failed U.S. Expansion Source Material: September 2, 2016 article (updated 2021) on oishii-desu.com, cross-referenced with later public outcomes. Shared to protect Japanese brand integrity and help them succeed in the U.S. market without dilution or missteps, not to criticize. Executive Summary Ramla Inc. (founded 1980 in … Continue reading Brand Audit: Ramla Restaurant Group
Brand Audit: Japanese Ramen Chains and Restaurants in the U.S. Market – Proliferation, Authenticity Standards, and Risks of Dilution Shared to protect Japanese brand integrity and help them succeed in the U.S. market without dilution or missteps, not to criticize. ObjectiveThis audit examines the development of Japanese ramen in the United States. It reviews the … Continue reading Brand Audit: Japanese Ramen Chains and Restaurants in the U.S. Market
Marketing should communicate your brand, but most have no clue what a brand is. So a superficial brand is what you get that is marinara/marketing-level deep, such as with Stoner's Pizza joint (SPJ). Do you like the idea of owning a pizza joint or do you love the craft of producing a pizza? From the … Continue reading Stoner’s Pizza Joint brand case study