Abstract:

Japanese brand names such as Yamaha, Cannon, Sony, Toyota and a great many more dominate entire product categories in the Rest. Only a few companies and products seem to have been able to reverse the process and to establish themselves as household names in Japan: IBM for Computers, McDonald for Fast Food, Coca Cola for Soft Drinks and NESCAFE for Coffee. Attempt is made to analyze the factors which had led, over a period of 70 years to the solid position that NESTLE holds in Japan today. It is not intended to chart out a "recipe" of how to succeed in this market in fact there is none. However, one main reason why we, together with other companies, have been able to succeed in Japan, was our capability to adapt to the peculiarities of this market, to integrate ourselves into the cultural and economic environment of Japan. How this integrative effort manifests itself in the various aspects of our activities will be the central them