TOO International

One of the leading consumer markets worldwide, Japan is always a key milestone in a food and beverages (F&B) brand’s journey to build a global footprint. Japan’s lifestyle and business practices differ substantially from those of Western countries, making it tricky for F&B brands relying on business development strategies proven in the Western hemisphere to build a foothold and grow their operations in the island nation.

This is where TOO International’s proven business development services come to the rescue.

TOO International helps Western brands to bridge the gap between their home markets and Japanese expansion objectives. Its deep European roots and profound experience in Japan enable clients to encode executable business strategies that support the creation of a profitable international revenue stream while driving considerable time- and cost-savings and minimising market difference risks. This makes the firm an ideal partner for brands who are already in the market to ‘grow their foothold’ and aid brands looking to expand into Japan to ‘build a footprint,’ irrespective of cultural differences.

Unlike traditional agencies or consultants, TOO International differs itself by not just providing advice but helping them effectively execute it. The firm acts as an on-site brand division with an office at a Grade-A location in central Tokyo. Without pressuring clients with the direct responsibilities of running a branch office, TOO International oversees the entire market development process on clients’ behalf, from consulting and sales to management and ongoing representation. Above all, its goal is to maximise brands’ business potential in the Japanese market.

In most cases, TOO International assesses clients’ objectives and marketing efforts before guiding them through every facet of business development processes until their brand succeeds in the Japanese market.

“Our mission is to help western F&B brands to grow, succeed, and establish sustainable revenue streams in Japan, helping them overcome market hurdles and cultural differences hindering them from achieving desired success,” says Marton Lendvai, CEO of TOO International.

Following its proven business development method, ‘Roadmap to Japan,’ TOO International begins every engagement by clearly viewing a brand’s potentiality in the Japanese market. This usually involves conducting a short assessment to collect first-hand information on the current market environment and the client’s goal and budget constraints before confirming their brand’s potential for market growth. Once the evaluation is complete, it leverages a three-step process to assist clients in effectively preparing, launching, and expanding their brand and building long-term, hands-off success and consumer loyalty in Japan.

The first step entails the preparation of a business plan, which involves field research on the market segments to gain clear and achievable targets for the sales, budgeting, and profitability of a client’s Japanese expansion. It also creates B2B sales material to assist them in boosting their communications with potential partners and buyers looking to acquire their products. Through this collaborative and data-driven discovery process, TOO International creates a personalised 3-to-5-year business development strategy highlighting clients’ brand individuality.

After this step, TOO International moves towards launching the brand, wherein it builds impactful B2B sales and marketing programs. It typically develops localised content that importers and distributors can use to represent a client’s products in an impactful manner. These materials help importers and distributors better explain the brand and its unique value proposition, enabling improved comprehension of brand value across business meetings, in-store promotion discussions, and office or warehouse visits.

The next step is to promote the brand and generate potential leads. For this, TOO International conducts events like trade show appearances, tasting fairs with chefs, and PR events at notable venues, creating impactful content for use in magazines and other media channels. Simultaneously, it collaborates with local ambassadors to enhance brand value with the visage of a known Japanese expert adorning sales materials and packaging, which leads to increased conversion rates.

Post-launch, TOO International expands the brand by proactively maintaining and managing customer relationships and complaints. It emphasises continually augmenting social media and advertising content to further develop a brand’s impression on consumers’ minds. Once gaining a foothold in the market, TOO International also sees the potential opportunity for any new product development to launch in the demographic, driving long-term market presence.

TOO International’s success is exemplified by its vast list of clients, comprising western F&B brands like Zwack Unicum, and more, which it has helped to create a unique brand presence in the Japanese market. Using its ‘Roadmap to Japan’ approach, these firms have successfully established themselves in the market, with large-scale and nationwide consumer accounts and repeated orders and contracts.

Driven by these unmatched competencies, TOO International remains a reliable partner for Western F&B brands looking to realise their dream of a successful and long-lasting Japanese footprint.