With Green Tea linked to weight loss and all things good, you may want to take a break with a Green Tea Kit Kat bar. If that’s not tasty enough, there are dozens of other Kit Kat flavors you never knew about. Soy was added this month!

I had a coffee break with one of Nestle’s executives who is driving the company’s nutritional products globally. He says that Nestle in Japan must constantly offer the market new products to stay on the shelves of the convenience stores.

7/11 is ruthless. They evaluate the products on their shelves twice a year during Teiban periods…if the products don’t sell and have no commercial support they get the ax.

Nestle after testing can be in the market in less than six weeks with new variants, Lays is the same with flavored chips and Pringles in an attempt to capture more market has launched rice rather than potato Pringles.

Kit Kat is the only foreign confection in Japan’s top 50…Snickers is 51st! M&Ms is not even in the 100!

GE’s learning organization has a very strong if not “ideal” corporate culture.

Jack Welch, former Chairman and CEO of General Electric said, “The best companies know, without a doubt, where the real productivity comes from. It comes from challenged, empowered, excited, rewarded teams of people. It comes from engaging every single mind in the organization, making everyone part of the action, and allowing everyone to have a voice in the success of the enterprise.”

The concept that stuck in my mind most from looking at GE’s coporate structure would come directly from Welch’s quote, “…engage every single mind in the organization…”

Even in a very domestic Japanese firm where there are more formal organizations and extreme resistance to change a lesson can be learned, engage every mind and listen to every single mind even when they are resisting change is critical to initiating change.

The power of volition. One suggestion in Japan would be to prepare people for obstacles. This approach in Japan is helpful because many times Western companies undertake challenges that are incredibly tough and team members are often ready to give up on an idea at the slightest sign of difficulty.

Help to exploit choices…a manager’s team has to know they have permission to stretch and the license to dare even though they may fail…with that license they can commit to a task with no reservation.

Non-price competition is where true marketing professionals earn their money.

The quality of the product, its unique selling proposition whether it is the quality of the product or the reliability of service when conveyed simply and with a compelling pitch can set a product apart from its competition.

Some automobiles are marketed using non-price competition. BMW and Mercedes are virtually the same price. These two compete globally by highlighting style, luxury engineering and features. They rarely compete on price or specials, as these tactics would lessen the premium perception of the products.

Price competitive products sell products that often cannot be differentiated. Some examples of products in pure price competition markets may include agriculture products, fish, and beef. I think however even this generalization is changing…you pay more for a Chiquita banana, a Dole pineapple, Washington State apple…why? because marketers have tried to add value to these products using brand differentiation.

One example where both strategies are used to gain an advantage and where the non-price strategy can dominate is the diamond industry. I am working with the Diamond Trade Commission this year and it has been truly interesting.

Although the DTC can control diamond prices because they can control the amount of raw stones supplied each year and the firms that receive the stones, DTC is constantly looking for ways to add value to different grades of stones. Of course clarity and color will always have an affect on price, marketing is becoming the real determining factor.

This season previously less desireable “brown” stones have been repositioned as fashionable. New patented cuts making the stones more brilliant are commanding higher prices. One cut featured on “Sex in the City” pushed the patented new cut and it increased sales signifiantly. In conclusion although diamond prices are controlled by supply and grade they can also be marketed using non-price strategies.

Algae to run a car?

Yes

Have you guys seen the new fuels made from Algae? it can produce more fuel than corn from the same acreage. Corn per hundred acres yield 30 gallons versus Algae’s 100 gallons.

Another benefit is that it needs no soil and no rainfail…it uses recycled water that can be reused. Check it out on CNN’s eco site.
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/04/11/eco.algae/index.html

I just answered this Featured Question, you can answer it too!

Algae to run a car?
Yes
Have you guys seen the new fuels made from Algae? it can produce more fuel than corn from the same acreage. Corn per hundred acres yield 30 gallons versus Algae’s 100 gallons.
Another benefit is that it needs no soil and no rainfail…it uses recycled water that can be reused. Check it out on CNN7s eco site.

I just answered this Featured Question, you can answer it too!

The mobile telephony landscape in Japan is very sophisticated and changes more rapidly than in any other country in the world.

New technologies have been introduced so that customers can use the phone almost with the same functionality of a credit card and certainly vendors have made mobile phones as functional as cash earning the nickname “e-wallet.”

A case in point the extensive train system throughout the country now allows its riders to board the train and pay for his or her fare at the seat. Scanning devices are above each seat next to the reading lamps.

Even the common Coca-Cola vending machines accept the e-wallet that can be embedded in every mobile handset in Japan. There are over 1.5 million of these type vending machines.

The “Smart” pumps at Exxon Mobile stations, toll-booths on the freeway, theater tickets and so on are all mobile phone payment accessible. Clients cannot afford not to explore this opportunity before their competitors embark on a faster track to potential consumers.

Toward that end it is extremely important that brands deliver a snapshot of the relevant mobile or m-commerce and securities technologies and how they could impact the future development of their businesses.

Craig Courter, COO of Baker McKenzie, said, “We live in an ideas jungle…. the most important skill a project manager can bring to bear is the ability to sort, categorize and prioritize all of the ideas…only then can you implement a change that truly advances your strategy.” In the mobile telephony industry there is truly a jungle of new ideas.

I am not sure why the Hybrid cars are so expensive. I recently read too that they can be almost 100% electric with some adjustment…if I drove, living in Tokyo I don’t even have a car, I would drive a hybrid. Why aren’t all cars hybrids?

I just answered this Featured Question, you can answer it too!

Presidents from over 30 African Nations will come to Yokohama in May to discuss issues like hunger and Aids on the continent. On May 300 UNESCO will hold a charity concert to help raise money for the cause. Bono may come to speak as well…more details will follow. Two artists have tentatively agreed to perform, X-Japan’s Toshi and Salif Keita from Mali.

Written by The African Mission Committee;
Many countries of Africa have made huge efforts to develop themselves, but it is still a very severe problem to rid the continent of the misery and the problem of contamination of HIV/AIDS.

Problems such as the contamination of HIV/ AIDS, the civil conflicts, refugees, and poverty not only concerni Africa but are problems on the world scale.

We also face a huge menace of terrorism in East Africa. The international community tries to find solutions to this problem by cooperating together. Meanwhile, in Africa, countries such as Senegal, Ghana and Kenya are in the process of changing to a democratic government. In 2003, many democratic republic countries like Liberia and Congo accelerated the process of peace and experienced positive progress.

Africa organized a strategy for development called NEPAD. Thanks to NEPAD, many areas like the agriculture and improved infrastructure could operate more efficiently

At the same time conferences for peace and United Nations Security Council in the AU have been established to unify and accelerate actions so Africa can gain strength and autonomy with concrete solutions.

http://www.synentertainment.com
please check out Nick Wood’s studios at his new website…there is lots of good work featured including some award winning music for TVCs.

www.sh shinzou.jp

Music Meets Manga with “shinzou.jp” Shinzou Sound, a group of artists and musicians launched “Synesthesia” the interactive online manga on 12th of August 2006. “Shinzou Sound” is a group of creative collaborators sp specializing in manga, music, web design, and sub-culture.

They joined forces with the simple concept of merging their talents in an effort to deliver the new entertainment of music and manga in an innovative way.

Exclusive songs, inspired by the manga story have been commissioned for “Synesthesia” as well as playlist from international and Japanese DJ’s. The music, podcasts and playlists are available from iTunes Music Store Japan.

Project members include leader Nick Wood, Simon Le Bon, Tatsuya Oe, DJ Sugiurumn, Alex Paterson, Detroit 7, manga artist Enka Sugihara and web designer Hideki Owa, with more names being added as each new episode is released.

“Synesthesia*” has three main characters: Shinzou (main character), his sister Tamako, and DJ Karita (who they met when they accidentally swapped iPods on the train). These se 3 individuals form a band and begin a journey of musical inspiration.

*Synesthesia is a neurological condition which causes ones sense to influence another sense, for example, people with synesthesia may see shapes or colors when they hear sound, or see colors or shapes, they might hear sounds.

Some of the world’s most notable artist from Jimmy Hendrix to Mozart have been gifted with sy synesthesia, which could be one reason why they were able to erase boundaries between the senses and open perception to new possibilities.

The story is split into 10 episodes with one new episode release every 2 weeks. Each new episode co comes with an original new song, which can be downloaded free, from iTunes. Users can also so download Podcasts showing behind the scenes, interviews and more.

Shinzou sounds are also planning a live event to merge the manga st storyline with an actual live event. They plan to invite artist who’ve contributed to the project to participate in bringing Shinzou’s world to the stage.

Shinzou sounds plan to publish a physical manga book at the end of the “Synesthesia” series along with a full-length digital album featuring the entire soundtrack, this will be a true co collectors edition.