Food & Beverage

Case Study: Leading Japanese Juice Company

Situation
A leading Japanese juice company was facing minimal growth in its home market. As a result, the company desired to enter the U.S. market in search of new growth opportunities. The U.S. juice marketplace is crowded with many brands focusing on sweet taste vs. nutritional benefits.

Solution
MCAworks analyzed several foreign food and beverage brands which successfully entered the U.S. to understand target, product and launch strategies. Understanding that brand “authenticity” is paramount to a successful launch in the U.S. We defined the Japanese juice company’s brand positioning in Japan and then assessed the appropriate U.S. target for these brand attributes. With a focus on “wellness” and a balance between good taste and sound nutrition, we explored the appropriate consumer target and channel which best suits the Japanese juice company’s brand positioning and product attributes. Growth in the natural foods channel, as well as the trend towards better eating/better living, led us to conclude that the best target segment is women who are highly motivated to wellness. The initial launch strategy focused on attaining distribution in natural foods stores given that the target segment is more likely to shop the natural channel for new brands and powerful foods which taste good, while making them feel good.

Results
The Japanese juice company launched a U.S. based juice brand in 2003, with distribution in the natural foods and traditional grocery channels. Today, the company is the #1 brand in the U.S. vegetable and vegetable/fruit blended juices category segments in both channels. Produce for Better Health awarded the Japanese juice company a National Excellence Award in 2005 for their work in promoting vegetable and fruit consumption among retailers and consumers.

Contact AnnaMaria Turano for more information.