Topics Discussed and Key Points:

● Leading Disney in Japan

● Growing Baroque Japan Limited

● Common branding mistakes made in Japan by foreign companies

● How COVID-19 impacted the Japanese retail market

● Technology-related trends that will shape commerce in Japan over the next decade

● About Jeff’s olive oil manufacturer Green Valley Olive

Episode Summary:

Today on The Negotiation, we continue our conversation with Jeff Daggett, Founder and CEO of Aisonne, a brand and retail development & management company offering brand, retail, hospitality, and licensing management services and representation in Japan and the United States.

Since 2002, Aisonne has assisted a number of big-name retail brands such as Apple, Columbia Sportswear, Nordstrom, Shinjuku Takano, and NBC Universal.

Jeff’s background includes over three decades of experience at leading global companies in the Asia-Pacific, specifically in investment banking, real estate, retail operations, merchandising, marketing, and general management.

This time, we focus much of our discussion on Jeff’s time as Disney Japan’s Vice President of Consumer Products from 2004 to 2011, followed by two years at Baroque Japan Limited from 2011 to 2013.

Jeff then talks about the major mistakes that foreign brands make in the Japanese market, pulling lessons from his current role as the visionary behind Aisonne, which he founded two decades prior. To him, while localization is an obvious consideration, the common thread that spells success for any company looking to succeed is a focus on effectively telling the story of the brand.

In fact, despite the aging population, Jeff believes that there is a lot of opportunity for foreign brands to establish a strong base in Japan as long as “you have a compelling product that’s attractively displayed and appropriately priced with a good story.”

Key Quotes:

“There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ corporate culture. Every corporate culture has evolved to be ‘right’ for that entity.”

“Japan is a different place, but what Japan is really looking for is your authenticity.”

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