第５回The Economist読む隊
Face value: Yuzaburo Mogi: http://www.economist.com/people/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13443693
今週の"Face Value"は茂木友三郎氏、キッコーマン*1の会長・CEO。内容は、さながら「ザ・グローバルスタンダード=しょうゆ」。
ざっくりした内容は Face value:Sauce of success - 科学と非科学の迷宮 を参照。書き方はアレ（笑）だけど、面白いしわかりやすい。
感想
1950年代にアメリカ市場に進出して、現地に受け入れられるべく精力的に展開していた様子。毎度ながら、The Economistは短い文章ながらもよくまとまっていて、素晴らしいことがよーくわかった。
カタカナで書くとかっこいいけど、実際は派手なところなんてほんの一面で、地道な作業の積み重ねである「マーケティング」ってやつを、ちゃんとやってきた会社なんだろう。千葉県野田市（キッコーマン本社所在地・しょうゆの香りで有名）をむげに扱っちゃいけませんな。
キッコーマン絡みでビジネス書の１冊や２冊あっても良さそうな感じ。・・・と思ったら、あった。
 | キッコーマンのグローバル経営―日本の食文化を世界に 茂木 友三郎 生産性出版 2007-10 売り上げランキング : 168299 Amazonで詳しく見る by G-Tools |
概略
Par. 1. Introduction. Yuzaburo Mogi and his colleagues gave away slices of beef marinated in soy sauce at the International Trade Fair in Chicago in 1959, to see how American consumers respond to their product.
Par. 2. Kikkoman, the recognisable brand for soy sauce. Mr. Mogi and his company made an effort to penetrate non-Japanese market. The company is now the largest maker of naturally brewed soy sauce.
Par. 3. An usual Japanese company, Kikkoman. The family-owned Japanese firm doesn't keep away from mergers and acquisitions, while other Japanese firms comparatively avoid to do it. Besides, the company started to accept presidents who came from outside of the founding families since 2004.
Par. 4. Not only soy sauce, not only in Japan. Kikkoman is the biggest Asian food wholesaler in America, and the company operates in a similar way in Europe, China, and Australia as well. In Asia, the firm sells canned fruit and vegetables under the Del Monte brand.
Par. 5. The recession and Kikkoman. The recession has hit Kikkoman's profits, but the company is well protected on a cashflow basis. On the other hand, the strong yen damage the company's revenue of which 30% gained from foreign market.
Par. 6. Kikkoman and America: the company's biggest market. In the 1950s, the company moved into America, and made the template for their foreign expansion. The company did witty marketing activities, and enlighten Americans about soy sauce not as a Japanese product but as an "all-purpose seasoning".
Par. 7. What Kikkoman is doing these days and will do near future. "Mr. Mogi's early recognition of the importance of adapting the product for foreign markets is Kikkoman's real special sauce."
