Key insights

• 📊 Nestle cautiously tested the Japanese market before introducing coffee, received positive feedback from focus groups, and invested heavily in marketing and distribution before launching the product.
• 💡 Nestle Coffee sales were low in Japan despite positive market studies, so Nestle hired Clutter Repel, an unconventional marketer, to address the challenge.
• 🧠 A psychiatrist emphasized the influence of unconscious desires, highlighting the importance of reptilian instincts and Clutter's unconventional suggestions for marketing strategies.
• 🚗 Jeep's sales increased significantly after reverting to round headlights, showcasing the importance of cultural symbolism in product design, similar to Nestle understanding the cultural associations of coffee in Japan.
• 🍬 Japanese kids started to like coffee through candies and eventually moved on to drinking coffee, illustrating the potential for creating new markets through innovative product development.
• 💭 The significance of decisions influenced by the subconscious brain, impacting marketing and branding strategies, is exemplified by Nestle's approach in Japan and the success of unconventional marketing tactics.
• 🌏 Understanding the cultural associations and early childhood connections of consumers plays a vital role in product success, as seen in Nestle's approach to the Japanese coffee market.
• 🏆 Creating a compelling narrative where the buyer becomes the hero is key to engaging new markets and driving product adoption, as demonstrated in the evolution of coffee consumption in Japan.

Q&A

• How did Japanese kids' preference for coffee change over time?

  Japanese kids started to like coffee through candies, eventually transitioning to cold sugary coffee drinks and lattes, and finally to drinking big steamy mugs of Nescafe coffee, illustrating the transformation of a market that previously didn't buy coffee.

• How did Jeep's sales increase significantly, and what did Nestle recognize about the cultural associations of coffee in Japan?

  Jeep's sales increased significantly after reverting to round headlights, highlighting the importance of cultural symbolism in product design. Similarly, Nestle recognized the need to understand the cultural associations of coffee in Japan.

• What did a psychiatrist emphasize regarding unconscious desires and marketing strategies?

  The psychiatrist emphasized the influence of unconscious desires and gave an example of reviving Jeep's sales through unconventional suggestions, focusing on reptilian instincts.

• Why were Nestle Coffee sales initially low in Japan despite positive market studies?

  Nestle Coffee sales were low because Japanese consumers preferred tea over coffee. Nestle hired Clutter Repel, an unconventional marketer, to address the challenge.

• How did Nestle approach the Japanese market before introducing coffee?

  Nestle cautiously tested the Japanese market, obtained positive feedback from focus groups, and heavily invested in marketing and distribution before launching the product.

• What influenced Nestle's decision to venture into the Japanese coffee market in the 1970s?

  Nestle aimed to capitalize on Japan's booming economy, which led them to venture into the Japanese coffee market in the 1970s.

• 00:09 Most decisions are influenced by the subconscious part of our brain, impacting marketing and branding strategies. Nestle aimed to capitalize on Japan's booming economy through a coffee venture in the 1970s.
• 00:46 Nestle cautiously tested the Japanese market before introducing coffee. They received positive feedback from focus groups and invested heavily in marketing and distribution before launching the product.
• 01:26 Nestle Coffee sales were low in Japan despite positive market studies. Nestle brought in a unique marketer to address the situation.
• 01:59 A psychiatrist emphasized the influence of unconscious desires, citing an example of reviving Jeep's sales through unconventional suggestions.
• 02:35 Jeep's sales increased significantly after reverting to round headlights, highlighting the importance of cultural symbolism in product design. Similarly, Nestle recognized the need to understand the cultural associations of coffee in Japan.
• 03:18 Japanese kids started to like coffee through candies and eventually moved on to drinking coffee, a market that previously didn't buy coffee.