Page 115 - MYM 2016

sPotlight oN braNDiNg
the next step was the creation of area-limited (regionally speci c) editions.
Firstly, we developed a ‘pop-up’ shop in col- laboration with Mr. Takagi, rst in Tokyo and later in other major cities a er con rming its success. e launch was successful; however, the business was not sustainable a er taking into account the investment and running cost of the pop up shops, so nally this activity was stopped.
A er con rming that there was a de nite need for KITKAT souvenir products, we approached souvenir shops dedicated to selling local special- ties instead of developing our own pop-up stores. en we developed recipes re ecting the local specialties in each region and distributed them to these specialty shops. e distribution channel was limited to only these shops and did not expand to conventional grocery shops or convenience stores in order to di erentiate and make it sustainable. e products were priced around four times higher than normal products. Now there are 15 variants in 11 regions across the country.
kiTkaT for adults
One long-lasting issue is that some consumers stop eating KITKAT because they think it is too sweet. On the other hand, many consumers love KITKAT exactly because it is sweet. Obviously it
is not possible to satisfy the needs of both groups
of consumers with the same product. A proposal came up from our application group to add crushed bitter biscuits to the chocolate to reduce the overall
KITKAT Chocolatory shops were placed in department store basements along with other confectionery boutiques. The concept proved extremely successful with customers.
sweetness and also pro- vide a unique texture. We named it KITKAT Sweetness for Adults and priced it 20% higher than normal. is strategy worked
very well and became the second biggest selling and sustainable SKU. Later on, matcha (green tea) was added as a permanent SKU. e addition of this range pushed KITKAT up to become the number one brand in the chocolate category.
kiTkaT chocolatory: new business opportunity
An ongoing discussion between Nestlé and Mr. Takagi was to open KITKAT shops for consumers to enjoy the special KITKAT experience with super premium products. Based on the experience of our past trials, we believed in the opportunity if we managed it correctly.
We came up with the following ideas:
• Name: “KITKAT Chocolatory”: a combina-
tion of Chocolate and Factory
• Products: Special recipes developed by Mr.
Takagi using premium ingredients and premium packaging. is is a combination of the cra smanship from the top patissier and a well-loved brand.
• Price: 20 times + higher Yen/Kg than ordi- nary KITKAT.
• Place: e basement of department stores where confectionery boutiques are located. e boutiques are run by Mr. Takagi as he has expertise in managing luxurious shops.
• Promotion: Special boutique designs with the KITKAT Chocolatory logo and the patissier Takagi logo.
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