The Five “I”s that Japanese Customers Expect (but won’t tell you)

The Five “I”s that Japanese Customers Expect (but won’t tell you)

Japan is probably the most highly developed and competitive consumer market in the world and has highly discerning customers. Some may say Japanese customers are challenging, but you can win them over if you think in terms of their expectations. Japanese customers tend to have greater expectations of a brand, across all their potential interaction paradigms. And Japanese customers expect brands to know what these expectations are, and to act in certain ways without having to tell you. These are the five “I”’s that Japanese customers expect of companies and brands.


Immersive: Japanese customers expect brands to be wherever they (the customer) happen to want them to be. That means as a brand or company, you must ensure the customer is immersed in the experience in ways that are nearly subconscious but in the Japanese context. By gathering as much data from as many potential touch points as possible, smart brands will use culturally intelligent AI to predict where a customer will want to interact with the brand. This doesn’t mean you have to always be in direct touch with the customer, it means you must be where the customer is going to be. Japanese customers will be remarkably frank with brands that are savvy about how to interact with them and ask the right questions in a culturally intelligent way.


Integrated: The brand experience has to be integrated into the customer’s lifestyle in such a way that it feels normal and enjoyable and they can “live the brand.” An integrated brand will feel natural to a customer, something that is comfortable for the emotions and inspirations that it renders into the customer’s lifestyle. Because customer data should be integrated into a brand ecosystem, the integration can and should be entirely seamless. Japanese customers are extremely private about their lives and as a rule make a clear distinction between home, work, and social activity. If you know the boundaries and are upfront, you can design an experience that integrates each of these in such a way that the consumer feels comfortable.


Intuitive: Japanese customers spend a significant amount of time thinking and researching about pretty much any purchase. They do their research online, in person, and rely particularly strongly on peer reviews and celebrity influencers. They think long and hard about these things and research where to find them, so a brand or company needs to do the same. It is imperative to get on the Japanese customers’ radar at the “discovery” stage. Then deep-down customers will feel that they know instinctively where to turn, and they will feel comfortable that they will find what they are looking for by going to your brand. Moreover, customers expect brands to know what they will be looking for next season, or as a complementary item. Japanese customers expect brands to learn about them, to predict what they are going to want or need next.


Innovative: It goes without saying that innovation is essential for any brand. But the best reason for innovation is on display in the Japanese consumer market. Japanese customers need to be continually offered new experiences. Your brand or company product needs to be the first place customers go to look for new things, new ideas, and new experiences. As your brand uses all the data you collect from all the potential touchpoints, AI can help to predict what direction a brand should go to keep your customers coming back to discover. Discovery is one of the most powerful drivers of interaction with a brand, and innovation is what will keep customers coming back for more. Japanese customers expect products or displays or communications to vary by location, environment, and season. It is essential for success in the Japanese market to always seem fresh yet familiar to Japanese customers.


Integrity: We are seeing in customers, largely Gen Z driven, the rise of an absolute need for authenticity and doing the right thing. This is particularly true of Japanese consumers who demand authenticity and honesty. Japanese people and customers are by nature very honest, and they expect 100% honesty from any brand, company, or product on the market, regardless of if they are a purchaser or user. Brands need to communicate and act with integrity whether in direct, indirect, or not at all contact with Japanese customers. A brand or company faux pas will reverberate instantaneously in Japan. With the highest number of Twitter users typing in Japanese and given the ferocity of a consumer who has been ill-treated, nothing is more important than to be vigilant about the communication around your company or brand. And Japanese customers expect brands to do what is good, especially in terms of SDGs. Japanese customers rather expect brands to act responsibly in ways that the customer identifies with, and they may not tell you what that is. Sustainability is becoming the new luxury and authenticity is everything.

 

Japanese customers are not demanding. You just need to earn their trust. This takes time, patience, and a solid understanding of the five “I”s that Japanese customers want. More than any other market, once you have earned the trust of your Japanese customer, they are famously loyal and will not drop you at the sign of the newest trend. But you must do your homework and maintain a high-level IQ, emotional intelligence (EQ), and cultural intelligence (CQ) within the context of Japan and its culture.

Joris Garnier

Headhunting Enthusiast | Industrial Engineering

1y

Insightful as always, thank you Timothy Connor.

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Noriko Ejima

Travel Coordinator and Tour guide

1y

I agree it!

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