Peter Hanami

Japan ranks highly among online users as a top brand nation according to new poll

2008-11-13T21:14:00.001+09:00

Photo: Sony Walkman

Top Five Brand Nations

1.Germany
2. France
3.United Kingdom
4. Canada
5. Japan

According to the 2008 Anhold-Gfk Roper Nation Brands Index which asks 20,000 online users in 20 countries to rank countries on six dimensions:exports,tourism,culture,people,governance, investment and immigration

Watch the video to learn more about the Index

Watch more YouTube videos on AOL Video

Learn more about Study in Japan at
Study Abroad Japan

Peter Hanami: Internal staff are the real key to successful international student recruitment & management in international education

2008-11-13T00:24:00.001+09:00

Photo: Potential Japanese international students commuting in Tokyo, JAPAN

As international education recruitment as an industry develops it is taking on a more and more marketing. A very good thing!. More marketing terms, for example: Return on Investment, customer satisfaction, most profitable segments. We are seeing the use of more marketing techniques, for example: product managers, marketing plans and product plans. Each department in a school is getting their own marketing officer and recruitment specialist. We are also seeing education institutions hiring more consumer trained marketing experts to help them attract, manage and retain international students.

As education institutions become more marketing focused it is very important that front line staff are adequately trained and briefed on what the marketing department is trying to achieve.

As a past recruiter, I can say that to recruit an international student by email has to be one of the most challenging and yet rewarding jobs one can have. But other staff in the school can quickly undo the trust built by the recruiter if they don't understand the marketing plan and schools goals. For example: poor customer service, slow replies to enquires, blocking the student with jargon ( a way to deter the student from continuing with a course of action), having no patience for a students poor language skills and a host of other simple but powerful reactions that staff can make that kill a students relationship with a school even before it has started.

Japanese international students, for example are very Internet and computer savvy, they can send emails from their mobile phones, surf the web and key word search in English and Japanese. They love to research and find information. Imagine their surprise when they contact an international education institution through a general department email and they take two weeks to reply to their email (if at all), misspell their name in the email and send them a standard email response that doesn't address any of the questions they asked. You can imagine their shock, particularly when the student took three days to write an English email and hoped to study at that institution in the year ahead. Slim chance of that happening.

Front line staff need more support, briefing and training by marketers to ensure that they understand the marketing goals, but also that they have a chance to be involved in formulating, testing and improving goals. Marketers should also push for department staff to be paid based on their performance and their results. A chance to earn more is a great motivator and would allow staff to take a greater role in the outcomes instead of a basic salary.

Don Shultz professor of marketing at Northwestern University puts it best,

"It is the Employee, Stupid (ITES), recognizing the fact that integration is integration of the entire firm.. my belief is, if the employees don't know what the marketing strategy is, they will have a much harder time delivering on it"
Source: Informed employees light the way, by Don.E.Shultz, Viewpoint, Marketing News, American Marketing Association, 15/08/2008, page16.

I have personally seen more potential international students lost by internal staff not knowing the goals of the department than I would care to mention in this blog. The problem is real and makes a major impact on the success of a schools recruitment plans when everybody involved in the process are not on the same page, working towards the same goals.

Marketers need to spend more time working with staff to ensure that plans are well understood, they have staff commitment and that everyone is focused.

Learn more about Japanese customers at Japanese Customer.com

Zen and Japanese Culture - Book Review

2008-11-11T18:29:00.000+09:00

Book Review

Title: Zen & the Japanese Culture

Author: Daisetz T.Suzuki

Translated by Momo'o Kitagawa,

Published: 2005

Format: Hardcover

Pages 238

Publisher: Kodansha International, Tokyo, Japan.

Price: 1800 yen

ISBN: 4-7700-4026-1

One step closer to enlightenment

The purpose of the book is to explain how Zen, (Zen Buddhism), the practice and philosophy have influenced Japanese culture. The author has a deep knowledge of Zen its origins and history and how it came to Japan from China where it is called Ch'an. I assume that the author is a Zen master as there is no author information provided. Suzuki explores how Zen came to Japan and how it was shaped by Confucianism, Taoism, Shintoism and Buddhism. The authors view is to describe the history of the philosophy, the key users, how it was practiced, refined and its impact on Japanese culture as we see it today. Suzuki writes to provide a broad overview of the topic and sprinkles, quotes, historic tales and detailed insights that allow the reader to get a closer view of Zen, what aspects appealed and how the Japanese have refined it.

The book is structured into six chapters covering a range of topics including a preliminary to the understanding of Zen, general remarks on Japanese Art culture, Zen and the samurai, Zen and swordmanship, Zen and the study of Confucianism and lastly Zen and the Tea-cult.

The author's style is quite free flowing and shares a range of ideas, themes and topics. In some cases delves deeper into points of interest and sometimes loses the reader with idea and topic jumps which are hard to follow and understand. As with any translation it is hard to really judge the original idea in its true form, so one must allow a broader assessment of the topic and content.

It is aimed at those readers looking for a deeper meaning to Zen and I believe it does help to get a better understanding of the topic. Does it achieve it's goal, yes by slowly circling the topic and forcing the reader to read between the lines for the deeper meaning. An art form in itself.

Personally, I found the book informative particularly on the history aspects of tracing the philosophies roots and evolution over time. Chapters discussing its use by samurai, relation to swordmanship and the tea-cult were most enjoyable as they gave concrete examples as to how and why Zen was accepted and applied. Did I get closer to Zen? Yes, I think so!

It will be of interest to those who have an interest in Zen, Japanese culture and enlightenment. The book awakened an urge to seek more information on the topics raised. A sign of a good book.

Best quote in the book, "It was therefore, natural for every sober-minded samurai to approach Zen with the idea of mastering death"

Rating 4/5 ****

Peter Hanami,

CEO, JapaneseCustomer

Buy the book at Amazon and take the first step

Learn more about study in Japan at

Study Abroad Japan

Peter Hanami: "Good market intelligence is always useful" Professor Tony Adams

2008-11-10T17:20:00.004+09:00

Photo: 120 yen lunch at a Japanese university cafeteria

"Good market intelligence is always useful, but never as much as when timers are bad"
Professor Tony Adams

Source: Its not OK out there, Departure Lounge, Comment, Campus Review, page 9, 28/10/2008

Learn more about how Japanese students
purchase international education at
www.JapaneseCustomer.com

Peter Hanami:“It’s a big risk, going to university, much bigger than it used to be,” - Robin Naylor - a real problem for Japanese students

2008-11-06T11:32:00.007+09:00

Photo: Pizza - Japanese style

“It’s a big risk, going to university, much bigger than it used to be,”
Robin Naylor, at Warwick University

Source: Making it pay,
Sep 18th 2008, From The Economist print edition
Is a university degree still worth the time and money it takes?
http://www.economist.com/world/britain/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12270990

Comment:

The above quote sums up a lot when considering how Japanese international students select a course of study overseas.

Difficulties exist in selecting the right university, (how to evaluate its brand, reputation, expertise and credibility in the marketplace particularly with employers back home), how to pick the right course (is it recession proof, growing, can it sustain a career for 10 years?, or is it just a fad, does it lead to a job, how much could I earn with this course first year out?), what is the universities expertise with international students?(do they have a track record with my culture, do they have support systems for me, do they understand my education system, what I have already studied, do they have support for improving my English language skills, are their staff patient toward non -English language speakers, how many students from my culture have studied at the university and what have they achieved?) and finally, what are the benefits of going overseas versus staying home and studying at a local university which is already well known with local employers, how hard will it be for me to sell a foreign unknown university with an advanced course and content to a conservative local employer who puts more emphasis on me fitting in than what I did overseas, will I have trouble fitting back into my culture when I return home after study?, will my foreign qualification brand me an upstart and create people in my company to resent me as a show off and make my life hard as a new graduate?

Yes, for Japanese international students it is a big risk going to a foreign university.

Learn how Japanese students evaluate foreign education at JapaneseCustomer.com

Peter Hanami: Japan drops outside top ten markets for Australian international education - culture based marketing the next step?

2008-10-29T15:04:00.007+09:00

Photo: Australia Post mail delivery van

"Enrolments from Japan,... declined in all sectors, with overall declines of 15.3% and 5.1% respectively. The decline in enrolments from Japan has seen this market remain outside the top 10 enrolment markets as at YTD September 2008. The decline in the Japan market has mainly been in the ELICOS sector with smaller declines in the vocational education and training (VET) and higher education sectors."AEI International

Source: AEI International Student Data YTD September 2008, Wednesday, 29 October 2008
http://aei.gov.au/AEI/MIP/Activities/08Activity13.htm

Comment:

The richest Asian student market has just fallen from the top 10 education markets in Australia. Japan has one of the highest education expenditure per child in the world but for some reason they are not choosing Australia. Australia is a perfect study destination for Japanese students as it is so diverse and multicultural, mixing Asia, the middle East and Europe all into one. The rise in the Japanese yen can only benefits students who choose to study in Australia current rate is
100 Japanese yen equals 1.61 Australian dollars according to XE.

A year ago this week the largest language school in Japan, Nova Corporation failed leaving over 300,000 students out of pocket from paid tuition fees and many of them have yet to receive refunds, according to Lets org Japan . Added to this we have seen the demise of many other language school chains in Japan in recent years. The most recent collapse was Gateway 21 which left over 1300 students out of pocket for over 950 million yen.

These collapses have severely dented the confidence of Japanese students to deal with agents, visit agents and study English through private schools. The demand for English by young Japanese is still very high and it could be said there is unmet demand. According to a What Japan Thinks poll, over 50% of people surveyed were dissatisfied with their English education and 86% wanted more English study.

We believe that for Australia to win back Japanese students they need to undertake culture based marketing to communicate directly with potential students. The old model doesn't work anymore.

Learn how Japanese student purchase international education
at Japanese Customer.com

Peter Hanami: Young Japanese consumers now extra tight with money as the market fragments due to rising income disparities

2008-10-27T00:12:00.007+09:00

Photo: High Tea

"a recent survey by the Nikkei Marketing Journal(Japanese website) asked 20-somethings to name the top three things on which they spend their pocket money. 10% selected domestic travel while 5% named overseas travel. Daily expenses and going out topped the list." Source: C Scout Japan

See the full article here at C scout Japan.

Comment:

Marketing to 20 somethings is getting more difficult as the market is fragmenting as income disparity increases. Domestic travel in many cases is cheap and easy to arrange whereas overseas travel is harder to organize, and more expensive than ever with heavy fuel surcharges. Added to this mistakes have been made with airlines collecting more surcharge than needed. Full article here at Mainichi Daily News, Sept 18, 2008 "JAL, ANA refund excess fuel surcharges to passengers".

Added to this consumer trust is continuing to slide as scandals continue to rock the marketplace. Recent examples include, tainted food products (high levels of insecticide in rice , restaurants reusing uneaten food portions and dangers with imported foreign food (gyoza) and multiple cases of food mislabelling (expired used dates, incorrect products, ie, imported beef being labelled as high quality Japanese beef and sold for three times the normal price).

The result is an overall cautiousness in spending and thrift as future income has become more uncertain. Delaying or not making decisions is an increasingly popular choice by many young consumers. As we have seen Japanese international student numbers to study destinations like Australia and New Zealand have decreased significantly over the past few years and will continue to decline in the near future. Added to this a significant cultural shift by Japanese toward other Asian countries.

From the above research it seems that young Japanese are finding it really tough and are focusing their spending on daily expenses such as train fares, lunch and going out (having a coffee at Starbucks or out to a bar for a drink or dinner with friends). Not such a glamorous lifestyle it seems when money dictates every step and decision made.

Learn more about Japanese Customer buyer behaviour at
JapaneseCustomer.com

Japanese buyer behaviour: Japanese lifestyle: consumer insights: daily life: Japanese food: travel: technology, tons of videos, statistics, quotes, commentaries and much more.

"Helping you to attract, manage and retain Japanese Customers"

Peter Hanami: What do Japanese customers like to eat in summer? Survey reveals buyer behaviour insights

2008-10-20T15:41:00.000+09:00

Photo: Hiyashi Chuka (a cold noodle and vegetable treat enjoyed in summer)

Summertime in Japan is long & hot. Starting in July and extending in mid September.It is characterized by high humidity (80% plus), strong sunshine and little shade. Train companies delay the use of fans and air conditioners until the the official dates of summer begins leaving commuting passengers hot and bothered for months during this trying time on the Japanese calender.

So what foods do Japanese customers like to eat during summer?

1. Hiyashi Chuka (cold noodle and vegetables) 62.26%
2. Somen/cold thin noodles & hiyamugi/ cold barley tea 24.53%
3. Cold zaru or udon noodles 13.19%

Answers from 20 respondents or less
Cold pasta, unagi (smoked eel), cold ramen, cold tomato, cold cooked corn, edamame(soybeans in pod) and cold tofu with grated ginger, garlic & soy sauce

Source: PADO, survey.No 996, page 16, July, 2008
562 women respondents aged 20 to 50 years of age.

Comment:

Cold noodles are very popular because they are refreshing, light and taste great. They also take little effort to make and can be easily bought pre made from convenience stores very cheaply. So in summer Japanese traditional favourite dishes dominate the rankings with noodles a clear winner. Noodles are healthy, natural and are often eaten with shiso, green leaf vegetables and tomatoes.

Video: How to make Hiyashi Chuka

Learn how Japanese customers succeed in foreign education at
PeterHanami.com

Peter Hanami: What brands excite Japanese customers & how to use them to attract new customers to your business

2008-10-06T13:50:00.002+09:00

Photo: In store supermarket beer promotion for the soccer World Cup

Brand names the world over excite customers. The same phenomenon occurs in Japan where brand names have cult status with shoppers and households alike. The key question is what brands excite what market segments in Japan? If you look at a segment like new graduates in Japan both men and women who started their careers in April this year , the two sexes have different brands that they aspire to.

Take male graduates, even though they have low starting salaries, approx 250, 000 yen per month take home pay, they are still motivated by brands. For example: computer brands, watch brands, clothes brands, media brands, (newspapers, TV channels, magazines, Internet sites) car brands and electrical brands.

If we look at another segment middle aged women who work (60 plus) they are attracted to a whole range of brands different and unique to the first segment. Brands that grab their attention are more classic brands, both Japanese brands and Foreign brands. Brands for towels, food, alcohol, hotel chains, restaurants, car manufacturers, clothes and shoes.

So when undertaking to attract Japanese customers to your business, brands can be a powerful incentive to gain customer attention. The key is to know the segment well and to map out a range of brands that compliment you product and service offering. Brand affiliations are a powerful way to link the success of a brand with your business and gain favourable attention from new customers and turn them into loyal long term customers.

If for example a foreign university wanted to attract Japanese international students to its range of post graduate business courses, a range of brands could be selected and linked to the courses on offer.

Brands are an important and powerful way to gain attention, entice excitement and to motivate new customers. Brands are a unique way to engage Japanese customers towards your product and service.

Learn more about Japanese Customers at JapaneseCustomer.com

Peter Hanami: How important is word of mouth communication to businesses in Japan?

2008-10-01T11:08:00.000+09:00

According to a survey undertaken by PADO in July, 2008 that looked into what kind of businesses rely on word of mouth communication for their survival in Japan. Word of mouth is called "kuchi komi" in Japanese and is a major way that information about new products and services spreads as it is high in trust.

The survey revealed that the following businesses relied heavily on good word of mouth according to respondents: (Number one relied most on good word of mouth communication)

1. Restaurants
2. Hospitals
3. Children's school
4. Hairdresser
5. Relaxation centre
6. Food stores
7. Daily life items
8. Learning centres
9. Beauty salon
10. Supermarket , Department store
11. Small local shops
12. Other stores

Comment:

Food is an important part of life in Japan and rates high in word of mouth communication. Eating out is a serious activity and therefore has a high ranking. A bad rating can close a restaurant in Japan while a good rating can create lines of customers who wait patiently to get inside. A very fine line.

Hospitals rely on word of mouth for operations. Japanese hospitals are based on specialization, for example: ear, nose throat, chest (by body part) and customers often rely on experiences of others to pick a good hospital. Major newspapers in Japan provide the only reliable surveys on what hospitals perform what operations and are much admired sought after by Japanese readers who have no other way of finding which hospitals perform which operations and their reputation.

Also some hospitals cover certain operations under private insurance whereas others don't. Customers don't want to find out an operation isn't covered afterward so they spend a great deal of time researching hospital information.

Japanese parents are often obsessed by the education of their children and do much research to find the best school. No surprises here at number three. Monster parents are an extension of the obsession.

Finally, getting a good haircut in Japan particularly for Japanese women is a very important purchase. Japanese hair is difficult to cut and requires much skill due to the thickness of hair, a persons head shape and their hair growth pattern. Hair must be thinned, layered and then styled, often taking many hours sitting in the chair.

Japanese women rely on the advice of others who have found a good hairdresser to help them make a purchase decision. Once they have found a good hairdresser they often follow that person from salon to salon, come hell or high water. Even if it means a two hour commute by train in a large city like Tokyo. Japanese women will stay loyal to their hairdresser. Their public appearance and self confidence is too important to risk to a mere stranger.

Source: PADO, No 1000, 12/9/2008
438 women respondents, aged between 20 and 50 years old, conducted July, 2008

Learn more about Japanese Customers at JapaneseCustomer.com

Peter Hanami: Internet speed the newest marketing tool to lure international students to study abroad - Japan leading the way in Internet speed

2008-09-29T10:42:00.012+09:00

Photo: Internet

Lets face it as a student when you think of studying abroad you don't exactly think of five star accommodation, as your budget just won't allow it, but imagine if your school offered you excellent accommodation within walking distance to campus, wireless Internet, 24 hour access with door man, a gym, lap pool, jacuzzi and an entertainment area with a big screen TV and a pool table that you could have your friends over? Sound to good to be true!.

International student accommodation is a powerful marketing tool that should not be under emphasized. With international students studying for years at a time in a foreign country, their daily comfort, access to relaxation and sleep, a quite place to study, a place to cook their own meals, access the Internet in their own language without interruption and to socialize in comfort with other students is due much more consideration in international student recruitment marketing plans.

But now a new recruitment tool has emerged an it is called Internet access and speed, a students dream ticket item (to surf the web at high speeds and cheaply)

A recent survey showed that Japan has the worlds best Internet (access and speeds)." Source: Japan Times, 14/09/2008

Internet access in Japan is cheap by world standards (my current plan is 3600 yen per month Internet and telephone) which equals at time of writing approximately according to XE, US$34.05 dollars a month (with no upload or download limits) and the access speeds one can get are simply breathtaking.

As I write this article at 11am on a Thursday morning a quick test on Speedtest.net reveals a download speed of 14033 kb/s and an upload speed of 928 kb/s. This is slow compared to NEC Biglobe which has an Internet speed of 25924 kb/s. I can easily upgrade online if I need more speed.

It is only a matter of time that this new competitive advantage will be used to attract even more foreign students. Internet speed and academic study have a natural synergy and can easily be seen as a major draw card. Added to this is Japan's already high reputation worldwide for high technology products, for example: Nintendo Wii, Shinkansen bullet trains and Fourth generation mobile phones.

Japan also recently announced ambitious plans to attract even more foreign students in the near future.

"We aim to accept 300,000 students from abroad by around 2020 to make Japan a nation more open to the world, and to develop a 'global strategy' to expand the flow of people, materials, money and information between (Japan and) Asia and the world,"
says an outline compiled by six ministries, including the education ministry, the Foreign Ministry and the Justice Ministry." Source: Japan Times 30/7/2008

Japan has a very good chance to recruit Asian students as they have a unique understanding of Asian student culture and needs added to the fact that most Asian countries young people are drawn to Japanese culture and products. Western education institutions have a lot of ground to catch up in understanding Asian student needs and meeting them successfully. Particularly student buyer behaviour, lifestyle and job market trends and characteristics in the students home country. Japan clearly has a natural advantage in recruiting Asian students and with a changing economic balance it could soon become a leading provider of international education programs.

International education directors the world over now have a new tool at their disposal if they want to recruit more international students and it is called "Internet access and speed". As the Asian Century unfolds and focus on Asia increases, education institutions have more pressure to better understand their new Asian customers and provide them what they want in education. This now includes fast Internet access and speeds.

Learn more about study in Japan at Study Abroad Japan

Peter Hanami: The power shift to Asia is occurring faster than anyone could have predicted.

2008-09-23T13:35:00.000+09:00

"Perhaps the most disorienting change in the global order is the shift in power from West to East...Yet the power shift to Asia and the Middle East is occurring faster than seemed possible. " William Pesek, Bloomberg

The change in financial markets impacts politics, policy development and trade. As the power shift changes from West to East companies the world over have an increased need to become more Asia focused particularly in terms of language culture and buyer behaviour. The speed of change as Alvin Toffler identified in his classic book "Future Shock" is clearly becoming a reality.

How can corporations prepare for this change? It would seem pertinent to start the process by making a forward looking evaluation of new emerging markets, identifying which countries have synergies that fit with core values and how existing products and services can be used to meet existing and future. Followed by hiring new staff with the expertise and experience to lead the organization in the new markets. Finally, companies need to keep a foot in the present and a foot in the future. Old models of business are changing, technology is allowing a widening of the number of customers and markets in which companies conduct business and cultural insight is fast becoming the new currency of business. The ability to understand, communicate and engage new Asian customers will determine the future of many businesses and industries. It is already quickly reshaping the world we once knew.

Source:Black Swans Become Norm, Instead of Exception: William Pesek
Commentary by William Pesek, Sept. 17 (Bloomberg)
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601039&sid=aMITvzdms9Es&refer=columnist_pesek

Learn more about Japanese buyer behaviour at
Japanese Customer.com

Peter Hanami: What careers do Japanese high school students want when they graduate?

2008-09-22T11:41:00.005+09:00

A recent survey on Livedoor (Japanese site) outlined the careers Japanese high school students hoped to aim for when they graduates. Danny Choo translated the results on his post "Ueno Walk".

1. Talent/Actor/Actress
2. Vocalist
3. Musician
4. System Engineer
5. Artist Manager
6. Sound Engineer
7. Web Engineer
8. DJ/Announcer
9. Event Producer
10. Hair/Makeup artist

As Danny summarized entertainment looks like it has the hearts and minds of young Japanese students. No lawyers, accountants, bankers or government workers on this list. The key here is that they are focusing career aspirations on fun and things that interest them. The reality when they graduate is changed by the impact of their parents, the job market, actions of employers and the global economy. It would be interesting to do a follow survey just prior to graduation and then a few years after graduation to see if the perception became the reality and why it didn't. The most important thing for marketers is to keep close to young Japanese customers and understand their world, how it is changing, see the view they see and understand the challenges they are facing, in order to be able to really connect with them.

Career choice is an important decision for young people and the time they spend exploring opportunities as Danny suggests is the best investment they can make.

Learn how Japanese students select international education at
JapaneseCustomer.com

Quotes, statistics, book reviews, videos, industry insights and more.
"Helping you to attract, manage and retain Japanese Customers"

Peter Hanami: Australian Japanese Alumni is launched in Tokyo - over 300 alumni meet and showcase Australian education success in Tokyo

2008-09-22T00:32:00.004+09:00

Photo: Students pose for photos

Friday evening was the launch of the Australian Education International, Australian Japanese Alumni in Tokyo. It was a grand affair held in the grounds of the Australian Embassy. Japanese students who studied across a range of education sectors, states and schools met and showcased Australian education. An inspiring speech by the Australian Ambassador Murray McLean started the evening which revealed the depth and expertise Australia has in providing high quality education to Japanese students. Students met up with old classmates, met new alumni from their school and had the chance to meet and share information with a wide range of graduates who are now using their skills in a range of careers.

Video: Australian Japan Alumni - launch

I had the pleasure to meet entrepreneurs, accountants, international relations specialists, Asian studies experts, political analysts and PhD students. Also in attendance but in smaller numbers were Australians who are now working in Tokyo who graduated Australian education.

Our recent post on alumni marketing discussed the difficulties involved in co-ordinating such a large and diverse student body. Japanese alumni include three distinct segments, namely: Japanese students who studied in Australia and returned to Japan, Asian students (Singapore, Chinese, Malaysian, Korean) who studied in Australia and are now living and working in Japan and Australian domestic students who studied in Australia and are now living in Japan.

Alumni marketing is an important tool for education institutions to undertake as it allows the tracking of students and the measurement of their success after graduation. In marketing the closer you get to a customer, the better the relationship and the more favourable the relationship and outcomes. Education institutions need to track students to ensure they are succeeding and meeting their goals. It is an important tool for evaluating courses, staff, a departments focus, course content, research areas, school branding and the institutions reputation not only locally but internationally as well.

See our recent four year Alumni study of a Japanese student in Australia her life in Japan before study, her study in Australia and her return to Japan. Gaman - A students Journey - Australia

Michelle Allan and her team at AEI international should be commended on the initiative and excellence in delivering a remarkable event that will link and further promote the success of Australian education in Japan

Learn more about study in Japan at Study Abroad Japan

Peter Hanami: Cinnamon Melts debut at McDonald's Japan today - new product adds to premium coffee strategy

2008-09-19T11:32:00.012+09:00

Photo: New "Cinnamon Melt"launched today by McDonalds Japan

"Cinnamon Melts" a deliciously addictive sweet launched today at McDonald's Japan. Launched in the USA in 2006. The new sweet will add weight to the new premium roast coffee strategy adopted earlier in the year. Recent additions to the strategy include the McBakery line of three pastry products (sugar croissant, melon pan and choco danish). The addition of Cinnamon Melts boosts the line and makes it more robust.

The new sweet is clearly aimed at making McDonald's a new destination for Japanese coffee drinkers and sweet eaters, who in the current economic climate are looking for value for money anywhere they can get it.

Before the launch we considered if the product may be altered to adjust to Japanese palates, for example: reduced sugar content and reduced calories. We purchased a Cinnamon Melt in Tokyo this morning and by all accounts with out checking original USA launch data and Japanese product ingredients, we would be led to believe that the Japanese product is a direct copy of the USA product from our taste test, we may be corrected on this but this is our initial assessment. The taste is rich, full bodied and takes the eater on a dreamy cruise. It has more punch than a "Cinnabon". The difference between the two products, Cinnamon Melts and Cinnabon is that Cinnabon is a dry pastry, whereas Cinnamon Melt is a wet pastry, that is it is served hot and has a runny sauce. The sauce reinforces the taste. When the eater brushes their eating utensil toward the bottom of the product the strong tasting sauce adds to the pastry content and makes the taste a full blown sensation.

No such surprise here with the new "Cinnamon Melt" it is full taste and a real bonus for coffee drinkers who enjoy the bitter taste of coffee with a balancing sweet pastry taste. If this theme takes off in Japan it will be a success. Also as we are coming in to the autumn season and the weather cools down, a warm product could be just what customers want when they take a break.

Will the new product impact major competitor Starbucks Japan? The new pastry adds to the premium roast coffee strategy by offering depth to the product line up, image and range. Priced at 290 yen, it is well placed to please coffee drinkers. A premium roast coffee costs 120 yen, up 20 yen with a recent price rise and when the Cinnamon Melt is added the order the total experience adds up to 410 yen. A pretty clumsy price combination but it still comes in under 500 yen which is an important consumer price point in Japan. Starbucks USA has new coffee offers for drinkers through two new initiatives, namely afternoon discounts and a new range of banana based products. No new coffee initiatives (cold pre-made Starbucks branded products available in some convenience stores) yet in Japan except for the recent launch of the new sandwich range "Filone", which adds to foods that complement coffee products.

It is a shame that the recent coffee price increase took premium roast coffee off the 100 yen menu. In one sense it is negative and could lose customers who refuse to pay the increase or it could help to take the brand out on its own as a stand alone product with its own team (McBakery and Cinnamon Melt) which could later be relaunched as a family, particularly when McCafe rolls out further.

In summary, the new "Cinnamon Melt" is a good addition to the existing menu, adds a reason for new customers to visit the store, adds a new product as the season changes and the weather cools, rewards existing coffee drinkers, adds a full tasting western product to the menu, adds a new taste to the menu, adds a new product to the existing and well branded premium roast coffee strategy, acts as an enticement for those who watch American TV drama and have heard of cinnamon sweets (mums and kids) and finally keeps attention on McDonald's as a coffee provider.

Video: Cinnamon Melt in Japan

Learn more about travel in Japan at Motorcycle Japan

How to buy a bike, hire a bike, what gear you need for a trip, how to plan a trip, where to go, when to go, trip guides, books, references, product reviews, accommodation, food, places to visit, videos, travel guides and much more.

Peter Hanami: US employer to rank education institutions by alumni's job success - A new trend emerges

2008-09-16T11:12:00.005+09:00

"Boeing to Rank Colleges by Alumni's Job Success
The company will measure the quality of engineering programs on the basis of their graduates' performance at work. "

Source:The Chronicle of Higher Education's Daily Report, Academe Today
Sept 15,2008
http://chronicle.com/help/emails/academetoday/archive/20080915dr.htm?utm_source=at&utm_medium=en

On first look one might wonder what the news is in this story? For a company to rank its employees based on their job performance and the education institution.It could be very good for good schools that are currently focused on the marketplace but will send a shiver through other schools that are not and will force them to lift their game.

If employers create their own rankings of education institutions and they become the norm, that is, more powerful than the current university rankings then the world will change. It would mean that universities would become more aware and sensitive to industry needs and have to adjust their programs, curriculum and staff to ensure that they one, make the rankings and two, keep their positions.

An interesting story with unusual implications for the university sector.It has wider implications for international education.Imagine for a moment if Japanese companies started ranking their Japanese graduates with international qualifications using this method and how it would impact the recruitment and marketing of courses to Japanese international students? Companies would reject graduates from poor schools but then again this already happens now!

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Peter Hanami: Japanese parents exceed OECD average expenditures for post secondary education according to new survey

2008-09-10T19:20:00.007+09:00

"Japan's private expenditures on post secondary education is remarkably high at 66.3 percent, while the OECD average is 26.9 percent, according to the survey."

Source: Japan's education system cost-effective: OECD
By NATSUKO FUKUE, Staff writer
Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2008
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20080910a5.html

This statistic shows that Japanese parents are extremely focused on good education for their children and are willing to pay for it.

International education institutions wanting to attract Japanese students can use this statistic as a way of measuring the high importance of education by parents toward their children. This high level of focus could be interpreted as meaning that as customers they are likely to be very sophisticated in choosing and selecting a school for their children. If they are paying, they want the best and will work hard as customers to make sure they get it, by comparing offerings, speaking to other parents, reading surveys, visiting schools, talking to teachers and searching on the Internet.

This statistic may also indicate why Japanese students are not going overseas to study. Possibly, parents are happy to payer higher education costs in Japan, as they know the system, can compare and research offerings, know exactly what they are getting, have lower purchase risk, can observe their children and can get all the information in their own language. Added to this, their children are in country and can get a job quicker than outside the country? That is they are in the loop.

This latest OECD report shows that Japanese customers have the interest and the money to pay for post secondary education. The key for international student recruiters is how to win them to study at foreign education institutions.

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Peter Hanami: New visa changes to impact international student recruitment - difficulties exist in recruiting the most profitable student markets

2008-09-03T14:11:00.005+09:00

According to The Australian, Higher Education section, forthcoming visa changes may impact international student recruitment for Australian education institutions.

"India, China and Nepal continued to be strong growth markets, but those such as Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan continued to decline."

It seems that even though there is good growth in the sector there is difficulty in recruiting the most profitable student markets.

Source: Tougher immigration rules for Indian students
Guy Healy | September 03, 2008
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24284358-12332,00.html

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Peter Hanami: Full disclosure - education institutions can only benefit from sharing as much information with customers

2008-08-30T00:56:00.002+09:00

It looks like we are on the same wave length when it comes to disclosing information to students and customers. It seems the Australian Federal government is talking about all schools in Australia being more transparent. This can only be a good thing. Let 's hope it soon applies to all customers including international not just domestic students.

"Ms Gillard is proposing schools make public as much information as they can, from the qualifications of their teachers to comparing their students' performance and improvement against groups of similar schools."

Source:"School choice is 'guesswork': Julia Gillard"
Justine Ferrari and David Nason, August 23, 2008

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Peter Hanami: How cultural integration impacts on marketing decisions

2008-08-21T00:12:00.001+09:00

Photo: Leafy street in a Perth suburb, Australia

"Acculturation measures the integration of an individual to another culture. It is an individual process, as each person develops his or her own "acculturation style" and pace.We reference this at three main levels: unacculturated, bi cultural and acculturated"
Liria Barosa & Angelina Villarreal

Source: Acculturation levels play role in marketing strategy
Liria Barosa & Angelina Villarreal
Knowledge Base
Marketing News, February 15th 2008, page 26
American Marketing Association

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Peter Hanami: When will education institutions provide Japanese international students the metrics they need to make a study decision?

2008-08-16T11:23:00.002+09:00

Photo: A class room in Japan

Education institutions the world over are in a period of change as students can now travel and study in more locations. This change also means the way education is packaged and marketed to students has changed.

Education is a mix of a service (teaching) and a product (a qualification). This is a new hybrid for marketing in which there is little knowledge and understanding as the focus is not on products but on people.

Education as a business is 110% based on people, people management. The qualification and skills are the end result. People marketing is new, particularly to education institutions. International education adds a new twist in that education institutions have to combine people marketing with cultural understanding. Not an easy feat. To be a player in international education institutions will need more staff who are highly trained, flexible, internationally focused, multicultural and bilingual. Quickly.

The student has now become a high paying, demanding customer and has more time, choice and flexibility in deciding where to study, what to study and with whom to study.

Education institutions the world over are just starting to grapple with the changes. Education as a business, student as a customer, the world as a market and education as a service, not a product.

For example: Japanese students in Tokyo can visit a range of education fairs throughout the year to learn about what education offerings are on offer in other countries.

Universities, technical colleges and English language schools all come and peddle their wares. Institutions try to dazzle Japanese students with Western marketing techniques, catchy phrases, glossy brochures, DVDs, t-shirts, coloured wrist bands and other sales promotion items.

What institutions fail to understand is what metrics Japanese students need, to be able to consider their educational offerings amongst all the hype. Japanese students have access to vast amounts of information about their own education institutions, in their own language and at their convenience.

Foreign education institutions wanting to gain the interest of Japanese international students need to research, publish and share their metrics.

Metrics such as email response times, relevance of information, web clicks before satisfaction, the technology skill of the institution and staff, the international experience of staff , the patience of staff toward non-English speakers and customer service (what systems, responses and follow up do they have)

These are basic metrics and yet foreign education institutions still do not provide them. Without such metrics Japanese students test each institution using a range of methods and evaluate institutions themselves and institutions never know why they were not selected.

Japanese students have their own metrics to rate education institutions on and unfortunately without access to an institutions metrics they can't begin to get excited about an institutions courses.

As international education becomes more competitive the focus on metrics will push foreign education institutions to reveal what students need to know. Not what they want to tell them, after they have paid for tuition.

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