Hakuhodo Consulting and Singapore-based WATATAWA Consulting have established a strategic alliance to offer marketing strategy and services to clients in Japan and key Asian markets. The alliance will initially focus on collaborative services to Japanese and international companies.
WATATAWA currently works with clients in financial services, telecommunications, agricultural commodities, and the resources and technology sectors in several Asian markets.
According to Hakuhodo Consulting Asia Pacific managing director Yoshihiro Yoshida, Japanese companies increasingly understand that they need to adjust their approach to the Asian market and to reinforce their marketing leadership for positioning themselves in Asian markets.
Another challenge, he added, is hiring and maintaining a stable local workforce in different countries.
“Strengthening brand value and raising loyalty among employees is critical in this regard. Foreign businesses in Japan also will benefit from this alliance which marries our deep knowledge of the Japanese market with the highly-informed international perspective and experience of WATATAWA,” Yoshida said.
Meanwhile, WATATAWA CEO Bill Rylance said: “Many Japanese companies have achieved extraordinary global success by focusing primarily on the technical excellence of their products and services and that will always be at the core of any successful Japanese business.”
However, he added, there is a growing recognition that this traditional strength must be complemented by a strategic approach to achieving emotional resonance and relevance in key markets.
“This requires not only new tactical initiatives but also a shift in mindset when engaging with customers, employees and all stakeholders -which aligns perfectly to Hakuhodo’s holistic marketing philosophy, which is called sei-katsu-sha* insight,” Rylance (pictured) said.