9 Intended positioning of Dutch Raw Milk cheese - Slow Food ...

International Marketing PlanDutch Raw Milk Cheese Project supported by Slow FoodJapanNatalie Hoogerwaard (1038252)Hye Jin Lee (1055461)Agnieszka Ploszynska (1056047)Arthur van Riet (1038101)IBS1 Project 2IBS2AGroup 625 may 2012

Natalie Hoogerwaard (1038252)Hye Jin Lee (1055461)Agnieszka Ploszynska (1056047)Arthur van Riet (1038101)IBS2AMarket research reportMinor International Business StudiesWindesheim University of Applied SciencesZwolleThe NetherlandsJ. Janssens25 may 2012Management summary2

Based on the fact that we found the information about Japan and cheese in project 1, ourmarketing strategy will be made in project2.Before starting to introduce our strategy, we quickly review the results of the research report.Japan has 11 cities with more than 1 million inhabitants and a very high GNP. When it comesto their characteristic, they have a hierarchical society, collectivistic society, and focus onlong relationships. More than 50% of the natural cheese in Japan is imported. Most of theimported cheese comes from Australia. Cheese is not integrated in the Japanese way of live,like it is in Europe, but there are people in Japan who really enjoy different kinds of cheeses.We call them the cheese gourmets.The strengths of Dutch raw milk cheese is that it’s a high quality artisanal food and uniquetaste. The product is really taste sensitive, so the strong and unique taste is a weakness aswell. The image that raw milk cheese is bad for your health is definitely a weakness.Opportunities for Dutch raw milk cheese in Japan are the growing cheese market, the factthat Japanese people are willing to pay a lot for quality foods and the image of theNetherlands, as a ‘cheese country’. Threads are the processed cheeses in Japan, that theaverage person in Japan seems to enjoy and the large amount of other imported cheese,which are competitors for Dutch raw milk cheese. Another thread is the high import tariff ofalmost 30% for natural cheeses.The marketing goals are separated in to 3 parts, knowledge, attitude and behaviour.Marketing goal for knowledge: ‘’Dutch raw milk cheese must be a familiar product to 75% ofthe Japanese people who regularly visit cheese shops (specialty shops) in one of the 10biggest cities in Japan, within one year of being present on the market.’’Goal for attitude: ‘’75% of the Japanese people that have knowledge of the existence (seeprevious objective, also 75%) of the Dutch raw milk cheese, must have a positive attitudetowards the product in terms of being willing to try the product (or suggest is to a friend)within one year.’’Goal for behaviour: ‘’90% of the people that have a positive attitude towards the productmust have at least bought it once within one year’’The realistic estimation of the amount of Dutch raw milk cheese that could be sold in Japanis 18.32 tons. The price will be 7.08 euro’s per 100 grams. 1 ton = 1.000 kilograms. 18,32 x1000 = 18 320 kilograms of Dutch raw milk cheese. It is sold for 7.08 euro’s per 100 grams.18 320 x 10 = 183 200 grams. 183 200 grams x 7.08 euro’s = 1 297 056 euro’s, totalturnover.Our target group has special features that are explained three things. First, they are living in10 big cities like Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya and etc. Second, they really enjoynatural cheese and willing to go special cheese shop to buy natural cheese. Lastly, they canafford to buy raw milk cheese.The Dutch raw milk cheese, on the retail/trade level, can be sold in 4 channels. Throughcheese specialty shops, in restaurants with an international/European cuisine, throughdistributors and on web shops.There are six influential groups in cheese market. First of all, Slow Food organization helpsHolland farm to sell cheese and give a good information to customer. Second, Cheese shopshave strong power to change the behaviour of customer. Third, Foodies show special way toenjoy cheese to others in magazine and on the Internet. Fourth, Restaurant critics offer somefoods and make a new menu used cheese. Fifth, Food reviewers express their opinion aboutraw milk cheese in the public press. Lastly, Culinary magazines are included in Influentialgroups, because they introduce nice recipe with raw milk cheese as an ingredient.Raw milk cheese is very special and has high quality, so the price of raw milk cheese shouldbe high. The most appropriate price based on competitions and quality is about 7.08 euro’s.Compared to other competitors, the price of raw milk cheese is in middle-high, and the3

quality is same or higher than France and Italy cheese. This will give a the premium image tocustomer.Since Dutch raw milk cheese is a specialty cheese, it is important to be noticed by peoplewho like specialty cheese. That’s why we want to have a little party or event to which weinvite people who are important on the Japanese cheese market. We hope to reach a biggerpublic through these people. To promote the cheese event and the introduction of raw milkcheese, there will be special brochures designed and placed in cheese shops. Another wayof promoting will be done by taking advantage of the well-known taste connection betweenwine and cheese. Aged artisanal gouda is very good with cabernet sauvignon. The twoproducts will recommend each other and a special combination package will be sold. Anotherway to reach the target group is by placing advertisements in cooking magazines.The budget for these activities from 2012 to 2015 is € 122 160.Table of contents1 Introduction.....................................................................................................................................62 Short analysis of the current situation................................................................................72.1 Economy........................................................................................................72.2 Culture...........................................................................................................82.3 Life style.........................................................................................................82.4 Consumption of natural cheese......................................................................82.5 Production of natural cheese..........................................................................84

2.6 Consumers.....................................................................................................92.7 Competitors...................................................................................................92.8 Attitude towards raw milk cheese and motivation to buy................................93 SWOT................................................................................................................................................103.1 Explanation of the SWOT..............................................................................113.1.1. Strengths..............................................................................................113.1.2. Weaknesses...........................................................................................113.1.3. Opportunities........................................................................................123.1.4. Threats.................................................................................................124 Marketing / communication goals......................................................................................124.1 Knowledge...................................................................................................124.2 Attitude........................................................................................................134.3 Behaviour.....................................................................................................135 Estimation of raw milk cheese sales and price level in the first year................135.1 Natural cheese vs. processed cheese............................................................135.2 Dutch cheese................................................................................................145.3 Price level.....................................................................................................165.4 Conclusion...................................................................................................166 Target Audiences........................................................................................................................176.1 Biggest cities of Japan..................................................................................176.2 Cheese gourmets.........................................................................................176.3 Financial power............................................................................................186.4 Mr. Masaya...................................................................................................187 Retail / trade level......................................................................................................................197.1 Shops...........................................................................................................197.2 Distributors..................................................................................................207.3 Restaurants..................................................................................................207.4 Online Shops................................................................................................218 Influential groups (NGO, press,)...........................................................................................218.1 Slow Food.....................................................................................................218.2 Cheese shops...............................................................................................218.3 Foodies........................................................................................................218.4 Restaurant critics.........................................................................................228.5 Food reviewers.............................................................................................228.6 Culinary magazines......................................................................................229 Intended positioning of Dutch Raw Milk cheese..........................................................229.1 X and Y-axis................................................................................................229.1.1 X-axis....................................................................................................239.1.2 Y-axis....................................................................................................2310 Message / value proposition..............................................................................................2411 Communications mix..............................................................................................................2511.1 Cheese event..............................................................................................2511.1.1 Who do we want to invite:.....................................................................2511.1.2 The invitation.......................................................................................28The invitation for the cheese event can be found in the appendices.................2811.2 Joint promotion..........................................................................................2811.3 Cooking magazines....................................................................................2911.4 YouTube video...........................................................................................3011.5 Brochures in stores.....................................................................................305

12 Planning the communication mix activities.................................................................3112.1 Overview of the planning............................................................................3112.2 Cheese event..............................................................................................3112.3 Joint promotion..........................................................................................3112.4 Cooking magazines....................................................................................3112.5 YouTube video...........................................................................................3212.6 Brochures in store......................................................................................3213 Communications Infrastructure.........................................................................................3313.1. People.......................................................................................................3313.1.1. Public Relation Manager......................................................................3313.1.2. Event manager...................................................................................3313.2. Budget.......................................................................................................3414 Budget............................................................................................................................................3414.1 Overview of the costs.................................................................................3514.2 Cheese event..............................................................................................3514.3 Joint promotion..........................................................................................3514.4 Cooking magazines....................................................................................3514.5 YouTube video...........................................................................................3514.6 Brochures and posters................................................................................3615 Evaluation....................................................................................................................................36Appendices........................................................................................................................................371 Project contract...............................................................................................372 Cheese Event invitation...................................................................................421 IntroductionThis report is an international marketing communication plan, which includes the marketingstrategy for Dutch Raw milk cheese in the period from 2012 – 2015. This report was writtento help Slow Food with developing a marketing strategy for the entry of the Dutch raw milkcheese products on the Japanese cheese market. The market strategy is based on thefindings from the previous period, the research report.This report consists of 14 chapters. The first chapter is the introduction, followed by a shortanalysis of the current situation. Next up is a SWOT-analysis about Slow Food and the rawmilk cheese. Chapter 4 is about the marketing / communication goals designed for theJapanese cheese market. Chapter 5 is about the target audiences followed by chapter 66

about the retail / trade level. The influential groups and the intended positioning of the DutchRaw Milk cheese will be discussed in chapter 7 and 8. Chapter 9 is about the message /value proposition and chapter 10 about the communications mix. The next chapters are allabout the communications mix, to begin with the planning of the communication mix activitiesin chapter 11. Chapter 12 is about the communications infrastructure and chapter 13 aboutthe budget for the communication activities. The final chapter consists of an evaluation.2 Short analysis of the current situationThis chapter consists of a short analysis about the current situation in Japan. The followingelements will be discussed are economy, culture, life style, consumption of natural cheese,production of natural cheese, consumers, competitors and attitude towards raw milk cheese.2.1 EconomyJapan is the tenth biggest country in the world with a very high GNP (ranks third placeamong all countries). There are 11 cities with more than 1 million inhabitants. Tokyo, thecapital, is by far the largest city with over 8 million inhabitants.7

2.2 CultureAccording to the result of the Hofstede model, in the short words, the features of theJapanese culture are: hierarchical society, collectivistic society, masculine country, the mostuncertainty avoiding country and long relationships. One thing needs to be highlighted:Japan is one of the most uncertainties avoiding country in the world. Some people in Japanmight know the raw milk cheese as unsafe for their health. It is important to change the wayof thinking that some Japanese have about the cheese, because they wouldn’t eat it if it isbad for their health. When it comes to promoting the raw milk cheese, it must be made clearthat cheese is safe food.The main advertising channels in Japan are television or newspapers. It is an unwritten rulein Japan that you shouldn’t fluctuate the price of the product a lot in the first few years. Theprice of a product is less important than in theWestern countries and they are less sensible forprice differences. Prices are rarely showed inadvertisements because the image and theambience are more important.2.3 Life styleThe lifestyle of the Japanese can be shortenedwith three key aspects: work, socializing andconvenience.Homes and apartments in Japan are considerablysmaller; people opt to entertain themselvesoutside of their homes. Hobbies and leisure activities play an important role in the culture. Infact, it is very uncommon to have dinner parties or get-togethers in Japanese homes. Japanis known for convenience living, giving rise to popularity in convenience food. The reasonsare a fast-paced lifestyle, more women in the workforce, a rising number of single-personhouseholds, variety in foods, and low prices.This trend necessitates a range of easily prepared foods encompassing home mealreplacements, shelf stable, and frozen food product options. Simplified cooking is prevalent.2.4 Consumption of natural cheeseWhen we look at data of the consumption of natural cheese in Japan from 2005 to 2009 thepotential of the market exist. From 2005 to 2007 consumption had been growing. Two yearsof growth with resulted in approximately 164 tons in 2007; indicate a good condition of thesector. Is not as stable as the market of processed cheese. This can be seen by the declinein consumption of natural cheese in 2008. At that time, prices were on a very high level.However, in 2009, the direct consumption and amount of natural cheese used as a rawingredient for processed cheese had increased.2.5 Production of natural cheeseIn Japan, there are small farms that also produce natural cheese. The sizes of these cheesefarms are getting bigger and the quality is very high. Most of the producers are located inHokkaido and takes care for about 40% of dairy products. Cheese from Hokkaido is wellknown for its soft flavour.The Increase of imported cheese shows that the market in Japan has good perspective forthe future but also that the competition is growing. Major import countries are Australia, U.S.,and France. The Netherlands has the 6 th place.In 2012, the Japanese cheese market will increase its growth from the previous year, basedon increasing household consumption and expanded uses of cheeses in food service, readyto-eatfoods, and snack industries.8

2.6 ConsumersBecause the Dutch raw milk cheese is not produced in massive numbers and because of theexclusive, high quality nature of the product, the strategy is to concentrate on big cities.Cheese consumers are divided into three groups according to their experience with thecheese: cheese beginners, cheese explorer and cheese gourmets (experts). The mostrelevant target group is the group of cheese gourmets. This group of consumers knowscheese products, recognize quality and is ready to pay a premium price for a higher standardcheese.Another group that should be taken into account are the expats from Europe and NorthAmerica.It might be a successful segment.Proportion ofJapan byWesterners innationalitySource: http://www.wa-pedia.com/gaijin/foreigners_in_japan.shtmlAll Westerners in Japan only make up 0.01% of the Japanese population. However, 37% ofthe Westerners are to be found in Tokyo alone. The Southwest of Tokyo is the most favouredplace by Westerners.2.7 CompetitorsCompetitors for Dutch raw milk cheese are other companies’ that offer natural cheeses.The following table presents the Japanese companies with their market shares, which arecompetitors on the Japanese natural cheese market.The two main cheese-producing companies are:• Megmilk Snow Brand Co Ltd with 12,9% shareof the market• Morinaga Milk Industry Co Ltd with 9,7 % shareof the marketJapan imports almost 200,000 tons of cheese every year, andthis makes it the 2nd largest cheese importer in the world.50% of the import of natural cheese is from Australia, so thisis a very big competitor for the Netherlands. Other importcountries are New Zealand, Denmark, Germany, France, andthe U.S.2.8 Attitude towards raw milk cheese andmotivation to buyThe attitude Japanese consumers have towards cheese has9

changed and every year, the number of people who enjoy natural cheese is increasing. Ithappens mainly because of the fact that there is more western style food in Japan, and theJapanese are very willing to enjoy a western lifestyle. Another reason is that they start toperceive cheese as a nutritional food. Thus eating cheese and using cheese is not unfamiliaror new anymore in Japan.Western people can generally recognize which cheese is natural and which is processed, butmost Japanese people cannot do this so easily, since they have less experience with cheesein general. It means that choosing cheese much depends on the name of the cheese brand,the form of packaging, and where to use cheese.Consumers who buy natural cheese are cheese lovers who like this particular taste. Theycan recognize quality, natural cheeses, because they have more knowledge.3 SWOTThis chapter contains an SWOT analysis based on the branch analysis. The four elementsthat a SWOT analysis contains are: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Theseelements were found through the internal and external analysis. The strengths andweaknesses are internal factors and the opportunities and threats are external factors. Thefollowing chart shows the SWOT, after the chart there is an explanation of each element ofthe SWOT-analysis.10

Raw Milk CheeseStrenghts- Artisinal highquality food- Unique tasteWeaknesses- Strong /unique taste- Image of thecheeseOpportunities- Growingcheese market- People arewilling to spenda lot of moneyon food- Image of DutchcheesesThreats- Substitutes- Competitores- Importregulations3.1 Explanation of the SWOT3.1.1. StrengthsArtisanal high quality foodRaw milk cheese is artisanal high quality food. Japanese consumers desire high quality,nutritious, tasty, and safe food at a reasonable price. They think cheese is healthy and safeto eat, so the Japanese show a great interest in the raw milk cheese, as it is considered anartisanal high quality food.Unique tasteRaw milk cheese has in comparison with other cheeses are very strong and unique taste.People who love different cheeses like the cheese gourmets, will like this taste and buy itagain because of its unique taste.3.1.2. WeaknessesStrong / unique tasteRaw milk cheese is as sad before a cheese with a very strong and unique taste. This isstrength for the sales of cheese, but it can also be a weakness. Although a lot of peoplewould like the taste, there will also be probably more people who dislike the taste. This isreally a cheese for cheese lovers, who like different kind of cheeses with unique tastes. If youare familiar with the taste of processed cheese, you will probably think that the taste of rawmilk cheese is too strong.Image of the cheeseRaw milk cheese has been a lot in the news recently, because of the safety of the product. Alot of people said that the cheese was unhealthy for young children, the elderly, people with11

weakened immune systems and pregnant women. This is because of the way the cheese ismade. Raw milk means milk, which has not been pasteurized. Pasteurization kills all thebacteria, so in raw milk cheese could be some bacterium. This could stop people to buy theproduct.3.1.3. OpportunitiesGrowing cheese marketThe Japanese cheese market continues has grown with 227,000 tons since 1960. Thereasons for this large increase are the increase in the consumption of cheese in householdand the expand uses of cheese in food services, ready-to-eat foods and snack industries.People are willing to spend a lot of money on foodFood is very important for the Japanese. Also in difficult economic times, Japaneseconsumers continue to buy high quality food. The Japanese consumers desire high quality,tasty and safe food products for a reasonable price. They are willing to pay more for highquality products, since food is really important in their lifestyle.Image of Dutch cheesesYou can already buy Dutch cheeses in Japan. Especially Gouda cheese is well known inJapan, because of its soft cheeses. People, who eat the Gouda cheeses or other Dutchcheeses, will tend to buy the raw milk cheese, because of the image they have on the othertypes of cheeses. If they like for example Gouda cheese, they will buy raw milk cheesebecause it is also Dutch cheese.3.1.4. ThreatsSubstitutesThe cheese market is divided in two segments, namely natural cheeses and processedcheeses. Raw milk cheese is part of the natural cheese market, which makes the product ofthe processed cheese market substitutes.CompetitorsThere are a lot of competitors in the Japanese cheese market. Japan is one of countries inthe world that imports the most cheeses. The competitors exist of international competitorsand Japanese competitors.Import regulationsThere are a lot of import regulations for the raw milk cheese. The import tariff is almost 30%and there are strict rules for the import process and the labelling of the product. All thismakes the product more expensive as the Japanese variant and this could be bad for thesales.4 Marketing / communication goalsTo sell the raw milk cheese in Japan, the communication target group has to have a certainknowledge, attitude and behaviour towards the product. It is interesting and effective to setobjectives for this, because then, you know what you want to achieve. This makes it easier towork on effective strategies, which is impossible without a goal.4.1 Knowledge‘’Dutch raw milk cheese must be a familiar product to 75% of the Japanese people whoregularly visit cheese shops (specialty shops) in one of the 10 biggest cities in Japan, withinone year of being present on the market.’’12

It is very hard to come up with a good objective for knowledge. Because at the core, what isyour target group? It’s very hard to say how large that group is. Thus, by knowing for surethat the target group visits cheese shops to buy cheese, we can use that fact to set a realisticobjective. 75% might seem like a fairly high percentage, but it is not unrealistic in our eyes,because specialty cheese shops are usually small shops with customers who are interestedin cheeses. In this case, it is hard to overlook a (new) type of cheese.4.2 Attitude‘’75% of the Japanese people that have knowledge of the existence (see previous objective,also 75%) of the Dutch raw milk cheese, must have a positive attitude towards the product interms of being willing to try the product (or suggest is to a friend) within one year.Not everybody that knows about the existence of the Dutch raw milk cheese willautomatically have a positive attitude towards the product. They may not like similar cheeses(or raw milk) and therefore have a negative attitude towards the Dutch raw milk cheese. So75% of the 75% of people that know about the product must have a positive attitude towardsthe product within one year.4.3 Behaviour‘’90% of the people that have a positive attitude towards the product must have at leastbought it once within one year’’.To be clear: 90% of 75% of 75% leaves about 50%. So in total, of all the people that knowabout the Dutch raw milk cheese, 50% must have bought the product once within one year.The strategy to achieve these objectives can be found further in this report.5 Estimation of raw milk cheese sales and price level in thefirst yearIn this chapter, we will look at the potential sales numbers of the Dutch raw milk cheese inJapan. This is of course an estimation, but attention has been paid closely to various sourcesfrom the research report to make the estimation as realistic as possible.5.1 Natural cheese vs. processed cheeseWhen we want to estimate a realistic number of raw milk cheese that could be sold in Japan,a distinction has to be made between processed cheese and natural cheese. This isimportant because when you estimate a potential sales number, you can only base thenumber to competitors and similar products that sell in Japan. In this case, we have tocompare the Dutch raw milk cheese to other natural cheeses and not with processed cheesebecause it’s a different market segment. Also, the Dutch raw milk cheese is exported toJapan, so it’s even better to compare the product to other imported, natural cheeses.In the table below we find the total number of imported natural cheeses for direct13

consumption in Japan in tons. The total amount in tons in the full year of 2009 is 120 707tons and has grown 7% compared to 2008. It is likely that this number has grown somewhatfrom 2009 until now. 2008 was a bit of recession in cheese consumption, but the numbergrew again in 2009. We estimate that the amount of natural imported cheeses now (2012) isaround 133 000 tons. This number however is for Japan in total, not the 10 biggest cities thatwe suggest for selling the product in. The 10 biggest cities combined have around 24 307000 inhabitants. Japan in total has 126 475 664. So not all of this 133 000 tons is sold inthe cities that we choose. Still, we think that 75% of the 133 300 gets exported to the biggestcities, because the market there is simply the biggest. 75% of 133 300 = 99 975 tons.5.2 Dutch cheeseThe distinction of natural and processed cheese is not enough, because it is very hard to sayhow much of the 99 975 of imported natural cheese could be the Dutch raw milk cheese. It isperhaps best to compare the Dutch raw milk cheese to other Dutch cheese being sold inJapan. In the following table, you can see that of the total sum of cheeses (natural andprocessed) 3% comes from the Netherlands.14

Again we cannot say that this 3% counts for natural cheese only as well. Actually, when youlook at the current most important competitors in the natural cheese market, you can see thatthe Netherlands is quite well represented.These cheeses arethe main competitors in the natural cheese market. Of course there are more competitors,but these are the most important ones. You can count and see that there are 29 on this list. 4of them are from the Netherlands. 4/29 x 100 = 13.8%. Unfortunately, it is impossible tocheck how much these cheeses are being sold in Japan. One type might be more popularthan the other. Although this is true, it is safe to say that the percentage of Dutch naturalcheeses in Japan is higher than the percentage of all Dutch cheeses in Japan. Theestimation, based on the 13.8, is 8%. 8% of the 99 975 tons of natural cheeses is 7 998 tonsof estimated Dutch natural cheese sold in Japan.In the previous list, we saw that there were 4 Dutch cheeses included. We guess that thetotal number of Dutch cheese types sold in Japan is 9. The cheeses which probably have thehighest share in the 7 998 tons are the Gouda and the Edam cheese.15

In our search for information about natural Dutch cheeses in Japan, the Gouda cheese wasbasically the only cheese that repeatedly came up. Gouda and Edam cheese combined havean estimated share of 80% of the 7 998 tons of Dutch natural cheese in Japan. This leaves1 600 tons for the other cheeses. The average market share of the 7 other cheeses is 229tons per type.Dutch raw milk cheese is a new product, so it’s not realistic that the Dutch raw milk cheesecould also have a market share of 229 tons (in the first year). 8% of the 229 tons would notbe a too optimistic estimation. 8% of 229 tons = 18.32 tons.5.3 Price levelThe price level for the Dutch raw milk cheese is based on the other natural cheeses sold inJapan. These prices are listed in the Japanese yen per 100 grams. We think that the Dutchraw milk cheese could be sold for about 750 JPY, compared to the other cheeses. Webelieve that the cheese is more special than the Dutch Gouda cheese for example, which issold for 525 JPY. Specialty cheeses have a higher price, which adds the perception of thecheese really being special. 750 JPY = 7.08 euro’s.5.4 Conclusion18.32 tons of Dutch raw milk cheese in Japan. 7.08 euro’s per 100 grams. 1 ton = 1.000kilograms. 18,32 x 1000 = 18 320 kilograms of Dutch raw milk cheese. It is sold for 7.08euro’s per 100 grams. 18 320 x 10 = 183 200 grams. 183 200 grams x 7.08 euro’s = 1 297056 euro’s.16

6 Target AudiencesAmongst various consumer groups, the specific group that is characterized by living in bigcities, enjoying natural cheese, and can afford to buy raw milk cheese was chosen. Theseare the main reasons why this group is suited for Dutch raw milk cheese.6.1 Biggest cities of JapanFirst, our targets live in the 10 biggest cities of Japan. The biggest city in Japan is Tokyo with8,164,000 people, and the other 9 cities also have 16,143,000 people in Yokohama, Osaka,Nagoya, Sapporo, Kobe, Kyoto, Fukuoka, Kawasaki, and Saitama. The big cities are soimportant for distribution, because the cheese products can be offered to a lot of customersfairly easily this way.6.2 Cheese gourmetsSecondly, our targets really enjoy natural cheese which taste is very different from regularcheeses. Compared with western countries, there aren’t more people who enjoy (natural)cheese, percentage wise, but there is some demand for natural cheese in Japan. Especiallyby the so-called ‘Cheese gourmets’. Cheese gourmets have a relatively large experience ineating different types of cheese. They are knowledgeable about cheese types and theirqualities, they usually know what they want, and they are willing to pay for it. They eat avariety of cheeses with different and authentic tastes. Because this group has had muchexperience with eating cheese, the age of this group is between 35-65. They are willing to17

uy various natural cheeses in specialty cheese stores. They usually eat cheese as a sidedish.6.3 Financial powerLastly, natural cheese is more expensive than processed cheese, so the target group needsto have enough financial power to buy the Dutch raw milk cheese. Taste and flavour ofcheese are much more important than the price of cheese for this target group, because theydo not care much about the price, and they are most likely in a higher social class betweenupper middles and upper uppers.6.4 Mr. MasayaOf the target group for Dutch raw milk cheese in Japan, Mr. Masaya was chosen torepresent them.Background information; He is a 49-year-old man, who studied Economicsand Politics in Japan. He developed his lovefor high quality food and knowledge aboutcheese when he studied in France for 2 years,and carried it back to his homeland. Hecurrently works for an organization thatstimulates organic agriculture. He is verymotivated for his job. Masaya is married and has 2 daughters. Theylive in a decent-sized house. He loves hisfamily like he loves his job. Masaya has a goodsocial life and likes to eat at restaurants withfriends. Social contacts, his job, family and quality food are important in his life.The way to enjoy cheese; Masaya often eats organic and artisanal European food. He and his friends regularlycome together to eat specialty cheeses and drink wine. It’s a relaxing activity. Thepurpose of this activity is to enjoy the taste of the quality foods and also to talk/havesocial contact with his friendsIt’s a select group of people who really enjoy the specialty cheeses, but the people who do,really love it and regard it almost as their hobby. This also causes the fact that Masayaknows a lot about the specialty cheeses and also something about Dutch raw milk cheese.He would buy Dutch raw milk cheese because he is curious towards specialty cheeses andlikes their taste. Another reason why he would buy the raw milk cheese is to show it to hisfriends/colleges.Masaya usually uses social media to communicate with friends, but also to get informationabout organic foods, like cheese. Because he is a part of a ‘cheese lovers’ group on Twitterand Facebook, he gathers information about developments of cheese there. Also, he getsinformation about a lot of quality foods online as well, because he works at an organizationthat stimulates organic agriculture. In specific, he watches the news on television and alsoreads the paper. He has experience working with Twitter and Facebook and uses it forgetting information and sharing information.18

7 Retail / trade levelRaw milk cheese can be sold to special cheese shops, shops with imported products,restaurants with an international cuisine and who are healthy and organic oriented. It is alsointeresting to trade on the B2B level, in other words to cooperate with companies whichdistribute cheese within Japan. Suggested trade destinations are divided in four differentcategories.7.1 Shops1. Ferier Atago Shop Atago AS Bldg. 1F, 1-5-3 Atago, Minato-ku, Tokyo,tel. 03 5776-7722, https://shopping.fermier.fm (available in English)The most popular and well-known cheese shop in Tokyo. It might be very important clientbecause of its wider access to many restaurants where already many imported ingredientsare sold.Fermier has facilities to continue aging the cheeses until they reach their peak. It is anobligatory place to visit by cheese lovers.2. Cerfeuil Harajuku / Retail, Jingumae 5-10-1, Gyre B1F, Tokyo, tel. : 5468-2868It’s gourmet store where imported and high-end regional food can be found. Demandingclient visit this shop thus it’s a vastly important place where raw milk cheeses should find itsplace. The shop also offers other artisanal cheeses.3. Seiyu GK, Seijo Ishii Co, Supermarket chain.www.seijoishi.co.pl4. Casa de Queijo Ebisu 2-8-7, Tokyo, tel. 3473-552519

Unusual from other cheese shops, is also called “cheese bar”. Despite a variety of cheese inthis shop, pizza, wine and beer can be found here as well. Special events take place therewith the arrival of new imports.5. Seijo Ishii Ebisu-Minami 1-5-5, Atre Ebisu 3F, tel. 3448-1070Variety products from all over the world including cheeses.6.National Den-en Tamagawa-Denenchofu 2-6-21, tel. 3721-4161Part of an international supermarket chain National Azabu, different kinds of imported food.7.2 Distributors1. Ken International Inc. 3-6-13 Hoden, Nishi-ku, Osaka, tel. 81-6-65854444,Fax. 81-665851222, http://www.ken-int.co.jpJapanese company belongs to an expert Mr Hisada, imports an artisan cheese, which thansells to almost 20 shops, and cooperates with U.S.2. First International Corp. 1-24, Asagaya-minami 3-chome, Suginami-ku, TokyoImporter of dairy products.3. Sekai Cheese Shokai Inc. 4-11, Kachidoki, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, tel.03-35314236,Fax 03-35314236, www.sekai-cheese.co.jpCompany imports cheese products from Europe.4. MK Cheese Co. Ltd. 1206, Fukaya, Ayase, tel. 81-467-70-5903, fax 81-467-78-3150Imports cheese and products such as honey, jam, caramel from U.S, New Zealand, Australia,Canada.7.3 Restaurants1. Roast Chicken House 3-3-1, Shin-Tokyo Bldg. B1F tel. 5220-5588Slow dining restaurant with organic ingredients not because of very healthy withoutpesticides features, but because of its superior flavour. In their kitchen, cheese is used aswell.2.White Fox tel. 6903-6696Owner of few top-tier restaurants in the UK and France has run a restaurant in Tokyo.Characteristic thing is the tapas menu, very high quality of food in justified prices. Probablycheese is also used because of the tapas menu.3. D-ray Grill and Bar Kichijoji Honcho 1-10-3, B1F, tel. 0422-21-7171Bar with international menu, also cheese pizza.4. Addis, Nakane 2-3-15, tel. 6421-4302Pastas, pizzas, meat and seafood and sandwiches.5. Tony Roma's, tel. 3408-2748Restaurant offers fried cheese.6. Chelsea Market, Kanda Hanaokacho 1-9, Atre 2 Akihabara 2F, tel. 5256-7155In menu are pizzas, pastas including cheeses. It’s described as “Gourmet New York dining”7. Eat More Greens, Azabu-Juban 2-2-5, tel. 3798-3191Vegetarian food offers pastas, veggie tapas, vegetarian pizzas and lasagne and organicwines.8. Frijoles, Roppongi 6-6-9, Piramide Bldg. 1F, tel. 6447-1433Vegetarian gourmet food such as burritos, fajitas made from organic ingredients.20

9. Vegematto, Roppongi, tel. 6804-3791Use organic products from farms around Japan. As a main course restaurant offers amongof others cheese fondue.7.4 Online Shops1. www.amazon.jp2. www.theflyingpig.com3. www.store.alishan.jp4. www.themeatguy.jp8 Influential groups (NGO, press,)There are always influential groups who are really important for the sale of raw milk cheese.This chapter consists of these influential groups.8.1 Slow FoodSlow Food is important for the sales of the Dutch raw milk cheese. Slow Food is the nongovernmentalorganisation that helps the raw milk cheese farmers in Holland. Customers willask where the products come from and that’s why Slow Food plays an important role in thesales of the cheese. If the customers are told that Slow Food is the NGO taking care of theDutch raw milk cheese farmers, they might want to know more about it. The impression theyobtain about Slow Food can be from much value for the sales of the cheese. If they like theorganization, they will be more likely to buy the product.8.2 Cheese shopsThe cheeses shops are one the most important influential groups for the sales of the raw milkcheese. The cheese will only be sold in the specialty shops and that is why the relaters in thestore are very important. It is their job to promote the raw milk cheese in a good way and tomake the customers enthusiastic about the product. They must know everything about theproduct to help the customers as good as possible. They can influence the behaviour of thecustomer by the way they sell the raw milk cheese.8.3 FoodiesFoodies are also a part of the influential groups. Foodies are people who loves food and wholoves to drink. They like it to taste new things and to eat other products than the averagepersons do. They are not afraid to taste new products and they don’t mind it to spend a lot ofmoney on food. They would probably like the raw milk cheese and they are also willing tospend some money on it. The foodies are an important part of the target group for thecheese and therefore an important influential group. They can also stimulate other people totry the raw milk cheese.21

8.4 Restaurant criticsThe Dutch raw milk cheese will not only be sold in specialty cheese stores, but also inrestaurants. The restaurants critics will taste the cheese when they are dining in one of theserestaurants. Their opinion about the cheese is very important for the sales. If they like thecheese and they write about it in a very positive way, there will probably become more andmore people who would like to try the cheese. This can have a positive effect on the sales ofthe raw milk cheese. This can also be a disadvantage because if they dislike the cheese, thiscan have a negative effect on the sales.8.5 Food reviewersThe food reviewers have the same value as the restaurant critics but in a different way. Thefood reviewers buy the cheese themselves and don’t buy it in a meal in a restaurant. Theytaste the cheese at home and make their opinion about it public. This can have a biginfluence on the customers, because their opinion can be very important. The raw milkcheese has a quite unique and strong taste and this may deter people from buying theproduct.8.6 Culinary magazinesCulinary magazines belong also to the influential groups for the Dutch raw milk cheese.There are some culinary magazines in Japan, more information about them can be found inchapter 10. The recipes in these magazines can be from much value for the sales of raw milkcheese. The target group also reads magazines and if they find a nice recipe with raw milkcheese as an ingredient, they will buy the cheese, which stimulates the cheese sales.9 Intended positioning of Dutch Raw Milk cheeseThis chapter consists of an indication of how to position the raw milk cheese against thecompetition and how this perception needs to be indicated in the eyes of the target groups.Raw milk cheese exported from Holland is special and with a high quality, in that the numberof people who enjoy natural cheese is increasing and they want to experience various naturalcheeses. The more people have an experience of western style food, the larger cheesemarket will become. For these reasons, there are a lot of competitors in the Japanesecheese market. Among various competitors, the main countries are Australia, Denmark,England, France, Italy, Netherland, Norway, Spain, and USA.9.1 X and Y-axisTo position the raw milk cheese against the competitors it is necessary to make X and Y-axis.The X-axis standard is the price of cheese, and the Y-axis standard is the quality of cheese.22

9.1.1 X-axisBefore to choose the appropriate price of raw milk cheese, it is essential to check the price ofthe competitors. Cheeses in Japan are not sold by weight, but the price of plastic packed invacuum from 80g or 100g is between 300-1400 yen per 100g. The leader in the raw milkcheese market in Japan is France. The France cheeses are Moubier, Cental and Comte.These are also quite expensive and with high quality, just like the Italian cheeses. Thesecheeses are almost between 1000-1200yen. The Italian raw milk cheese is also expensive,but the range of cheese price is quite wide between 700-2000 yen per 100g. One example isCamembert. Camembert has adopted a tank round vacuum, that is inserted in a cardboardbox, and the forms are 100g and 125g. The Dutch cheeses sold in Japan are Gouda, Edam,Parano and Yogouda. These are the potential competitors for our raw milk cheese.Price level for the Dutch raw milk cheese is based on the other natural cheeses sold inJapan. These prices are listed in the Japanese yen per 100 grams. We think that the Dutchraw milk cheese could be sold for about 750 JPY, compared to the other cheeses. Webelieve that the cheese is more special than the Dutch Gouda cheese for example, which issold for 525 JPY. Specialty cheeses have a higher price, which adds the perception of thecheese really being special. 750 JPY = 7.08 euro’s. When all situations are considered tochoose the appropriate price of raw milk cheese, 7.08 euro is the best choice for raw milkcheese price. (This is already mentioned in the chapters before.)9.1.2 Y-axisThis standard is quality of cheese. This part is hard to be calculated, because it could bedifferent according to each person and experience. What we need to focus on is generalimage of specific cheese. When Japanese think ‘A’ cheeses in their mind, someone have agood and high quality about specific cheese. Also, others might have a low quality of ‘B’cheeses compared to price.In general, Japanese tend to think that the price and quality is almost same. It means if aproduct is expensive, they can feel high quality about the product. As it is mentioned inproject1 report, it is very important for Japanese that the product has high quality or isfamous in that field. For example, Japanese consumers are buying into the benefits of higherpriced organic and fair-trade products. And, consumers visit a variety of food outlets in orderto purchase the highest quality food products. When some brands have good and highquality image that could have high possibility to succeed in market. Therefore, raw milkcheese from small Holland cheese farm needs to be set high quality strategy for success incheese market.To summarize, the price and quality of raw milk cheese should be high to make cheeseconsumer have a high quality image. Through the premium price and image, raw milkcheese could be placed in special point in positioning chart.The chart shows where raw milk cheese should be compared to other competitions. Theprice of raw milk cheese is in middle-high, and the quality is same or higher than France andItaly cheese. Through this positioning, Japanese consumer could accept the raw milk cheeseis good and special product compared to similar price product.23

10 Message / value propositionDutch raw milk cheese is a true artisanal cheese, produced by local farmers who carrygenerations of knowledge and craftsmanship. It gives you a unique and luxury taste, thanksto the 100% natural ingredients. True quality is scare, but abundant in the Dutch raw milkcheese.24

11 Communications mixThe communication mix consists of instruments used to contact the customers. This mix isconnected to the target groups, objectives and strategy of the product. Examples ofmarketing communication instruments are: advertising, public relations, trade fairs, directmarketing, brochures and client days. In this chapter, the communication mix will be givenand explained.11.1 Cheese eventTo enter the Japanese cheese market, it is important to be noticed. Since Dutch raw milkcheese is a specialty cheese, it is important to be noticed by people who like specialtycheese. That’s why we want to have a little party or event to which we invite people who areimportant on the Japanese cheese market. We hope to reach a bigger public through thesepeople. We also welcome other people to join and get knowledge of the Dutch raw milkcheese.We decided that the (first) gathering/event/party will be in Tokyo, the capital of Japan. At thisevent, we let the visitor taste all kinds of Dutch raw milk cheeses and educate them abouttheir origin and how they are produced. Some nice drinks, like wine, are served as well andclassical and piano music will play on the background, to add the feeling of an exclusiveparty and exclusive products.Invitations will be send to cheese shop owners in Tokyo, restaurants that serve Europeancheeses and Slow Food Japan. Also, brochures to promote the event will be put in thecheese shops in Tokyo so that the costumers are also aware of the event/party.Visitors of the party can try and taste the cheeses for free.Visitors of the party who we do not invite, they have to get the knowledge of the party byreading the brochures in the cheese shops. Then, on the brochures, it says that they have togo on Facebook to our Facebook page. Then they have to like the page in order to see theinvitation posted on the Facebook wall. They must print the invitation and bring it to the partyto get access.11.1.1 Who do we want to invite:Shinya Takasaki Wine SalonMiyuki Murase, one half of Japanese team which took second place in the internationalcheesemonger’s competition, is holding one day workshops which will teach participantscheese knowledge such as the marriage of cheese and wine, and how to correctly storecheese. This is the perfect course for those wanting to start out with the basics.25

Cheese for Beginners – Tips for Enjoying Cheese CourseDate: Fri Dec 4, 7:30pm–8:30pmSun Jan 10, 3pm–4pmFri Jan 17, 5pm–6pmAddress: 3F Atago AS Building, 1-5-3 Atago, Minato-kuTelephone: (0120)362 026Website: www.tasaki-shinya.com/Seibu Ikebukuro Honten Cheese ShopCome here to see the other half of the second place winning Japanese team, Yuko Inoue, inaction. At the International Caseus Awards, contestants are judged on eight differentcategories such as creating a cheese display, and cheese cutting and tasting. In addition toclinching the overall second-place spot, Inoue and Murase took first place for their displayand cheese hygiene techniques. The Seibu Ikebukuro shop will give you a feel for what ittakes to be recognised amongst the highest in world standards of cheese craftsmanship andknowledge.Address: 1-28-1 Nishi Ikebukuro, Toshima-kuPhone: (03)3981 0111Open: Mon-Sat 10am–9pm, Sun & nat. holidays 10am-8pmWebsite: www2.seibu.jp/usrinfo/FermierOpened in 1986, this was the first store in Japan dedicated to imported natural cheeses.Fermier (French for “farm-made”) stocks artisanal cheeses; each week the shop receivesover 200 different kinds of cheese from Paris and Milan. The Atago store also has a salonwhere customers can enjoy beverages and light meals such as an assorted cheese platter,wine by the glass and espresso coffee.Address: Atago AS Bldg, 1-5-3 Atago, Minato-kuTelephone: (03)5776 7720Open: Mon-Sat 11am-6:30pm, closed Sun and national, New Year, and summer holidaysWebsite: shopping.fermier.fm/Sekai Cheese ShokaiThis wholesaler of world cheeses has a monthly clearance sale of cheeses that are nearingtheir used-by-date. The sale is so popular that people line up to ensure they don’t miss out.The next sale is on November 27 starting at 11:30am; die-hard cheese fans usually begin toline up from around 10:30am. Get there early— most of the bargains are gone by midmorning.Address: 2-4-11 Katsudoki, Chuo-kuTelephone: (03)3531 4236Open: Mon-Fri 10am-5pm, closed Sat-Sun and nat. holidaysWebsite: www.sekai-cheese.co.jp/Ginza CandleEstablished in 1950, this long-running restaurant featuring western cuisine was frequentedby famous writers such as Yukio Mishima and Yasunari Kawabata. One menu highlight:‘1950’s Shrimp and Macaroni Gratin’ has been around since the restaurant opened and ismade with a generous serving of specially selected Edam cheese. The gratin’s grilled cheesearoma is to-die-for.26

Address: B1 Ariga Shashin-kan Bldg, 7-3-6 Ginza, Chuo-kuTelephone: (03)3573 5091Open: Mon-Fri 11:30-11pm (LO 10pm), Sat 12noon-11pm (LO 10pm), Sun & nat. holidays12noon-10pm (LO 9pm)Website: www.ginza-candle.com/ginza-candle/Marche Aux Vins YamadaJust like at a sushi restaurant, this French restaurant has counter seating in front of a displaycase allowing customers to see the cheeses on offer. Approximately 20 cheeses are onavailable and customers are recommended cheeses to complement their food and wine.Address: 5-19-3 Hiroo, Shibuya-kuTelephone: (03)3441 9979Open: Mon-Sat 6pm-4am (LO 12midnight)Website: r.gnavi.co.jp/g148402/Signifiant SignifieEnjoy bread, cheese and wine at this Boulanger. In the ‘tasting space’, customers can enjoyan assortment of five cheeses, which can be ordered as a set served with wine and bread,with second helpings of bread available.Address: 2-43-11 Shimoma, Setagaya-kuTelephone: (03)3422 0030Open: from 11am (days and times are variable, call ahead)Website: artandcraft.jp/ss/top.htmlDr GoodsA specialist shop for cooking utensils, this cook’s emporium is located close to the entry ofTokyo’s ‘kitchen town’ of Kappabashi, near Asakusa. Head here for cheese knives, cheeseslices and other specialty cheese gear.Address: 1-4-8 Nishi Asakusa, Taito-kuTelephone: (03)3847 9002Open: Mon-Fri 9:30am-5:30pm, Sat 9:30am-6pm, closed Sun, nat. holidays and every thirdSatWebsite: www.dr-goods.com/realshop/Le Cordon Bleu DaikanyamaThis French cooking academy established its Daikanyama post in 1895. Cheese makingclasses here are fully supported by the Tokyo Professional Cheese Association. There arecourses for beginner, intermediate and advanced levels of cheese making, designed so thatstudents can systematically learn all aspects of the art from farm to table. Those whocomplete all three levels will be eligible to receive an official Cordon Bleu Diploma in Cheese.Address: ROOB-1, 28-13 Sarugakucho, Shibuya-kuTelephone: (03)5489 0141, free dial (0120)454 840Website: www.cordonbleu.co.jp/index.cfm?fa=FrontEndMod.HomePageCheese club in TokyoCheese lovers rejoice. Browse, nibble and shop while you enjoy cheeses brought in from around theworld. The number of cheese lovers in Japan has slowly grown as access to gourmet cheeses hasincreased throughout the country. In the cafe, have a glass of wine while you sample their wideselection. You can buy by the piece, or place orders to your specifications.27

Contact:tel: +81 3 5420 7905Address:5-5-1 Hiroo1F Igarashi BuildingTokyo 150-0012Neighbourhood:ShibuyaSlow Food JapanMasayosha Ishida is the vice-president of Slow Food Japan.Telephone:• ishida@p-campi.com+81-80-5717-6122MobileE-mail:ishiduccio@gmail.com11.1.2 The invitationThe invitation for the cheese event can be found in the appendices.11.2 Joint promotionWhile trying to find more information about cheese in Japan, we noticed the wine-cheeseconnection. Wine is getting more and more popular in Japan (The Vinexpo study forecasts\growth in wine consumption of 2.77% between 2010 and 2014. (Vinexpo – The IWSR / 19January 2011) 1 and the taste connection it has with cheese is very popular. Also, our targetgroup is really perfect for drinking wine (western food orientated, classy, prefer quality foods)That’s why we decided to promote the cheese, using a popular wine brand in Japan, so thatthey can recommend the Dutch raw milk cheese and the Dutch raw milk cheese can promotethe wine as a great taste ‘partner’. Which wine is great with the Aged Artisanal Gouda forexample? This is what we found:‘’Gouda is simply unrivalled for that perfect balance of salty and sweet. Deep caramel incolour, crunchy, flaky, and meltingly smooth on the tongue, a true cow's milk Dutch Goudabursts with flavour. The hint of butterscotch at the finish is a signature of this Dutch treat.Gouda pairs well with Cabernet Sauvignon as well as several white wine varietals.’’ 2Cabernet Sauvignon is good with the aged Gouda, so this is the wine for joint promotion.The promoting itself will be done by the Aged Artisanal Gouda, recommending the CabernetSauvignon of a certain brand and vice versa by putting the brand/product on the label withsomething like: Serve/eat with aged artisanal gouda/cabernet sauvignon for a great taste.Another way of the joint promotion will be a special package of Cabernet Sauvignon andaged artisanal Gouda. So 2 products combined into one package.1http://www.vinexpo.com/en/actualites/news/japanese-wine-iwsr/2http://www.artisanalcheese.com/Gouda-Aged-Four-Years/productinfo/10716/28

Example:This picture shows a combo-product ofa wine and a cheese and evencrackers (joint promotion for 3companies). You can imagine that apackage like this could also serve as agreat gift.11.3 Cooking magazinesAnother way to reach the target groupis by placing advertisements in cooking magazines.haru_mi 3Quarterly magazineBy Harumi KuriharaPublished since September 2006Publisher FusoshaPrice ¥980This quarterly recipe magazine has been publishing in March,June, September, and December 1st every year. It introducescooking recipes as well as interiors, gardening, and other thingsto make your life enjoyable with Harumi’s freewheeling andcreative ideas. It has attracted loyal women readers, especiallythose in their thirties to fifties.Orange Page 4Price ¥531This is a Japanese cooking magazine full of recipes for foodlovers and budding chefs. The recipes are varying ofcomplexity and tastes. This is not only a cooking magazinebut it also consists of tips on things such as health,needlework and the household. This magazine has also someeastern and western influences on the recipes. Thismagazines comes out every two weeks on the 2nd & 17th ofeach month. This magazine suits the target group, becausethe target group of this magazine are the cheese lovers,which is also a part of the target group for the Raw MilkCheese.3http://www.yutori.co.jp/en/book/index.html4http://japancentre.com/items/orange-page29

The size of the advertisement will be one page.11.4 YouTube videoFor the promotion of the raw milk cheese we made a YouTube video about the cheese. Thisvideo will be posted on YouTube and will be available to watch for everybody who isinterested. The video will be updated in a couple of years, so it is always a relevant andinnovating video.11.5 Brochures in storesTo promote the cheese event and the introduction of raw milk cheese, there will be specialbrochures designed. These brochures will consist of all the necessary information for thecustomer about the event and the cheese. These brochures will be placed in specialtycheese stores, who also sell the Dutch raw milk cheese.30

12 Planning the communication mix activitiesThis chapter contains of a time planning for the communication mix activities. These activitieshave been pointed out in the previous chapter, chapter 10. The period of time used for thisplanning is from 2012 till 2015. Each element of the communication mix will be discussed.The global budget for this planning will be explained in chapter 14.12.1 Overview of the planning2012 2013 2014 2015CommunicationActivitiesCheese event 17 July Tue July(Annual event)Tue July(Annual event)Tue July(Annual event)JointAlways Always Always AlwayspromotionIn storepromotionCooking 4 times 4 times 3 times 3 timesmagazinesYouTubevideoAlways opened Always opened UpdatedversionUpdatedversionBrochures instores foreventMay to July May to July May to July May to JulyBrochures instores forinformationAlwaysavailableAlwaysavailableUpdatedversionUpdatedversion12.2 Cheese eventThe cheese event will be held on the 18th of July 2012. This reason for this date is becausethis is right after the introduction of the Dutch raw milk cheese in Japan and that is the time tolet the people discover the cheese. The cheese event will become an annually event on aTuesday in July. The reason for an annual event is to inform the people year by year aboutthe cheese and to attract as much people as possible. Later on there will be new types ofraw milk cheese introduced, and therefore a cheese event is very important.12.3 Joint promotionThe joint promotion will last as long as possible. The contract that is signed with the cooperatorhas no limit date. The package with wine and cheese will probably change once in afew years, but the cooperation will last long.12.4 Cooking magazinesThe advertisements in the cooking magazines will be placed in 2012 and 2013 four times ayear. Three advertisements will be placed the next two following years. In the first two years,we will place an advertisement every quarter. The product is new in Japan and that is why itis better to place more advertisements in the introduction stage. After four years, a total of 1431

advertisements will be placed in 2 different cooking magazines, namely Haru_Mi and OrangePage. The advertisement will be the size of one A4.12.5 YouTube videoThe special promotion video for the Dutch raw milk cheese will be placed on YouTube. Thisvideo will be always available on www.youtube.com and can be seen by people wheneverthey want. However, after the first two years, the video will be updated because of theintroduction of new cheeses. The people are also known with the products after a few yearsso the message that needs to be transferred must be different.12.6 Brochures in storeThe especially designed brochure is essential in the introduction stage of the raw milkcheese very important. There are two different types of brochures, one with information ingeneral about the raw milk cheese and one with information about the cheese event. Thebrochures about the cheese event will be in specialty cheese shops from May till July, threemonths before the event. The brochures with information about the cheese will always beavailable in the cheese shops.32

13 Communications InfrastructureMany ways of communication have been chosen thus it needs to be supported by staff thatwill be responsible for particular parts of the marketing communication.An important thing is to find appropriate people who can easily communicate both inJapanese and in English. The people should be skilled enough to manage dealing in B2Blevel, have years of experience in marketing area and be well organised.Personnel can be found by a professional agency. For example, in Tokyo there is the CRTInternational, which has a lot of candidates in, its data base from the marketing field.13.1. PeopleFollowing suggestions for the client:13.1.1. Public Relation ManagerThese managers usually are highly skilled and can perform a multitude of tasks.Responsibility in such areas as:• Business contacts with magazines agents• Take care of press advertise design and implement them in the magazines (thisincludes the responsibility to produce special stories, feature articles)• Coordination of accomplishment the brochures and posters• Keep track of the brochures and posters• Complete tasks reporting• Evaluating projects• Moreover provide general information to the media upon request13.1.2. Event managerSpecific features of the product are why it is located in a niche market. Therefore specialevents are required to reach audiences. The must in that case is perfect preparation toclassify it as high-end events and stress the high quality of the product to justify a higherprice.The most important thing is to ensure that the idea of the events will be different and specialbut not require a really high budget.This can be done only by people with talent and experience, but also with a great connectionto the business reality.The event manager will be in charge of:• Oversee and arrange any aspects of the event which mainly consist of :- Collecting information, ideas (how to make the event attractive for the target group),- Planning (step by step to be sure that everything will be predictable and under control),- Organizing (personnel, food, invitations, etc.)- Implementing and controlling- Evaluating events- Complete tasks reporting33

13.2. BudgetThe table below presents approximately the salary for a Marketing Manager in Tokyo in2012. Gross salary – 6 000 000 JPY include all bonuses, Net salary present amount ofmoney without taxes.Average salary in Japan:CareerProjectManagerMarketingManagerChemicalEngineerLeadGrossGross(USD)EnteredSalary$103,117 8,500,000$72,789JPY6,000,000JPY$101,904 8,400,000JPYNetEnteredSalary7,500,000JPY5,000,000JPY7,200,000JPYEducation Experiences City AddedMastersDegreeMastersDegreeBachelorsDegree02 May16-20 Years Hamamatsu201201 Apr4-8 Years Tokyo201212-16 Years Tokyo01 Apr2012Source: averagesalarysurvey.comThe budget for additional employees can be estimate by taking above average of salaries inJapan but the price could differ when it would come to the individual contract. The one thingthat should be taken in to consideration is that to save time and by willing to find high skilledpeople, it is recommended to make use of the job agency in Japan. So the price of suchservice should be added. Because the product is new on the market, it is a lot of money forcompanies to hire personnel that ask more than 70 000 dollars per year. Cheaper, lessexperienced, but skilled managers can hopefully be found by the job agencies in Japan aswell.14 BudgetThis chapter is about the available budget for the period 2012 till 2015 for thecommunications mix activities. Each activity will be explained.34

14.1 Overview of the costs2012 2013 2014 2015 TotalCommunicationActivitiesCheese event €4000 €4000 €4000 €4000 €16,000JointpromotionCookingmagazines(28 times)YouTubevideoBrochures(10,000 paper)Posters(500 paper)€5000 €5000 €5000 €5000 €20,000€24,000 €24,000 €18,000 €18,000 €84,000€0 €0 €0 €0 €0€350 €350 €350 €350 €1400€190 €190 €190 €190 €760Total €33,540 €33,540 €27,540 €27,540 €122,16014.2 Cheese eventThe costs for the cheese event are a total of different costs. These costs consists of:- Location- Invitations- Food and drinksThe average total costs per year will be €3000.The amount of money available for the cheese is event will be €800014.3 Joint promotionBecause we are new in Japan, it will cost us some money to cooperate with anothercompany. For the bottles of wine, the total package and the costs of the cooperation wemade an estimation.The amount of money available for the joint promotion will be €20,00014.4 Cooking magazinesAs explained in the planning of the communications mix, there will be placed in total 14advertisements in 2 different cooking magazines, which makes the total of advertisements28. Advertising in magazines is relatively expensive, but you can reach a lot of people withyour ads so the expectation is that it will be useful. The average price of an add is €3000.The amount of money available for the advertisements in the cooking magazines will be €28.000.14.5 YouTube videoThe YouTube video made for the promotion of the Dutch raw milk cheese in Japan. It is freeto upload a video on YouTube so it won’t cost any money. The cameras can also be hired forfree and we will be the ‘actors’ for the video. This all makes it that the production of the videowill costs us nothing.The amount of money available for the YouTube video will be €0.35

14.6 Brochures and postersBrochures and posters will be designed to inform the potential customers about the Dutchraw milk cheese and about the cheese event. These brochures will be placed in specialtycheese stores and the number of brochures will be 10.000, 1000 brochures for each 10shops. We will also print 300 posters, to hang in restaurants and shops in Japan. Theseposters are designed to promote the cheese event en the raw milk cheese.The amount of money available for the brochures and posters will be €2160.15 EvaluationResult of the marketing activity can be measured from a financial perspective. In that caseprofits and losses for raw milk cheese should be compared from year to year. Moreover,results can be measured by checking the volume of sales and the price fluctuation during theyear.Evaluation should be also done through assumed objectives. The most relevant tool for thatcould be a questionnaire in the shops where they sell specialty cheeses. According to theobjectives, evaluation of these objectives will be done in May of 2013. The following aspectswill be assessed:36

- Does the familiarity of the product is close to 75%?- does the assumed 3/4 of 75% of the target group have a positive attitude towards theproduct?- will 90% of target group be willing to buy the product at least one time within one year?Appendices1 Project contractBackgroundSlow food is a global organization founded in 1989. It first started as the association‘Agricola’ in Italy, but nowadays it is a large international organization with moreover 80.000members in 50 countries. Their main goals are to change the way people think about food, toprotect knowledge and skills which small producers and farmers still have, and to counter theupcoming fast food industry. They do this all for people’s health and respect for the tradition.Seven countries have national branches that have been established to coordinate SlowFood’s activities. One of the countries is the Netherlands.In countries where the tradition of making cheese rich is to the centuries B.C., 98% of alllocal cheese is produced in modern creameries. However, 400 small Dutch farmers still have37

a chance to join in dairy market, but they need professional support in marketing and sellingespecially in foreign countries. This is what Slow Food does.The aim of this project is to develop a coherent marketing strategy for the Dutch raw milkcheese in Japan, for the period of 2012 – 2015.Definition of the problemEach project is made for a reason, which in other words means the definition of the problem.In this case the definition of the problem is:‘How can Slow Food successfully support Dutch producers of raw milk cheese in marketingtheir products in Japan?’This project will be based on the findings of the project of period 3, in which we made amarket research report. This report contains of all the information about the Japans cheesemarket and Japan itself, which could be relevant for the export of the cheese.Objectives of the projectCentral in this part of the project contract is the question: ‘What does Slow Food wants toachieve by this project?’ These will be answered in the following objectives:− Help the Dutch raw milk cheese producers to internationalize− Give guidelines of marketing their goods on particular area as JapanProject resultsThis is about the project’s outcomes and what we are going to deliver as a project group.What we eventually deliver is an international marketing plan, which contains of a coherentmarketing strategy for the Dutch raw milk cheese in Japan. This marketing report consists ofdifferent parts, to start with a short analysis of the current situation. Next will be the SWOTand the marketing communication goals. The next chapter is about how to target theaudiences, followed by the retail / trade level of the cheese. Then the influential groups willbe discussed and the intended positioning of the Dutch raw milk cheese. The next chapter isabout the message / value proposition, followed by the communications mix, which consistsof several element. Next the planning of the communication mix activities will be discussedand the communications infrastructure. The next chapter is about the budget and the finalchapter will be an evaluation of the project. The project will furthermore consist of anintroduction and a management summary and at the end the appendices.Project activities +planningEvery assignment needs to be finished at the end of the week (Friday). The reason for this isthat we can receive feedback on the parts that we’ve made. After the weekend, on Monday,we have another meeting to discuss possible problems and to work on the new projectassignments. We’ve chosen to work on Monday, so that everyone can improve his or herparts, based on the feedback, during the weekend. We can discuss during the meeting if theparts are good this time.The work for week 3 needs to be finished on Monday in week 3, so we can start working onthe assignments for week 4 in week 3. We’ve chosen to do it like this, because theassignment for week 3 was rather small.We’ve chosen break down the project in parts and to work in pairs. We’ve divided all thethings we have to do and made a planning. We’ve chosen to work in pairs so that you canalways help each other and you can discuss things easily. The planning is as follows:Who? What? When? How long will it take?38

Natalie Project contract Wk 216-04 / 22-04-2012Agnieszka Short analysis of the current Wk 3situation23-04 / 29-04-2012Natalie SWOT Wk 323-04 / 29-04-2012Arthur Marketing / communication Wk 3goals23-04 / 29-04-2012Jin Target audiences Wk 323-04 / 29-04-2012Arthur Estimation of raw milk Wk 3cheese sales and price level 23-04 / 29-04-2012in first yearAgnieszka Retail / trade level Wk 407-05 / 13-05-2012Natalie Influential groups Wk 307-05 / 13-05-2012Jin Intended positioning of Dutch Wk 4raw milk cheese07-05 / 13-05- 2012Arthur Message / value proposition Wk 407-05/ 13-05-2012Everybody Communications mix Wk 514-05/ 20-05-2012Natalie Planning the communications Wk 5mix14-05 /20-05-2012Agnieszka CommunicationsWk 5infrastructure14-05 / 20-05-2012Natalie Budget Wk 514-05 / 20-05-2012Everybody Evaluation Wk 414-05 / 20-05-20122 hours3 hours2 hours1 hours3 hours4 hours4 hours2 hours3 hours1 hours6 hours2 hours3 hours3 hours2 hoursThe final deadline for the market research report is Friday 25 may 2012 at 16 o’clock.Project boundariesThe project boundaries we have to deal with two different things, namely the length and thewidth of the project. First of all, the length of the project. There is a maximum of 45 pages forthe final report. This project is about making a market research report for Dutch raw milkcheese in Japan. We as a group are responsible for the delivery of this. This plan must beuseful and with a good quality, but this will be discussed in the next part of the projectcontract.The next project boundary is about the width of the project. This project will be focused onJapan. Because Japan is a very big country with over 127 million habitants, we will first focuson the main cities of Japan, like Tokyo, Yokohama and other cities. There is also a differencebetween soft and hard raw milk cheese. We will make the decision about the cheese typelater.QualityThe quality of this project is very important. The final report is for a real client, namely SlowFood and the Dutch raw milk cheese producers, that’s why it is important that this project willbe useful and with a good quality. To make this a good report, there will be used good andreliable sources. This won’t be only Internet sources; we will also try to contact the experts39

on Dutch Raw Milk Cheese, of which the e-mail addresses are posted in the study guide.When we have questions because we don’t understand something about the cheese, we cane-mail them to make sure that we use the right information about the cheese. We willreference all our sources with the date of use with footnotes. Furthermore, we are allbusiness students so we know what we do. The way we work as a project group andbusiness students is very important for a good quality. Hye Jin is from South Korea, which isin Asia. There are a lot of differences between the Europeans and the Asians, and she canprovide information about how the Asians life and what their foot habits are. This informationis very helpful, because it would be hard to contact someone in Japan.Project organizationResponsible personsNatalie will be responsible for content dossier, group portfolio, meeting minutes etc. She willalso take care of the final project, and puts everything in one document.Agnieszka will be the central person for the client. Giuseppe is no longer involved in theproject, he will help is if we need to contact Italian speaking Japanese.Project member dataName Country Field of Telephone E-mail addressstudy numberArthur van The International +316407518 thurie@msn.comRiet Netherlandsbusinessandlanguages92Hye Jin Lee South-KoreaManagementandbravomylife33@gmail.combusinessNatalie The International +316290123 nataliehoogerwaard@msHoogerwaa Netherlandsbusiness78n.comrdandlanguagesAgnieszka Poland International 0048 798 379 fav.green@op.plPloszynskaFinance and 100BankingReportThe font that we are going to use for this is project is Arial size eleven. The spacing will be1,0.Project costs and revenuesEach project costs money. It will take approximate 70 hours to make the market researchreport. This means 17,5 hours per person. Each employee costs €19,85 per hour. The totalsalary costs are 70 * €19,85 =€1389,50.The final report will be approximate 45 pages. The report will be printed at school in colour.The final costs for printing are calculated as follows:45 pages1 page costs €0,1045 * €0,10 = €4,50The final costs will be €4,50 Euros.Risk analysis40

There are always risks when making a project in groups. In this case there are two types ofrisks. First we have the risk of a technical problem with the computers or hard drives. It couldhappen that a computer or a hard drive crashes, and this would cause a major problem forthe whole group. Although it would happen, we can prevent that it would cause problems.Every group member will post his or her parts at the BlogSpot. We will also send the partswe’ve made to our own e-mail address, so we always have our parts online. Natalie will alsoalways have the most recent report on an USB-stick.There could also occur a problem with the health of the group members. Someone can getsick or maybe in the worst case get involved in an accident. When this occurs, the othergroup members have to work harder. The planning for the whole period is made, and theparts of that person will be divided among the other group members. This means that theother group members have to work harder, but in this case that is inevitable.It is also possible that we have to deal with unexpected costs. In the first place, we will travelby bus or train. We will also print our final report in colour and in a good quality. If the costs ofthe research will be higher than we expected, we can try to get information in cheaper ways.We can travel for example by bicycle and we can print our report on less quality paper.Code of conductBecause of the mixed international groups, it is important to have a code of conduct. It isimportant to agree upon what we think is tolerated within the group, and what not. We’vemade the following agreements, and each group member will sign this agreements.- When someone isn’t able to come to the project meeting, he or she has to send amessage to one of the other group members why he or she is absent. The absentgroup member has to make sure that he or she has finished the parts in time,even though he/she isn’t at school. One of the other project members will send ane-mail to the absent person, to inform him/her about the progress.- If someone is absent for no reason for the third time during the period, her or shewill be kicked out of the project group.- Non-attendance without any information can causes consequences as less pointsgranted.- Not preparing tasks well (because of a not serious attitude) can cause less pointsgranted.41

- Group members have to finish their part in time and send in to the responsibleperson; in this case that is Natalie. If you can’t make it in time, please e-mail thegroup and maybe there is someone who can help you.- We will all make sure that other classmates can’t take note of our report. Ifsomeone outside the groups ask to read our report, this first have to be discussedwith the whole project group.- Everybody is held responsible for the final report, because we’ve made it together.We,Natalie HoogerwaardHye Jin Lee___________________________________________________Agnieszka PloszynskaArthur van Riet______________________________________________________agree to the code of conduct and we will take responsibility for what we do.2 Cheese Event invitationPoster42

Invitation43