Market Entry
Services

Our team leverages its market research and semiotics expertise to pinpoint the most promising opportunities for new businesses. By identifying the right customer targets and understanding the cultural nuances of each market, we help our clients make informed decisions about where and how to enter the market.

Market Entry Services

To launch more than just another option on the shelf requires a thorough mastery of categories and consumer behaviour, as well as of their cultural setting. Yuzu Kyodai’s assistance allows its clients to identify both their purpose in new markets, and how best to become a part of people’s everyday life.

Market Entry Strategy

We believe any viable market entry strategy needs to have a deep understanding of:

  • How the category works in Japan or China
  • In how far one’s messaging needs adaptation
  • What should be localised and how
  • In which channels to compete and with what customers
  • Where in the market to position one’s brand

Every country has its own unique cultural norms and peculiarities that may not be immediately apparent to those from outside the culture. Deeply ingrained in Asian culture – with our hub in Tokyo and offices in Shanghai and Singapore – we take great pride in our understanding of how consumers think and behave in the Japanese and Chinese markets and beyond, so that we can develop comprehensive market entry strategies.

We work closely with our clients to develop localisation strategies that ensure their brand is positioned to penetrate the market and succeed in the long term.

Market Entry Analysis

We tailor our approach to each client and their unique challenges and needs. Each project is entirely bespoke, pulling from a combination of semiotics and qualitative and/or quantitative market research to accurately capture the market landscape.

We perform in-depth competitive analysis to get a lay of the land, collaborate with our clients to develop localisation strategies for text and visual language, and identify the most effective channels to help ensure their brand is positioned to penetrate the market successfully. Once we have a clear understanding of the market, we build a customised market entry strategy that is best suited to the local market and long-term success.

Our Market Entry Solutions

Category Landscaping

We help clients sharpen what they have to offer to Japanese or Chinese consumers by mapping out who the key competitors will be, what they define as their USPs, and how they are communicating them to consumers. This gives us a lay of the land, providing insight into the best and most efficient market entry tactics.

Localisation Strategy

Localisation is all about adjusting our clients’ products or services to fit the local market and resonate with local customers. It involves localising messaging, where we define and convey clients’ USP in the most compelling way possible to resonate with Japanese or Chinese consumers. It also extends to visual communications, where we strategise how to adjust the visuals – including imagery, colour, and atmosphere – to capture the cultural nuance and appeal to Japanese or Chinese consumers.

Channel Strategy

Different channels dominate different markets. We work with our clients to determine the most effective and profitable channels they should prioritise to reach their target audience. Channel strategy spans beyond simply picking distribution channels, also including the fundamentals of content strategy and social platforms in different markets.

Target Identification

From lifestyle and gender to age and income, it’s vital to hone in on demographics for clarity in branding and strategy for market entry. Target identification helps pinpoint the most profitable target audience when entering the market. We help clients reach the most relevant customers for their product or service, giving us clarity around other market entry strategies like communications, pricing, and design.

Benefits of Market Entry Services

When market entry is done well, businesses can:

  • Gather deep insight on their target audience
  • Gain a better understanding of customer needs
  • Reduce product launch time
  • Save on excessive marketing spend
  • Develop an initial base of loyal customers
  • Effectively penetrate and gain significant market share from the start
Businesses fail in new markets everyday due to poor market analysis and half-baked market entry strategies. Comprehensive market entry services allow businesses to reach a new set of customers in the most effective ways possible.

Market Entry FAQ

What are some common market entry methods?

There are many different ways to enter a new market, including exporting, licensing, and franchising – but we typically help clients fully enter new markets with insights backed by semiotics and deep cultural analysis.

What is the best market entry strategy?

The best market entry strategy is dependent on business objectives, target audience, market competition, market culture, and many other factors. Market entry can be very complex, and requires in-depth strategy and analysis to be done successfully.

How do you measure market entry?
Market entry is most often measured by market penetration or market share taken. But there are plenty of other metrics (qualitative and quantitative) that you could use to measure market entry success.
How do you compile a market entry strategy?

A successful market entry strategy relies on comprehensive market research and cultural intelligence. A market entry strategy should include target identification, channel recommendations, competitive analysis (or category landscaping), and a localisation strategy.

What tools can be used for market analysis?
A lot of different tools can be used for market analysis. There are plenty of digital surveying tools that can be used during the market research stage, public company databases can help analyse the market and current competition, and research centres and government statistics can provide demographic breakdowns and industry data as well.