There may be no joy in Japan for JavaJoy

Patrick Darnell

Select a region of the world (not North America) where you feel a market for high-end coffee brewing equipment exists. Beginning with your knowledge of domestic data sources, research your selected region using the Cybrary and the Internet. Summarize your search strategy and research results.
Hank has doubts that funds will be available to contract with an external research organization. He asks if you would be able to perform adequate marketing research by yourself using information on the Internet. (CTUOnline: Task Detail 2006)

Title: JapanJoy

Introduction

Budding, embryonic and emerging describes Japanese coffee-brewing markets enticing JavaJoy to pursue. The Japanese population buying attitudes may be transforming a little toward convenience-seeking, departing past Spartan, Zen, humble-seeking. I ask is there available to JavaJoy international research basis supporting growth potential for USA based retail groups in Japan? Pieces here and there, scattered about, make the toil high priority and labor intensive. The mission to discover associations, institutions, societies, editorial boards, and efficient subscriptions is to reckon the deeper grounds for growth.

I have found shopping out functional marketing tools for international ventures for independent region Japan, claims high prices. Sprouting practical sources from very start is easier said than done.

Contriving limit hypothesis’s about international regions, like Japan, often come out as conjecture, biased and otherwise less-than qualitative sourced. Tunnel vision opinions and ambivalent generalizations come ready-made from incomplete history, and stilted associations stemming from one-sided interviews during, say, post-war reconstructions. If quantitative documentation exists, it is embedded in research techniques that are patent process of international marketing researchers. It is difficult to wrestle from multinationals what is their livelihood.

Technique for marketing research outside USA has many implicit land mines, and explicit barriers. If a successful marketing researcher, like Kraft International, Nestle and perhaps Hilton were actually sharing freely its international coffee sources and supply business information on the internet, those groupings would be soon out of business. So multinational corporate effectively builds a moat around a fortress for itself.
Just as JavaJoy is unwilling to post names and addresses of its entire supply chain for all to see, also others humbly take a back step to sharing information over the internet. In a catholic case for JavaJoy Inc, making sound judgments’ about sectors outside USA, less is not more. If JavaJoy does not expect funds enough to hire a successful international marketing group, it will have to wait until it is better suited financially.

Discussion: Coffee is 99% H2O

As a jump off point, I ask: what is the condition of the tap water in Osaka, Japan? Information is embedded in research techniques that transcend browsers we use everyday, but somewhat obtainable up to a point. The first stage search is “potable water, Japan, Osaka...” and produces good results. For instance:
Freshwater supply is the most important prerequisite for sustaining human life and achieving sustainable development. UNEP-IETC, In May 1991, UNEP's Governing Council took a decision to further strengthen UNEP's role in sustainable urban and freshwater basin management by calling for the creation of an International Environmental Technology Centre (IETC). The Centre was inaugurated in October 1992 in Japan and its offices in Osaka and Shiga officially opened in April 1994 (UNEP, 2004).

Tap water is the main ingredient of fresh-brewed coffee. Water quality may influence buying impulse of the potential JapanJoy consumer. In European sectors a record reports:

“Wyndham James, Progreso's managing director, said: ‘We definitely think there is room for us in the market. This is a bona fide commercial venture. We will be launching smart, contemporary outlets that provide consumers with fantastic coffee and help growers through ready-made retail outlets’" (Economist; 2006). Progreso has a unique process that “helps growers.”

Therefore if I ask: what is the condition of tap water in Ethiopia, because much coffee is grown in Ethiopia, interesting combinations appear in non-commercial web-sites.
Martin Walshe, Senior Water Adviser at the UK Department for International
Development (DFID), said:

"The importance of water and its fundamental contribution to sustainable development is now recognized, but the contribution of water to poverty reduction will only be realized if it is set in the broader context of social and economic development and environmental improvement. At a regional level groundwater is of huge importance in Africa, Asia and Central and South America.
Nationally, countries from Palestine to Denmark are dependent on groundwater and
examples of local reliance can be drawn from Mexico City to Ethiopia" (Vanguard
June 10, 2003).

Surprisingly, loops of strange coincidence do not stop there. My next limiter in topic search is of course a huge coffee middlemen Starbucks, who is in today news being sued by Ethiopian coffee growers.

Abstract: This article describes a dispute between the coffee giant Starbucks
and Oxfam. The Fairtrade movement to certify ethically-grown coffee has caught
on with consumers, so when Oxfam accused Starbucks of cheating Ethiopian
farmers, customers responded angrily. Starbucks denies the charges and counters
that it buys more Fair-trade coffee than anyone. (Economist; 12/2/2006)

At this point in finding a good source for Japan coffee buying habits, a counter-productive issue interrupts continuity. Researching a sector market for international expansion requires “Buy-in” to numerous associations, organizations, watch agencies, and providers of organized research nickel and dimes marketing effort to death.

Every internet site introduces persistent links and notes one can investigate, but for a fee. Not everyone is librarian science intellect, and many searches lead to many dead ends in secondary sources. I venture to concede doing international survey in-house is counter-productive, because quantitative primary research is needed, opposed to secondary Internet style analysis. This concludes my introduction; are there any questions?

So, the question becomes “How difficult is it to identify a regional coffee buying behavior?”
1. Were you able to find useful sources of data on the buying behavior for your product in that region?
Key consideration: The stakeholders and owner are not confident enough to spend funds on a qualified international market research partner; I refer to as Marketing Research Consultant, MRC.
Confidence is low already. How is some not-so-familiar aspect of secondary research somehow going to improve confidence? Yes, I have found some useful sources of data to further discourage forming a JapanJoy branch. It is difficult at this time to find useful secondary sources for coffee buying behavior in Japan.
Scouring the various sources, has initially given little more than antagonisms, and self-loathing. Let’s go back to Kraft International. Kraft International campus was built as it stands today in Northbrook, IL since late 1980’s. Kraft Foods is built on a simple held patent of how to process ingredients to make cheese that is an altogether synthetic food group. The beautiful Kraft International HQ that they built is testament to a very successful united global market research effort. As I once applied there, do you think I even could get my foot in the door? No, I was not allowed even to visit their library. So I am reticent about Kraft sharing today.
If, unfortunately, wrestling information from Kraft Intl is dead-ending illusive, then moreover, giant multinational corporations everywhere are in various stages of winding down or introducing segment market coffee products worldwide, based on their costly, primary, and controlled group research. Any news released from a MNC coffee related marketing venture is stale tales. Kraft and others releases news only in self-interest, and why not?
Furthermore, as mentioned the push-back is also energetic as poverty-stricken regions looks for criteria guiding real-time futures. It turns out Ethiopia is trade-marking its “famous brands of beans” in the faces of the middlemen, Starbucks, who skirt around new policies like Fairtrade.

Discussion: no JapanJoy

I strongly regard Japan is never going to buy retail coffee paraphernalia from JavaJoy International since Japan is effectively investing much in Ethiopia’s potable water and sanitation recovery. Ethiopia therefore will no doubt become a first level trade partner with Japan. It will supply raw food to its benefactor, including coffee bean, with its new irrigation and sanitation systems, developed by Japan for its own CoffeeJoy Luck Club retail markets.

2. Did you generate enough data to support a strategic initiative into that region?
Key consideration: What makes a culture drink fresh-brewed coffee?
The recent market testing activities of the Oxfam Organization and its new partners is in advance of JavaJoy International bid for the Japan independent sector market. There is no strategic initiative to enter Japan coffee products market with retail products. The only way in is with raw beans or OEM patents. Japan traditionally controls imports in the Nippon Kiritsu, meaning umbrella of MNC that is Japan industry. If new generation Japanese want fresh-brewed coffee, Nippon will control its own bean and water.
If JavaJoy has OEM strategies and introduces a patent for brewing, then the Nippon Kiritsu may address the possibility of allowing coffee related imports. JavaJoy might be called in to collaborate.
Should there have been one good source that correlates JavaJoy in its JapanJoy International storming for the in-house marketing team, that search will have included joining the fee-based following Japanese internet sources: Associations · Trade Councils · Events and Shows · Trade Magazines

A better search will have included additionally access to primary search:
International consumer Research, Product life cycles, Ability for Regional consumer affording JavaJoy gourmet coffee systems

At this juncture it may help to show the actual regions as segmented in UN based
documentations. What are the global Regions? Global regions are loosely defined
as “a synthesis of country clusters...” where Japan is an independent relative
member. The USA is included in the Anglo Region (Griffin, Pustay, 2006):
Regional Clusters:
· Anglo · Latin America · Germanic · Latin European · Nordic Near Eastern · Arabian · Far Eastern
Independent clusters:
· Brazil · India · Israel · Japan
(Griffin, 2006, p 103)

3. What is your recommendation to Hank on how to research the international market?
Key consideration: Going International is at what stage of actualization for JavaJoy Inc?
It is common for Owner/ Managers to fail to set deadlines on all decisions and if made rarely stick to them. In our case finding missions, for best region has no time limit stated. The imposition of due dates is however mandatory for the research of going international. Because the event is costly and demands much attention, due dates are more critical.
The Marketing team led by the research must enforce push-back and delegate tasks, and schedule steps leading toward obtainable objectives. Recommended for now is to say marketing research for incursion of Japan should be tabled. No more valuable time should be spent on Japanese buying habits. Further work in this sector is counter-productive. Other international regions will prove more conducive to JavaJoy Inc middle market temperament.

References:

Brussels, (23 August 2006) European companies set to increase their R&D Investment over the next three years, Commission survey shows

Economist; 12/2/2006Storm in a coffee cup, Vol. 381 Issue 8506, p66-67, 2p, 1c Article COFFEE FARMERS ETHIOPIA STARBUCKS Corp. DUNS Number: 030327733 OXFAM Organization FAIRTRADE Foundation

Griffin, and Pustay (2006), p 103, Simcha, Ronen and Oded Shenkar, Clustering countries on attitudinal dimensions: a review and synthesis, Academy of management review, vol 10, no 3 (1985) p 449

Nicola, Clark, (11/15/2006) Tassimo scales back work after sales Disappoint, By: Clark, Nicola, Marketing (00253650), 00253650, 11/15/2006 Database: Section: News Kraft is slashing marketing activity for its Tassimo coffee range following poor sales.

UNEP Gigiri, (11th – 13th March 2003) UNEP / DGDC / UNESCO / UN-HABITAT / ECA ASSESSMENT OF POLLUTION AND VULNERABILITY OF WATER SUPPLY AQUIFERS OF AFRICA CITIES Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Zambia LAUNCHING WORKSHOP Nairobi, Kenya,

Vanguard HEADLINE: (June 10, 2003) Nigeria; UNEP Urges Action to Better Manage the Globe's Groundwater’s LOAD-DATE: June 10, 2003