Made in Italy in the Japanese F&B Market and the Marketing of Freedom

Italy in Japan resounds with fashion, lifestyle and most of all food. From HoReCa to home cooking to gifts, Italian F&B products have taken Japanese consumers by storm in the past few decades, imposing Made in Italy as the most loved national brand. But the Japanese market is extremely mature, fast and notoriously one of the most sophisticated globally. Competition is fierce and relying on the quality of the product itself is not enough to secure commercial success in a country where form often prevails over content. That is when (good) food marketing becomes the crucial element in dictating the lifespan of a brand. To what degree are Italian producers aware of this? And what is the best approach to minimize failure?

211Real-World Data Assessment Plan for a Heat-Not-Burn Tobacco Product: Proof of Concept

Focus of Presentation Real-world data (RWD) is readily available in Japan through multiple sources. Considering the crucial need to substantiate the beneficial effects of switching from cigarette smoking to heat-not-burn (HNB) products, both at the individual and population levels, the use of RWD seems a viable option. For instance, ecological studies using RWD have assessed the impact of population-level interventions such as smoking bans and their effects on smoking-related diseases and their endpoints As a proof of concept, ecological analyses were performed to assess the rates of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations and acute Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD) hospitalizations before and after the introduction of and HNB product in the Japanese market. Findings Hospital admissions associated with ICD codes for COPD and IHD from 2008 to 2019—5 years before and 4 years after the introduction of the target HNB product in the Japanese market—were retrieved from the MDV database. Referrals were below those predicted from pre-launch trends. Conclusions The use of RWD in assessment of HNB products is viable for ecological studies with the well-known caveats. Their use in exposure-specific studies will become feasible once the systematic collection of exposure to tobacco products and use history is guaranteed. This will greatly increase the range and robustness of the evidence base. Key messages The use of RWD is a practical way of assessing the impact of HNB products in the population as a whole.

Changes in industrial network logics: the case of the Japanese retail industry

Purpose This study aims to examine changes in “network logics” that refer to cognitive views socially accepted by actors about the network. These logics provide organizations with templates on how to act in business networks. This study investigates the causes and processes of network logic changes and the phases in the changes. Design/methodology/approach This study relies on content analysis using text data from newspaper articles on global retailers entering the Japanese retail industry. Three different logics were found to describe the actions of the retailers. Two of the logics are related to institutional and strategic logics including network logics, while the third is associated with institutional works that mean actions to create, maintain and disrupt institutions. Findings With regard to transitions in network logics in the Japanese retail industry, the analysis identified four phases: politicization, reflection, establishment and evaluation. Changes in regulative and normative logics were resulted from institutional works of the global retailers into the Japanese market. The findings also include empirical description about how network changes progress through interactions among business actors. Additionally, compared to the regulative and normative logics, it would be difficult to influence the cultural-cognitive logics. Originality/value Business networks often transform with changes in network logics. This study contributes to the literature on industrial network changes by exploring the interactions between macro-level structural states and micro-level events in network logic transitions.

What Is Accounting for the Rapid Decline in Cigarette Sales in Japan?

This study describes how trends in the sale of cigarettes in Japan between 2011 and 2019 correspond to the sales of heated tobacco products (HTPs) that were introduced into the Japanese market in late 2015. Data used for this study come from the Tobacco Institute of Japan and Philip Morris International. The findings show that the accelerated decline in cigarette only sales in Japan since 2016 corresponds to the introduction and growth in the sales of HTPs.