| Clyne and Synan Discuss Japanese
Business and Consumers
| HONOLULU — David Clyne, president
of Maui Homes, and George Synan, president of Seattle’s
Best Coffee visited with JEMBA students
on May 7 in an informal question and answer session. This session
allowed Clyne and Synan to share their first-hand insight into
their businesses in Japan and to discuss possible internship
opportunities with the students.
Quality & Brand
Synan, who is in charge of SBC’s Japan
division, provided some insight into the mind of the Japanese
consumer. According to Synan, the palette of the Japanese
consumer is quite discerning, prompting a sudden influx of
selection in foreign imports such as wine, cheese, and in
SBC’s case, coffee.
He adds that though Japanese consumers may
want quality goods, they are also quite influenced by brand. “I
think Japanese consumers are very brand conscious,” Synan
said, “They are not really discount driven. They want
the real thing and they want the brand.” |
(Left
to Right) David Clyne, president of Maui Homes,
and George Synan, president of Seattle's Best Coffee
|
A
recent development which will take advantage of Synan’s
own insight into the Japanese market is the acquisition of SBC
by Starbucks Corporation.
The world’s leading retailer
of specialty coffee, Starbucks will put their powerful branding
engine
behind SBC which will retain its own brand and high quality product
line. Western Business in Japan Clyne, who’s primary business is in construction,
added that Japanese consumers are willing to pay more for a
well made
Western-brand
product over a Japanese one. However, he warned that the Western
company must be willing to adjust their product and their strategies
in order to appeal to the Japanese consumer. One cannot transplant
a Western product to the Japanese market without adaptation and
expect the product to succeed.
“The only way to succeed in Japanese business
is to be Japanese. You have to think Japanese, act Japanese…” Clyne commented, “Although
[Japanese consumers] may want an imported Western product, the
service side all has to be Japanese.” Clyne’s
company, Maui Homes, gets most of its business in constructing
homes in Japan, but is also the sole distributor of
Moen faucets in Japan. Moen, a U.S. company, was willing adjust
their sales strategy for Japanese consumers by producing unique
products for Japanese needs and by packaging products with translated
literature and instructions.
JEMBA Internships Both Clyne and Synan were enthusiastic about possible JEMBA
internships and expressed their desire for a mutually beneficial
experience
for their business and the students. JEMBA students will begin
their internships this coming August and are currently searching
for possible internship companies.
|
