“Ben & Jerry’s – Japan”
Assignment 2

1. Which way would you recommend B&J enter Japan: with Mr. Yamada or with 7-11? Support your answer with rationale.

Let’s see the advantages and disadvantages for Ben and Jerry’s to enter the Japanese market with Mr. Yamada or with 7-Eleven Japan;

Entering Japanese market with Mr. Yamada:

Advantages: * Ken Yamada was a third generation Japanese American from Hawaii, with his excellent marketing skills and knowledge of the Japanese market and consumers he had successfully introduced Domino’s Pizza chain in Japan. * Mr. Yamada would position the brand, form and executive an entry strategy, and will take care of marketing and distribution for Ben and Jerry’s well into the future, …show more content…

Japanese Market was consider receptive to the notion of corporate charity and was not consider an environment friendly market. Ben and Jerry’s on the other hand were committed to make the workplace, community and world a better place through its social mission. Ben Cohen, one of the co-founders of Ben and Jerry’s, was reluctant to enter the Japanese Market. The company had not figured out what its social mission would be in Japan. He also knew that market penetration in Japan would require a major marketing and management thrust, in view of the many barriers erected by Japanese business interests.

Ben and Jerry’s take their social mission very seriously and would not compromise it for anyone. The company rejected an offer from a subsidiary of Mitsubishi (Meiji Milk Products) to distribute Ben and Jerry’s products in Japan as it did not approve Mitsubishi’s policy of deforestation.

The conflict between Ben and Jerry’s corporate culture/social mission and the Japanese society could be solved by intermediaries like Masaki Iida, of 7-11, who agreed to provide a retail market channel for Ben and Jerry’s products. Moreover marketing strategies and social stances that could be reasonably adapted to Japan were conceptualize by Bob Holland (the former CEO of the company) before he left the company. Bob Holland also smoothen some of the rough spots that could have divided the board. A deal with Mr. Yamada could also have been reached on donating a certain