Break Me Off a Piece of That…

Posted by Dustin Britt on May 26, 2010 Share

Soy Sauce flavored Kit Kat Bar? And if you're not a fan of that, you've got options. Kit Kat boasts some 200 flavors - all exclusive to the Japan market. Flavors like ginger ale, cantaloupe, wasabi, banana, and milk tea.

This is one of those crazy cultural phenoms that fascinates me.

A global brand, largely uniform, yet with a unique presence in a unique environment.

But at what point does a brand cross the line between being "on-brand" and so diversified it has little or no brand power?

I go back to an earlier posting for help: Regional Brands.

*You can also listen to the NPR piece for more on Japan's Kit Kats.


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3 Comments

"I suppose if it is an intentional piece of a brand and its communication then there may be no line crossing. Design plays a huge role in the ability help move the line and not dilute a brand, but messaging is also a critical piece. If it is a clear business message from Kit Kat, as well as Chic-fil-A's, that there are alternate, or regional "tastes" involved perhaps it should be thoroughly examined how that message is shared. Aahh, the marriage of Branding and Marketing...."

- Rick Fossum

"The most important factor here is simply cultural norms. Japanese and American tastes are more often than not completely different. Candy with a billion flavors is common in Japan. In fact, it's expected. Similar to the Kit Kat example, Glico's Pocky brand also has all sorts of weird varieties (including a "men's" line, since apparently regular Pocky is for girls).

Another example is the iPhone. When it first launched, Americans loved it. The Japanese were lukewarm, because it didn't have enough "features"."

- Alvin Diec

"Thanks for the comments guys. I like you're thinking Rick."

- Dustin Britt

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