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Strategy: Offer a version of sakuramochi with a more familiar filling. For example, introduce fillings like caramel (cajeta) or chocolate alongside the traditional anko. This allows consumers to try a familiar flavor before committing to the more traditional one.

Reasoning: This reduces the perceived risk for new consumers and uses a bridging strategy to introduce the product.

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Strategy: Keep the same name because it gives it more originality, but have an adapted name version called "Dulce de Arroz de Cerezo". The packaging should be minimalist but showing an example picture of the flavor.

Reasoning: A descriptive name will help clarify what the product is. Appealing visuals that connect with both Japanese tradition and a modern Mexican sensibility will increase brand recognition and appeal.

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Five characteristics of the Mexican market I had identified:

1. High demand for new and exotic food products:

1. Description: The Mexican market, particularly in urban areas like Mexico City, has a growing appetite for international cuisine and unique dining experiences. Japanese food is already popular, but wagashi is a less-explored niche.

2. Fit: Sakuramochi can be positioned as a unique, gourmet dessert, a new kind of sweet that capitalizes on existing familiarity with Japanese culture while offering something new.

3. Motivation: This is driven by emotional motivation. Consumers are seeking a new experience, status, and the emotional fulfillment of trying an exotic delicacy.

2. Aesthetic appreciation for artisanal food:

1. Description: In urban, upper-middle-class segments, there is a growing appreciation for artisanal, handcrafted, and visually appealing food products. The aesthetic of traditional wagashi aligns perfectly with this trend.

2. Fit: The delicate, pink appearance of sakuramochi, wrapped in its distinctive leaf, is visually appealing and Instagrammable, making it a good fit for this market segment.

3. Motivation: This is a mix of rational (paying for quality and craftsmanship) and emotional (seeking an aesthetically pleasing, shareable experience) motivation.

3. Emphasis on social and communal food experiences:

1. Description: Mexican culture strongly values sharing food with family and friends. Desserts are often enjoyed as part of social gatherings or as gifts for special occasions.

2. Fit: Sakuramochi can be marketed as a delicate sweet to be shared at social events, a unique gift, or as part of a Japanese-themed dining experience.

3. Motivation: This is primarily emotionally motivated, as purchasing sakuramochiwould be associated with creating joyful and memorable moments with loved ones.

4. Cultural appreciation for Japanese aesthetics and art:

1. Description: There is already a strong cultural connection between Mexico and Japan, including a visible Japanese community in Mexico City. The aesthetics of Japanese design (wabi-sabi) and its association with refined elegance are appreciated.

2. Fit: Sakuramochi can be introduced not just as a dessert but as a small piece of Japanese art and culture, appealing to those who already appreciate Japanese aesthetics. The marketing can leverage the cultural symbolism of the cherry blossom.

3. Motivation: This is strongly emotionally motivated, driven by an appreciation for the cultural identity and symbolism associated with the product.

5. Preference for sweet and savory flavor combinations:

1. Description: While the delicate flavors might be new, the combination of sweet (mochi and anko) and salty (cherry leaf) is not entirely foreign. Mexico has many dishes that balance these flavors.

2. Fit: The combination of sweet and savory in sakuramochi can be a bridge for Mexican palates. The key is to manage expectations and position the flavor profile correctly.

3. Motivation: This is both rationally motivated (a novel flavor combination is interesting) and emotionally motivated (the experience is unique and satisfying).

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Strategy: Position sakuramochi as a premium, specialty dessert. This allows for higher margins and reinforces its status as an exclusive, gourmet item, rather than competing directly with mass-market sweets.

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Model: Exporting with a specialized high-end local distributor.

Explanation: This model involves producing sakuramochi in Japan and exporting it to Mexico through a specialized local distributor that focuses specifically on high-end grocery stores and luxury department stores like Liverpool and gourmet markets.

The distributor, with their existing network and knowledge of the Mexican market, would handle local marketing, sales, and logistics.

Why it's viable for high-end markets:

Maintains Brand Image: Partnering with a distributor experienced in luxury and gourmet products helps maintain the premium, artisanal image of sakuramochi.

Leverages Existing Networks: The distributor already has the logistical infrastructure (especially cold chain) and relationships with stores like Liverpool, significantly reducing entry barriers and risks for the Japanese company.

Focuses Resources: The Japanese company can concentrate on production and quality control, relying on the distributor's local market expertise.

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Embassy of Japan in Mexico: they can provide trade and investment information, facilitate connections with relevant business networks, and organize cultural events that promote Japanese products.

Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO): they can offer market research reports, business matching services, and support for setting up operations in Mexico.

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Sakura Mochi is a traditional Japanese spring wagashi made with soft pink mochi and sweet red bean paste, wrapped in a salty pickled cherry blossom leaf. This seasonal treat is enjoyed during Hinamatsuri and cherry blossom viewing, and comes in two regional styles: Kanto (crepe-like) and Kansai (glutinous rice-based).

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Food culture differences

Staple Foods: Japan's staple is rice, while Mexico relies heavily on corn.

Flavor Profiles: Japanese cuisine prioritizes balance, subtlety, and umami, using ingredients like dashi, soy sauce, and miso paste to achieve harmonious flavors. Mexican cuisine is renowned for bold, spicy, and often savory flavors, thanks to the use of a variety of chilies, herbs like cilantro and epazote, and spices like cumin and oregano.

Preparation: Japanese cuisine emphasizes preserving the natural taste and appearance of ingredients, often through minimal processing or raw consumption, as seen in dishes like sushi. Mexican cooking, while also valuing fresh ingredients, frequently involves more complex preparations like slow cooking, frying, and grilling, and uses tortillas as a common flour product.

Meal Structure: In Japan, mealtimes can be seen as rituals, often formal and focused on specific etiquette. In Mexico, mealtimes are often more flexible and serve as a time for socializing and communal celebration.

Social ritual differences

Greetings: In Mexico, greetings are often warm and physical, involving hugs, handshakes, and kisses on the cheek to show friendliness and respect. In contrast, Japanese greetings are more modest and formal, typically involving bowing with varying degrees of depth to show respect based on social hierarchy.

Communication Style: Mexican communication can be more direct and expressive, involving gestures, animation, and sometimes interruptions as signs of engagement. Japanese communication is generally more restrained and indirect, emphasizing subtlety, listening, and maintaining harmony, often relying on nonverbal cues and context.

Table Etiquette: While Mexican meals emphasize informality and shared enjoyment, Japanese dining follows strict rules, including how to use chopsticks and expressing gratitude before eating with phrases like itadakimasu.

Punctuality: Japan places a high value on punctuality and efficiency. Mexican culture may have a more relaxed approach to time, with flexibility around deadlines and starting times.

Flavor profile differences

Sweetness vs. Spiciness: Japanese sweets like sakuramochi are subtly sweet, with a delicate balance often complemented by a hint of saltiness, such as from the pickled cherry leaf. Mexican sweets can range from very sweet to incorporating spicy elements like chili, reflecting the cuisine's general preference for strong flavors.

Ingredients: While both cultures use rice, Mexican cuisine features unique ingredients like various chilies and nopal cactus, while Japanese cuisine utilizes specific elements like dashi and miso paste.

Overall Palate: Japanese cuisine is described as less "in your face", focusing on natural flavors and presentation, while Mexican flavors are bold and stimulating to the senses.