The Sapporo-based company, which has hit sales of more than US$500 million, decided to seek an international agency to provide a more
strategic, brand-building approach to its business in Japan as well as
support its overseas expansion, said Katsuhiko Betsushima, JWT Japan
chief operating officer.
"We believe that this is the beginning of a trend where Japanese
enterprises see that in order to develop their markets, they need fresh
ideas for building their brands and people who understand how brands are
built."
New advertising from JWT will break this summer. Media planning will be handled by MindShare Japan, who will work with Asatsu-DK as the buying partner. The Nitori win comes after JWT Japan won business from two other Japanese marketers last year - Unicharm, a leading diaper maker, and Right On, which makes jeans and casual clothing. Although more than 90 per cent of Japanese advertising is handled by domestic agencies, international firms can still expect to grow their operations. As a result of the recession, local corporations are exploring the services of multinational agencies.
