Delivering the taste of imported fruits from Japan and providing sweet potatoes to survey respondents.
The Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) Bangkok Office is organising "Japan Fruits Festival - Seasonal Gifts from Japan" campaign in collaboration with certified "Japanese Food Supporter Stores"* as well as fruit importers and exporters.
This event aims at promoting imported fruits from Japan to consumers in Thailand, encouraging them to experience first-hand the extraordinary taste of the fruits with a highlight on three seasonal fruits, apple, sweet potato, and strawberry.
The campaign, which lasts from 29 October 2021 to 31 January 2022, is packed with retail stores, online stores, and leading media agencies working together to promote the taste of Japanese fruits in various ways.
The campaign will also include special promotional samples. Customers who buy the imported fruits or those visiting the campaign website will be rewarded with a prize of one kilo of sweet potato from Japan, worth 350 baht each, with a total of 20,000 prizes, just by completing a survey at the store or via mobile device.
Mr. Atsushi Taketani, President of JETRO Bangkok, explained about the idea behind the campaign and the expectations.
"First of all, I would like to thank all the involved parties from both Thailand and Japan for making this campaign happen. Thailand is the 7th largest market by country as an export destination for Japanese food. In 2020, the value of Japanese food exports to Thailand was at 40,100 million yen (approximately 11,460 million baht). Before the spread of Covid-19, Thai people could fly to Japan to experience first-hand the original taste of Japanese food, vegetables, and sweets – which has resulted in the ever-growing popularity of Japanese food among Thai consumers. Even today, during the spread of Covid-19, exports of Japanese food to Thailand still saw an increase from last year. This campaign focuses on communicating with the Thai consumers, aiming to encourage them to experience Japanese fruits of premium quality that offer their signature tastes and freshness, with hopes to turn them into real fans of Japanese fruits. We also do hope that this project will work to further strengthen the connection and friendship between Thailand and Japan."
Mr. Toshihiro Kudo, Chief Executive Officer of Tsugaru Mirai Agricultural Cooperative, one of the major farmers’ groups of apples in Japan, commented that, "I would love to see Thai people trying fresh apples from Aomori, which have been grown with the farmers’ great care."
Vice President of Supermarket & Food at The Mall Group, Mr. Supawut Chaiprasitkul, added that, "We are really glad to be a part of this campaign that aims to promote Japanese fruits of premium quality as it aligns with our core value that we adhere to, that is to deliver the best products to our customers. I hope this project becomes a great success."
The campaign "Japan Fruits Festival ~ Seasonal Gifts from Japan" has been initiated by the joint efforts of Wismettac Foods Inc. and Nihon Agri Inc., two major fruit importers and exporters in Japan, in collaboration with the retail stores that are certified with the "Japanese Food Supporter Stores" logo. These account for a total of seven brands and 138 branches, on top of the 15 online stores, all working together to encourage Thai people to have a taste of the appealing Japanese fruits this season.
The PR strategy of this campaign is implemented through three channels.
- The first channel includes leading media agencies as well as influencers on various platforms. Different keywords are sent out to convey the fascinating untold stories about Japanese fruits to the consumers to increase the fanbase. The main page of the campaign website will see the content from Wongnai, a leading restaurant review website and application in Thailand with more than 10 million active users per month. Besides, the stories about the Japanese farmers who grow their produce with great care and attention to every detail will be unveiled on online magazines such as The Cloud. Five food influencers will also reveal their secrets about how to bring out the best taste of Japanese fruits using their creative recipes.
- The second channel includes retail and online stores where the communication is made using the staff and/or in-store advertising. The list of participating stores is available on Wongnai's website.
- The third channel includes the "Forward the Japanese Fruits" survey. Those who complete the survey at the store or via mobile device will receive a special gift from the campaign, which is a kilo of sweet potato from Japan, valued at 350 baht. A total of 20,000 prizes will be given away during the campaign, and anyone who may be convinced that Japanese fruits look good but have never tried them can easily give them a try now. This activity will last until 31 January.
JETRO Bangkok is also running business matchmaking events, titled "JETRO Online Business Matching & Exhibition of Japanese Food Products 2021", three times within this budget year. The first event recently generated around 1,100 million yen in trade (approximately 333 million baht). The second event will last from 18 October to 12 November 2021, and there are expected to be even more participants greater than in the first session. Both the marketing campaign and the matchmaking event aim to to help expand business opportunities for those who export foods from Japan to Thailand.
Find more information about the campaign at http://www.wongnai.com/news/japan-fruits-festival.
(*) Japanese Food Supporter Stores: This is a system to certify restaurants / retail stores that use / sell Japanese foodstuffs and alcoholic beverages outside Japan as "Japanese Food Supporter Stores". There are 7,671 stores worldwide and 761 stores in Thailand of which 196 are certified as retail stores (as of the end of August 2021).
