Relentless: The Japanese Way of Marketing

by Johny K. Johansson, Ikujiro Nonaka

By now, the scenario is familiar. Domestic competition in a volatile market has cooled off, with a pecking order established and shares firmly in place. Suddenly, a Japanese multinational arrives and quickly secures a beachhead; soon after, more Japanese firms join the fray, pouring new product lines into what seemed a saturated market only months before. As Japanese consumer goods gain footholds in diverse market niches, European and American firms seem unable to assimilate the motivations of their Japanese rivals or to emulate the tactics that serve Japanese multinationals so well in winning new customers. That situation is likely to change with the publication of Relentless. A trenchant analysis of Japanese marketing strategy in the international arena, it denotes a unique collaboration between Western and Eastern marketing expertise. Professors Johansson and Nonaka present their detailed study of Japanese life in general, and domestic marketing in particular, to reveal the imperatives of Japanese marketers abroad and to sum up the fundamental themes of Japanese marketing philosophy. With anecdotes as vivid as an Escher print, the authors explore the Japanese marketing mind to show how it uniquely defines each business relationship and motivates every action, inverting most of what Western enterprises do and think. The result is a penetrating insight into the ego of the Japanese marketer and a vital tool for any Western manager who faces Japanese competition now or in the future.

197 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1996

Reviews

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. This goes far beyond a 'marketing' book and merges in sales, and product development. Which is great for small business and anyone independently creating product. The title will limit the audience but there is a lot here for anyone actively in business. Very pragmatic. A dense short book, which is also easily readable. Unlike most management and marketing books I found very little padding.

[David Owen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I discovered this book featured in a list of the Best Marketing Books of All Time and decided to give it a shot. While a bit dated in its case studies, I found it spot on in its analysis of the Japanese market and the unique strategies and techniques used by Japanese marketers. The author does a great job in explaining the reasons behind the Japanese pricing strategies, unique advertising methods, and me too product launch development suggesting that Americans could stand to learn much from the Japanese

While the American market research process can sometime become too dependent on data compiled by 3rd parties, the Japanese “omikoshi” marketing JP marketers view the customer as Kamisama who they hoist up on their shoulders – work together from different angles to keep the omikoshi up