Foscarini, an Italian lighting design company, is exploring expanding into the Japanese market. They will focus on building partnerships with local distributors and retailers to distribute their products, emphasizing their "Made in Italy" quality and collaborations with Italian and Japanese designers. Their communication strategy will highlight Italian craftsmanship and design to appeal to upper-middle and high-income target customers in Japan who appreciate modern design trends.

1. Foscarini goes to Japan:
See Things Under a New Light
8 4 4 5 1 9 O M E R O V I C M I R H E T A
8 4 3 2 8 0 M O R U C C I E L E N A
8 5 6 5 0 5 A S S A N B A Y E V A A S S I Y A
8 4 4 0 1 8 R O C C O C R I S T I A N A
8 5 7 4 8 2 C E C H E T M A T T H I A S
8 4 4 3 4 4 R R U C A J X H E N S I L A

2. Natural, brightness, fade, no contrasts
Idea of Beauty

3. ORBITAL
1992
 Inspiration, Innovation and
development
 Research on materials and
technology
 Designers are the main resource
for the company
MITE
2000
TITE
2000

4. Competitors
Fragmented market made up of lots of small firms - STRATEGIC PROBLEM
Foreign competitors
Local competitor
Foscarini can exploit the already existence knowledge about
“Italian design firm” to explain its own concept of design

5.  Upper-middle, high income classes
 Able to appreciate design
 Well educated
 Following modern trends
 Over 40 years old: – choose to buy themselves
 Over 40 years ol:d – rely on designers
 30 year-olds E-commerce
Targeted Customers

6.  The product come first
 Made in Italy
 Collaboration with international
designers and architects
 Participation in the industry’s main
trade fairs and events
 Partnership with other companies
Communication Strategy

7. Communication Strategy
to enter Japanese market
 Emphasis on “Made in Italy” and
Murano Glass
 Invitation of Japanese designers
and architects to the company’s
stand at the international fairs
 Collaboration with Italian
companies, partecipating in the
exhibitions in Japan

8. Objective Improve the penetration stategy
of Foscarini in the Japanese market
 Focus on long-term results
 Build solid and trustful partnerships
Current Distribution Strategy
Two official distributors:  Doi & Co in Hiroshima-City
 Toyo Kitchen Trading in Nagoya

9. Physical stores  Find new distribution partners in other strategic cities
 Establish exclusive agreements with distributors to
cover specific city or region only
 Educate Japanese sales people about company’s
products
Distribution Strategy
to enter Japanese market
E-commerce  Sell through distributors, which have both showrooms
and e-stores
 Limit the number of models available for e-commerce,
depending on size, colour or other preferences
Establish a warehouse in Japan to lower shipping costs and risk
of damages, while providing faster delivery

10. …once upon a time, it was a small gathering of people around a fire,
listening to the storyteller with his tales of magic and fantasy. Now it is
the whole world. (Hiltunen, 2002)
Importance of Storytelling