Japanese Marketing: Towards a Better Understanding

Abstract

Japanese companies are recognized as world class marketers. Yet, sources of information in English about the development of Japanese marketing and marketing management decisions, strategies, and operations are relatively sparse. This article, the result of Japanese/American collaboration based on the deliberations of a Japanese study team, is designed to help fill this gap. Four main topics are addressed: Stages in the growth of the marketing discipline, the nature of government/marketing relationships, marketing decisions and strategies, and selected practices. Fundamental sociocultural concepts underlying Japanese marketing approaches are discussed, and care is taken to highlight conceptual and operational differences from American marketing.