The Negotiation

This episode is our Year In Review: 2022 Greatest Hits Part 2! We've put together some of our favourite clips and moments for you to enjoy over the holidays, and look forward to seeing you again in 2023 for some of our best guests to date! The 2022 guests featured in this episode are: #1 -  Louis Houdart, E150 & E151, October 5th & 12th 2022 Episodes 150 and 151, released on October 5th an...

This episode is our Year In Review: 2022 Greatest Hits Part 1! We've put together some of our favourite clips and moments for you to enjoy over the holidays, and look forward to seeing you again in 2023 for some of our best guests to date! The 2022 guests featured in this episode are: #1  Patrick Deloy, E146 & E147, September 7th & 14th, 2022 Our first feature comes from episodes 146 and 1...

This episode of The Negotiation features part 2 of our conversation with Arnault Castel. Arnault is the founder of Kapok, a retail experience that focuses on designers and brands whose work provides quality craftsmanship and creativity in design. Arnault has developed an extensive knowledge and understanding of the Asian consumer goods and retail environment since 1996 when he moved to Hong Kong f...

This episode of The Negotiation features part 1 of our conversation with Arnault Castel. Arnault is the founder of Kapok, a retail experience that focuses on designers and brands whose work provides quality craftsmanship and creativity in design. Arnault has developed an extensive knowledge and understanding of the Asian consumer goods and retail environment since 1996 when he moved to Hong Kong f...

In this episode of The Negotiation podcast, we continue our conversation with Charles Lavoie . We talk about creativity and the role it plays in APAC marketing. Charles is the VP of Creative & Head of Creative Labs at WPIC Marketing + Technologies . Among other topics, we discuss the growth of digital commerce, evolutions in that space, why it might be necessary to create cartoon characters fo...

In this episode, we're thrilled to welcome Jacob Cooke to the show. As the CEO of WPIC Marketing + Technologies , Jacob is the perfect guest to discuss what’s going on in Asia right now, and how brands can take advantage of the growth opportunities.  In this conversation, we dive deep into the current state of China's consumers, and what Jacob is seeing from his vantage point as we are in the mids...

In this episode of The Negotiation , we welcome back Charles Lavoie to talk about creativity and its role in APAC marketing. Charles is the VP of Creative & Head of Creative Labs at WPIC Marketing & Technologies .  Over the course of the conversation, Charles shares insights on how technology is transforming the creative space in APAC and illuminates why it is critical for brands to lean i...

In recent years, the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region has emerged as one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, with countries such as China, India and Japan leading the way. They have been developing businesses quickly by deploying new technologies and building massive startup ecosystems. As a result, VCs in this region is witnessing huge opportunities for growing companies. The number of start...

Over the past decade, businesses have witnessed an incredible evolution in how people communicate. Along with this shift came innovations and technologies that changed the way we interact with one another, not least in business. Where communication was once centered around traditional means such as face-to-face meetings or phone calls, it is now increasingly driven by technology such as email, tex...

The recent unprecedented growth of Chinese brands, most of them being start-ups, has become one of the hottest topics in business and marketing. The growth of Chinese brands is starkly contrasting when compared with other global categories such as western brands in China. There is no doubt that China is one of the most exciting markets in the world. The sheer size and number of people living there...

The truth is there’s a lot more to China than just Alibaba. Getting your business in China can be a challenge. It is not like other countries where you can open up a shop around the corner, with time and patience. In order to enter the China market, you need to get your branding right. The Chinese market has been very competitive and difficult for giants like Apple, Google and Samsung to penetrate...

The APAC region is witnessing the most exciting innovation of recent times. Technology platforms and disruptive business models are entering industries traditionally dominated by incumbents. Traditional business practices are being challenged and disruptors are leading the way. In the coming years, the digital economy in APAC will continue to expand at a faster rate than in any other region. The a...

Entrepreneurship in Japan fits the definition of the word ‘entrepreneur’. Japanese culture is one that can be described as ‘wabi-Sabi’, which literally means "frugal, simple, and expressed in a refined way’. Entrepreneurship is a newly emerging culture in Japan. The gap between the traditional business and the new generation of start-up companies is widening. A small number of entrepreneurs in Jap...

The future of omnichannel retail in Asia is inspiring. With the barriers to omnichannel integration falling, consumers are more comfortable switching channels and purchasing goods online, while retailers are evolving beyond physical retail stores to become full-service providers of products, services and experiences.   Today on The Negotiation , we continue our conversation with Patrick Deloy , wh...

APAC has been a hotbed of e-commerce innovation for some time, with companies like Alibaba, Amazon, and Tencent leading the way. But where does this leave traditional retailers? And what's next for the omnichannel retail ecosystem and environment?   In today's episode of  The Negotiation Podcast , we are joined by Patrick Deloy. Patrick is  Managing Director at Merkle, an award-winning e-commerce...

Topics Discussed and Key Points: ●      Being a news anchor for CNN Japan ●      How foreigners can partner with Japanese companies or government entities ●      Managing influencer marketing for 3Minute ●      Best practices for entering the Japanese market ●      The future of marketing in Japan   Episode Summary: Today on The Negotiation, we continue our conversation with Chuk Besher, Executive...

Topics Discussed and Key Points: ●      The type of advertising that resonates with Japanese consumers ●      Marketing lessons learned after working at Grey Group from 1988-1991 ●      Ecommerce in mid-1990s Japan ●      Brands that did in-store marketing well in the 1990s ●      Producing media for Coca-Cola in Japan ●      Working with the teams at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, and the 2010 FIFA...

Topics Discussed and Key Points: ●      Leading Disney in Japan ●      Growing Baroque Japan Limited ●      Common branding mistakes made in Japan by foreign companies ●      How COVID-19 impacted the Japanese retail market ●      Technology-related trends that will shape commerce in Japan over the next decade ●      About Jeff’s olive oil manufacturer Green Valley Olive   Episode Summary: Today o...

Topics Discussed and Key Points: ●      Launching Gap in Japan in 1994 ●      Growing a retail brand in the pre-eCommerce economy of Japan ●      Recruiting the first management team for Gap in Japan ●      How Levis became an iconic global brand ●      Building loyalty around an athletic brand in Japan ●      Why Jeff’s involvement in Nike’s first campaign in Japan went global ●      How Nike doe...

Topics Discussed and Key Points: ●      How Tod's Japan developed from 2001 to 2007 ●      The importance of brick and mortar retail in the early-to-mid-2000s ●      The Japanese perception of European luxury brands in the late 1990s ●      The footwear and leather goods market in Japan ●      How the Japanese outdoor industry evolved throughout the 2010s ●      How COVID influenced the move towar...

Topics Discussed and Key Points: ·       Ricky’s experience working with the Japanese market. ·       Adapting to the new normal. ·       The benefits of working with local distributors. ·       What it takes to have a successful omnichannel approach. ·       How the approach to being successful in the Indonesian market has changed. ·       How consumer behaviour has changed.   Episode Summary: To...

Topics Discussed and Key Points: ●      How Bose approached omnichannel sales in Southeast Asia in the early 2010s ●      Bose’s commitment to consistency across resellers ●      How much control Microsoft had over ASUS’s local marketing strategy and pricing ●      Localizing messaging and marketing for Indonesian consumers ●      Driving preferential product placement on search platforms ●      H...

Topics Discussed and Key Points: ·       Covid and its effects on Direct-to-Consumer. ·       Online consumer strategies in APAC versus in North America. ·       How to measure success in retail. ·       How consumer feedback is applied ·       The importance of a good D-to-C strategy. ·       The future of D-to-C in the APAC region.   Episode Summary: Today, I talk to Bill Tung, Managing Partner...

Topics Discussed and Key Points: ●      Helping Rockport and The Body Shop grow across the APAC region in the 1990s and early 2000s ●      Marketing to a demographic that you are not a part of ●      Marketing outdoor apparel and equipment in APAC ●      Localizing well-known Western brands in different APAC countries ●      Common mistakes brands make when expanding in APAC ●      Optimizing your...

Topics Discussed and Key Points: ●      All about the highest-rated nationally syndicated show, Laowai Kandian ●      What is Peking Opera ●      The world of philanthropy in China ●      Being a board member of the China Pacific Construction Group ●      The eating and drinking culture of doing business in China   Episode Summary: Today on The Negotiation, we continue our conversation with Elyse...