KitKat in Japan: A Trajectory for Future Growth - Case Study - Marketing Assignment

A Trajectory for Future Growth

Internal Code: MAS5260 Case Study: It was 2017 and the KITKAT brand in Japan was at a critical juncture. The KITKAT marketing leaders sat down for a special meeting to review how Nestlé Japan had been able to create meaning and value for their brand. However, as they began to discuss their options for future growth, they faced difficult decisions: Should they look to export the flavor variations that had become such big hits in Japan to overseas markets such as China, the European Union, or the United States? Travelers from these countries regularly bought a wide range of KITKAT flavor varieties during their trips to Japan to bring home. Or should they focus on expanding the e-commerce sales of premium KITKAT flavors? Questions: 

1. In what way were Nestle Japan’s responses to the triple disasters that hit Japan on March 11, 2011authentic and true to the overall KitKat branding message?
2. What strategic options exist for the overall KitKat brand to further enhance the performance of the premium branded Chocolatory stores and the products available through them?