This episode of The Negotiation features part 1 of our conversation with Igor Duc. Igor is the Founder & CEO of Native Union , a consumer electronics accessories company that combines the finest hand-picked materials, thoughtful design, and considerate details to create products with personality, empowering the modern lifestyle. In today’s episode, we caught up with Igor to learn more about why he chose to base his business in Hong Kong, the impetus behind Native Union , and his goal to enha...
Jan 25, 2023•33 min
In this episode of The Negotiation , we feature Part 3 of our conversation with legendary APAC marketer and thought leader Dave McCaughan. Dave has spent the last three decades in the Asia Pacific, in senior management roles with McCann , one of the world’s biggest advertising agencies. He joined McCann in 1986 in his native Sydney, where he built the Strategic Planning function, and since 1995 has been based in Bangkok, Hong Kong, and Tokyo, leading regional strategy and communications campaign...
Jan 18, 2023•45 min
This episode of The Negotiation features part 2 of our conversation with Dave McCaughan. Dave McCaughan is a Marketing Thought Leader and Storyteller. He has spent the last three decades in Asia Pacific leading strategy planning and in senior management roles with McCann , one of the world’s most successful advertising agencies. He joined McCann in 1986 in his native Sydney, where he built the Strategic Planning function, and since 1995 has been based in Bangkok, Hong Kong, and Tokyo leading reg...
Jan 11, 2023•40 min
Topics Discussed and Key Points: ● The Coke vs. Pepsi challenge ● How great brands figure out what matters to people and play to that ● Why storytelling is fundamental when you are in business ● The reason Dave chose the name BIBLIOSEXUAL for his company ● Why it is important for a marketer to understand the mediums that matter to consumers ● The potential future homogenization of the Asia Pacific region ● Japanese advertising and what flawed perceptions exist among international companies ● Why...
Jan 04, 2023•32 min
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 and 12th, brought us Louis Houdart, Founder of Creative Capital. Louis is an entrepreneur, a business a...
Dec 21, 2022•26 min
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 147 on September 7th and 14th with Patrick Deloy, Managing Director at Merkle, an award-winning e-comm...
Dec 14, 2022•33 min
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 from France. In 2001, he joined the team in charge of the development of the Lomography brand in Asia...
Nov 30, 2022•40 min
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 from France. In 2001, he joined the team in charge of the development of the Lomography brand in Asia...
Nov 23, 2022•49 min
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 for brands, gamification and the digitalization of the shopping experience in Asia. Charles also gives...
Nov 16, 2022•28 min
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 midst of the 11/11 Singles’ Day shopping festival. We also discuss Douyin's evolution as a platform for c...
Nov 09, 2022•24 min
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 into creative marketing if they hope to drive growth in the region. He talks about how brands and mark...
Nov 02, 2022•36 min
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 startups in APAC is increasing rapidly, presenting massive opportunities for consumers, businesses, and c...
Oct 26, 2022•22 min
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, text messages and video conferencing. This has given rise to new social practices, enabling us to carry...
Oct 19, 2022•35 min
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 make it very difficult for a foreign company to enter. For domestic brands, it's even harder to com...
Oct 12, 2022•31 min
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. Many brands are getting it wrong because their marketing strategies are not focused on the Chinese...
Oct 05, 2022•31 min
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 adoption by private institutions of technology and innovation is no longer an option for every entrep...
Sep 28, 2022•50 min
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 Japan have gained attention and investment by large enterprises through focusing on innovation, expansi...
Sep 21, 2022•48 min
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 , who is a Managing Director at Merkle, an award-winning e-commerce solutions provider which supports medi...
Sep 14, 2022•28 min
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 solutions provider which supports medium to large B2C and B2B companies with the planning, development, ...
Sep 07, 2022•28 min
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 Producer at 3Minute, the digital media arm of GREE, a Japanese internet media company that provides mobile social networking a...
Aug 24, 2022•34 min
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 World Cup Episode Summary: Today on The Negotiation, we speak with Chuk Besher, Executive Producer at 3Minute, the digital media a...
Aug 17, 2022•43 min
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 on The Negotiation, we continue our conversation with Jeff Daggett, Founder and CEO of Aisonne, a brand and retail development & ...
Aug 03, 2022•45 min
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 does retail differently from the rest ● Restructuring Sephora in Japan and reversing declining year-on-year comp store sales in under six ...
Jul 27, 2022•49 min
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 toward more online sales ● Building professional relationships in the Asia-Pacific ● Upcoming trends in Japan Episode Summary: Today on...
Jul 20, 2022•41 min
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: Today on The Negotiation, we continue our conversation with Ricky Samuel, E-Commerce Lead at Mindshare, a global media agency, where he help...
Jul 13, 2022•36 min
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 ● How customer feedback impacts HP’s product roadmap in Indonesia Episode Summary: Today on The Negotiation, we speak with Ricky Samu...
Jul 06, 2022•35 min
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 at Peaks Consulting, a global brand, retail, and management consultancy. Since its founding in 2015, Peaks Consulting has built an interna...
Jun 29, 2022•35 min
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 organizational structure to thrive in foreign markets ● Preparing for complaints and returns in overseas markets Episode Summary:...
Jun 22, 2022•36 min
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 Ribbons, CEO and Founder at GeiLi Giving, which has built a WeChat app connecting charities to Chinese netizens through engagin...
Mar 30, 2022•37 min
Topics Discussed and Key Points: ● What it takes to become truly fluent in another language ● All about Cheeky Monkey Theater and Star Theatre ● Chinese versus Western cinema ● The speed of Chinese business as both a blessing and a curse Episode Summary: Today on The Negotiation, we talk with Elyse Ribbons, a startup founder, radio show host, actor, and writer in China, who is also incredibly fluent in Mandarin. She is the Founder of Cheeky Monkey Theater and host of the nationally syndicated ne...
Mar 23, 2022•33 min
