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👋 If at first you don't succeed, try a completely different generation. When Nestlé's coffee flopped spectacularly in 1970s Japan, they didn't give up — they pivoted to candy. Fifteen years later, those sugar-loving kids had become coffee-craving adults. Sometimes the best customers are the ones who don't exist yet.

Read time: 4 minutes | 874 words

STORY 

☕ How Nestlé Turned Tea-Loving Japan Into Coffee Addicts

In the 1970s, Nestlé faced what seemed like marketing suicide: selling coffee to a nation that had been drinking tea for over a thousand years. Japan was experiencing unprecedented economic growth during the "Japanese economic miracle," but consumers remained deeply rooted in their cultural traditions.

When Nestlé first launched Nescafé in Japan, it was a spectacular failure. Despite positive focus groups, interviews, and secondary research proving predetermined success, when they put Nescafé on every shelf in Japan, they did not sell.

The Japanese had no emotional connection to coffee - their morning ritual centered around green tea, and Japanese palates found coffee's intense bitterness challenging to embrace.

The Breakthrough Insight

In 1975, Nestlé hired French psychoanalyst Clotaire Rapaille, who identified the core issue: Japanese people lacked an emotional connection to coffee. Through psychological research, Rapaille discovered that people form lifelong bonds with foods they associate with childhood experiences.

Japanese culture was steeped in tea and had a strong emotional imprint, meanwhile coffee had a superficial/non-existent imprint on the Japanese people. The problem wasn't the product - it was the complete absence of cultural memory.

The Radical 15-Year Gamble 🍭

Instead of giving up or pushing harder, Nestlé made one of the boldest decisions in marketing history: they decided to create an entire generation of coffee lovers from scratch. Rapaille's ingenious solution was straightforward:

• Introduce coffee-flavored candies to children. This would create positive associations that would naturally evolve into coffee consumption in adulthood.

Nestlé launched multiple varieties of coffee-flavoured candy, under the name of KitKat. All of a sudden, kids began to discover the taste of coffee. The barrier to entry was significantly lower in the candy industry compared to the beverage industry.

Side note: KitKat was invented much earlier, but Nestlé acquired the KitKat brand globally (except in the US where Hershey owns it). What happened in Japan was different: Nestlé used KitKat as one of the vehicles for their coffee-flavored candy strategy, creating coffee-flavored varieties of KitKat AmouxMashed to introduce Japanese children to coffee taste.

The Patient Cultivation 🌱

Nestlé didn't just target children - they engineered positive childhood memories. This clever tactic aimed to imprint the taste of coffee in their memories, associating it with positive experiences. As these children grew up, they carried their acquired taste for coffee into adulthood.

There was an unexpected bonus: parents, curious about their children's new favorite treats, also began to develop a taste for coffee. The strategy created a dual-generation entry point.

Then came the 1980s, and with it, the first signs that their unconventional strategy was working. The children who had grown up enjoying coffee-flavored treats were entering the workforce. When Nestlé reintroduced instant coffee to this generation, the response was dramatically different from their parents' rejection.

The Ultimate Victory 🏆

The results exceeded Nestlé's wildest dreams. Coffee consumption in Japan began to rise steadily, eventually reaching record highs by 2014. The country transformed into the world's fourth-largest coffee importer, bringing in over 500,000 tons annually.

Nestlé emerged as the undisputed market leader in Japan's coffee industry, commanding an impressive 70% of the instant coffee market. From zero cultural presence to market domination in exactly one generation.

Today, coffee is deeply woven into the fabric of Japanese society. Few of the millions of Japanese coffee drinkers realize that their daily ritual began with a child psychiatrist's insight and a company's willingness to wait years for their strategy to bear fruit. This wasn't just marketing - it was cultural engineering at its finest. 

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INSIGHT + ACTION

💼 7 Lessons from Playing the Long Game

1. Don't Fight Culture - Engineer It 🛠️

Most salespeople try to force their product into existing customer habits. Nestlé discovered that sometimes you need to create the habit first.

Actionable insight: Instead of pushing harder when facing cultural resistance, ask: "How can I create positive associations with my product category before selling the actual product?"

Example: A software salesman struggling with tech-resistant industries might sponsor coding workshops for employees' kids, creating future demand.

2. Plant Seeds in the Next Generation 🌱

The candy strategy wasn't about immediate sales - it was about future market creation. While competitors fought over existing coffee drinkers, Nestlé was building their own customer base from scratch.

Actionable insight: Think beyond your current prospects. Who are the decision-makers of tomorrow? How can you influence them today?

Example: B2B salespeople should build relationships with junior employees who will become senior executives in 5-10 years.

3. When Research Says "Yes" But Sales Say "No" - Dig Deeper 🔍

Nestlé's focus groups loved coffee, but nobody bought it. The gap between stated preference and actual behavior revealed the real problem: lack of emotional connection.

Actionable insight: When prospects say they like your product but won't buy, the issue isn't logical - it's emotional. Find the missing emotional bridge.

Example: If clients say your proposal is "great" but choose competitors, investigate what emotional needs you're not addressing.

4. Lower the Barrier to Entry 🚪

Coffee was too foreign, but coffee candy was familiar. Sometimes you need a "gateway drug" to your main product.

Actionable insight: Create easier ways for prospects to experience your value without full commitment.

Example: Instead of pushing expensive enterprise software, offer a simple free tool that gives a taste of your capabilities.

5. The Power of Indirect Influence 🎯

Parents tried the coffee candy out of curiosity about their kids' treats. Nestlé accidentally created two entry points instead of one.

Actionable insight: Consider who influences your target customer. Sometimes selling to the influencer is easier than selling direct.

Example: Selling to IT departments? Build relationships with the end-users who will pressure IT to buy your solution.

6. Play the Long Game While Others Sprint 🏃‍♂️⏰

While competitors fought for immediate market share, Nestlé invested 15 years in market creation. When they finally launched, they had no real competition.

Actionable insight: Invest in relationships and positioning that will pay off years later. Your future self will thank you.

Example: Consistently provide value to prospects who aren't ready to buy today - they'll remember when they are ready.

7. Timing Beats Forcing ⏰

Nestlé didn't succeed by selling harder - they succeeded by selling when their audience was ready. The candy kids needed to become working adults first.

Actionable insight: Learn to recognize when prospects aren't ready and focus on staying top-of-mind until they are.

Example: Stop chasing prospects who clearly aren't ready. Nurture them until their situation changes.

The Meta-Lesson: Think Like a Market Creator, Not Just a Market Capturer 🎨

Most salespeople compete for existing demand. Master salespeople create new demand.

Ask yourself:

• Am I fighting for scraps of existing market share, or creating new market space?

• Am I trying to change minds today, or shape hearts for tomorrow?

• Am I solving today's problem, or creating tomorrow's opportunity?

The greatest sales victories aren't won by better pitches - they're won by better positioning, planted years before the sale. 🎯✨

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