WORLD

Japan is a KitKat-lover’s paradise, with so many unique varieties—an estimated 300—that some travelers visit Japan just to try them. (Los Angeles Times)

How is KitKat a case study in globalization?

Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers Toolkit.

Discussion Ideas

• The great L.A. Times article describes the globalization of the KitKat candy bar. What are KitKats?
  • KitKat, owned by the Swiss company Nestle and licensed by Hershey in the United States, started as a British candy bar, Rowntree’s Chocolate Crisp. The basic recipe has remained unchanged since the 1930s: two to three layers of cookie wafers covered by chocolate.
  • The candy bar was developed as “the perfect complement to a working man’s cup of tea.”

• So, we know KitKats were established in the U.K. in the 1930s. What is the origin of KitKat in Japan?
  • KitKat came to Japan in 1973. It was originally marketed as an alternative to rice cakes, the regular snack in tourist shops in Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost major island. Find Hokkaido on our 1-page map of Japan.

• How did Nestle Japan make a British teatime snack so uniquely Japanese?
  • local flavors. Marketers quickly capitalized on how well the candy’s milk chocolate covering incorporated other flavors. Some flavors include:
    • strawberry (the original, Hokkaido-associated version)
    • wasabi
    • cough drop
    • red bean
    • blueberry cheesecake
    • citrus
    • green tea
    • apple
    • banana
    • “European cheese”
    • cafe au lait
    • corn
    • edamame
    • soy sauce
    • ginger ale
    • maple syrup
    • vegetable juice
    • miso soup
    • grape
    • sake
    • gold-foil “Kobe pudding”
  • packaging. Marketers altered KitKat’s traditional dark-red packaging with an array of bold, bright colors—a marketing scheme familiar to Japanese consumers. (Even art depicting excrement is adorably pastel.)
  • innovation. Japanese business culture has a global reputation for innovation. Today, KitKat Japan introduces 20 new flavors every year.

• Read through our reference resource on globalization. How is KitKat’s presence in Japan an example of sweet globalization?
  • communication. Japan is an industry leader in communications technology, and Japanese citizens are among the most technologically savvy in the world. News about new or limited-edition flavors can spread quickly and “go viral”, creating a curious market.
  • travel. Many flavors are associated with specific regions of Japan. The popular flavor momiji manju (a pastry made of rice and buckwheat), for instance, is considered “soul food” in the city of Hiroshima.
  • pop culture. Japan’s production of wildly flavored KitKats has become part of the country’s identity. It’s an accessible symbol of Japan’s internationally recognized popular culture.
  • economy. Nestle Japan is a thriving business, an important part of the Nestle family of food and beverage brands. In addition, the flavored KitKat bars are popular among domestic and international tourists—the original market for the Hokkaido KitKats all those years ago.

• What are some reasons why the KitKat business of Nestle Japan is such a success?
  • It complements an existing culture. Giving sweets as gifts is a national custom in Japan.
  • It recognizes national pride. Japan “has deep pride in its local culinary traditions and industries,” which are reflected in the many flavors.
  • It’s a play on the Japanese language. “Not least, the chocolate bar’s English name is a cognate—it sounds like kitto kattsu, which means ‘you will surely win,’ a sort of good luck blessing.”
  • It’s made some smart partnerships. “In 2009, the company created ‘KitKat Mail,’ a partnership with Japan’s postal service that allowed students to send KitKats as good luck charms before the country’s high-pressure January university entrance examination. Some KitKat wrappers contain blank spaces for students to scribble in heartwarming messages … In March 2011, after an earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster devastated a swath of Japan’s Pacific coast, people sent KitKats to the region, appending the message: kitto fukkyu kanau, or, ‘you’ll surely recover.’ … Nestle Japan threw its support behind the damaged Sanriku Railway — it released a special line of KitKats and donated some of the proceeds to reconstruction. It decorated two rail cars and in 2014, to celebrate the rail’s return to full operations, allowed riders to use some limited edition KitKats as tickets.”

TEACHERS TOOLKIT

Los Angeles Times: How the humble KitKat conquered Japan with ever-changing flavors. Anyone for sushi KitKat?

Nat Geo: What is globalization?

Wikipedia: Kit Kats in Japan: Varieties