Need help with understanding your customers’ wants and needs?

JAPANESE BUSINESS CONCEPT OF THE WEEK

Kano (かの)

In the business context, Kano is a Japanese method for understanding and categorizing the different types of customer needs and preferences.

Here’s how it works

It divides these needs into three categories:

1️⃣ Basic;
2️⃣ Performance, and
3️⃣ Excitement

Basic needs are those that customers expect to be met, such as reliability and durability. Performance needs are those that customers value, such as speed and power. Excitement needs are those that customers may not have even realized they wanted until they see them, such as new features or innovative designs.

💡 How does this help your business?

When creating new products or services, always go back to your target audience’s pain point. If you prioritize your audience’s wants and needs, you’ve already won half the battle.


👉 PS: GMI POST just launched its new website! Check it out at www.gmipost.com.

THE HEADLINES
In this week’s edition of U.S.-Japan Weekly:

🕹️ Japan’s arcade giant steps up its U.S. expansion

🇺🇸 West Virginia’s Polymer Alliance Zone has a new investor

🧪 Japanese manufacturer Hirano Tecseed opens its first U.S. office

NEWS
Japan’s arcade giant steps up its U.S. expansion

🇺🇸 CALIFORNIA, USA — Following the success of its hybrid bowling alley chain, Japanese amusement giant Round One Corp. is gearing up for a major U.S. expansion. The company has announced plans to open around 100 claw machine arcades across the country by 2032.

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NEWS
West Virginia’s Polymer Alliance Zone has a new investor

🇺🇸 WEST VIRGINIA, USA — The Polymer Alliance Zone (PAZ) of West Virginia has welcomed a new arrival to its thriving hub of producers of specialty and engineering polymers and related industries. For nearly 80 years, Japan-based SOMAR Corp. has built a solid reputation for its specialized materials across Asia and wants to establish a presence in North America. The family-owned business will reportedly spend $2.5 million and hire 25 new workers for its new facility.

READ MORE

NEWS
Japanese manufacturer Hirano Tecseed opens its first U.S. office

🇺🇸 GEORGIA, USA — Japanese machinery manufacturer Hirano Tecseed Co., Ltd. will open its first U.S. office in Norcross, Georgia in line with its plans to expand its business in the United States and commitment to improve its service for its American clients, according to the company.

READ MORE

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📌 The Northern California region is one of the fastest growing economies in the U.S., joining the Texas Triangle and Gulf Coast as the only three megaregions to grow their gross regional product at a compound annual rate greater than 5.0% since 2010.

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