Penetrating export markets with Japan's Good Design Award
By Jon Fernquest |
Several products from Thailand have already won Japan's Good Design Award both a mark of excellence in product design and also a good way to penetrate Japanese markets.
(Photo on right of the unique texture of water hyacinth furniture, a Thai innovation)
Both Thann-Harnn's natural body-care products and Yothaka International's furniture made of water hyacinth have both won the award. (See history of the award)
Since the Thai-Japan trade pact became operative last month the Thai and Japanese governments have made plans to promote competition for this prestigious prize in Thailand. This could help Thai exports to Japan (See photo on right of the design materials exhibition room at the Thai Creative and Design Center (TDRC) at the Emporium)
Haruhiko Ozasa, director of the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO), said his organisation, the Japan Industrial Design Promotion Organisation (JIDPO) and Thailand's Department of Export Promotion (DEP) had agreed in principle to encourage Thai designers to apply for the Good Design Award.Details of the collaboration would be finalised in the next two months, said Mr Ozasa...
Mr Hirano added that the Thai products that received the awards could tap not only the market in Japan but also those in Europe and the United States due to their high quality and attractive packaging. Mr Hirano also suggested that OEM manufacturers create new designs in order to build their own brands for higher returns in the future.
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Vocabulary:
Japan's Good Design Award - an international mark of excellence in good design (See website and Wikipedia)
mark of excellence - when people see this mark on a product they know it is an excellent product
penetrate a market - win customers in a market
texture - the way that something feels to touch
Thann-Harnn - a leading manufacturer of spa products (See Thann website and Harnn website
body-care products - products to care for skin, spa products
Yothaka International - Thai manufacturer of natural furniture made of water hyacinth wood (See website and hyacinth furniture catalogue)
water hyacinth - a plant htat grows in the water with large pink and lavender colored flowers (See Wikipedia)
a pact - an agreement
became operative - started using
prestigious - respected and admired
Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) - the Japanese export promotion agency (See Bangkok website)
industrial design - improving the aesthetics and usability of products for marketing and production, creating design solutions to solve problems of engineering, marketing, brand development, and sales (See Wikipedia)
collaboration - working together on a project
finalised - make a final agreement
tap a market - enter a market, sell products in a market
OEM manufacturers - where one company uses a component of another company within its product or sells the product of another company under its own brand (See Wikipedia)
build a brand - make people know and respect the name of your product
the little guys - little companies
imitating - trying to do what someone else is doing
