Ajinomoto extends mix for retail

Manufacturer of seasonings, the Japanese Ajinomoto launched in August to Satis, brand new to the Brazilian retail, which will act as an umbrella for a series of company's products to the final consumer. The first item is the soy sauce-until then offered by the company only to the segment of "food service" (food outside the home, such as restaurants).
Seven other projects are on the table of the new business team of Ajinomoto in Brazil. The goal is that the brand is the fifth main Satis retail among the ten that have multinational in the country-as his own individual soup Ajinomoto, Vono, powdered juice Mid, and Sazón.
"If we have the opportunity to lead to other retail items already sold in food service, we're going to do. Depends on the need and demand. The Sazón began in retail in 1988 and went to the food service, "says Ichiro Sakakura, Executive Director of the food Division of Ajinomoto in Brazil.
The Brazil is the second largest operation outside Japan's Ajinomoto, behind Thailand. Here, the Group's revenue amounted to r $ 1.9 billion in the fiscal year ended March-5.5% more than the previous year. The projection is to grow 15% in five years. Worldwide, sales totaled $ 14 billion. The value corresponds to the five areas of the company's businesses: food, ingredients for the food industry, amino acids, animal nutrition and agribusiness.
The launch of Satis marks the entry of Ajinomoto in liquid sauce in Brazil. The shoyu market moved $ 198 million and 14 million tons in 2011. Grows 6% per annum and is in 20 percent of Brazilian homes, says Bernard Procopio, Manager of Satis. The goal is to be Deputy leader in soy sauce until 2016, behind Sakura, which sells the sauce for more than 40 years in Brazil.
The Ajinomoto does not inform the investment in Satis; just say who represented half of the amount for new business. The money came out of the box company in Brazil.
Were ten months developing the brand. The shoyu has two versions and the strategy is to associate it with the preparation of salad and meat. The product is manufactured by a third-party company in Monte Alto, São Paulo State. The Ajinomoto has four factories in the country, in Limeira, Laranjal Paulista, Valparaiso and Pederneiras (SP). The company does not rule out producing the new line in its units in the future. "We Still see the break-even point in that it is worth investing in machinery," said Sakakura.
The low presence in the kitchens of the country gives the dressing room to grow, says J. "Many consumers don't know how to use soy sauce. Identify potential to consume meat and salad and that's why we have created two versions, with different flavors. "
Made from soy, soy sauce is associated with oriental cuisine. According to the Japanese manufacturer of Kikkoman foods, the sauce was invented in China for 2.5 thousand years and is one of the world's oldest condiments. The production has spread, and Japan has developed techniques for refinement and fermentation. In the 17 century, the Japanese turned the shoyu in the sauce we know today. The Kikkoman soy sauce Museum has inside the factory of Noda, Japan.
Sakakura and Ya say that the most laborious of the preparation of the new line was the design of the mark Satis, as Ajinomoto already offered the soy sauce for the food service. They hired the consultancy FutureBrand and the project started "from scratch"-and ended in less than a year. The decision to launch the shoyu if you gave at the time, but the Ajinomoto had an interest in other categories. "It wasn't easier [decided by the shoyu], but it was less complex than the other products," says Bernard.
The two executives work on Ajinomoto for quite some time: he's 26 years old, and she's ten. Sakakura's Japanese and started at the company's headquarters in Tokyo. Lived in São Paulo between 1996 and 2004, when he was a marketing manager, and returned in 2012, at the current position. Houston started as an intern in the area of refreshments Brazilian affiliate.
Founded in 1909, Ajinomoto has come to Brazil in 1956. Are in 26 countries, has 107 factories and 28 thousand employees, being 2.6 thousand here.