How Muji Took Over the World?

04/13/20 • 6 min

Image source: Muji

Founded in 1980, Muji is as a private brand under Japanese supermarket known as The Seiyu. Back then, foreign luxury brands were gaining popularity due to Japan's growing economy.

On the other hand, there was also a huge market for affordable and low-quality products in Japan. Ironically, Muji was born seeing the gap for no-frills affordable and quality products in the market. Muji started with 9 household goods and 31 food items. As of today, Muji is well-know as a home and lifestyle brand which offers over 7,000 goods ranging from fashion to furniture. As of 2018, Muji has over 900 stores worldwide.

Story of Muji brand

The full name of Muji is Mujirushi Ryohin 無印良品, which means 'no brand quality goods'. Muji's philosophy for 'no brand quality goods' can be seen in the brand's simplicity as well as the functionality of their items. Instead of being on trend, Muji focuses on a minimalistic product design which will stand the test of time.

Asako Shimazaki, President of Muji USA. Image source: Fast Company

From storage boxes to knitted socks that don't slip off people's feet, Asako Shimazaki, President of Muji USA, said they want to fix problems that will arise daily. Every Muji products are designed to deliver one function they were made for. Henceforth the idea, 'Muji is enough'.

Muji wants to give its customers a rational satisfaction. Instead of "this is what I want", "this will do" should be in their mind believing that Muji's products will fit their needs.

Kenya Hara, Muji's art director. Image source: Yatzer

One of Muji's most interesting ideology is 'emptiness'. Kenya Hara, Muji's art director, said that traditional Japanese design focuses on simplicity. Such ideology allows people to use Japanese products; however they want to. For example, some of Muji's products can be combined or applied to suit the person's lifestyle.

Three principles of Muji that drive it's success

So, what are the core principles of Muji which help them deliver it's 'no brand quality goods'? They are selection of materials, streamlining of processes and simplicity in packaging.

Selection of materials

Material selection is Muji's most important criteria as it affects quality. Muji is also known to buy in discarded industrial materials due to their appearance in bulk at a low price. The company also choose natural materials which align to their next principle, streamlining of processes.

Streamlining of processes

Muji tries to do what is enough when it comes to processes in manufacturing. Using natural materials, the company don't have to worry about dyeing or painting. By streamlining its processes, Muji can reduce wastage and cost during their manufacturing.

Simplicity in packaging

Image source: Muji

When it comes to Muji's packaging, there is nothing flashy. Muji packs their items in simple and plain packaging or containers. Through simplifying packaging, Muji helps to save unnecessary resources.

What is Muji's business strategy?

While IKEA and Uniqlo are Muji's closest competitors, the 'no brand' Japanese company has carved a niche positioning for itself. Muji's products are easily recognisable and appeal to many because of its aesthetic design.

No fuss at all

Muji's products fit into many homes around the world. Even though the products are built for a specific purpose, Muji's products are easy to figure out. No fussy control buttons, plug and it works.

Strong Japanese brand

Muji is a well-know international household brand. The company don't limit itself to Japanese styles, but it remains strong as a Japanese brand. As most Japanese brands are often associated with the term 'quality', this gives Muji an edge against its competitors.

Affordable pricing and sustainability

Muji is a Japanese brand that believes so strongly in its philosophy and brand values. The dedication in manufacturing 'no brand quality goods' can be seen in their core principles. When it comes to the selection of materials, Muji focuses on quality. Use what is necessary can be seen in Muji's processes. Finally, the packaging is kept simple. With the three mentioned core principles, Muji can keep its product pricing affordable and environmentally friendly.

Muji's most powerful marketing strategy

The 'no brand' brand don't have huge advertising budgets. Word of mouth is what Muji relies on to spread brand awareness. The company put i...

Image source: Muji

Founded in 1980, Muji is as a private brand under Japanese supermarket known as The Seiyu. Back then, foreign luxury brands were gaining popularity due to Japan's growing economy.

Story of Muji brand

Asako Shimazaki, President of Muji USA. Image source: Fast Company

Muji wants to give its customers a rational satisfaction. Instead of "this is what I want", "this will do" should be in their mind believing that Muji's products will fit their needs.

Kenya Hara, Muji's art director. Image source: Yatzer

Three principles of Muji that drive it's success

So, what are the core principles of Muji which help them deliver it's 'no brand quality goods'? They are selection of materials, streamlining of processes and simplicity in packaging.

Selection of materials

Streamlining of processes

Simplicity in packaging

Image source: Muji

What is Muji's business strategy?

No fuss at all

Muji's products fit into many homes around the world. Even though the products are built for a specific purpose, Muji's products are easy to figure out. No fussy control buttons, plug and it works.

Strong Japanese brand

Affordable pricing and sustainability

Muji's most powerful marketing strategy

The 'no brand' brand don't have huge advertising budgets. Word of mouth is what Muji relies on to spread brand awareness. The company put i...

Previous Episode

3 Helpful Marketing Strategies We’ve Learned from Elon Musk and Steve Jobs

Elon Musk is an entrepreneur who founded X.com (now known as PayPal) in 1999, Space X in 2002, and Tesla Motors in 2003. After selling his startup company Zip2, Musk became a multimillionaire before he even turned 30. Steve Jobs, on the other hand, was an entrepreneur, inventor and designer who co-founded Apple Computer and in turn dictated the evolution of today’s technology.

Both of these tech wizards have made their mark in the world with their success and without a doubt, they are both great marketers. As such, we’ve put together 3 helpful marketing strategies that we’ve learned from them in this article.

Mention your competitors by name

Brands may avoid mentioning other brands during presentations or talks because they do not want to step on any toes or want to avoid looking like a bad person by doing so. However, this is something that both Apple and Tesla have already done.

In 2007, during the launch of the very first iPhone, Jobs talked down on his competitors, particularly MotoO, BlackBerry, Nokia e62, and Palm Treo. Not only did he point out each phone’s flaws, but he also proved why the iPhone was better than their products.

Musk has openly bashed Ford on stage, as well, saying their Ford Tough slogan couldn’t be true and even saying that their cars’ doors were made out of tissue paper. And the audience loved it!

Musk even showed footage of a Cybertruck pulling an F Ford-150 uphill once.

Try to turn bad publicity into good publicity

Musk does a great job at avoiding disaster, thanks to his counter actions and his strategy to always put the consumer first. This was especially evident during the Roadster launch in 2017, which he launched to make up for the delay of Tesla Model 3 deliveries.

To pacify the customers who were waiting for their Tesla Model 3, he gave them the option to drive a Roadster in exchange for having to wait another year for their Tesla Model 3. Of course, it is important to time these things perfectly, too, though.

Use social proof

If you’ve ever gotten curious after seeing a long line of people queuing up for something, that is the impact of social proof. In today’s day and age, people always seem to want what other people want, regardless of whether they had any inclination of wanting it in the first place.

Jobs was a master at this. He was able to hype people up so much that they ended up lining up for the iPhone even when the smartphone market was already overly saturated at the time.

Musk also did the same with cybertrucks, which now has a much wider audience of customers who want the design, look, sustainability, and horsepower that they have to provide.

How AM Collective can help your business in digital marketing?

AM Collective is a branding and digital marketing agency born and based in Singapore. We are also a social media agency which also owns a group of digital properties.

Our clients include Huawei, NTUC Enterprise, Grab, Starhub, Junction 8, Capitol Singapore and CHIJMES, among others.

We make every marketing idea into reality for every business.

The article was written by Soon Koon.

Next Episode

Secrets to Netflix’s Branding

Netflix had significantly grown since its humble beginnings when it introduced streaming services back in 2007. In 2013, they produced their first show, ‘House of Cards’, and they have gone nowhere but up since then.

In its earlier stages, building the Netflix brand meant finding the means to promote it while being an entirely new business. Here are three powerful tools that Netflix used to become a strong brand that it is today.

The Positioning Model

When creating your brand, you need to think about what you want your consumers to feel and recall whenever they hear your brand name. This may involve personal stories, promises, and personality traits. To build your brand, you need to think about what it is, what benefits your customers can get out of it, how it can improve other people’s lives, and what its personality would be if it were a person.

Ideally, you should be as clear, as precise, and as straightforward as possible. Imagine you are talking to a child about your brand. Also, introduce your brand the way that you would introduce a person. Doing so will bring about emotions in the people that you talk to and, in turn, make your brand more memorable. Make sure to mention how your brand can benefit your customers, as well.

The Branding Pyramid

After the Positioning Model comes to the Branding Pyramid, which will embed your brand into the mind of your consumers. Great brands like Netflix showcase focus on the emotional benefits when it comes to this to make them more relatable. They also aim big, promising their customers something to look forward to in the future.

The Branding Pyramid can help you level up your brand’s attributes and benefits to jolt emotions and make your brand memorable. Although Netflix has provided the same benefits over the years, the product changed greatly – from sending out DVDs via mail to providing streaming services to creating original content.

To make the most of the Branding Pyramid, make sure you evoke the right emotions. Make them positive, personal, and powerful. Additionally, always think big and think ahead. Ask yourself what you want to do for your customers and the world in the long run. Dream big and make plans to make valuable contributions. This will help you create a legacy, just like Netflix and help you reach your full potential.

The Concept Summary

After the Positioning Model and the Branding Pyramid comes the Concept Summary, where you represent your brand’s ideas to potential customers in a summary that people of any age can understand. Netflix came up with several concept summaries to suit their brand promise, and you should create different ones as your brand grows, as well.

Keep in mind that your brand will keep growing and that you will keep learning, but you should also stay true to what your brand can offer. This will help you communicate your vision more effectively. While Netflix described itself with many words back in the day, it became much easier to communicate with customers as time went by as it became more successful and more popular.

Hopefully, with these tools, you’ll be able to create a strong brand in the same way that Netflix did and soar to great heights.