A world without transformation: How KFC transformed Christmas in Japan

クリスマスのケンタッキ - “Kurisumasu ni wa Kentakkii!” (Kentucky for Christmas!)?

From a Catholic School, a little white lie through post-war cultural exchange and of course, fried chicken, comes a unique story of transformation! Did KFC really become the face of Christmas and how did they pull off this marketing feat? As transformation experts we believe success is the journey, not simply the destination.?

Our Hero?

This story’s hero is Takeshi Okawara, manager of Japan’s first KFC who transformed the tradition of Christmas in Japan. In the 1970s KFC’s first attempt to enter Japan was unsucceseful. Language barriers, branding confusion, cultural mistrust, and general apathy resulted in poor performance.

Okawara in his interview with Household Name said people asked him questions like "Is this a barber? Are you selling chocolate?" Business was so bad, Okawara almost went homeless.?

Transforming cultural barriers into opportunities

So how did Okawara turn his failing KFC shop into an unbreakable tradition of celebration?? Whether it’s employees or shareholders or customers, stakeholders are initially averse to change. Moving away from tradition is hard. Not quite believing KFC was truly unpopular in his country, Okawara’s saw the need for transformation but like most organisations, didn’t quite know where to start.? The saving grace for Okawara was a Catholic school. The teachers requested he dress as ‘Santa-san’ in exchange for buying KFC in the school for the festivities. From this humble beginning, a gradual trend took over Japan leading to an ad campaign, “Kentucky for Christmas!”?

Within 3 years, KFC had 75 locations across Japan and the number rose sharply to a remarkable 600 locations by 1986. The campaign was based on small white lie that KFC is a tradition across the West. Not strictly true, but isn't marketing all about positioning your product??

Why transform??

Being almost homeless was the instigator for Okawara. However, what truly inspired him was his core belief in the product. As organisations, it’s vital we engage every single stakeholder to support and build the people who believe in us and who will have ideas which make all the difference. ? KFC would still be doing OK without Okawara but just look at what listening to one stakeholder did in this untapped market. Okawara sold KFC in a country where traditionally there is no reason to celebrate Christmas or eat western fast-food. Rather than asking, ‘why transform’ organisations should instead be open to transformation and open to ideas from every single stakeholder across their ecosystem.?

What would the world be without…?

Fried chicken might not seem revolutionary, but penetrating cultural barriers is a journey which had wider impact. Whatever your feelings on fast-food, what would Japan look without KFC??

• Unique Culinary Landscape: KFC is a major player in Japan's fast-food industry now. Without it, the fast-food landscape would be radically different. Perhaps more local alternatives or other fast-food chains would have gained prominence, but we will never know.?
• Cross-Cultural Connections: An American brand gaining cultural significance in an East Asian market. Japanese families embracing a fast-food chain and Western festival. No marketing team would ever have come up with this on their own. It took people collaborating and learning from each other to stick the transformation.?
• Cultural Impact: KFC is ingrained in Japanese culture. As we know, around Christmas time, it's a popular tradition to eat KFC. Without KFC, this tradition might not have developed as strongly and the singluar relationship Japan has with the US may have taken a different route.?
• Economic Impact: KFC employs a significant number of people in Japan. Workers in myriad branches of FKC as well as in the supply chain and related industries are a strong cog in the fast-food machine within the market.?
• Tourism Impact: Tasting a Japanese KFC is a unique experience for tourists. Again, the Christmas Eve tradition has branched out into something strange and successful. When travelling people like to do what locals do, somehow that’s eating fried chicken in December!?

How true is this story??

Sometimes stories have a clickbait hook, but are they actually true? Putting our fact checking hats on, we spoke to Mayu Kono, Researcher at Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan to confirm this transformation tale.?

“Yes, it's kind of true!,” she told Cosaris. “I've heard that some foreigners who spent Christmas here in Japan couldn't find solid turkeys because it's not a traditional dish here. Instead, they got KFC. Since then, KFC has created a special ‘KFC for Christmas’ advertisement.”??

According to Mayu there is no denying to the impact of KFC on Japan. “Even though we Japanese celebrate Christmas, not many of us are Christian and we are not religious,” she added. “We don't put much effort into making a big meal for this special day. We just buy some chicken, mostly from KFC, and strawberry shortcake ?? (kind of a Japanese way, right?) to spend time with our special ones, like romantic partners."?

What can organisations learn from Takeshi Okawara?

This tale is a lesson in resilience, cultural adaptation, innovation and effective communication proving that blending cross-sector ideas with innovation is foolproof way to transformation. The key lesson here is to believe in your brand and listen to every signle stakeholder. The effective marketing ventures by Okawara highlight the importance of clear and compelling communication in driving transformation initiatives.??

KFC managed to make 12 herbs and spices a seasonal tradition in Japan, but as with most transformations, it’s all about knowing where to start. Take the Cosaris Business Transformation Health Check today to start your journey and who knows, become the company of choice for Halloween in Melbourne!?