 Kao Corporation on April 1, 2009 will launch premium hair care brand Asience in Malaysia. To date, since the introduction of the brand in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, China and Thailand, this will be the sixth overseas region to launch the brand.
For future continuous growth and development of the Group, Kao believes it is imperative to expand its market into other Asian countries and regions where high growth is expected. With this objective, since 2005, Kao has been working in accordance with the Company slogan "Asia Harmonization" to further promote its business in Asia. This initiative involves developing business process innovation by sharing knowledge and expertise among Kao Japan and the Asia Group companies, and promoting speedy, optimum operational activities in R&D, production, marketing and sales.
Moreover, in the Asian market, Kao has been offering high value-added products--those that achieved great success in Japan with strong support from consumers--as pan-Asia brands: Attack (laundry detergent), Laurier (sanitary napkins), Bioré (skin care) and Essential Damage Care (hair care). Such pan-Asia brands were released with the aim of receiving strong support from consumers in each Asian market as well.
Asience is a premium hair care brand, applying Kao's knowledge and expertise accumulated through longtime research on the attributes of Asian women's hair. Since its launch in October 2003 in Japan, with additions of new items and renewals, Asience has been pursuing "the beauty of supple and bouncy hair unique to Asian women." In the Asian market, beginning with its introduction in Taiwan and Hong Kong in November 2005, the brand has been launched in a total of five regions, winning support from highly beauty-conscious women in every region.
With Malaysia, the sixth sales area in Asia, marketing activities will be conducted in conjunction with the concept developed in Japan and the other five regions, focusing on women who are conscious to beauty care, proposing “the beauty of supple and bouncy hair unique to Asian women."
Kao will further develop pan-Asia brands and distribution for many markets to contribute toward enrichment of the lives of Asian consumers through "Yoki-Monozukuri."*
*"Yoki-Monozukuri" is a Kao Group value defined as "a strong commitment by all members to provide products and brands of excellent value for consumer satisfaction." |