[Topic 286] The era of listing ingredient benefits is over. Why did OSAJI 'stop selling cosmetics'?
"President, if we don't emphasize that our ingredients are better than the competition, we won't sell anything."
Are you feeling that same anxiety, filling your store with point-of-purchase displays explaining functions, and getting caught in the whirlpool of price competition? I have seen it many times: small and medium-sized business owners struggling in the trenches, imitating large corporations and losing sight of their own company's value.
When you finish reading this article, you will be freed from the painful battle of "selling things" and filled with a brand-new sense of excitement, the kind that makes customers say, "I want to buy into your philosophy."
Article Summary
[Summary]
The cosmetics brand "OSAJI," founded in 2017, is growing rapidly. Its most distinctive feature is its unique stance of never promoting ingredients or benefits. It defines its stores not as "places to sell cosmetics," but as "places to experience a philosophy of beauty and health," complete with amazake cafes and galleries, emphasizing deep dialogue with customers. By focusing on domestic raw materials (terroir) and strictly managing quality through in-house production, they have built a fan community that stands apart from major cosmetics manufacturers and are accelerating their global expansion.
[Three Key Points]
Providing "experiences" over "things": Space design that allows customers to experience a "philosophy of beauty" through food and fragrance, rather than just selling cosmetics.
The courage to "dare" not to do something: The decisiveness to judge "what should be used" based on a unique philosophy, without relying on ingredient marketing or easy certifications.
Pursuing domestic terroir: Refining the story of increasing self-sufficiency in raw materials and turning local resources into the brand's one-and-only value.
The "customer pain" behind the news
Deep Dive: Consumers are seeking "guidance," not "information"
Modern consumers are deeply wounded by the flood of information and the fatigue of choice, wondering "which product is actually good for me?" OSAJI is successful because they don't present information like "this ingredient is included," but rather an unwavering guide (philosophy) that says, "This is what we believe."
Advisor's Perspective: The only gap where your company can beat the "giants"
What I learned on the front lines of handling complaints was that customers don't get angry when "functions" are lacking; they drift away when they cannot "empathize." OSAJI's strategy is truly an economy of "empathy." By stopping the fight on the playing field of ingredients and escaping to the playing field of their own unique story, they have jumped outside the reach of price competition.
What customers choose in the end is not the most efficient product, but the brand that most "affirms their way of life."
Practice: What you can do on the front lines starting tomorrow
Small steps: Start with "one word" to your employees
No budget or meetings required. Tomorrow, try asking your team members working on the front lines this question.
"Is the number one reason our company is chosen by the world our product 'specs'? Or is it the 'time and memories' we create together with our customers?"
Before chasing sales figures, put into words the 'story' you share with your customers. That small act of verbalization becomes the seed of your company's brand.
The Kojima-style Framework
Here are some tips for organizing your thoughts and reconstructing your company's value.
[Kojima-style Brand Redesign Thinking]
Discarding Functions: Compared to competitors, what are the things you are 'explaining' (ingredients, price, functions) that you could actually discard?
Verbalizing Philosophy: If you were to write in one line your personal wish for 'how you want to improve the world' through your business, what would it be?
Transitioning to Creating Spaces: If you were to turn the place where you display products into a 'place where customers can think about their lives,' what kind of equipment would be needed?
Bonus: Ideas for a Change of Pace
A Shift in Perspective: Selling the 'Atmosphere of the Store' to Your Home Bathroom
If I were to sharpen OSAJI's strategy further, I would sell a 'Bathroom Renovation Kit.' In addition to space-enhancing items that recreate the store's scent, I would package a set of dedicated shelves and tools that allow customers to DIY their bathroom to match the OSAJI worldview.
Let customers recreate the excitement they felt at the store as an 'OSAJI shelf' in their own bathroom. Every time they wash their face, the serene time they spent at the store in Kyoto is revived. You are not selling things; you are selling the experience of turning the customer's private space into a 'brand sanctuary.' This is the ultimate CRM that no other company can ever imitate.
A Cheer from the CEO's Advisor
Finally, let me ask you one question.
If your company were to disappear from this world tomorrow, who would feel the most 'lonely'? The true nature of that 'loneliness' is the brand asset you should be polishing.
Management is not a puzzle to find the right answer, but a marathon of continuously questioning the world with your own beliefs. When you are lost or about to stop, please come to Ichinomiya to see me anytime.
Let's sweat together.
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