How Want Want cracked Japan’s competitive confectionary market

Beloved rice crackers, biscuits, and confectionery snacks, Want Want Group is one of Taiwan’s iconic food brands. At the Food & Beverage Innovation Forum (FBIF) 2025, Campaign Asia-Pacific sat down with Tony Chang, vice general manager of the international business division (Asia Pacific), to unpack how the company is expanding its international footprint.

Tony Chang presenting at FBIF 2025

“To effectively promote our brand in new markets, it’s essential to work closely with local teams,” Chang said on Want Want’s expansion in Japan. “Only by understanding local consumer needs and adapting to regional conditions can we develop products that truly resonate.” In Japan, that meant leaning into offline retail channels, where brand visibility and consumer experience play a critical role. Southeast Asia is also a focus for Chang, particularly Thailand, Vietnam.

Beyond market entry, regulatory barriers and tariff policies are among the key challenges for the group. Chang stressed the importance of navigating complex compliance frameworks before launching in new markets. As part of its global supply chain response, Want Want has set up manufacturing facilities in Vietnam to bolster flexibility and regional resilience.

Having joined Want Want in 1996, Chang has played a central role in its international success. He has led the setup of overseas offices across Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia, and spearheaded the development of best-selling product lines tailored for international audiences.

Under his leadership, Want Want has not only secured shelf space in top retail chains like 7-Eleven, Lawson, FamilyMart, and Emart, it has also formed joint ventures to form deeper connections in Asia Pacific and the Middle East.

Want Want snacks in Japan

Campaign: In Japan, the gummy confectionery is a highly competitive category. What drove Want Want to choose this as the flagship category for entering the highly competitive Japanese market? And how has your international experience shaped the ability to adapt to Japan’s unique consumer preferences, product demands, and distribution channels?

Chang: Why did we choose gummies for Japan? There are several main reasons. Firstly, the Japanese market itself is a large market with considerable potential. Second, we have strong production and R&D capabilities, as well as years of overseas experience. Finally, Japan has always been a benchmark market in the Asia-Pacific region for us. Many product developments and innovations originate from the Japanese market.

What specific localisation strategies has Want Want implemented to tailor products for the Japanese market? Any challenges encountered?

Localisation in Japan is particularly challenging due to the highly competitive, dynamic, and evolving nature of the market. To adapt, we’ve implemented localisation adjustments across multiple dimensions. Beyond packaging design and flavour, we’ve conducted extensive research on product form and marketing innovation to ensure our products meet local consumer needs.

Which primary sales channels does Want Want use to engage with Japanese consumers?

We reach out to consumers in Japan through many different channels, including convenience stores, supermarkets, and other special channels. We have established long-term partnerships with these channel providers. For example, we have partnerships with convenience stores such as 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, Lawson, and Ministop. We also have partnerships with supermarket chains such as Aeon, as well as more regional chains such as Life and Mandai. Other more specialised channels include Don Quijote, which has recently gained popularity in Japan, Daiso, and even large electronics retail chains like BicCamera. We maintain business relationships with all of these partners. Of course, we will continue to explore additional channels to further expand our product reach into new markets.

How does Want Want plan to position itself against well-established local competitors? What marketing strategies are you employing to build brand awareness and consumer loyalty?

I think one of the biggest challenges in going global is how to compete with local brands. After all, local brands have brand recognition and consumer trust, so this process requires long-term efforts. How to identify differentiated products while ensuring quality is crucial. Especially in Japan, where consumers have a high level of trust in local brands, breaking through requires long-term operations.

Before launching a new product in Japan, how do you approach media planning and investment?

We actually use a combination of online and offline channels. We use online marketing models to gain more followers and collaborate with influencers. Of course, we also do offline activities such as opening stores and holding live events for the product launch to increase consumer awareness of our brand.

Beyond Japan, which Asia-Pacific markets show the strongest growth potential for Want Want? What are your long-term strategic priorities for the region?

After years of experience, I believe that the Japan and South Korea markets will remain my top priorities across APAC. Japan has always been a key market, and South Korea has seen rapid growth in recent years. As a result, products from these two markets serve as benchmarks and drivers for the entire region. While establishing these benchmark markets, our focus is on replicating the success of these products in Southeast Asian markets, and we are actively working toward this target.

What are your biggest competitive advantages and the most pressing challenges as the brand grows its footprint?

I think there are more challenges than advantages. If we talk about the advantages of the brand, our commitment to quality is one of the biggest pillars supporting our business expansion. As long as there are no quality issues, it is an advantage for our promotion.

As for challenges, Want Want is still not a very well-known name in many countries, so building brand awareness is a significant hurdle during the initial stages of marketing. In Japan, since we have been gradually expanding into this market, we will increase our investment in advertising and marketing to enhance consumer awareness of the brand.

Are there plans to explore markets beyond Asia-Pacific as part of Want Want’s global expansion strategy?

The Middle East has been a region we have been focusing on and prioritising in recent years. Currently, there are some complex factors at play in the Middle East, but we also hope to replicate our localised approach to penetrate this region.

Want Want Shibuya and Tokyo pop up events (Photo credit: Want Want Japan Instagram)

Among Want Want’s recent marketing initiatives, which campaign has been the most impactful?

I think we should talk about the new product launch event we held in Shibuya, Tokyo last year. Shibuya is an area where young people tend to gather. Many popular trends in Japan originate from Shibuya, so we chose to hold our launch event there. During the live event, we invited a popular female idol group to perform, which successfully attracted a large number of the young target audience. During the event, we saw sales growth that exceeded our expectations. The on-site response was extremely enthusiastic.