Expansive Marketing Strategy of Marubeni- Detailed Explanation

In our most recent piece, we delved into the intricate marketing strategy of Coolberg, a popular non-alcoholic beer brand in India. This blog post will focus on the marketing strategy of Marubeni.

Our aim is to provide you with insights into how Marubeni, despite facing significant losses, managed to transform itself into one of Japan’s leading general trading companies. This transformation was largely due to the effective marketing strategy of Marubeni.

In today’s digital age, marketing forms the backbone of any company. If you’re keen on expanding your knowledge about marketing, don’t miss our Free Masterclass on Digital Marketing, conducted by our CEO and IIDE founder, Karan Shah.

This blog will provide a comprehensive coverage of the marketing strategy of Marubeni. But before we delve deeper, let’s begin by understanding the company’s history, target audience, and digital footprint.

About Marubeni- Company Overview

Marubeni Corporation is a general trading company headquartered in Nihonbashi, Chuo, Tokyo, Japan. It is one of the largest general trading companies and has leading market shares in cereal and paper pulp trading as well as a strong electrical and industrial plant business. Marubeni is a member of the Mizohu keiretsu.

Marubeni was innovated in 1858 when the author Chubei Itoh moved out of the family business and started a linen trading business with his uncle. It was established in 1918 as Itochu Shoten, Ltd. in a spin-off of certain deals divisions of C. Itoh & Co. (Itochu) into a separate organization.

Itochu Shoten intermingled with Itoh Chobei Shoten in 1921 to form Marubeni Shoten, Ltd. under the leadership of Chobei Itoh IX. Marubeni started out as a cloth trading establishment and expanded to trade in other consumer and artificial goods during the 1920s.

Marubeni was re-combined with Itochu during World War II to form Sanko Kabushiki Kaisha Ltd. (1941-44) and Daiken Company, Ltd. (1944-48).

Like other General trading companies, Marubeni was hit hard by the collapse of the Japanese asset price bubble in the early 1990s and recorded its first periodic net loss in 1998.

Marubeni again reserved a massive quantum of losses as part of a restructuring in 2001, with its stock price sinking to 55 yen per share in December 2001.

What’s new with Marubeni Corporation?

Here’s everything that’s been happening recently with Marubeni Corporation:

• Marubeni Corporation is in talks to set up a hi-tech industrial park on 720 acres of land identified near Kolar, Karnataka.
• The company is looking to invest ₹10,000 crore in the State, which could lead to the creation of 40,000 jobs.
• Marubeni Corporation reported a 56.5% year-on-year (YoY) jump in net profit at ₹381.1 crore for the second quarter that ended September 30, 2023.
• Marubeni Corporation is likely to outperform its conglomerate’s peers this year.
• The company has announced its highest-ever net annual profit.
• Marubeni Corporation has strategically leveraged digital technologies to drive value realization across the value chain.

It seems like Marubeni Corporation has been making significant strides in the trading and investment business sector this year. Now, let’s move on and discuss the buyer persona of Marubeni Corporation.

Buyer Persona of Marubeni Corporation

Marketing Mix of Marubeni Corporation

A marketing mix is a model that an organization uses to advance its interest in its brand or product. The main components of this model are the 4Ps: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. Let’s look at Marubeni Corporation’s marketing mix strategy in the following section.

(i) Product Strategy of Marubeni Corporation Marubeni Corporation, a leading Japanese trading company, generates a significant portion of its revenue through trading and investment activities. With a diverse portfolio of products and services, the company engages in global trading across various industries such as agriculture, energy, chemicals, and metals. The core value of what Marubeni Corporation offers has always been its broad business networks, both within Japan and overseas, which is a significant value addition.

(ii) Price Strategy of Marubeni Corporation The pricing strategy of Marubeni Corporation has always been to offer its products and services at competitive prices. This is what has allowed the company to be successful for many years. This strategy has primarily helped Marubeni Corporation build its reputation as one of the top trading companies in the world.

(iii) Place and Distribution Strategy of Marubeni Corporation Marubeni Corporation is one of the world’s leading trading companies with a diverse range of businesses and a global presence. It recently expanded its business networks, both within Japan and overseas.

(iv) Promotion Strategy of Marubeni Corporation Marubeni Corporation uses a lot of promotional techniques as promotional activities help build brand loyalty and interest. It gives people who may not normally engage with Marubeni Corporation a reason to consider their products and services.

Marketing Strategy of Marubeni 

Now let’s dive deeper into the marketing strategy of Marubeni. In agreement with the spirit predicted in “Fairness, Innovation, and Harmony”, the Marubeni Group is proudly committed to social and profitable development and securing the global terrain by conducting fair and upright commercial conditioning.

• Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning 

Marubeni Corporation, along with its consolidated subsidiaries, leverages its extensive business networks in Japan and abroad to carry out import and export activities (including third-country trading), as well as domestic business. This encompasses a diverse array of business activities across a broad spectrum of fields.

These include lifestyle, ICT business & logistics, food, agribusiness, timber products, chemicals, metals & mineral resources, energy, power, infrastructure project, aerospace & ship, finance, leasing & real estate business, construction, industrial machinery & mobility, future business development, and upcoming commercial development.

All these sectors are integral parts of the marketing strategy of Marubeni.The marketing strategy of Marubeni is comprehensive and targets a wide range of sectors. Each segment caters to a different set of customers.

Marubeni has established itself as one of the largest sogo shosha (general trading companies) in Japan, a testament to the effectiveness of the marketing strategy of Marubeni.

Marketing Campaigns 

The announcement series by Marubeni/One Piece showcases One Piece, a beloved adventure tale in Japan. This is a part of the marketing strategy of Marubeni.

The vision of Marubeni will embark on a journey into the One Piece universe during the “Voyage” phase of the new announcement series, set to launch on July 22, 2022.

The marketing strategy of Marubeni in the One Piece world is designed to address global challenges and bridge the gap between the present and the future. Collaborating with dedicated professionals worldwide, they are ready to tackle any challenge.

This vision of Marubeni aligns not only with our world but also with the world of One Piece, a treasured Japanese adventure story featuring a band of unique characters who form a friendly pirate crew in search of a legendary treasure.

As part of the marketing strategy of Marubeni, the ship Marubenny has now set sail into the One Piece world, carrying our hopes and goals in its cargo.There is also a selection of the Marubeni Group’s green business enterprise!

 Marubeni aspires to become a forerunner in green business by strengthening its current green businesses and by making all its businesses greener across every sector.

Marubeni has launched a motherly and Child Health Handbook App in Indonesia through its owned subsidiary.

DiaryBunda digitalizes the Motherly and Child Health Handbook through a smartphone app, furnishing dependable information during gestation and the child-parenting period and recording growth status and vaccinations.

• Social Media Marketing

Marubeni is active on social media platforms like Instagram, Linked In, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. It has the maximum number of followers on LinkedIn. The number of followers is given below for each platform. 

Youtube: 4.72k followers

LinkedIn: 86k followers

Facebook: 5.9k followers

• SEO Strategies 

According to SEO metrics, the quantity of keywords plays a crucial role in a blog’s ranking. A count below 500 is considered poor, while a count above 1000 is good, and exceeding 10,000 is exceptional! As observed in the domain marubeni.com, the organic keywords tally up to 40,016, which is quite impressive!

This indicates that the marketing strategy of Marubeni is yielding significant insights in the realm of digital marketing.

The organic monthly traffic surpasses 196,133, demonstrating that they employ effective SEO tactics as part of the marketing strategy of Marubeni to maintain their brand’s position in Google’s organic SERP results.

• Influencer Marketing

Marubeni, as part of its marketing strategy, extends its support to Iwaki City in Fukushima Prefecture, not just as a trusted business partner, but also in their recovery efforts. The company has been a notable sponsor of the city’s “Iwaki Sunshine Marathon”.

In line with the marketing strategy of Marubeni, the company partners with businesses that aid in the development of regional industries and the reconstruction of areas impacted by natural disasters, including the rebuilding of Fukushima Prefecture from Tokyo.

The New East Japan Public and Private Partnership Promotion Council, set up by the Reconstruction Agency with the aim of planning and fostering an environment conducive to the growth of regional industries in disaster-stricken areas, has been organizing the New East Japan Reconstruction Business

Contest since 2014. As part of the marketing strategy of Marubeni, the company has been a sponsor of the event since its inception.

• E-commerce Strategies

About the E-Commerce Strategies Marubeni shows its products and services on its website. They have the details provided on the website.

• Mobile Apps

(No Mobile Apps Available)

• Content Marketing Strategies

Marubeni posts content on its website and other social media platforms. They release the latest news about their company on their Website, YouTube, and other social media platforms.

This is all about the marketing strategy of Marubeni. Let us conclude our learning below.

Top Competitors of Marubeni Corporation

Just like the fast food industry, the trading and investment sector is also highly competitive. Here are a few top competitors of Marubeni Corporation in Japan as well as internationally:

1. Top Competitors in Japan

• Hikari Tsushin
• ITOCHU
• Mitsubishi
• Sumitomo
• Mitsui
• Toyota Tsusho
• TAISEI
• Hitachi
• Sojitz
• Samsung C&T

2. Top Competitors Internationally

• Hikari Tsushin
• ITOCHU
• Mitsubishi
• Sumitomo
• Mitsui
• Toyota Tsusho
• TAISEI
• Hitachi
• Sojitz
• Samsung C&T

These companies, like Marubeni Corporation, are making significant strides in the trading and investment sector. 

Failed Campaigns of Marubeni Corporation

While Marubeni Corporation has had many successful campaigns, there have been a few instances where their initiatives didn’t resonate as expected with the audience:

1. Foreign Bribery Charges In 2014, Marubeni Corporation pleaded guilty to foreign bribery charges and agreed to pay an $88 million fine. The company was involved in a scheme to pay bribes to high-ranking government officials in Indonesia to secure a lucrative power project. This incident damaged the company’s reputation and highlighted the risks associated with non-compliance with international anti-bribery laws.
2. Failed Expansion in China A year after spending $3.6 billion to buy grain trader Gavilon to expand in China, Marubeni Corporation was shaken by defaults on soybean sales and faced an investigation into alleged tax evasion. This setback highlighted the challenges of rapid expansion in foreign markets.

These instances serve as reminders that even the most promising companies can face challenges. However, they also provide valuable lessons for Marubeni Corporation to learn from and improve upon in their future endeavors. 

Conclusion – What’s Unique in Marubeni’s Marketing?

In the marketing strategy of Marubeni, we saw that Marubeni is trying to connect with people worldwide and they contend on taking up any challenge given to them. They aim to produce results for the challenges facing the world and close the gaps between today and tomorrow.

I personally like how it tried connecting by uniting with One Piece, one of Japan’s most cherished adventure stories. 

And we have indeed looked at how good they are ranking in the Google organic SERP results. They have around 34,880 organic keywords which makes them rank advanced. The right marketing strategies make or break a company’s brand image. Through Digital Marketing, the scope of the company increases.

With the added significance of Digital Marketing, learning in the right field is important. So if you’re looking to learn about Digital Marketing and rank advances in Google SERP results also do check out our IIDE 4-Month Digital Marketing Course and rank higher.

We hope this blog has given you good insights into the marketing strategy of Marubeni.

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