Bridging Japan and International Markets: Cross-Cultural Branding, Digital Marketing & Global Business Insights

Tokyo. August 12, 2025

In the ever-evolving global marketplace, the intersection of diverse cultures and business strategies presents a unique landscape of challenges and opportunities. Navigating these complexities requires not only a deep understanding of market dynamics but also a nuanced appreciation for cultural intricacies. To shed light on this fascinating world, we sat down with Jason Paul Revelle, CEO - REVELLE MEDIA GROUP.

A boutique corporate communications consulting firm based in Japan, REVELLE MEDIA GROUP specializes in bridging the gap between Japanese and international markets. With decades of experience, Jason offers invaluable insights into the art of crafting effective brand marketing campaigns that resonate across borders. In this exclusive interview, he shares his perspective on the key factors driving success for businesses operating in both Japan and overseas markets, the evolving role of digital marketing, and his personal experiences as a cultural conduit between East and West.

Q: What are some of the unique challenges and opportunities you've observed when developing brand marketing strategies for Japanese companies operating in overseas markets like India and vice-versa for overseas companies targeting Japan?

JASON: Regarding the challenges observed for Japanese companies operating in overseas markets and vice-versa, there are many, but with every challenge comes opportunity. First of all, the markets themselves and thus the demand patterns are different in both directions, so solutions need to be customized no matter what form they originally might have come in. Any existing domestic materials will have to change to suit the other market. And there are often huge cultural divides between Japan and other countries. It is thus necessary to navigate cultural nuances, and those nuances also need to be explained well to the client company making the transition. In thought leadership and corporate messaging, often a complete flipping of any existing content/context needs to occur, which basically means taking any existing materials and recreating them from scratch.

There are also differences in legal needs/presentation/frameworks and thoughtful awareness of IP issues, etc. Also, the needs of stakeholders such as investors also needs to be taken into consideration, as the needs of such stakeholders outside Japan might be different than the needs of those inside Japan. And further, there is an increased need for thorough research and planning in early stages. A lack of planning will always entail waste (i.e., money) later on, so it's necessary to work with a company on the ground level so as to collaborate effectively to this end. And there are always changing political landscapes and nuances to navigate. In addition, one also needs to understand and catalogue the benchmarks to success in each different market. KPIs might be different. However, as mentioned, all of this creates opportunity both for the companies involved and for ourselves as service providers to maximize the value provided. It's an exciting journey to be able to play a part in resonating with the markets in other regions/countries and their sensibilities, and the fruit of this is always win-win and non-stop learning. This helps put a finger on the pulse of multiple markets, which increases value and awareness as a company.

In terms of opportunities, as above, every challenge presents new opportunity if you can hone the senses to identify it, for both as a services provider and the company involved. Networks can be expanded exponentially for both sides, and the depth of insights and experience gained through research and planning foster enhanced awareness that wouldn't otherwise be gained, becoming a competitive advantage for everyone that's working together. Of course, as a service provider, we learn more and more about the different market landscapes and can utilize that to provide further value to customers in the future. And each company and market has different standardizations that they might follow, giving all parties involved great windows into the standards that are important, and all parties can again add value to their customers because of that awareness. Not only that, but each market and company has different tools, which expands toolkits and again helps bring value to future customers in a compounding effect.

Q: Could you share an example of a successful brand marketing campaign that your firm executed that beautifully bridged Japanese and international cultural nuances? What were the key takeaways?

JASON: One thing that comes to mind was being involved in public relations campaigns for a major Japanese manufacturer that was beating U.S. rivals in major benchmarks. This was a big deal actually and was very newsworthy. The benchmark was major. And it would have been simple enough to promote the successes as per what the facts were: "Japanese manufacturer beats U.S. rival." But the Japanese manufacturer also operates in the U.S. and has partnerships with competitors there, so voicing success at beating U.S. companies might be fine for the Japan audience but isn't always good PR locally. So, the core message had to change while still transmitting the success. This was the challenge: How could we voice success without sounding like we are rubbing it in?

Thus, our team proposed to change the complete messaging to be more sensitive to the U.S. audience, and instead of focusing on the win, we couched the transmission of the success as partially being a result of the existing partnership between the two competitors and how that was now able to be strengthened because of the growth, bringing win-win to both sides. All of a sudden, instead of it being a zero-sum game, it became win-win. This helped to soften the transmission of the information about actually beating the local competitor. The goal became not all about transmitting the success. It became about how all parties can win when any one party wins. This was exactly what the manufacturer needed because it started to become a geopolitical issue. This solution was executed with all intended effects gained.

The key takeaway is that it's good leadership to bring others up when you go up, win-win is always better than win-lose, and, if you are beating others, be a good sport about it and figure out how your top position can be used to help others. That way you don't create discord/resentment. The best way to stay on top is to help others stay up as well. One might say that the goal of a leader is to produce more leaders and to build effective, happy teams. The way to do this is to take a macro view of the market and analyze how different sides might see a matter. Use that insight to formulate the campaign that resonates with all stakeholders. Don't be so focused on small matters or micro-level viewpoints. This will cloud your view and can result in blind spots. Go macro, go micro, and then go back to macro, and then go FORWARD.

Q: How do you see the role of digital marketing evolving in the Japan and overseas business, especially concerning brand building and lead generation?

JASON: In the early 2000s, the overall market everywhere was very pessimistic about anything printed or analogue. Magazines and newspapers were thought to go extinct completely, and we can see that this didn't happen. However, all the while, in Japan, craftsmanship has always been held in high regard (difficult time-intensive processes, presence of traditional master craftsmen, etc.). We think that the rest of the world resonates on this as well. There should be a "craft to digital marketing." Quality craftwork has always been a part of the traditional Japanese spirit. Today, so many things are quick and cookie-cutter. We feel that there will be some degree of backlash to the digital age, or there already has, with some heightened appreciation for "craftwork." This is proven in how well Japanese design sensibilities as a craft resonate with people worldwide, and this will lend itself very well to digital marketing and always has.

We are seeing a lot of traditional industries in Japan finding their niche overseas because domestically they might be taken for granted. Meanwhile, for overseas audiences, the traditional Japanese industries are new and meaningful for them. Thus, digital marketing in Japan and overseas is seeing a lot of crossover, more than I've ever seen over 20+ years. And this is nurturing a lot of new opportunity. The world is genuinely opening up to new ideas and previously unknown regional Japanese concepts. Of course, just because of using the word "craft" doesn't mean that the role of digital will lessen. It will become an issue of differentiation amid a market saturated with digital content.

Meanwhile, for brand building, of course it's important to communicate regularly and extensively in every form. It's said that it takes 7 hours of cumulative exposure to something new to gain a human's trust (that's why TV commercials work so well). I also feel that companies need to market both organically and commercially. They need to market deeply. We also see algorithms changing to support the visibility of smaller brands. Valuable voices will be heard better, no matter their size and reach. Then, in speaking about lead generation, this will always be about learning what works and doubling down on it, and especially tracking it. Analytics are getting better and better, becoming a sharper tool day by day. This is something that AI can handle well. Competition will intensify, so all companies need to have a healthy sense of crisis about this. At the same time, it's important to constantly refine your products and your infrastructure. However, at the end of the day, networks and relationships will always be key. These are all assets that compound over time. You must have BOTH a great product and great marketing, not either. Great products or great companies don't always sell themselves.

Furthermore, traditionally, Japan has lagged in evolving digital marketing even though it innovated a lot of the technology in the 1990s/2000s and onward. Japan tends to develop A LOT, but because Japan doesn't adopt new things quickly, the technology goes overseas quicker than it proliferates locally. For example, our long-term view is that smartphone screens will become obsolete, changing to 3D holograms, etc. Once this happens, the market will be disrupted again. New modes of marketing will emerge. Of course, there is also AI, which is speeding up equally here in Japan and overseas. For now, we believe it will 10x speed, which means firms should be able to 10x output. However, I feel that it will not replace humans (at least not yet), just like websites did not replace magazines. We still have newspapers and magazines. And people still love them. To further illustrate, if you have ever picked up a hand-carved and polished wooden spoon in preference to a piece of stainless, mass-produced cutlery, you intuitively know why human creative work reflects the craftsmanship of real-world experience and knowledge and that it is more appealing than something cranked out mechanically. Such a choice celebrates human artistry, creativity, and care. We think that it will be important that a deep niche always exists for this.

About Jason Paul Revelle 

Since 1998, Jason Paul Revelle has forged a strong career in wordcraft and international corporate communications and public relations. After being nationally recognized in Canada in magazine journalism, Jason moved to Japan in 2002 to help build the bridges of communication between Japan and the West. In the mid-2000s, a stint at Toyota Motor Corporation's overseas public relations division in Tokyo added to his growing experience. Now, Jason operates a boutique, full-service corporate communications consultancy serving a wide range of large/small corporate clients from around the world.