Published Date: 2025/07/02

Giant Killing

Sōo Yamada

Dentsu Inc.

Once upon a time, I was involved in a product development project for a seasoning series that dominated the market at a major food manufacturer.

After conducting numerous group interviews, thoroughly analyzing quantitative survey and POS data results, learning various recipes from professional chefs, and putting countless samples through trial and error before finally submitting them for a tasting survey, the results were overwhelmingly positive. The free-response comments were full of praise, and the samples achieved the highest "very delicious" score in history.

But the team's elation was short-lived. The "final decision" we heard was: "We cannot release this product."

Why?

The reason was that, unfortunately, over 5% of respondents answered "not tasty at all." Furthermore, several comments mentioned "a smell like rotten fish."

We actually had a hunch why this happened. The prototype recipe used a small amount of fish sauce as a secret ingredient. While many people praised its unique flavor as "rich and deep," it seems this same flavor caused some to describe it as having a "rotten smell."

At that moment, the department head who decided "not to release it" said, "This product might actually sell. But if word gets out that products from that company smell rotten lately... Yamada, can you take responsibility for that?" Of course, I couldn't argue back, and that scene is still burned into my memory.

What I actually learned from this experience was that even top brands have vulnerabilities. For them, even a minor negative reputation is like "a hole made by an ant." There's obviously value in not being disliked.

On the other hand, for companies ranked 10th or 20th in their industry, rather than worrying about being disliked, it's far more crucial to earn the fierce support of someone. To put it extremely, it's effective to be prepared to pursue the passion of just 5%, or even 1%, of the market, even if 80% of people don't give you a second glance.

Yet in reality, I've collaborated on product development with companies of all sizes, and they all shared a common fear of being disliked. If you do the same things as top brands, you won't just fail to achieve a giant-killing upset that upends the industry order—you'll struggle to secure even immediate profits.

A key strategic principle is to relentlessly pursue what competitors dislike. Creating enthusiasm—even among a segment—with a "This is amazing!" reaction in a market you lead is precisely the kind of initiative top brands would likely dislike. This was a very small story about fish sauce, but I believe it holds a significant hint.

"Magic Beans."

In sports, when an underdog team or athlete defeats a superior opponent, it's called an "upset." I only recently learned that the term "giant-killing," used in this sense, originates from the original title of the fairy tale "Jack and the Beanstalk": "Jack the Giant Killer."

An adventure tale starting with the "magic beans" his mother threw out the window. But rereading it, Jack repeatedly steals gold coins and a hen that lays golden eggs from the giant. And then, when the giant chases after him in anger, Jack kills him.

I'm still not entirely convinced by stories that portray Jack as a hero. Even so, on those muggy early summer nights, it's still "Beer and Beans Day." I've mentioned this before (*), but I also recommend adding a little fish sauce to change up the flavor of edamame.