From 'Making' to 'Making it Win' Products: Leading Marketers from Asahi Breweries, Kabaya, Suntory Wellness, Lotte, and Ajinomoto Reveal the 'Reproducibility of Hits' and the 'Core of Practical Business'

The Distribution Economics Institute of Japan (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo) will newly host the 'Ryuken Marketer Forum 2026' for those involved in product development and marketing in manufacturing, wholesale, and retail industries. Part 1, the Marketer Forum (5 sessions in total), will be held starting Thursday, June 18, 2026. In this forum, the persons in charge of product development for hit products that became a hot topic in the industry will take the stage. From the background of development and the conflicts in decision-making to the improvement process after launch, they will share the core of practical business that only those on the front lines can talk about. Furthermore, Tatsuya Okamoto, who promoted marketing reform as former Executive Officer and Senior Vice President of Ajinomoto Co., Inc., and Toru Mizutani, who led brand strategy as former Representative Director of Suntory Beer Limited, will be welcomed as panelists to explore the decision-making process and 'reproducibility' of creating hit products. In addition, an information exchange meeting will be held after each session to provide opportunities for networking among participants and speakers. It will create connections among practitioners across corporate and industry boundaries, contributing to the creation of new collaborations and business opportunities. Click here to apply. Dates: June 18 (Thu), July 8 (Wed), September 8 (Tue), October 7 (Wed), November 11 (Wed), 2026. 13:30 - 19:00 for each session. Format: Venue and online (Zoom webinar) hybrid. Venue: Planned for a location near Ichigaya. Participation Fee: 600,000 yen per company (excluding tax) / Advance application required / Application deadline: June 11. *Up to 2 participants per company. Target Audience: Those involved in product development and marketing in manufacturing, wholesale, and retail. Main Program: Main Hit Product Examples: Hit product example: Asahi Breweries - Mirai no Lemon Sour. Speaker: Takehiro Sato, General Manager, RTD Marketing Department, Marketing Headquarters, Asahi Breweries, Ltd. Hit product example: Kabaya - Tough Gummy. Speaker: Ikumi Aradono, Manager, Gummy Section 1, Brand Planning Department, Brand Marketing Headquarters, Kabaya Foods Corporation. Hit product example: Suntory Wellness - VARON. Speaker: Makoto Sakamaki, General Manager, Skincare Department, Suntory Wellness Ltd. Hit product example: Lotte - Premium Ghana. Speaker: Koji Sakakibara, Executive Officer, General Manager of Marketing Headquarters, Lotte Co., Ltd. Hit product example: Ajinomoto - Hakumai Douzo. Speaker: Sanae Takahiro, New Area Group Manager, Consumer Foods Business Department, Food Business Headquarters, Ajinomoto Co., Inc. Main Theme Speakers: Theme: The process of converting insights into provided value. Speaker: Takahiro Omatsu, Representative Director and President, Decom Co., Ltd. Theme: How to create ideas. Speaker: Keiichi Higuchi, Representative Director, Keiichi Higuchi Office Inc. Theme: Expressing product concepts. Speaker: Ikuko Mukai, Director of Marketing Design Center and General Manager of Communication Design Department, Ajinomoto Co., Inc. Theme: What is needed for branding in today's era. Speaker: Tomonobu Tominaga, Executive Advisor at Preferred Networks, Inc. / Representative at OFFICE Shimofuri LLC. Theme: Types and performance of marketing organizations. Speaker: Dr. Tsuyoshi Moriguchi, Professor of the Faculty of Commerce and Director of the Continuing Education Promotion Office, Waseda University. Time Schedule: Keywords: