Kao Corp. said May 18 that it will combine 11 of its global brands and eight of its regional brands to form a new global portfolio in a bid to accelerate growth in Asia and Europe.
The global brands included in the portfolio are Est by Sofina; Kanebo, Sensai, Freeplus and Kate by Kanebo Cosmetics; RMK, Suqqu and a new brand by E'quipe Ltd.; Sofina iP, Curél and Molton Brown. The regional brands are Lunasol, Twany, Lissage, Primavista, Coffret D'or, Allie, Evita and Media.
Kao said it will refine each of the brands by highlighting their scientifically proven benefits.
Kao also said it will adopt a new brand strategy in Japan, in which it will reorganize brands as either counseling brands and self-service brands. Counseling brands, which include Kanebo, Est and Lunasol, will be marketed with a focus on individual customer needs, while self-service brands will be marketed as "star" items with distinct features.
The Japanese chemical and cosmetics company set its sales target for 2020 at over ¥300 billion, with an operating profit ratio of 10% and overseas sales ratio of 25%.
As of May 17, US$1 was equivalent to ¥110.82.
