Face value

How Yuzaburo Mogi of Kikkoman helped turn soy sauce into a global productAT THE International Trade Fair in Chicago in 1959, visitors were delighted by the salty-savoury taste of roast beef marinated in a novel condiment called soy sauce; slices were being given away by young Japanese men. What the nibblers did not know was that the foreigners were not merely demonstration staff but workers at the saucemakers new American unit, who wanted to see at first hand how American consumers responded to their product. Among them was Yuzaburo Mogi, a 24-year-old student at Columbia Business School and the scion of one of the founding families behind Kikkoman, a soy-sauce manufacturer which traces its origins to the early 17th century.By the time he reached the top of the firm in 1995, Mr Mogi was well on his way to transforming it into an international food business and turning an obscure Asian seasoning into a mainstream global product. We tried to appeal to the non-Japanese, general-market consumer, says Mr Mogi, who speaks fluent Englisha rarity among Japanese bosses. Kikkoman is now the worlds largest maker of naturally brewed soy sauce. Foreign sales of its sauce have grown by nearly 10% a year for 25 years. Its distinctive curvy bottle has become commonplace in restaurants and kitchens the world over, alongside other condiments such as Italian olive oil or French mustard. Interbrand, a brand consultancy, ranks Kikkoman among the most recognisable Japanese names in a list otherwise dominated by carmakers and electronics firms.