Yukio Kimura took over as Chief Operating Officer of Glico Asia Pacific in January 2026 with a belief that leaders need to spend time in the field where operations and consumer interactions actually happen, not just review reports from an office.
The concept Kimura relies on is called "genba," a Japanese business term referring to "the real place" where work and operations occur. In FMCG and manufacturing, it describes leaders observing conditions directly on the ground rather than depending solely on reports or data.
In his first 90 days on the job, Kimura visited each market in Glico's Asia Pacific region to listen directly to people and make observations at the source. "Throughout my time at Glico, I have often gained clarity and unique insights in the field that I would not have found otherwise," he said.
Why global strategies fail locally
Kimura warns that the most common mistake FMCG companies make when entering the region is assuming that what works globally will work locally. The region is heavily fragmented, with mega brands competing against regional leaders, local startups, and niche brands. Consumer tastes, functional needs, and cultural identities vary sharply across different regions.
"A global concept that resonates in one market can fall flat in another if it has not been conscientiously localised," Kimura said.
He emphasized that failures rarely stem from a deliberate choice to ignore local needs. Instead, they often result from structural misalignment, where leadership defines strategies that are difficult for local teams to execute effectively.
Three pillars of successful localisation
Kimura laid out key principles for staying relevant in Glico's diverse markets. First, a global strategy must begin with clear brand values that are neither lost nor distorted, but understood from the perspective of local consumers. For Glico, this means maintaining global standards for quality, safety, and brand stewardship while ensuring product innovation, communications, and go-to-market strategies reflect local market realities.
Key snack brands like Pocky, Pretz, and Pejoy continue to perform strongly across markets. Pretz, for example, is positioned as a summer snack in the US because of its lack of chocolate coating, which can melt in heat. It comes in flavors including sour cream & onion, spicy barbecue, and sweet corn.
Second, food must be understood as a form of cultural expression. In 2025, Glico launched limited-edition Pocky Durian and Ondeh-Ondeh flavors in Singapore to commemorate SG60, with Peranakan-inspired packaging designed to reflect Singapore's cultural heritage. Given similar consumer taste preferences in neighboring Malaysia, these flavors were also launched there.
Third, taste remains king. Kimura noted that many health-credential products have failed to drive sustained consumer adoption. "A product can have excellent nutritional value, but if the taste experience falls short, it will struggle to find a permanent place in a consumer's routine," he said.
Health and indulgence without compromise
Glico is pursuing a balanced approach to snacking where health-focused formulation is built into products in ways that enhance rather than compromise the taste experience. Recent examples include wholewheat Pocky variants and reduced-salt Pretz products.
According to an Innova Market Insights 2025 report on snack trends, 62% of Asian consumers now consume a healthy snack at least once a day, and more than one in four are actively seeking healthier options in treat categories like sweet biscuits and salty snacks.
Glico sees growing consumer interest in science-backed ingredients and functional benefits. The firm is also seeing increasing interest in its milk products. In Vietnam, ICREO is gaining traction in the country's highly competitive domestic infant formula market. Almond Koka, positioned as Japan's top-selling almond milk, has become a key offering in markets including Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore.
Structural alignment across markets
Kimura also pointed to ASEAN's moves toward greater nutrition labelling harmonisation as a sign of the region's growing focus on healthier consumption. ASEAN endorsed unified nutrition labelling guidelines in 2025 aimed at harmonising nutrient declarations across member states, ensuring consumers have clear, consistent information about what they eat.