CEO Insights Magazine

With its unique geography and culture, Japan, an island nation in East Asia, has a distinct marketing landscape. The country has embraced modernity while fostering a strong sense of tradition, which has an impact on brand engagement and customer behavior. To appeal to its sophisticated and tech-savvy consumers, marketing professionals in Japan must therefore manage this complex interplay by emphasizing personalization, local relevance, and quality-driven storytelling. Michio Ochi, CMO of Miidas, is a skilled marketing professional with a broad range of experience in multiple industries. He specializes in long-term brand development and data-driven decision-making and has held important positions at large corporations during his career, such as Lenovo, L'Oréal, Unilever, and SHISEIDO's Global Headquarters.

Michio has always stressed the value of consumer insights in all his roles, making sure that marketing initiatives focus on both current and potential customers. Michio, in his capacity as CMO at Miidas, conducted extensive customer and consumer surveys by utilizing his B2C background. These surveys revealed client demands that had not previously been identified and offered insightful information, pointing to fresh chances for future business growth. His success has been fueled by his ability to combine data analytics with a long-term outlook, which has increased his brand's visibility and market share across a range of industries.

In a recent interview with CEO Insights Asia, Michio shared his strategies, future roadmap, and vision for the company. Let’s delve into it.

How do you evaluate customer preferences, market trends, and the competitive landscape to shape your strategies?

I use innovative technologies, data analysis, and large-scale consumer surveys to assess customer preferences, market trends, and the competitive landscape. We are also able to evaluate our place in the market and comprehend changes in customer behavior by using a sizable consumer panel to watch digital conduct, such as search activity and visits to competitor websites.

We also assess brand search volumes within three minutes of the showing of each TV ad to evaluate the efficacy of traditional media platforms like TV advertisements. As a result, we can record shifts in consumer knowledge and behavior instantly.

I use Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM), a machine-learning-based multiple regression analysis that assesses the return on investment (ROI) of every marketing effort, to make sure we stay ahead of market trends. This enables us to promptly respond to changes in the market and validate both short-and long-term initiatives.

How do you ensure Miidas' brand image is consistently maintained and enhanced across all marketing channels under your leadership?

I collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to ensure that our messaging and images are consistent and in line with the brand's essential principles. I urge my team to stand back and consider the complete client journey. This enables us to guarantee consistency from the point of initial awareness to the point of final purchase across all marketing initiatives.

We are also incorporating AI analytics to maxi­mize innovative material and preserve brand consist­ency. We aim to provide powerful, unified marketing that fortifies our brand and fosters business expan­sion by fusing artificial intelligence with human creativity.

How do you inspire your team to create impactful campaigns & embrace innovation in brand storytelling?

I motivate my team to develop successful campaigns by cultivating an environment that values creativity and recognizes initiative. In addition to this, I lead my team with two fundamental methods including data analysis and innovation.

I stress the need to look at data from several perspectives to get more profound insights, as opposed to taking it at face value. This makes it possible to comprehend the actual meaning of the data more thoroughly.

When it comes to innovation, I urge my team to focus on authenticity, relevancy, and talkability as the three key viewpoints in storytelling. It helps us to fortify brand storylines and establish a stronger connection with our audience.

What leadership approach do you use to drive the achievement of marketing goals?

My leadership style changes according to the organization's or the people's level of experience. I concentrate on mentoring and giving feedback to help less experienced team members understand how to think through problems and implement strategies. For more seasoned groups, I provide clear objectives but delegate planning and execution, promoting initiative and ownership.

I advocate for a distinct team structure that pushes members to interact with areas outside of their direct responsibilities and beyond their KPIs. This aids in their professional development, knowledge expansion, and holistic project understanding.

What is the future roadmap you have envisioned for your journey?

I want to introduce cutting-edge marketing techniques in the future that use AI and data analytics to boost productivity and customization. My focus will be on marketing automation and using real-time data to create highly personalized consumer experiences. I will also keep assisting other firms in implementing this cutting-edge technology to grow their operations through my marketing consultancy.

Michio Ochi, CMO, Miidas

Michio Ochi is a seasoned marketing executive with extensive experience in consumer goods, cosmetics, technology, and B2B/B2C markets, currently serving as CMO at Miidas. With leadership roles at global companies like L'Oréal, Unilever, Shiseido, and Lenovo Japan, he is skilled in product development, data-driven marketing, and brand management. Additionally, he runs OBO.K. K, supporting companies such as Ethicalize, Macromill, KAO, and Coordimate.

Awards and Recognition: Finalist for the YouTube Works Award (2022), Shortlisted at the Lisbon PR Awards (2022), Recognized with Asia-Pacific Excellence Awards (internal recognition at Lenovo).

Hobbies: Tennis, Travel Abroad

Favorite Cuisine: French, Italian, Japanese

Favorite Book: How Brands Grow by Byron Sharp

Favorite Travel Destination: Melbourne (Australia), Penang Island, Paris (France)