Connecting, Synthesizing, Transforming

-Connecting With The Product-

As a $20bn industry (IBISWorld,2020), There is no denying that sushi is where it's at.

With the goal of establishing a strong basis of identity for the brand of BoxPark Sushi, the first necessary step was to develop a deeper understanding of the actual product.

One of the first things that needs to be understood is that Japanese sushi and American sushi really are not the same thing. According to Eater, Japanese sushi is basically seasoned rice topped with raw seafood, though it has evolved to also include other proteins (Eater, 2015).

The most common varieties of sushi are

Nigiri: Rice topped with wasabi and fish
Maki: Sliced rolls
Chirasi: Sushi bowl
Inari: Contained in fried tofu.

The key difference between more traditional Japanese sushi and what most Americans think of is the ingredients.

As explained by Foodicles, sushi with more than one filling and bright bold flavors is an entirely American creation. In Japan, sushi is meant for the savoring of subtle flavors and there are "never multi-ingredient sushi rolls" (Foodicles, n.d., para. 3).

Japanese Sushi From Foodicles

American Sushi From Foodicles

This difference actually goes all the way back to sushi’s beginnings in this country. According to high-end restaurant Roka Akor, sushi didn't really become popular in the United States until the 1960s with the creation of the wholly American California Role which features cooked crab, cream cheese, and avocado (Roka Akor, 2019). Since that time, American sushi has continued to evolve into the bold, flavorful Maki rolls that most people think of today.

-Synthesizing Ideas from The Competition-

"Every competitor has definitive weaknesses and strengths that may be points of potential advantage for your company" (BIZFILINGS, n.d., para. 17).

In order to develop anything that can be considered to be a successful idea, the competition must be analyzed.

According to George Felton, it is vitally important that you steep yourself in information and focus not just on the brand but the product category as a whole (Felton, 2013). A huge part of what that means is developing an understanding of how other distributors of the same kind of product do business.

In the case of BoxPark Sushi, this process was begun by taking a deep dive into local distributors of sushi. Interestingly, one common theme with all of the distributors visited, minus a grocery store, was that, despite the product being largely westernized, the design of those brands tried very hard to establish a connection to Asia. This was done largely through signage and décor.

K&J Hibachi Farmville, VA

Musashi Farmville, VA

Shogun Farmville, VA

In turning the lens of the research to Eastside Milwaukee, it was observed that this theme was continued there as well. While it is not the position of this presentation to claim that every sushi serving business in Eastside Milwaukee follows this motif, enough can be seen from their various online presences to assume that the majority of them do. Examples include restaurants such as Kanpai, Fushinami, and Hungry Sumo Sushi Bar.

Kanpai Milwaukee, WI

Fushinami Milwaukee, WI

Hungry Sumo Milwaukee, WI

That being said, it could easily be assumed the best choice might be to simply follow suit and develop a hybrid or fusion restaurant that focuses largely on the Japanese roots of sushi without really acknowledging how much it has changed as a product since becoming popular in the US. In doing that though, it would become somewhat difficult to establish any true differentiation between BoxPark Sushi and those previously mentioned competitors.

As Lee Fredrickson states, "If you don’t have a strong differentiator, the only option left is to compete on price – and that’s a race to the bottom" (Fredrickson, 2019, para. 8). This strong need for differentiation facilitated the need for a new thought process, one focused on turning the expected on its head. “In the business arena, doing the unexpected can have a terrific impact on success” (Coen, 2004, pg. 97, para. 3). In the case of BoxPark Sushi, that means rather than leaning into the Japanese culture of sushi, the brand will instead lean into the more American bar experience.

-Transforming The Sushi Bar-

At $26bn a year (American Nightlife Association, 2018), Bars are another very lucrative business.

With BoxPark Sushi, the trick is to combine the bold flavors of modern sushi with the emotional connection of good old fashioned dive bar.

If the goal is to create a sushi bar, emphasis on bar, there are a few questions that need to be answered. First among which is: what actually is a bar? Turning Merriam-Webster a bar is "a counter at which food or especially alcoholic beverages are served" or "a room or establishment where alcoholic drinks and sometimes food are served" (Merriam-Webster, n.d., para. 5) Submitting the question Quora yields the result of an establishment with the primary purpose being to sell alcohol, having a minimal menu of simple foods, and being entertainment-driven (Quora, 2019-2020). Even that, though, doesn’t really answer the question in a satisfactory way. To do that, the question needed to be redefined; why do people go to bars?

In the article Beers, Shots, and Friends: Why Everyone Needs a Dive Bar in Their life, Sam Slaughter lays out the idea that these institutions are great because of their informal and socially inclusive atmosphere (Slaughter, 2019). There’s no dress code, no one is there to judge you, and you can drink, eat, and be merry without it costing a fortune. This also being the driving idea behind the brand of BoxPark Sushi, making it a bar, if not entirely a dive bar, begins to make sense.

The next question is who goes to bars? Is there an audience in Eastside Milwaukee? The answer to that question is yes there is. According to SBDC, 22.9% of all bar revenue comes from people aged 21-34 (SBDC, 2020) and a demographic study done by City-Data shows that age group is definitely represented in the area (City-Data, 2017). Not only is the age group present, but, according to Point2Homes, the people in it are reasonably affluent, with a median income of over $67,000 for people aged 25-44 (Point2Homes, 2018).

City-Data Age Distribution Chart

Point2Homes Median Income Chart

Of course, it also has to be asked why a bar? Assuming the audience demographic stays the same, why a bar and not a more traditional restaurant? The answer comes back to what bars of this kind really are.

They are, as Andy McDonald says, “unpolished, imperfect places filled with unpolished, imperfect people, just like us” (McDonald, 2017, para. 2). That feeling, the true acceptance of the imperfect self is something that Millennials definitely need.

According to Canada Newswire, Millennials (ages 22-35) are the most likely demographic to experience anxiety and/or depression (Canada Newswire, 2017). Anecdotal quotes aside for a moment, Mercy Care suggests that active socialization is not only an easy way to lighten one's mood, but it also creates a sense of safety and belonging (Mercy Care, n.d.). With that in mind, it again becomes easier to really see how appropriate a bar could be.

Having said that, it is true that, based on the previously mentioned criteria, focusing on this kind of business model will inherently limit the menu, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Instead of burgers and a few varieties of wings, BoxPark Sushi will sell a few bold-flavored rolls that pair well with Local beers.

Ultimately though, sushi is the schtick but it is not, in-of-itself, the actual product. The product of BoxPark Sushi is the experience.

Good beer, good food, good times.

How does a brand capture that? The short answer is that it has built over time, nothing is instant. While every physical element of BoxPark Sushi was definitely chosen to communicate a friendly and engaging atmosphere, David Feldman says that “a brand is much more than a name, a logo and a color palette. It’s an expression of your mission, values, and vision” (Feldman, 2019, para. 5). Yes, BoxPark sushi strives to serve good food, but the mission is highlighted by this dynamic vision board is the experience.

As is shown in the digital walkthrough section, bright colors were used because, as laid out by Canva, they are energetic and adventurous (Canva, n.d.) and linking back to The Science Behind Fonts (And How They Make You Feel), all text elements are kept sans serif to be friendly and slightly playful (Cho, 2017), but the key element behind the implied messaging is the communal experience of a bar.

References

American Nightlife Association. (2018). Nightlife Industry Overview. Retrieved From

https://www.nightlifeassociation.org/market-overview/.

BizFilings. (n.d.). You Must Understand Your Competition. Retrieved from

https://www.bizfilings.com/toolkit/researchtopics/marketing/mark-et-research/you-must-understand-your-competition.

Canva. (n.d.). Color meaning and symbolism: How to Use The Power of Color. Retrieved from

https://www.canva.com/learn/color-meanings-symbolism/.

City-Data. (2017). East Side neighborhood in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (WI), 53202, 53211, 53212 detailed profile. Retrieved from http://www.city-data.com/neighborhood/East-Side-Milwaukee-WI.html.

Cho, M. (2017, May 9). The Science Behind Fonts (And How They Make You Feel). Retrieved from https://thenextweb.com/dd/2017/03/31/science-behind-fonts-make-feel/.

Cohen, W. A. (2004). Do the Unexpected. In Art of the Strategist (pp. 83–98). American Management Association International.

Eater. (2015, December 17). The Most Common Types of Sushi Explained. Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_-LiZ84q7E.

Feldman, D. (2019, December 3). Why Branding Takes So Long (And Why It's Worth The Wait). Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2019/-12/03/why-branding-takes-so-long-and-why-its-worth-the-wait/#626d6e1b4028.

Foodicles. (n.d.). Sushi: Japan Versus America- What’s The Difference. Retrieved from

https://foodicles.com/sushi-japan-versus-america/.

Felton, G. (2013, August 5). Advertising: Concept and Copy (Third Edition), 3rd Edition[VitalSource Bookshelf version]. Retrieved from vbk://9780393733921.

Fredrickson, L. (20019, September5). Why Brand Differentiation is Essential for Professional Service Firms to Succeed. Retrieved from https://hingemarketing.com/blog/story/brand-differentiation-essential-for-professional-services-firms-to-succeed.

IBISWorld. (2020, July). Sushi Restaurants Industry in the US - Market Research Report. Retrieved from

https://www.ibisworld.com/united-states/market-research-reports/sushi-restaurants-industry/.

McDonald, A. (2017, December 6). Why Dive Bars are The Best Bars. Retrieved from

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/dive-bars-are-the-best_n_5045522.

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.) Bar Definition. Retrieved from

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bar.

Point2Homes. (n.d.). East Side Milwaukee Demographics. Retrieved from

https://www.point2homes.com/US/Neighborhood/WI/Milwau-kee/East-Side-Milwaukee-Demographics.html.

SBDC. (2020, June 1). Bar Business and Nightclub. Retrieved from

https://www.sbdcnet.org/small-business-research-reports/bar-business-nightclub.

Roka Akor. (2019, November 19). A Brief History of Sushi and Why It's So Popular Today. Retrieved from

https://www.rokaakor.com/a-brief-history-of-sushi-and-why-its-so-popular-today/.

Slaughter, S. (2019, June 24). Beers, Shots, and Friends: Why Everyone Needs a Dive Bar in Their life. Retrieved from https://www.themanual.com/food-and-drink/why-everyone-needs-a-dive-bar/.

Quora. (2019-2020). What Is The Difference Between a Bar, Pub and a Restaurant. Retrieved from

hhttps://www.quora.com/What-is-the-difference-between-a-bar-pub-and-a-restaurant.