How DOBOT Entered the Japanese Market: A Market Research and Entry Strategy Success Story

1 

Client Background

DOBOT is a collaborative robotics manufacturing company specialising in creating desktop-grade robotic arms. With over 200 partners globally, DOBOT has sold more than 68,000 robots in over 140 countries. DOBOT's cobots and solutions are widely used in the manufacturing, healthcare, service, and retail sectors, providing clients with automation, intelligent transformation, and flexible production capabilities to achieve maximum output with minimal labour. In addition, DOBOT shares its industry expertise with academia through integrated industry and education initiatives, nurturing the next generation of talents to drive the industry forward.

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Challenges

The client made the strategic decision to shift their focus to the automation industry, with the Japanese market as their first target. While recognizing the potential for growth in the Japanese automation market, DOBOT faced the challenge of market entry. They needed to establish their brand and gain market share in a highly competitive market where safety, performance, and cost savings are top concerns for potential customers. In addition, DOBOT expressed concerns about the long-term challenges of expanding into other global markets beyond Japan, such as navigating different regulations, cultures, and business practices.

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Solutions

Our market research showed that the Japanese market prioritizes automation robots that are safe, high-performance, and cost-effective. We positioned DOBOT as a reliable, collaborative robotic arm brand that could help Japanese companies transition to automated production while addressing capacity and manpower issues. We marketed DOBOT as an easy-to-use, safe, high-precision, and high-performance collaborative robotic arm product that could effectively save costs for Japanese companies.

We assisted DOBOT in reaching its target audience by creating Japanese landing pages that showcase its products and solutions. Through our marketing and PR investments and strategic ecological cooperation network, we helped DOBOT gain brand recognition and trust in the Japanese market. As a result, DOBOT successfully signed several Japanese integrators in the automation industry and entered the Japanese market with a good brand reputation.

4

Outcomes

Within 3 months of implementation, the client was able to secure 2 core agents, execute 7 digital USD deals, and also received a cooperation opportunity from the University of Tokyo in Japan. As a result, the sales growth in the Japanese market skyrocketed by 300% in 2021.