

Nestlé to use humanoid robots to sell Nescafé in Japan - macovich50
http://www.nestle.com/media/news/nestle-humanoid-robot-nescafe-japan

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patio11
They have a really interesting go-to-market strategy in Japan, by the way. If
you can read Japanese: [http://nestle.jp/amb/](http://nestle.jp/amb/)

They aggressively target office ladies with the following pitch: instead of
having your company provide a coffee machine that you have to operate, we'll
give you a machine _for free_ which _any of the lazy bums at the office_ can
operate (and they'll _love you for it_ ), and all you have to do is collect
$50 a month or so (which we'll provide guidance on if it is difficult), upon
which we'll come to your door, hand you more coffee goodness, and collect the
money.

In addition to offices being high-volume coffee consumption locations for the
obvious reason, the office ladies are given copious pamphlets in case any of
the salarymen want to have one at home, too.

Oh, and if you're helpful to Nestle with regard to your office, you get a free
machine for home, as much coffee as you can drink, and various other
compensatory benefits.

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nebula
_Oh, and if you 're helpful to Nestle with regard to your office, you get a
free machine for home_

doesn't it amount to offering kickbacks?

~~~
nrao123
Things in Japan maybe a little different. The office lady seems to perform the
same function as the architect/contractor does for Toto toilets.

From one of Patio11's old comments on the Japanese toilet industry:

 _Toto 's primary sales channel is "If you build a house or office in Japan
and don't specifically talk to your architect/contractor about your post-bowel
movement preferences we will take the liberty of using the most current model
Toto has available and then invoice you cost plus labor plus 50%." Toto does
not have that relationship with the person responsible for picking your
toilet. Why does Toto have that relationship with the guy who picked my
toilet? They've got a sales rep in Ogaki. His most important job is making
sure they know of every business start for a construction company and that
every time it happens the company gets a wreath (that's considered auspicious
and is socially mandatory to buy when someone close to you starts a shop) and
the principals get invited out drinking. Toto is, naturally, buying. The sales
guy will not be so gauche as to mention "Say, apropos of nothing, do you do
cost-plus projects? We have a proposition for you which will put $100 extra in
your pocket for every bathroom you build."_

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4784877](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4784877)

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harrylove
"Good design cannot save failed content." \- Edward Tufte

~~~
privong
:)

But, here in Chile, I have heard that hotels have trouble earning repeat
business if they do not serve nescafe (even if they serve other, arguably
better coffee). As is said, there's no accounting for taste.

~~~
sehr
Nescafé seems to be huge everywhere except the US, it's really interesting.
Especially as we typically see foreign things being more 'authentic', it's a
nice change

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minikomi
I've been anticipating the first day I see a pepper (the featured robot) in
"hard rubbish" here in Tokyo. It's such a weird product. Haven't heard anyone
express a desire to own one yet.

~~~
duyhuynh
can you say more? i haven't seen pepper in person, but it looks like a great
robot in videos.

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Larrikin
Does anyone know which home appliance stores and where? I'm assuming Tokyu
Hands or Yodobashi Camera. I'd like to check one out in the wild.

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John_Connor
War starts today.

~~~
JetSpiegel
There's always staircases...

