Outline of This Competition

First established at Kobe City University of Foreign Studies in 2011, Marketing Competition
Japan (MCJ) is a nationwide competition for university students’ marketing presentations in English.

MCJ aims to give the opportunity for students in Japan to develop and improve analytical, presentation, and foreign language skills.

In doing so, MCJ also intends to contribute to local economies by selecting presentation themes from real business environments and by facilitating idea-exchanges between students and corporate executives.

We are pleased to announce that the main sponsor of MCJ 2021 is San-J International Inc.—a brewer of premium Tamari Soy Sauce based in Richmond, Virginia, United States since 1978 and a subsidiary of Sanjirushi Jozo founded in 1804 in Kuwana, Mie, Japan.

With Japanese domestic soy sauce consumption on the decline, sales in overseas markets, including the United States, are becoming increasingly important.

San-J's main product is Tamari soy sauce, which is made from almost 100% soybeans, and the company has over 90% of the Tamari share in the US natural food markets.

However, to further expand sales in the future, in addition to the “localization” of soy sauce in the United States (which we call the Fermented Food Culture 1.0), including soy sauce-based steak sauces and dressings, and the “popularization” of Japanese cuisine in the US food culture (the Fermented Food Culture 2.0), it can be said that a unique development or evolution of fermented food culture (the Fermented Food Culture 3.0) will become its catalyst.

On the part of San-J, it has started its efforts, including by distributing DIY kits for making soy sauce at home and by engaging in two-way communication with existing or potential consumers over Instagram to build a loyal “fan base.”

Therefore, this year’s participants are asked to present marketing plans for San-J’s soy sauce products.

In doing so, they need to address what kind of consumers should be targeted, why people should buy the product, what methods of advertising and promotions should be employed, and how their plans would eventually contribute to creating a new fermented food culture in the United States.

The competition is all conducted in English, including presentations, question and answer sessions.

Presentations are evaluated by judges who come from the relevant industries and academia based on their contents (creativity and feasibility), delivery (confidence and passion, English proficiency, members' cooperation), PowerPoint slides (structure and effectiveness), and responses in Q&A sessions.

We are now recruiting highly motivated participants for the competition, who strive for world-class skills. 

Organizers 

MCJ 2018 Managing Committee
Kobe City University of Foreign Studies  

Main Sponsor

San-J International Inc.
（Click here for the sponsor website）

Theme

~Creating Fermented Food Culture 3.0 in the American Market: A Marketing Plan for San-J's Soy Sauce Products~

Special Financial Sponsor

Mr. Masaaki Ogino (Kobe City University Alumnus and Chairman of Fenix Group Holdings Ltd.)

Supporting Sponsors

Kobe City University of Foreign Studies Co-op

Endorsements

JETRO Kobe
Kobe City
Kobe Chamber of Commerce and Industry  

Eligibility for Participation

•  University students studying in Japan

•  3-4 members (everyone needs to speak at least once)

•  International students are welcomed.

•  Interuniversity team is not allowed.  

Timelines

Deadline for registration
Friday, October 29, 2021(23:59)
Note: The new deadline has been extended by one week to Friday, November 5, 2021(23:59).

Deadline for plan submission
Friday, November 12, 2021(23:59)

Final Competition
Date: Saturday, December 11, 2021
Venue: Anchor Kobe (Kobe Sannomiya Hankyu Bld. 15F, 4-2-1 Kano-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0001 Japan)  

Form

A team will consist of three to four students.
The language of the presentation will be English, and the presentation will be followed by a question-and-answer session.

Prize

The first prize:￥200,000
The second prize:￥100,000
The third prize:￥50,000

Other Important Notes

•  Only the student presenters, staff members, and judges are allowed to observe the event at the venue.

•  The contest will be broadcast live.

•  Information about the live streaming will be announced on the website.

•  The preliminary materials provided to the presenting teams by the main sponsor, the rules of the competition, and the details of the qualifying rounds and finals will be announced on the official website at https://www.mcjapan.org as soon as they are available.

•  Participation in this competition will in no way affect students’ selection for employment with the sponsors.

•  The format of the final may be changed depending on the status of the COVID-19 pandemic. Please check the official website and SNS for updates.  

Past Competitions in 2011-2020