The Influence of Digital Literacy and Product Innovation on the Competitive Advantage of Modern Beverage Businesses

Abstract

The goal of this research is to examine the integration of Kisetsu-kan (seasonal awareness) in Japanese brand marketing. Although the seasonal aesthetic is a strong cultural element in advertising, consumer response to it in modern brand management has still not been studied enough. This is a qualitative- descriptive study supported by quantitative data collected through a survey administered to 32 respondents who are interested in Japanese brands, using purposive sampling to achieve data significance. Findings show that the Kisetsu-kan strategy converts natural values to economic values, as 84.4% of respondents bought seasonal.jp products, even though most had not been to Japan. From a visual design perspective, 93.8% of respondents were able to identify the four seasons in the product design. Psychologically, 65.6% of respondents claimed that they felt a connection to Japanese culture and gained brand affinity through the seasonal story, while 56.3% stated that the limited quantity of products created a sense of urgency to buy. The study showed that the culturally authentic and systematic integration of Kisetsu-kan could enhance brand loyalty and equity, differentiate brands in the global marketplace, and optimally retain consumers.