THE CHALLENGE

A global pharmaceutical brand offering treatment for erectile dysfunction (ED) was going through a significant rebrand. To relaunch successfully in Japan, it was necessary to understand how this delicate condition is perceived in Japan.

THE APPROACH

We conducted a semiotic analysis to uncover cultural nuances of contemporary masculinity and ED.  We explored the landscape of performance enhancing products and treatments to understand how manliness manifests and examined various materials to understand how changing gender roles, ideas on intimacy and relationships are affecting them.

THE OUTCOME

Our analysis advised on the territory where the brand is likely to shift post-rebrand. Our insights equipped with do’s and don’t’s supported the optimisation of the rebrand to address the Japanese consumers in a way that fits contemporary cultural narratives.

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