Kit Kat’s performance in Japan caught my attention when I heard a story about superstitious students eating them before exams. At first it sounded odd, until you recall Kit Kat’s translation is about success. “Surely win” is the last thing Kit Kat sounds like to North American consumers, but that’s what “Kitto Katsu” roughly means in Japanese. There you have it, a brand’s dream come true – a ritual attached to a slab of chocolate (mind you, the Kit Kats may have boosted performance in students since the brain needs sugar to think, therefore reinforcing the belief that Kit Kat brings success).

Many product launches in Japan fail but the company has already outdone itself with 19 regionally inspired flavours that are localized. Which means you can’t get my sweet potato flavoured Kit Kat in your region. That’s okay. Why? Because the brand is trying to get people used to a ritual that involves the country’s post office. Yes, not every phenomenon has to be online! I imagine that for many Japanese households the past couple of years have not been rock steady. Job losses, wage cuts and price hikes have heightened consumer anxiety, and parent company Nestle understands. That’s why they encourage people to send their regionally flavoured “good luck” charms to each other. In a word it’s a very “humble” tactic, even if people don’t acknowledge its significance on a conscious level.

If there is anything to be learned here is this: brands can still create rituals that strengthen loyalty in this economy. There is no doubt Kit Kat will do well in Japan for along time. After all, it’s written on their package.