[How to make news with the PR company way] Creating contacts with people other than sake users! “Kubota,”one of the famous sake brands from Asahi-Shuzo, collaborates with Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo on a new sake experience.

Hello! This is Suda from SUNNY SIDE UP, PR Division 1.

This time, I would like to introduce the PR activities of Asahi-Shuzo’s “Kubota” for which I am in charge, and a case study of information development for PR that successfully created new contacts with new targets that created a buzz by bringing about cross-industry collaboration!

What is Asahi Shuzo’s “Kubota”?

Asahi-Shuzo was founded in 1830 in the Koshiji area of Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture. The brewery is surrounded by rice paddies and satoyama (an environment where people coexist with nature), a very beautiful place with the rich natural expression of the four seasons.

For nearly 200 years since its establishment, the brewery has continued to brew sake with sincerity, focusing on Niigata-grown sake, using soft water from the clear underground water vein that runs through the area, high-quality sake rice cultivated through repeated research with local farmers, and technological innovation based on the basic research inherited from Toji Echigo.

“Kubota” is one of Asahi-Shuzo’s representative brands, created in 1985, and is a brand you have probably heard of at least once, even if you are not a sake lover.

At the time of its creation, the sake industry was in fact in a low-price competition, and there were fears of a shift away from sake. Asahi-Shuzo took on the challenge of developing “Kubota” with the mission of offering high-quality sake at a fair price. At the time, sake with a strong sweet taste was favored, but the company took on the challenge of looking at the changing working environment and dietary habits of people, and shifted their sake flavor in a new direction to a lighter and dryer taste. Kubota, which established a new taste, is still a pursuing sake that everyone appreciates and enjoys, taking on the challenge of adapting to the ever-changing times.

Brand renewal with celebration of the 35th anniversary of its launch! Introducing the activities celebrating its anniversary!

Kubota is undergoing its first brand renewal with the celebration of the 35th anniversary of its launch in 2020. The current lineup includes a whopping 17 varieties (as of August 2021)! In recent years, the brand’s first liqueur product, Kubota Yuzu Liqueur, and Kubota Koji Amazake, which is 0% alcohol and can be drunk by anyone, have been introduced, allowing each age group to enjoy a diverse range of Kubota products to suit their tastes and occasions.

SUNNY SIDE UP has been in charge of the PR for Kubota since 2019, and has undertaken various initiatives to help more people learn about and enjoy sake.

This time, we would like to introduce our most recent activity, the Kubota Afternoon Tea, a collaboration with Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo!

Introducing the “Kubota Afternoon Tea,” a Japanese tea time with the aroma of Japanese sake, collaborated with Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo!

From October 1st, “Sake Day,” Kubota will offer the “Kubota Afternoon Tea” in collaboration with Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo. In fact, this collaboration is a project proposed by SUNNY SIDE UP as an opportunity for a new experience without interrupting with the world view of the Kubota brand…!

Providing a new way to enjoy and experience sake, creating a touch point for non – Japanese sake users

Kubota has been collaborating with Snow Peak, Inc. to launch the “Kubota Seppou,” a sake for outdoor enjoyment, and with DEAN & DELUCA INC., a food boutique in New York featuring delicious foods from around the world, to offer a limited menu featuring “Kubota Junmai Daiginjo” to younger generations, women, and others. 

Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo, which we have collaborated with this time, is a hotel that offers space and time to experience the spirit of Japanese hospitality and world-class service standards in a beautiful natural setting. Despite being a traditional Japanese hotel, it continues to attract visitors with innovative initiatives not found in other hotels, such as the recent launch of “Tokyo Sea of Clouds” a new attraction that creates a sea of clouds in the garden and has been featured in numerous media outlets every day. In addition, more and more women are enjoying “afternoon tea” as a hobby these days, and it is becoming more and more familiar to them. In fact, it is said that Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo was the first hotel in Tokyo to offer afternoon tea.

Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo’s garden presentation, “Tokyo Sea of Clouds,” is a must-see!

Both companies have evolved and challenged themselves with the times while respecting Japanese traditions.

In order to create touchpoints other than sake users, an afternoon tea at the hotel was also planned. This collaboration was realized as one of the objectives to attract new sake fans. The afternoon tea will feature beautifully presented sweets that capture the taste and characteristics of each Kubota brand.

Six different Kubota brands will be used for the sweets. You can enjoy the sweets that make the most of the characteristics of each one!

Kubota has been evolving with the motto of evolving with the times while respecting tradition and history. By incorporating the sake into sweets that allow you to enjoy the aroma of sake, rather than tasting it as sake, and offering the experience of tasting it in a special space, we expect to attract people who not only like sweets but are also sensitive to new trends.

These are our skills! Creating a buzz by leveraging media relations

Kubota will not only offer afternoon tea, but also Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo will offer a rare afternoon tea, of which is not the traditional British style 3 layer tea stand, but with a Japanese taste.

SUNNY SIDE UP worked as an intermediary between the two companies, coordinating the two companies’ worldviews to create a buzz, distributing press releases to the media, and handling the media approach. We received about 100 reservations within 2 days of the release of the information, despite the fact that it was only available on weekdays!

The “Kubota Sea of Clouds Whip,” inspired by Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo’s “Tokyo Sea of Clouds” garden

In August, we also planned, managed, and attracted a tasting event for the media. The media had high expectations for this unprecedented afternoon tea format, and once the media started covering the event, reservations were fully booked within about half a month of the event’s opening!

This collaboration was a perfect match between Kubota and Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo’s world view. This is the kind of news that even those who are not fans of Japanese sake can look forward to.

Details of the “Kubota Afternoon Tea”

Last but not least, let us introduce the details of the afternoon tea!

The first-ever afternoon tea with a Japanese flavor utilizing sake will be served in a “Kinsui” style, a sukiya-style Japanese restaurant overlooking the beautiful garden of the Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo. Unlike the traditional English 3 layer tea stand, this afternoon tea with a Japanese flavor is served in a cute round 2 layer bowl that looks like a Japanese traditional ball.

The venue for afternoon tea overlooks a beautiful garden!

Numerous sweets and savories using the sake “Kubota” for its aroma and flavor. Sake lovers and those who are not familiar with sake will also definitely enjoy this event!

Check out the special website below for more details!

◆”KUBOTA Afternoon Tea” special page
https://hotel-chinzanso-tokyo.jp/restaurant/plan/kubotaafternoontea/