How two brothers helped turn the family business in decline to become a household name

When they were children, Kuni and Tomo Hijikata knew that their family business could be worth fighting for. The company was established by the Hijikata family in Nagoya, Japan back in 1936. It was the Hijikata family's foundry that was made of cast iron was renowned for its meticulous accuracy. But by the early aughts the company's future was unclear. Since they were the inheritors of the firm that was in operation for decades, Kuni and Tomo knew that they were accountable for ensuring that the casting iron process was in place.

Two brothers had stable employment at Toyota along with Toyota Tsusho But, they recognized the potential in the development of cast iron cookware meant to endure generations. The brothers quit their job and jumped into saving the business of their family. They were trained at the bottom of the foundry and were artisans, then at the time of 2010, Vermicular started to form. Following the first time their cast iron pot came out for sale, the product had a record fifteen months of backorders , which were helped by the enthusiastic spread of word.

10 years onand more than 10 years later, 10 years later, the Vermicular team is setting its sights on global expansion Now, they're selling their product across markets like the U.S., China, and beyond. In order to best convey the benefits of their kitchen products in new markets around the world, Vermicular has invested heavily in the creation of video content that promotes its products. "Without the videos it'd be very difficult to increase to the extent of the business," says Mark Hayashi director of Vermicular's U.S. Office. We spoke with Kuni, Tomo, and Mark to get more information about Vermicular's strategy to grow worldwide through video. Check out their tales above as well as listen to their entire interview.

"We usually think of videos as an extension of our company's product or brand. Video content is more effective than the written word. This is particularly true in the kitchen." Mark Hayashi, Vermicular's Head of U.S. Office

How did you arrive to the idea?

Tomo: "I thought that we could utilize the expertise and knowledge of our company's casting in order to produce enameled cast iron containers that contain lids that perfectly are a perfect fit. However, there was no prior precedent in Japan. We were aware that we'd need develop this procedure by ourselves.

To learn as much as possible about the topic, Kuni and I took a class on the floor at the Findry. Kuni was an experienced casting crafter while I became an expert in the field of machinery. We had to wait three years and 10,000 times, before we had the idea which would be able to fulfill our requirements."

What was your approach about the process of setting up the brand of your business within Japan?

Mark: "Brand storytelling has always been at the forefront of our communications and marketing strategies. Telling stories that represent our distinctive tradition and dedication to excellence has been a immediate hit with our customers and helped us connect with the public at a more intimate level.

The first step was brainstorming ideas for videos that would reflect our mission for our brand. If we are creating videos about branding or how-to product videos, we will ensure that they are reflective of our beliefs as well as our identity. At first, we weren't as focused on selling short-term instead, we were focused on increasing customer satisfaction with regards to the long-term."

     Which was the toughest issue in developing Vermicular? The brand Vermicular is now available outside Japan?

Mark: "Our biggest challenge was the communication hurdles. Since the introduction of the Vermicular brand in 2010. We've had the brand's presence Japan however, none of it was able to be made available to outside Japan. The only thing we had to do was start building the Vermicular brand entirely by hand, which was a challenge and needed a great deal of planning from the very beginning."

Was your first purchase in order to establish your name international?

     Your content that you've created for your company is amazing. What process led you to this level of quality?

Mark: "We partnered with an agency to develop the branding video. We were constantly debating the general style and look of lighting as well as clothing, the casting process and food style. In addition, we worked together in the creation of storyboards to accompany the videos, which were the primary guidance during the entire process. The shoots included days.

Because there will be many participants in the shooting, there are the possibility of unexpected delay that may cause delays from the start. Making a Storyboard with a well-planned and an extensive shot schedule helps set clear expectations and guide everyone involved on the shooting in the identical path. The stories we design are not just an accurate plan of the shoot, but they also saved the post-production pressure. This is crucial in smaller businesses with small budgets."

What do you intend for the earnings you earn as you continue to expand?

Mark: "Our hypothesis was to create a promotional video by using an instructional program that would allow customers to enjoy the full benefits from an induction cooktop. In accordance with our company's branding statement, our purpose does not end when the customers have made a purchase in the appliances that we sell.

We'd love to see our customers enjoy cooking using the Vermicular cookware over the longest duration of time possible. It is evident that there are positive results from these instructional videos as they assist in the training of cookware users in addition to helping shoppers gain more understanding about the use of kitchen appliances."

Video was an important factor in the creation of the name Vermicular across the world?

Mark: "Definitely! Many. Videos are part of our brand as well as our service. We may not have the most budget-friendly budget but we're busy trying to determine the format and the narrative which are the most effective for telling our tale. Images have the power to communicate than the words. This certainly applies to cooking."

HTML1 What are the main reason that the team uses HTML0 to host and embed the videos?

Mark: "We prefer for many reasons, the primary feature is that it can be customized for embedding video. This ad-free and clutter-free interface allows for seamless navigation throughout the website , and safeguards the "touch and feel" the logo.

Also, it allows us to distribute documents that we've made with teams that are from Japan and also between the U.S. and Japan, that makes it simpler to receive comments, even if the distance is thousands of miles."

What's the next phase in the Vermicular process?

Kuni: "More interesting products are currently being created and we'll be expanding our range of offerings across both the U.S. and across various Asian nations."

Mark: "We are currently creating our video content strategy that includes brand-named videos that feature different farmers and chefs, to explanation videos and how-to-videos that will become our most valued assets in the many years to come."

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