MAKERS VS. MARKETERS

Summary from the TLDR Design newsletter

Japanese companies historically excelled at making quality products but struggled with marketing, yet craft itself is becoming a powerful brand-building tool when made visible to customers. ASICS recovered from declining revenue by refining product specificity and quality rather than increasing advertising, while brands like UNIQLO, Toyota, and Nintendo demonstrate global success through engineered functionality and obsessive process control. Small companies like HUMAN MADE and Jacques Marie Mage have also grown significantly by making their Japanese craftsmanship legible through careful production details.