Since launching its iconic milk chocolate in 1926, Meiji has shaped Japan's chocolate culture. In the 1970s, playful biscuit-chocolate hybrids like "Kinoko no Yama" and "Takenoko no Sato" became household favorites, generating over ¥23 billion in sales. In the winter of 1992, "Meltykiss" debuted with its signature melt-in-your-mouth texture and seasonal exclusivity—together driving over ¥100 billion in sales. In 2017, the premium "THE Chocolate" series targeted women and high-end markets, selling 30 million bars within six months. Riding the wave of health-conscious trends, Meiji introduced its high-cacao "Chocolate Kouka" line in 2022, highlighting cocoa polyphenol content on the packaging—and swiftly became Japan's No.1 in the high-cacao segment.

From nostalgic classics to premium offerings, from sweet milk to bold dark chocolate, from playful forms to romantic experiences—nearly a century of relentless innovation. Aren’t you curious how they’ve done it?

In today's ever-changing landscape, the food and beverage market is facing unprecedented challenges and opportunities:

· The trend toward health and consumers' demand for high-quality products are driving the industry to accelerate its transformation from traditional products to innovative directions.

· In 2023, the Chinese sugar-free tea market grew by 110% year-over-year (Nielsen data). Behind the explosive growth of this category, competition has intensified, homogenization has become more prominent, and brands are trapped in the dilemma of "competing on price" to boost sales.

· Chinese food and beverage brands are accelerating their international expansion, with total exports reaching $76.5 billion in 2023. However, the share of sales from independent brands abroad remains limited. Breaking out of the Chinese community and penetrating local markets remains a key challenge for brands venturing abroad...

Against this backdrop, Calbee achieved a V-shaped sales rebound for its fries, which were once on the brink of discontinuation, through "differentiated taste"; Amos secured a foothold in international markets with its fun gummy designs featuring "multi-sensory" appeal; Kirin's Seicha "broke through the siege" with a brand renewal, achieving over 100 million in sales in just seven weeks; House Foods redefined children's curry with a "mild-spicy formula," selling 82.4 billion servings globally (as of December 2022); Meiji successfully revived its dormant bitter chocolate after 17 years with the "cocoa polyphenols" concept; Brands like Wantwant, Jianlibao, and Baixiang have remained timeless, continually thriving in the tide of the times through strong brand building and product strength. These practices, transcending regions and periods, show how brands respond to market fluctuations through product innovation and reveal a product philosophy that transcends cycles: starting with deep consumer insights, blending technology and creativity, driving qualitative breakthroughs, and ultimately achieving growth.

This dialogue brings together representative brands of global product innovation to discuss how to achieve sustainable growth and breakthroughs in the rapidly changing market environment:

· The underlying logic of product innovation: How can we start with authentic insights to create truly globally appealing classic products?

· Building long-term brands: How can we build brand competitiveness that spans cycles and enables steady growth in the global market?

· Advancing overseas expansion strategies: Going abroad is more than just export—how can we deeply cultivate target markets, continue innovating, and achieve steady growth?

By reviewing classic cases that have broken through in challenging times and anticipating future industry trends, how can food and beverage companies learn in competition and co-create in cooperation? This dialogue will offer new directions for thinking and lead a new wave of global market growth.