Interview with Marc Wesseling, CEO of UltraSuperNew

About Marc Wesseling

Originally from Amsterdam, Marc Wesseling has lived in Tokyo since 2002, after working in advertising and digital media across San Francisco, New York, and Hong Kong. He holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) from the University of Leiden, specializing in Media Law.

As co-founder and CEO of UltraSuperNew, Marc leads a creative agency known for its culturally tuned, subculture-driven work across Japan and Southeast Asia. A passionate snowboarder, he spends most winter weekends carving through the Japanese Alps.

What do you see as the biggest blind spots international brands tend to have when entering the Japanese market?

It’s not enough to translate your product into Japanese — you have to translate your brand. That means understanding cultural context, communication norms, and how your identity fits within Japanese society.

Japan is a tough market. It requires significant investment — in budget, time, resources, and local relationships. Many companies underestimate that. Most don’t have the capacity to launch nationwide, and honestly, they don’t need to. Tokyo alone is the world’s largest city and often more than sufficient as an entry point. We often advise brands to focus on a specific area or subculture where they can really connect and grow from there.

Take Red Bull. Energy drinks already existed in Japan — in fact, the whole category started here. But even Red Bull had to localize and adapt to fit the market. The global slogan, “Red Bull gives you wings,” didn’t work — people took it literally. We had to reframe the brand from the ground up, using subcultures, sports, and urban activation to make it relevant in a uniquely Japanese way.

Do you see a shift happening among Japanese companies and brands toward being more internationally minded?

With the rise of tourism and international exposure, Japan — and Japanese brands — are being pushed to communicate more globally. Whether they’re ready or not, they have to — especially with a shrinking population in mind. There’s still a tendency to stay inward-focused or Japan-focused, but that’s starting to shift toward more international communication.

“In a time of global uncertainty, how do you think Japan is positioned as a market?

Europe needs to wake up. A lot of European companies still assume they hold weight in the minds of Japanese decision-makers. But from here, the focus is Asia first, then the U.S., and Europe comes last — often as a holiday destination, not a strategic market.”

— Marc Wesseling

I was just in Mumbai, and the energy is unreal. Asia is moving fast. Europe talks a lot — Asia builds. Japan knows this. So while Japan is stable and still highly desirable for global brands, there is no reason to sugarcoat it: Japan is a very difficult market.

I was just in Mumbai, and the energy is unreal. Asia is moving fast. Europe talks a lot — Asia builds. 

About UltraSuperNew

UltraSuperNew is an independent creative agency based in Tokyo, with offices in Singapore, Taipei, and Colombo. With a team of over 70 international creatives, the agency brings bold ideas to life for brands like Red Bull, Unilever, Heineken, Porsche, ASICS, Adobe, and PUMA.

Known for its fearless, culturally driven work, UltraSuperNew thrives at the intersection of subculture, design, and experimentation — helping brands connect with audiences in ways that feel real, raw, and unexpected.

www.ultrasupernew.com

References:

[1] EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation, EU-Japan Trade in Goods 2024, April 2025. https://cdnw8.eu-japan.eu/sites/default/files/eubij/2025-04-EU-JP-Trade-Report-2024.pdf

[2] Statistics Denmark, Foreign Trade by Country and Product (StatBank). https://www.dst.dk/en/Statistik/emner/oekonomi/betalingsbalance-og-udenrigshandel/detaljeret-import-og-eksport

[3] Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Japan-Denmark Bilateral Relations. https://www.mofa.go.jp/region/europe/denmark/data.html

[4] Embassy of Denmark in Japan, Key Economic Figures. https://japan.um.dk/en/the-trade-council/the-japanese-market/key-economic-figures