Branded Agricultural Products & Certification Systemin Japan : A Case Study on the Kagosima Gurobuta(Black Pig) Brand

Because of its product characteristics, pork is said to be comparatively difficult to make a strong brand and, even after a brand is established, the price gap among the brands is not as significant as beef. Under this situation, the Kagosima Gurobuta has succeeded in developing a celebrated brand and have reached the top of branded porks. In this paper, the brand development of the Kagosima Gurobuta, which is a result of product differentiation in the process of production & distribution and marketing activities to keep the differentiation throughout the distribution channel, is analyzed mainly focusing on the product differentiation and certification system