How Vase.ai Helped Ogawa Transform Brand Uncertainty into Strategic Direction for Millions in Marketing Investment

Ogawa, a market leader in the massage chair industry, faced a critical strategic roadblock: they wanted to refresh their branding and product claims but couldn't articulate their specific goals. Having not conducted brand health research since 2022, the brand was operating in a vacuum, unsure if their market leadership remained intact after three years of new competitor entries.

Ogawa expressed a desire for "branding and claims," but the path forward was 0% clear. 180 Degrees was stuck, unable to guide the client confidently. As the agency noted: "We needed to understand current consumer perceptions and validate market leadership before confidently guiding strategy."

The core issues holding them back:

• The "Data Gap": A three-year lapse in research meant they were guessing at current consumer sentiment.
  

• The Competitor Blindspot: The rise of non-traditional wellness brands created an undefined threat.
  

• Execution Paralysis: Without validated "claims," the creative team couldn't finalize high-stakes video and digital assets.
  

Vase.ai designed a targeted research approach to give 180 Degrees and Ogawa the clarity they needed:

 Research Framework 

• Use Case: Brand Health Tracking & Competitive Benchmarking
  

• Methodology: Full-scale study measuring brand trust, leadership, and consumer sentiment.
  

• Timeline: Insights delivered in weeks to support a six-month planning window.
  

• Sample: Malaysian consumers within the wellness and home appliance categories.
  

The Vase.ai Advantage What set this research apart was Vase.ai’s Real-Time Insight Ecosystem. Instead of waiting for a final presentation, the agency was empowered with an intuitive dashboard. This allowed 180 Degrees to continuously reference live data for six months, validating creative directions and "claims" on the fly as the campaign evolved.

The research delivered game-changing insights:

• 80% of consumers consider Ogawa the most trusted brand in the category, officially validating their market leadership.
  

• Emerging threats identified: Non-traditional brands like Cuckoo and Coway have reached awareness levels nearing long-standing competitors like Osim.

• Price Sensitivity Vulnerability: Data revealed consumers are willing to switch for better value, highlighting a need for stronger "value communication" rather than just premium positioning.