Ippudo: Bringing Japan To Paris In a Bowl

In early January 2016, the chief strategy officer and his team at Ippudo, an expanding ramen restaurant operation, were tasked to formulate both marketing and customer service management strategies for the company's first ramen shop in France, which was due to open in Paris in late 2016. Ippudo, a famous ramen brand in Japan, started its global expansion in 2008, when it successfully established its presence in New York City. When it entered the US market, Ippudo changed its marketing mix and customer service approach to follow a strategy that incorporated Ippudo's corporate values with both Japanese and New York culture and norms. Moving forward, how should Ippudo’s chief strategy officer position the new ramen restaurant in Paris? What marketing mix should Ippudo pursue? Should Ippudo change its product offerings to appeal to Parisians? And should Ippudo France’s website follow the same concept used in New York, where the website served only to convey information?