Creating Delightful Customer Experience and Value Co-Creation among Local Japanese Sake Makers

An Empirical Analysis Using a Grounded Theory Approach

Abstract

As consumers increasingly seek delightful experiences from products, this study explores how local Japanese sake makers respond to this demand. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 local sake makers, and data were analyzed using the grounded theory approach. The findings reveal that local sake makers create brand stories for a delightful customer experience and work on value co-creation with various stakeholders (special agents, retailers, restaurants, and consumers) to promote these stories.