What does a Family Mart taste like? That's a question the convenience store chain seems focused on figuring out.
As part of the celebrations leading to its 45th anniversary in September and a brand update seemingly kicked off with the opening of the flagship Famima Park Azabudai store, Family Mart is putting the spotlight on itself. Starting this week it has introduced a handful of food items boasting a "Famima Flavor," including a special version of the Famichiki...which, to this point, is what I would have imagined the taste of the franchise to actually be.
The online promotion for this flavor is presented as a slight mystery, but the back of bags of "Famima Flavor" chips and rice snacks offer a little clarity. They describe the taste as being part yuzu kosho, party mayonnaise and then a "mystery component." It's tough to guess what that might actually be, as the dominant taste here is the yuzu kosho, though less spicy and cut with the savory elements of the mayo, neither side dominating.
Applied to Famichiki, the "Famima Flavor" offers a nice zesty change of pace for the fried snack, though previous yuzu kosho variations have been able to deliver that taste stronger. It's interesting, but hardly the sort of thing you want your brand identity to. Far better is when it's applied to chips or rice crackers. Suddenly the medley of spices comes across more clearly and results in a surprisingly nice aftertaste. The Famichiki is a star all its own, it doesn't need to be rejiggered. Yet apply it to a more blank taste, and this exercise in edible branding is a success.
