Akiaji Beer
You know that autumn is coming soon, despite the cloying heat of the dog days of summer in Japan when the shelves in the beer section of your local Japanese supermarket fill up with Kirin’s special autumn season brew, “Aki Aji” or “Autumn Taste” Japanese beer.
The brew has a higher malt content than the standard range of Kirin beers, and slightly higher alcohol content (6%) and so it is said to offer a refreshing change that is in tune with the change in season that will soon be upon us.
The cans are decorated with red maple leaves, which are symbolic of autumn in Japan – “red leaf viewing” is almost as popular in autumn as cherry blossom viewing in spring.
The “RICH TASTE OF AUTUMN, LIMITED BREW” was on offer at only 208 yen for a 330ml can (compared to around 215 yen for a standard 330ml can of Kirin beer) so it was really too good to resist! But then, I’m a sucker for seasonal beers. Sapporo’s Fuyu Monogatari (Winter’s Tale) is another beer that I look out for towards the end of the year.
Producing seasonal, or limited season products is a great way to refresh your customers’ interest in your products and to bring in new business. Japanese beer breweries understand this concept very well. The seasonal beers do not replace the regular beers but are sold alongside them.
The same concept can be applied to pretty much any business and Internet marketing is no exception. Successful Internet marketers are always looking out for new ways to repackage their products or for new products to offer to their customers. One of the best ways to encourage someone to buy something is to warn the prospective customer that the offer is only available to a limited number of people, or only for a limited amount of time.
This becomes even more effective if the customer can see a countdown timer on the sales page, or a timer that gradually INCREASES the price every few minutes so that you’d be “crazy” not to jump in while the price is still low!
Right now, for example, I’m offering to create and install a WordPress website, complete with unique content, completely free of charge – but I can only do that for a limited number of people, and only for a limited period of time, depending on how many Aki Aji beers I’ve drunk… 
David Hurley
