Konbini Goodies - Family Mart’s Ottotto (JPY 108)

I found this Morinaga and Family Mart's collaborative ottotto, nishurui no shio de shiageta super ottotto (super ottotto made with two types of salt; see Photo A), last week. It was the second ottotto-brand collaboration between Morinaga and a convenience store chain I have encountered, following hard-baked ottotto with oat bran, a collaboration between Morinaga and Lawson (see Photo B). The following is the result of my comparison analysis between Family Mart's and Lawson's ottotto from the four perspectives:

Photo A: Family Mart's "ottotto made with two types of salt (Lorraine salt and Okinawa salt)"

Tag             ⭐⭐
Taste          ⭐⭐⭐
Portion        ⭐⭐⭐
Kawaii         ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Price            ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Texture        ⭐⭐⭐
Product development

Photo B: Lawson's "hard-baked ottotto with oat bran"


Tag             ⭐⭐
Taste          ⭐⭐⭐
Portion        ⭐⭐⭐
Kawaii         ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Price            ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Texture        ⭐⭐
Product development ⭐⭐⭐



1. Health consciousness
Both are non-fried. Lawson and Family Mart are equally aware of the importance of health.

2. Taste
Both are non-fried, salty and yummy and go well with beer and wine. I couldn't tell any difference in their taste.

3. Texture
Ottotto has been popular for a long time for its seafood shape, i.e., crabs, squids, octopuses, whales, turtles, sea stars, sea bream and puffer fish and these two ottotto brand products are of the same shape, but one thing, i.e., Family Mart ottotto has a hollow in the center and because of this, the texture is lighter than that of Lawson's ottotto.

4. Product development strategy
The original ottotto is deep-fried and so, changing the recipe from deep-frying to non-frying makes sense to target health conscious consumers, but how does using two types of salt, i.e., one from Lorraine and the other Okinawa work? Did Family Mart believe that consumer's decision would depend on the origin of salt? Snack lovers may care about calorie or carb intake, but not in the type of salt.....