Public Relations (PR) is the work done to raise public awareness about a company or brand. It’s the job of managing a brand’s reputation by providing positive news, earnings reports, job listings, and more to the media and other influential sources.

Originally the concept of Public Relations came from the United States, but the PR in Japan developed differently compared to the US and other western countries. For example, the Japanese Media requests press releases first. They don’t do rapid response, and we normally create press releases or newsletters to distribute to the media before we start media pitching. There are generally many differences, but here are the basics of PR in Japan.

Elements that make up a PR strategy

A public relations strategy consists of five elements:

Crisis management: A rigorous management plan to prevent negative news and information about the brand interfering with business operations.

Media contact and reception: Building relationships with journalists and press staff is paramount When there is newsworthy content, we will send the information via the media. because when there is newsworthy information, these are the people who develop content about that information.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): Companies often benefit from being part of the local community, and PR personnel are responsible for establishing communication between the company and the community in an open and smooth manner. Through these CSR activities, companies can attract new talented people and give consumers a positive image.

Internal communication: Internal communication is very important to create a situation where all employees in the business understand the direction the company should aim for. Communication tools include emails, press releases, corporate announcements, and more.

Event Management: When it comes to hosting a press conference or event to share corporate news with an outside audience, it’s common for the PR department to organize it.

Specific examples of PR

Public relations activities are diverse, so here are some typical examples.

Investor Reporting: Providing quarterly investor reports on the status of the business to maintain investor confidence in the business.

Media production: Producing informational video and audio content about companies and disseminating them internally and externally. The goal is to provide valuable information to the target audience in an easy-to-understand manner.

Marketing Communication: Sharing information more efficiently by utilizing a channel dedicated to marketing. It includes activities such as posting articles on Facebook and Twitter to reach more people.

What makes PR important?

With the recent rise of social media, trending news can spread in an instant. In response to this trend, PR has become an even more important function for companies. Here are three important points that PR brings to a business.

Damage Control: Fake news have an instant negative impact on any business. As a result, PR professionals are responsible for properly implementing damage control measures and minimizing the damage that news can do to their company.

Branding: Contrary to common belief, it’s possible to create a recognized world-class brand by sharing company news, maintaining transparent business activities, and regularly publishing profit reports. Doing so may also drive product sales without complicated marketing/sales strategies.

Internal communication: As the company grows and opens new locations, sharing common values and knowledge of the company becomes more difficult for employees. The people in PR can manage these internal communications so that all employees can work toward one common goal.

What is the difference between PR and marketing?

Public Relations and Marketing often work together, but they are not the same role and require different skills to be in their respective fields. Now, we look at the difference between PR and marketing.  The differences:

Targeted Markets: Marketing departments speak to potential and existing customers to encourage them to buy more products. The PR department approaches those who are interested in the brand, who may become investors, journalists, or customers in the future.

Goals to aim for: Marketers focus on increasing ROI (return on investment) through sales. PR professionals, on the other hand, focus on building the brand and telling the story of the company around the world.

Duration of activities: Marketing activities can be divided into long term (SEO measures, content production) medium term (email marketing) and short term (advertising strategy such as PPC advertising), with measures that contribute to a variety of objectives. On the other hand, PR activities tend to emphasize the long-term activities of “building a brand.”

In Japan, there are many companies without separate PR and marketing departments, and companies often have a merged marketing communications department that handles both PR and marketing activities.

The idea of crafting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) was born at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro in 2012. The main objective was to produce a set of universal goals that would meet the urgent social, environmental, political and economic challenges that our world is still facing right now.

SDGs actually came to replace the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which deployed a global effort in 2000 to tackle the indignity of poverty: “MDGs were able to establish measurable, universally-agreed objectives for tackling extreme poverty and hunger, preventing deadly diseases, and expanding primary education to all children, among other development priorities”.

Later in 2015, The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was discussed and adopted by all United Nations Member States in order to provide a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people around the world and the Earth, for now and for the future. 17 Sustainable Development Goals (commonly known as SDGs) were crafted to be at the heart of this Agenda. An urgent call for action by all countries – both developed and developing – in a global partnership has been launched since then. 

*Sources:

https://sdgs.un.org/goals

Among all major issues our planet is facing, all stakeholders have  recognized that “ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests”.

To implement those 17 GOALS, there are 169 Targets decided, 960 Events carried out, 1205 Publications made, and 5132 Actions taken worldwide so far. Of course, the progress of SDG implementation differs from country to country or region to region. Very detailed reports on sustainable development show this evidence.

*Source: Sustainable Development Report 2020(https://dashboards.sdgindex.org/downloads) 

The situation of SDGs implementation in the business world in Japan 

Japan is now more than ever acting on sustainable development goals.  As a major player within the United Nations system is not left behind, the Japanese government is now investing a lot of efforts to promote SDGs and is urging the public sector organizations, families, schools and companies belonging to the private sector to embrace this new global trend or lifestyle. Traditional media and social media have been of great use in terms of contributions that they bring into raising awareness among the occupants of this planet.

*Source: https://asia.nikkei.com/Economy/Japan-acting-on-sustainable-development-goals2 

In addition, a few Japanese companies started to incorporate the implementation of SGDs while conducting their businesses.  This can actually be challenging as stated in an academic paper on “Scaling Up Business Impact on the SDGs” jointly published in 2019 by JICA Research Institute, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies and other organizations:

“Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) requires redefining the purpose of business and scaling up their impact. However, there are challenges such as the gap between good intentions and real actions; conflict between the current economic system and SDG thinking; limited understanding of how business is embedded in society; and capacity constraints in developing countries to take full advantage of emerging business opportunities.”

Data reported in the same academic paper also was pertaining to probably the most important aspect of this topic, namely:  how to  convert SDG awareness into concrete business actions!  In fact, a survey on inclusive growth carried out by Deloitte (*) in 2018  showed that while 92% of business executives support SDGs, only 17% have plans or policies to achieve them. Another survey conducted by PwC (**) in the same year indicated that although 72% of global companies mention SDGs in their annual corporate or sustainability reports, only 50% had undertaken the crucial process of prioritizing which SDGs were most relevant to their business.

(*) Deloitte Global  Inclusive Growth Survey which surveyed 350 company executives in 2018.

(**)  PwC SDG Reporting Challenge that surveyed 729 global  companies in 2018.

* Source: https://t20japan.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/t20-japan-tf1-8-scaling-up-business-impact-sdgs.pdf

On the other hand, the Keidanren or Japan Business Federation published a very detailed report on Innovation to SDGs, Road to Society 5.0. published in 2018, in which steps to achieving global goals and making a new society with higher life standards are explained. There are many details of examples and case-studies related to Japanese companies that are already taking actions in terms of SDGs implementation within their business operations, nationwide and overseas as well.

All stakeholders from both private and public sectors are now tirelessly working towards the realization of a new society, by considering SDGs  in all business plannings and actions to achieve this ultimate goal.

 In the aforementioned report, there are a few examples of Japanese companies that have already started to implement SDGs, coming up with wide-range innovations that are significantly contributing.

It is very important to mention that Japanese government released an important document “The Guide for SDG Business Management” in 2018 and also put in place a useful mixed body called “SDG Management / ESG Investment Study Group”, which operates under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). The main mission of this study group is  the promotion of ESG investments by taking advantage of SDG business management.

*Sources:

Report of the SDG Management / ESG Investment Study Group Compiled 

(https://www.meti.go.jp/english/press/2019/0628_002.html)

The Guide for SDG Business Management (https://www.meti.go.jp/press/2019/05/20190531003/20190531003-4.pdf )

The main idea promoted in this figure is that we can only create change and therefore a new society by transforming ourselves. And there is a perfect guide to all world citizens to get used to SDGs implementation in people’s daily lives called:  “The Lazy Person’s Guide to Saving the World ” (https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/takeaction/).

Special note on PR & marketing campaigns with respect to SDGs covered by Japanese media

In 2018, Dentsu Inc., Japan’s leading advertising agency firm announced the release of “SDGs Communication Guide”, suggesting guidelines for corporate managers, people working in advertising and ad agency professionals when planning out communication initiatives in line with SDGs and ESG investments as well. (*)

(*) Note: ESG investment refers to investment carried out giving the priority to the companies that take into consideration the environment, social issues and governance.   

As a matter of fact, Dentsu decided to establish an internal body that will be in charge of planning and implementing strategies to create more value and a sustainable future for all, via advertising. More concretely, “Dentsu SDGs Communication Guide Creation Committee”, including eight expert panels,  was created in 2018 with the mission to compile useful guidelines providing ”things to know” and ”things to pay attention to” for successful advertising and promotional campaigns with SDGs in mind.

In order to improve “corporate value” and gain good reputation from customers and society, Dentsu suggests that it is important for organisations to incorporate “advertising communication using SDGs” elements in their marketing/PR strategy. This implies that an organisation can only be considered as a “sustainable company” if it complies with the philosophy of SDGs and keeps in mind the future and the society.

*Source: https://www.dentsu.co.jp/en/news/release/2018/0601-009548.html 

Additional Implementation case is here; early 2020, Japan Times one of the biggest media in Japan signed an agreement with the United Nations to participate in the “SDG Media Compact”, which was established by the UN-Secretary General in September 2018. The main purpose of this media platform is to seek to inspire media and entertainment companies around the world to leverage their resources and creative talent to advance SDGs. The Japan Times will continue to work as a media to resolve 17 issues of the SDG, such as poverty, climate change and hunger. Not only the Japan Times but many of Japanese media such as TV stations and Newspapers have been participating in this media compact. This movement will give Japanese conservative companies to start considering SDGs. 

*Source: 

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/n2u/2020/02/10/the-japan-times-to-participate-in-the-un-sdg-media-compact-to-raise-awareness-of-the-sustainable-development-goals-sdgs/

Future perspectives 

Since the implementation of SDGs requires a large amount of actions to reach an audience of 2 billion people across the globe, media plays an indispensable role in nurturing public dialogue, promoting sustainable development and spreading knowledge on how SDGs can be achieved.

“The SDGs are currently leading the variety of transformations and innovations that are required of companies. That opens up the possibility of sustainable business management focused on the future.”

*Source: Dentsu, SDGs Communication Guide 2018

(https://www.dentsu.co.jp/en/csr/team_sdgs/pdf/sdgs_communication_guide.pdf)

The United Nations has called on major media outlets, and therefore on PR and marketing agencies as well, to join the SDG Media Compact and cooperate in increasing participation in achieving all SDGs. It is almost unanimous that only via a coordinated communications strategy that this can be possible. Organizations need to continue to raise their general awareness on important global issues when doing business, in the hope that our environment will be kept safe and that all socio-economic challenges will be taken  care of.

“Business is a vital partner in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Companies can contribute through their core activities, and we ask companies everywhere to assess their impact, set ambitious goals and communicate transparently about the results.”

－ Ban Ki-Moon, United Nations Secretary General

*Source: SDG Compass Guide Executive Summary

(https://sdgcompass.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/SDG_Compass_Guide_Executive_Summary.pdf)

The road is still far to go as 10 more years are ahead of us, to evaluate how much can be accomplished. So, each media platform has the ability to define its own action method based on guidelines – especially the Media Compact –  provided by the United Nations, in line with its own values, rules and policies.

Technology and advertising have evolved a lot in recent years, becoming one of the most influential aspects of doing business in a modern and fast moving world.  Nowadays, mobile advertising has become the most efficient way to approach customers to market different types of commodities. 

Mobile advertising can be understood as, according to Techopedia,  “the communication of products or services to mobile device and smartphone consumers”. From this definition, the mobile advertising spectrum can then range from short message service (SMS) text to interactive advertisements. This makes mobile advertising a component of mobile marketing, and therefore part of a specific digital marketing strategy. 

Mobile advertising trends in 2019 onwards

While predicting trends of digital advertising, a report sourced from emarketer, cited by MobileAds last year,  said that: “In 2019, worldwide digital ad spending was going to rise by 17.6% to $333.25 billion. That means that, for the first time, digital will account for roughly half of the global ad market.” 

* Source: 

• https://www.mobileads.com/blog/mobile-advertising 

According to Global Digital Ad Spending 2019, digital marketing has already become the dominant ad medium in some countries, including the UK, China, Norway and Canada. In Russia for instance, half of the total advertising budget would go to digital.  However, the situation is not yet the case in other regions, namely southeast Asia and Japan which are now catching up.  

※ The situation in Japan

Currently, in-app advertising is growing in popularity in Japan, but concerns remain over media quality, according to a new report by digital marketing experts. In fact, Digital InFact surveyed 100 media buyers (brand advertisers and advertising agencies, including trading desks) and findings are showing that Japanese ads buyers embrace in-app ads despite a few quality concerns. 

* Source:  

• https://www.warc.com/newsandopinion/news/japanese-buyers-embrace-in-app-ads-despite-quality-concerns/42972 

Here are some of the key findings from the research :

• Excluding walled garden apps such as Facebook and LINE (*), the most popular app verticals among media buyers are News (71.4%), Health/Lifestyle (50%) and Gaming (40.5%); 

• While 50% of media buyers say that they buy in-app ads on Facebook, Twitter, LINE and Google APP Campaigns, only 16% use a DSP to buy in-app ads programmatically.

—————————————————–

(*) LINE is an instant messaging, voice and video calling application developed by the LINE Corporation. It allows people to exchange text messages and make toll-free calls with family and friends by transmitting information in the form of data. LINE is the most popular messaging app in Japan.  

In addition to the above, another data from Statista shows that the ad production expenses in Japan has been significantly increasing since the past 10 years.  

* Source: Published by Statista Research Department, Sep 17, 2020

• https://www.statista.com/statistics/918466/japan-internet-advertising-production-cost/

The production cost of internet advertisements in Japan reached a new high of more than 335 billion Japanese yen in 2019. The value doubled since 2010, indicating an increasing importance of the internet as an advertising medium.

Here is a more detailed figure from Dentsu, the largest advertising company in Japan, showing how internet advertising costs have evolved in the past 5 years. 

* Source: 

• https://www.slideshare.net/JenniferGuevara5/marketing-in-japan-section-1-part-1-of-3 

The image above shows an update from 2016. It is clear that there has been a significant increase in internet – therefore mobile – advertising expenditures in Japan. The Dentsu 2019 report shows a breakthrough in  internet advertising costs, as explained below:

“ Internet advertising expenditures, driven mainly by major platformers and the additional estimation of advertising expenditures for Merchandise-related EC Platforms within Advertising Expenditures in Japan (106.4 billion yen in 2019), resulted in expenditures of 2,104.8 billion yen (up 19.7% and accounting for 30.3% of spending in all media), achieving the sixth consecutive year of double-digit growth…

* Source: 

• https://www.dentsu.co.jp/en/news/sp/release/2020/0311-010026.html 

This is the first time spending has surpassed the 2,000-billion-yen mark, exceeding Television expenditures. Internet advertising media expenditures were 1,663.0 billion (up 14.8%), including expenditures on digital advertising carried by traditional media companies of 71.5 billion yen (up 22.9%), an increase of 215.0 billion yen compared with the previous year. ” 

※ A note on mobile advertising agencies in Japan 

The following figure (in Japanese) show Japan’s ranking of mobile advertising agencies in considering their sales (updated in May 2020): 

* Source: 

• https://proten.jp/magazine/knowledge/19 

The above chart does not show it, but Dentsu is certainly the largest agency in the advertising industry  reaching over 1 trillion yen in sales on its own.  

Referring to the above, another big agency is CyberAgent, which is ranked first (see the above chart) as it has been growing by more than 20 billion yen every year since 2010. It is ranked third in the advertising industry as a whole after Hakuhodo.

The 2nd place is occupied by D.A. Consortium Holdings, a subsidiary of Hakuhodo dealing with the internet advertising system. It is important to mention that Dentsu and Hakuhodo DY Media Partners announced their investment in AbemaTV which was  a big topic recently.  (*)

————————-

(*) AbemaTV is a Japanese video streaming website owned by the entertainment company AbemaTV, Inc. which provides multimedia services to customers in Japan.

Future perspectives 

Mobile advertising is growing to become the most powerful marketing tool  as almost 4 billion people are now using mobile devices i.e. smartphones, according to Statista. This trend is causing more business owners in Japan to shift from traditional advertising methods to digital advertising to adapt to a new way of doing business. As changes keep occurring in the digital marketing industry broadly speaking, the industry integration and restructuring movement is not over yet; therefore laying out the possibility that the rankings will change significantly next year. 

Advertising is an art. For years, people from different backgrounds have been using the art of advertising to convey a message that is dear to them while promoting a new product or service. In today’s world, more than ever, images are mostly used in this industry because, as it’s been said for decades: a picture is worth a thousand words.       

There are multiple ways to define advertising. A classic academic definition suggested by Study.com highlights that: “the ultimate goal of advertising art is to persuade consumers and/ or convey a message”. In most cases, visual images are utilized by organizations to communicate a concise, clear and attractive message, idea, or point of view in order to conquer their audiences. 

Advertising in Japan

Advertising market in Japan is the 3rd largest advertising market worldwide. In recent years, the total advertising spending registered a steady growth of  more than ¥6 trillion as of 2018. Additionally, the size of the advertising market puts it among the most important markets for Japan, because it represents more than 1% of the country’s GDP.

* Source: 

• https://www.statista.com/topics/5853/advertising-in-japan/#:~:text=It%20is%20noteworthy%20that%20the,establishing%20an%20emotional%20and%20memorable 

From the previous figure, it appears that most advertising in Japan was done on TV until the end of 2018, as in some other countries around the world. However, the trend has been reversed because now most advertising in Japan is done via the internet, according to a report published by Dentsu in 2019 on Advertising Expenditures in Japan. 

* Source: 

• https://www.dentsu.co.jp/en/news/sp/release/2020/0311-010026.html 

Indeed, all other advertising tools or media platforms are still used in Japan to advertise products and services, namely: newspapers, magazines, directories, direct mail, catalogues, leaflets, radio, cellphones, online/internet, social media platforms, and so on. However, compared to what is known in the western world or other regions such as Asia, the way of advertising in Japan may show some differences from a cultural standpoint.  

In Japan for example, while analysing the trends of old media in Japan to see how relevant they still are today, experts suggested in 2019 that: “Traditional media is facing issues of declining viewership and revenue in this new age of how Japanese are consuming media. However, some are getting creative to stay relevant by leveraging new technologies and incorporating new media into their ecosystems”.

* Source: 

• https://blog.btrax.com/media-trend-in-japan-how-old-media-stay-relevant/ 

* Source: 

• https://tvjapan.net/en/advertisement/

Major advertising agencies in Japan

In Japan, there are numerous advertising agencies, but here are a few major ones,  according to HR Force, as described below.  

* Source:

• https://www.hr-force.co.jp/careerdojo/1901251647 

• Dentsu 
• URL: https://www.dentsu.co.jp/en/ 

Put particular strength on mass media, overseas, and sports. Dentsu’s strength lies in its global expansion with mass media such as TV advertisements.

It is no exaggeration to say that the mass media, including Japanese TV advertisements, is dominated by Dentsu, and its high share compared to its competitors is obvious.

The size of TV advertisements is very large, and it is only Dentsu that youth can be involved in such large projects.

 The company succeeded in raising its global position in the advertising industry among the top in the world. 

• Hakuhodo 
• URL: https://www.hakuhodo-global.com/ 

Put strength on collecting and analyzing consumer data. Hakuhodo has strengths in data collection and analysis.

Marketing that focuses on the use of data is called data-driven marketing, and the ability to devise effective marketing measures based on data will become more important in the future era.

Hakuhodo is particularly good at consumer data, and we are also developing a medium called consumer data driven marketing communication.

• Asatsu-DK 
• URL:  https://www.adk.jp/e/

Differentiate with content such as animation. ADK has a strength in content rather than media like Dentsu and Hakuhodo.

For example, there are anime contents such as “Doraemon”, “Crayon Shin-chan”, and “One Piece”, and in addition to planning and production, they undertake a wide range of work such as commercializing characters and product tie-ups. Therefore, it can be said that the network with distributors and publishers is one of the points that is superior to Dentsu and Hakuhodo. 

In particular, anime content is gaining popularity overseas, and ADK anticipates future growth.

In a nutshell 

Even though TV is still the biggest platform of advertising in Japan, the advent of digital marketing and social media has brought about other forms of advertising. In fact, more people are using social networks via their mobile phones to connect with families, friends and colleagues  just for fun or for business,  now more than ever: this is the era of mobile advertising heading to its sharpest, in Japan as well. 

Japanese press releases share commonalities with English ones, but there are notable differences. The main purpose of a press release remains the same, which is to share information in a clear and concise manner. There are no strict formats for press releases, but they tend to contain the same information and sometimes in different order. Content aside, here is a standard format of a Japanese press release:

Title

Titles should be clear and concise and can be translated within 80 Japanese characters. 

Sub-title

Sub-titles are directly under the title and should convey a short part of the most important information of the press release.

Images

Images are critical in Japanese press releases as media representatives rely heavily on them in judging newsworthiness. The Japanese media often uses the images in press releases for potential future projects, and generally, the higher quality and the more photogenic the image is, the higher chance the media will pick it up. Oftentimes, it is the image in the press release that has the influential power especially for TV media. Images may be placed immediately before the introduction or after depending on the image and the context you would like to use them in (example: using an image after describing a product, statistic, etc.).

Introduction

Introductions should be a brief summary of the news that is being delivered. Think who, what, when, where, why, and how when constructing this initial paragraph. The first sentence should introduce the entity (company, organization, etc.) with the following format or similar:

Company name (Address: City, State/Province/Prefecture, Country, CEO: CEO’s name)

Body Paragraph 1 with Header

The paragraph following the introduction should provide details of the product, service, event, etc. of the press release. 

Body Paragraph 2 with Header

The second paragraph should provide background information on why the product, service, event, etc. came to be. This is also an opportune time to include statements from representatives.

Body Paragraph 3 with Header

The third paragraph should briefly explain activities regarding the product, service, event, etc. in the near future.

Boilerplate

Like English press releases, boilerplates should be a brief summarization of the entity of the press release. This usually consists of the founding date, company philosophy/practices, etc.

Contact

The last part of the press release must include the contact information of PR representatives. The following format is commonly used:

(Contact name, email address, phone number)

For visual reference, see below the standard format we use at Kartz:

We are pleased to announce the launch of our new international wire service, Japan PR Wire, currently live and available internationally. Our wire strives to become the most streamlined wire service for international entities endeavoring to build their brands and relations with the Japanese media through a simplified press release distribution process.

International companies interested in building their brands in Japan have a difficult time establishing their presence due to language barriers and differing media cultures. There are currently various news wires out there that may have options for news distribution to Japan, but our wire specifically focuses and specializes in the Japanese media sphere, and not only do we provide a simplified wire service with a simplified pricing structure, we also have a team of PR professionals to ensure our customers can make a smooth entrance into a foreign media sphere.

Our wire service utilizes our in-house Japanese media contact database for multiple industries such as IT/tech, business/finance, beauty/cosmetics, and travel. It has additional translation and media coverage reporting options, and it is supported by Japanese and English-speaking public relations professionals to ensure that press releases are in conjunction with the Japanese media standard. Currently, the service is available in English and Japanese with plans to accommodate additional languages in the future.

For those interested in providing international press releases to the Japanese media, yet are unsure about how to do so or do not want to spend excessive time learning about Japanese media from zero, so feel free to reach out to us for further information. 

In the past, consumers would use print advertisements and billboards to get details about a product. Should they be interested in purchasing it, they would request a quote from the product’s company, and upon receiving that quote, decide to purchase. Although all companies could participate in the old purchasing system fairly, it took a long time to purchase products for consumers.

On the other hand, in recent years, digital marketing has become mainstream, and the consumer decision-making process has completely changed. User behavior has been streamlined, and the current business model is much faster than it used to be. If you want to buy something, you can easily look it up on the internet, and as soon as you find what you are looking for, you can buy it. 

Old parts of the purchasing process which used to take days such as going around in a store or contacting a supplier, can now be done in hours or even minutes thanks to online search. Within a few clicks, you can read through buyer reviews and watch product demo videos. This high accessibility has a huge impact on our current business model. 

This article will provide the details of the impact of digital marketing on the consumer decision-making process in Japan.

Recognition of  needs

In the old business model, it was assumed that consumers were already aware of the need for a product or service. Today however, businesses can appeal to consumers to show them the products/services they did not know they needed/wanted. Here are some representative examples of ways Japanese businesses appeal to consumers:

• Social media has a strong influence, and millions of advertisers rely on social media as a way to reach their consumers because they can target the most relevant audience.

• E-newsletters are used to reach out to interested consumers and existing customers to promote the latest products/services and campaigns with the goal to motivate them to buy.
• Banner advertisements are also used to get the attention of those who are surfing the internet.

Information Gathering

Consumers who understand their wants and needs will use that as a base for their research. It is in this time where digital marketing shines.

Nearly 90% of consumers use the Internet to search for information, and by combining powerful SEO strategies such as sponsored ads and pay-per-click ads, companies can improve their search engine rankings and reach a wider audience. 

With this, the days of relying solely on regionally limited flyers are over. 

Evaluation 

In the old days, if you could reach the consumer, you would be able to make sales. This is not true today because the internet makes it easier to compare prices of competing products and services.

Therefore, companies should counter this by incorporating price comparison indicators on their sites. By doing this, users do not have to visit other sites, which also increases the time spent on your site leading to higher sales possibilities.

Evidence assessment 

Online reviews play an important role in the Japanese consumer decision making process. It is said that two-thirds of Japanese users who made some purchases checked the reviews prior. 

Therefore, it is effective to respond proactively to customer reviews. It creates a positive brand image of outstanding customer service, and gives consumers a positive impression, even if negative reviews are posted.

Making a decision 

Following the above, consumers will have all the information they would need prior to purchasing. It is at this point where digital marketing has fulfilled its role in the process. 

At this point, the important thing to remember is whether the payment page is displayed clearly and is user-friendly and secure.

You can see that regardless of the size or type of business, digital marketing has become an essential engine in Japan’s competitive marketplace today. Therefore, companies need to consider digital marketing to make the most of their potential to acquire leads and secure sales.

Some of the most common questions coming from those in charge of BtoB PR are:

Are BtoC measures completely different from BtoB measures?

Because we are a BtoC company, is PR right for us?

For BtoB companies, is conducting BtoC activities not effective?

The simple answer to all these questions is NO!

Certainly, BtoC and BtoB PR methodologies are not exactly the same, but it is necessary to devise various methods and approaches regarding the two. BtoB in a word can either be something very niche or not. There are many types of industries, yet everyone says the same thing in that they have the number one ranking regarding their product/service. If that were the case, there would be no story material for PR.

It seems there are a lot of people who are most worried about this. The reason for this is that there are not so many new products/services and campaign information as in BtoC PR. In addition, the target media is limited as well, so there is little PR material to work with. Therefore, even if you were to actively conduct PR activities, they tend to not be very effective.

However, even if there is limited PR material to work with, one could always make it themselves. The basic elements of PR are:

people, things, and places

and this is the same for both BtoC and BtoB.

So, what kind of BtoB PR measures should companies consider?

1. The Press Conference

First, directly give out all product/service related information. It is particularly important to approach media outlets related to the industry of the product/service. Press releases are a common way to do this, but physical press conference events are just as important. When thinking about press conferences, it is easy to imagine some kind of luxurious hotel one would see on TV. However, it is also possible to conduct smaller scaled events within a meeting room as well. Recently, webinars are also quite useful.

2. People PR

Have someone like the company representative or employees with unique backgrounds appeal to target media that match them.

Example:
Representative; CEO, Development Team, Product Manager – Someone who has a business/market philosophy, business operation secrets and hardships to share

Target media – Economics, business media outlets

Including this kind of person within a profile sheet may increase the chances of acquiring interviews.

3. In-house efforts

Provide information regarding your company’s system, benefits, and employment conditions to show the uniqueness of your company. If there are currently no materials to share as press, you can also consider to create them specifically for that occasion as well.

4. Survey PR

Periodically send out data that your company researches. The Japanese media is always looking for numerical figures regarding information for evidence. If your company has those figures, and if your company periodically creates content to release those figures, naturally your company may be known as a valid source of information for the Japanese media sphere, which may also lead to higher coverage all throughout. Even if you do not have data currently, you can always conduct surveys through the internet and use those results as a press release. This is often done by Japanese BtoB companies when there is no new information.

5. Public and Social Media Events/Campaigns/Contests

Social media and public campaigns are a great way to get the public involved in your company. Although this can often become a  mid to long term endeavor, it is possible that such public activities could lead to something unique for your company. There are many types of public activities, one example among others is holding a contest relative to your company.

Ex: Contest format: Poem contest

Applicant process

Application → Follow company official social media accounts → Submit poem via post → Get a chance to win prize

Conducting such a contest allows the public to recognize your company name, and your company will be able to obtain a following in doing so. 

In addition, it is in that time where you can consider the various special characteristics of your company for future content and measures. The important thing to consider is that establishing connections with the media should not take an excessive number of steps. Try to think about what measures worked and did not work for improvement.

Also, it is important to place value on specialized media. In Japan, there are specialized media outlets for various industries. Of course, general internet searching is fundamental for research, but these specialized media outlets contain information for specialized research. Furthermore, to increase your company’s reputation in that industry, it is important for those media outlets to recognize your company.

We at Kartz Media Works do PR for a diverse range of industries including IT, food, beauty/cosmetics, real estate, tourism, educational/governmental institutions, start up businesses, stock exchange listed companies, etc.

Within these industries we not only worked with BtoC companies, we also worked with BtoB companies as well. From product PR to corporate PR, we have an established track record, so if you are looking to begin your PR activities in Japan, please feel free to contact us for a consultation!

Since the beginning of the novel coronavirus outbreak early this year, the way people across the planet are doing ordinary things has seen a drastic change, including how shopping is done. Japan, without being an exception, is equally experiencing an ongoing transformation in different key economic sectors, especially in retail business. The trend is becoming the new normal for Japanese consumers.

　The purchasing attitude of Japanese consumers has changed

“Consumer behavior” is determined by “consumer sentiment” which  plays an important role in a nation’s economy. According to Investopedia, “consumer sentiment is an economic indicator that measures how optimistic consumers feel about their finances and the state of the economy”. In the times of financial crisis, consumer behavior usually changes in a significant way depending on the extent of the crisis. 

In Japan, consumers are still being pessimistic or unsure about a prompt economic recovery, and most people are remaining very cautious when it comes to  their spending, according to a survey conducted by McKinsey & Company in June 2020: “Consumers are becoming more mindful of how they spend their money and adopting habits like making plans and trading down. Up to 1 in 5 have taken on new shopping behaviors, including trying new stores and brands”.

(Reference: https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/marketing-and-sales/our-insights/survey-japanese-consumer-sentiment-during-the-coronavirus-crisis#)

On the other hand, even though it might take another half a year to see things go back to normal, some consumers are proactively intending to get back to their activities hopefully soon and normal shopping habits as usual, after the crisis. This attitude might be explained by the fact that, as the aforementioned survey suggests, 40% among these consumers are waiting for vaccines and treatments before resuming  fully.   

This evidence is actually supported by the results of another study pertaining to global consumption trends by Ernst & Young (see interactive survey results): 

(Reference: https://www.ey.com/en_gl/consumer-products-retail/how-covid-19-could-change-consumer-behavior)

　How spending habits of Japanese consumers have changed: 

In the same survey by McKinsey, data shows that consumers are trapped between the need of keeping their usual habits and the necessity of living with as less money as possible, because no one can actually tell when this crisis will be over.  

  (Reference: https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/marketing-and-sales/our-insights/survey-japanese-consumer-sentiment-during-the-coronavirus-crisis#)

Moreover, experts (see survey by McKinsey & Company) are suggesting  that, while some Japanese consumers for example have started to pick up new digital activities such as video conferencing, webinars and fitness lessons online, the majority of consumers have not completely moved to purchasing online yet. However, most consumers are making drastic changes in the way they manage their money, especially with regard to making purchases of goods and services. 

(Reference: https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/marketing-and-sales/our-insights/survey-japanese-consumer-sentiment-during-the-coronavirus-crisis)

Most business are moving online, a golden opportunity to start an online business in Japan

Economic recovery will surely take some time as the virus is still around. This situation is giving consumers a chance to change their shopping habits, as shown in above figures, that may impact businesses negatively. However, in Japan now, there is a high possibility to start an online business and become successful simply because most people started using web related services or buying online. The online businesses in Japan have been registering a significant growth in recent years, as user penetration in the Japanese e-Commerce market reached 76.7% in 2020, according to Statista (a trusted in-depth data analysis platform). 

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)  carried out a survey on “internet buying boom” as well that shows a steady growth in eCommerce. 

(Source: https://www.meti.go.jp/english/press/2018/0425_002.html ) 

* Scale of the domestic EC market: business-to-consumer (B-to-C) and business-to-business (B-to-B)

Concretely, The Japan Times reported that web-conferencing or teleconferencing businesses such as online press conferences and webinars  are  booming now as the coronavirus pandemic is almost forcing workers to do everything online.

Another good example are online salons that offer customized digital contents for people interested. Since many companies have been encouraging their employees to work from home to limit the risk of contamination with COVID-19, some of them are seeking opportunities to learn new things and better their lives by improving their skills. Therefore, this could be seen as a golden opportunity that came to fuel an unprecedented boom in web tele-conferencing business. In Tokyo for instance, a barber launched a new “telecut” service as the virus outbreak impacted their business negatively, according to Japan Times april issue. The shop decided to provide that service to help their customers learn how to cut their hair by themselves, as a temporary solution to the problem.

Companies are contributing to the governmental promotion of the 3C’s to avoid outbreaks, namely:Closed spaces (with poor ventilation), Crowded places (with many people nearby), and Close-contact settings (close-range conversations). 

　Looking to the future

There is no need to highlight that the current crisis the world is going through has not shown any sign to end yet. This situation does not leave many options to companies, but adapting to new ways of doing business imposed by a case of force majeure. At the same time, consumers will keep on adjusting their way of spending to be able to enjoy life until the current crisis comes to an end.  

“Life and business are like the changing seasons, meaning opportunity is always mixed with difficulty”. This quote by Jim Rohn (an American businessman, philosopher and author) best summarizes what is happening in the world right now. After difficulties brought about by the current coronavirus crisis, the world can already see different opportunities flourishing as businesses are mainly moving online.

It is a given that the vast majority of PR professionals have slumps in:

Pitching a new product/service in hopes that it would get picked up by the media

Creating story angles that will capture the attention of the media

Writing press releases that capture the attention of the media

Meeting with the media in a time scarce environment

On top of that, these are just a mere fraction of the other work PR professionals have on their plate. Regarding international PR work, PR strategies and activities will vary depending on the country. This is also another hurdle international PR professionals have to constantly strategize to overcome. 

This article in particular will shed some light on how to effectively create a press release and when to consider sending it to capture the attention of the Japanese media.

Table of contents

1) PR for trending topics

2) Press releases to capture the attention of the media

3) When to send a press release

1. PR for trending topics

How to make PR material that will stick out to the media?

For the most part, trending topics can be learned and examined through communication with other people as well as through market trends research. Some points to consider when conducting market trends research in particular:

– What is the recent big topic that the media is engaged with?

– Why is the topic trending? Is it a seasonal/social/new/unexpected topic?

– Can the product or service be replaced? If so, what is the importance of the product/service? (think from the viewpoint of the consumer)

– Can you add value to the topic? (think of your one unique sales point)

Although a rough outline of some points to consider, this is the flow of how to get a story to stick out to the media.

However, one thing to keep in mind is that trending topics are temporary and unless acted upon quickly, they become old news and the media will naturally become uninterested. 

2. Press releases to capture the attention of the media

Upon coming up with a story pitch naturally comes writing the press release, which may prove to be as or even more difficult than coming up with the story. As long as the story pitch has an introduction, development, turn and conclusion, as well as a consistent point, writing a press release can be simple enough for even beginners. However, international PR professionals have to consider the different press release formats for varying countries. Japan, in particular, has a notably different format than most English press releases.

What are the words being used as material for this week?

When considering the first half of 2020, COVID-19 has been a major topic among others. COVID-19 and Coronavirus are definite keywords, but other keywords have developed through the topic such as “#Stay Home” (#OuchiJikan in Japan), “With Corona,” “After Corona,” etc. Using such keywords in a Japanese press release will often get the attention of the media. In addition, TV directors in Japan for example are constantly searching for new information to use in their projects. Should a well written press release that utilizes relevant keywords show up in the internet results, they may be quick to use it.

Titles, Sub-titles, Headers, and Images are IMPORTANT

The title, sub-title, headers, and images have much importance in a Japanese press release. When considering the elements of a press release, it is always important to think about who in the media will receive it. Especially when sending press releases through email, if the title of email does not capture the attention of the journalist, it will automatically be looked over or even trashed, something common among most media spheres. Images play an important role as well as the media utilizes images for promotional purposes. Titles and headers alone are not typically organized in a way that is easy to understand, so images help convey the message of the press release. Without the proper image, it is safe to assume that journalists will be uninterested to read further. Lastly, sub-titles are used to convey the most important information of the release. They tend to be written in bold and in large text to emphasize the message.

3. When to send a press release

The press release has been created with trending topics in mind, it has been written in a way that capitalizes on the title, sub-title, header, and images, and what is left is sending the press release to the media. If the timing is off, all of the work put into creating the press release may surely go to waste, so it is important to consider it carefully.

Send the press release while the topic is still trending 

As mentioned before, if action is not taken within the trend lifespan, the overall message will likely not get picked up by those in the media who have likely moved onto newer topics. Avoiding this is simple as it requires proper scheduling and proactivity. With those two, one can put out an effective press release in a timely manner.

You can send the same press release several times

It can be said that sending the same press release multiple times to the same media outlets is a sure way to get blacklisted. However, there are some things to consider:

1. Occasionally press releases are simply overlooked
2. Planning from the media side was not yet developed enough to utilize the information
3. Some media may feel the timing is not right on their end

To address these points, it would be beneficial to remake the already sent press release by reorganizing it (title, sub-titles, headers, etc.), and including/replacing the images. Once the updated press release is completed, timing should be considered again. 

Conclusion

Every country has a different media sphere, and likewise PR work varies as well. Japan in particular has a relatively different media and PR sphere, but there are commonalities. Like for most media, an effective press release can capture the attention of journalists should it utilize the proper elements and stay relevant to trending topics.