1. Research the market and develop localized strategies

Japan is one of the most meticulous markets in the world. The first rule is to understand your market and analyze your audience. Japanese culture is more family-centered, sentimental, and multicultural. Therefore, a localized marketing strategy that naturally utilizes the Japanese language is a must. For example, KitKat was originally from the United Kingdom, but this brand is now known throughout Japan and globally. One of the major contributors for KitKat’s success in Japan is the transliteration of the product name. The name KitKat is like the Japanese word for good luck, “Kitto Katsu”. Students get a KitKat before taking a test for good luck. Therefore, KitKat is popular during exam season, which runs from January to March. KitKat also sells various kinds of flavors designed especially for certain regions. By adapting the brand to Japan, KitKat became one of Japan’s most beloved chocolate brands. In addition to working with the Japanese language, it is also effective to develop marketing strategies that are region specific.

2. Develop a customized marketing calendar

Consider Japanese holidays and events to be essential when developing marketing plans. Being aware of Japanese holidays is key to a successful marketing campaign. For example, New Year’s fukubukuro (lucky bag) is popular as a New Year’s tradition, and many fukubukuro items are worth more than the price, attracting consumers. Scarcity is part of the appeal, so people line up for the it during New Years, priced with a lucky number, such as a price matching the year. People don’t mind waiting in line, and they have a strong desire to go to stores that have queues, so why not take advantage of this new year’s Fukubukuro and create a queue at your store or business?

March is also one of the most popular months for travelers to travel in Japan, so it can be an ideal situation for travel agencies to advertise. In addition, many companies will carry out campaigns by changing product designs and releasing limited flavors to connect to the season, such as the cherry blossom design Coca-Cola bottle and Sakura mochi pie released by McDonald’s Japan. We recommend that you pay attention to Japanese holidays and create a marketing plan that goes along with the season. At the end of March, students who are graduating will have more ways to enjoy their trips like discounts at amusement parks or events, and during Hanami season, hold events to enjoy cherry blossom-collaborated products while viewing the cherry blossoms.

3. Creating a Japanese persona may help

Target personas in Japan are very different from those in other countries. Knowing the type of Japanese people will lead to a successful marketing plan. By creating personas, companies can customize their marketing campaigns and effectively reach potential consumers. For example, unlike their elders, Generation Z personas do their own research on social networking sites about the products they want, check prices on several e-commerce sites, and have great faith in word of mouth communications. Therefore, Researching the Japanese market and creating Japanese personas will help you resonate with the market.

4. Conclusion

To conclude, Japanese marketing has a unique culture, consumer behavior, and language, so it is critical that companies thoroughly research and build a marketing calendar before starting a marketing campaign. In addition, by partnering with marketing specialists or agencies in Japan, you can gain valuable insight to ensure success. Localizing your materials such as websites and images can effectively communicate with your consumers. Establishing Japanese personas and implementing campaigns that leverage appropriate digital channels will help you reach and engage your target consumers in Japan.

The estimated number of TV viewers in Japan is 600,000 people per 1% of TV ratings, so if the program has at least 3% of rating, you can reach 1,800,000 people at once. Since the influence of TV programs is huge in Japan, companies including BtoB companies are eager to appear on programs. 

How to get an interview by TV crews

To begin with, you need to know it is very difficult to get an interview by TV crews. Since a TV station is a standalone organization, they have to report from a Third-Party perspective. It is not allowed to introduce one company without mentioning the other companies. Also, to be interviewed, a story is required. 

Elements that makes a story

Here is a list of elements that make a good story:

・Seasonal topics

・Trending topics

・Latest news (car accidents, earthquakes, etc.)

・Innovation

・Shocking/surprising news

・Rare information

・Awards

・Future prospects

・Gender specific information

Create an example story

What if your company’s new product is ginger dumplings, how would you make a story that could be aired on Japanese TV? Try to think about it with the points listed above.

In this case, the cold weather (a seasonal topic) can be one of the elements to create a story. Every winter, dishes that keep the body warm such as spicy curry, traditional nabe cuisine etc. are often shown on Japanese TV. Since ginger is known as a food that keeps the body warm, pitching to the media in winter would increase the possibility of TV coverage.

Japanese TV crews love the latest and most popular food or desserts. This is because most TV audiences in Japan are women. There are a lot of women who do daily chores and watch TV at the same time; therefore, TV programs air news which they could be interested in, and food is the most popular topic among women. If you have products or services targeting women, trying to get a Japanese TV appearance might help increase sales. 

Here is an example story that Japanese TV crews might create

It is getting colder, and there was a winter storm which hit Hokkaido last weekend. During this season, everyone prefers to eat something warm. Ginger is a helpful food that keeps your body warm and helps maintain a healthy metabolism. Companies in the food industry have launched new ginger-based foods such as ginger dumplings and ginger soup.

This story is very simple and easy because products are targeting consumers. 

What if your company’s new product is an online funeral reporting tool which is targeting ceremony companies not consumers?

Create an example story2

The following example story is a real story which is aired at Hiroshima’s local TV station.

Our customers are based in Hiroshima, and they wanted to be interviewed by local TV stations. We made a proposal which assembled the funeral tech companies in Japan including our customer and suggested a story. 

Here are the elements we added to make a story and get media coverage. Elements were 1. Related to the latest news and 2. Innovative topics.

Here is an example story that Japanese TV crews actually made 

The funeral industry has been in a difficult situation during the COVID-19 pandemic. People tend to be reluctant to attend the funeral and have a big, traditional funeral ceremony now. The funeral industry has lost a large amount of expected sales, and many of the funeral-related companies in Hiroshima have been trying to overcome it with digital technology. Company A regularly organizes the end of life planning seminar inside of the Kongo-In Temple. Company B offers a Projection Mapping Funeral, and there were only two families that used this service during pandemic. The ceremony hall C installs an innovative funeral reporting service.

The story hook is the COVID-19 pandemic, but by itself it is very weak. Therefore, we researched funeral-related companies which are innovating the funeral technology such as the Projection Mapping Funeral. We needed to do so, since TV programs will not introduce just a single company. Even though the service is targeting ceremony companies, because of a story, we made it look like a consumer product, allowing TV crews to see the useful information and the potential to become an innovative topic. 

Summary: You can succeed in the Japan Market by a TV program interview

In summary, you can reach out to over a million people by pitching to Japanese TV stations. In order to do so, you need to consider a story with elements that TV crews would love to air. If you need help developing a story, please feel free to consult with us.