Japan Marketing News

Marketing & advertising seminar to be held next month in Tokyo

If you're looking to hear the latest in marketing case studies related to Japan, take note: Marcus Evans Inc will be holding its next Tokyo seminar on November 27th and 28th, 2007 at the Hilton Hotel in Shinjuku.

Dubbed Creative Advertising and Media Marketing Strategy, the conference will feature speakers from KDDI, Tokyu Hotels, Star Flyer, Tokyo Metro, Nihon Michelin and several other firms. Topics will include cross-media approaches, effective advertising, word-of-mouth marketing, consumer insights, Web 2.0 marketing, branding, and more. Detailed information related to seminar content, registration, etc. can be found here.

I attended the last Marcus Evans marketing event in September and am pleased to report that I found a number of the presentations— from industries as diverse as toys, shampoos, car navigation systems, jewelry, and airlines — to be both interesting and informative. I'm looking forward to the next conference as it involves several topics I'm eager to brush up on.

Currently the presentations are to be held in Japanese only. However, if sufficient interest is shown by the English-speaking community, Marcus Evans says it may provide interpreters.

Tasty recent brand launches in Japan

- The latest in Japan's never-ending stream of magazine launches came off the other day when the Japanese version of the popular Australian fashion journal RUSSH was released on October 27. RUSSH, which is only about three years old, distinguishes itself from other fashion publications by reporting almost exclusively on the lifestyle and fashion choices of models—an approach which is sure to appeal to Japan's celebrity and model conscious magazine readers. This is the first time RUSSH has published a localized version in a foreign market.

- Speaking of first time launches in foreign markets, Paris' wildly popular gelato purveyor DELIZIEFOLLIE is opening its first shop anywhere outside France tomorrow in Shibuya. DELIZIEFOLLIE was founded in Paris by Gaeta Pellegrino, whose family has been involved in the gelato industry for two centuries. Since the brand is new to Japan, we haven't had the chance to sample any of their frozen delights — but if they taste as good as they look on the the Japanese website, the lines here are likely to be as long as they are in Paris. DELIZIEFOLLIE is located in Shibuya on the first floor of the Parco Zerogate Building, which can be found on the street that runs between Seibu Department Stores' buildings A and B, as you proceed toward Tokyu Hands from the direction of JR Shibuya Station (or if you prefer, at the foot of Spain-zaka).

HMV Japan to dress up offerings

For the past few years there's been a conspicuous trend amongst Japanese apparel brands. Rather than limit themselves to selling a particular product or line of products within their own sector, they've shifted focus to target consumers and expanded offerings to cover as many of their lifestyle needs as possible. Ten years ago, apparel stores carried apparel. These days many brands sell CDs, cosmetics, stationery, appliances, and home furnishings and furniture—in addition to clothes, shoes, bags and accessories.

But now it appears that some companies have realized that this game can be played from the opposite direction.

Say hello to "robotic" air conditioning and heating

If you're a member of one of those households in which everybody wants the room to be a different temperature, I've got some good news. National (Panasonic) has just introduced the X Series (a.k.a "Air Robo") line of heater/air conditioners equipped with groundbreaking technology meant to individually optimize the indoor comfort of each person in a room. Apparently, thanks to infrared beams that can both identify where people are and what they're doing, and special flaps that can directionally release air of varying volumes and temperatures, those who are less active will feel a warmer air flow than those who are moving around. What's more, because the units aim air at people rather than trying to maintain the same temperature throughout the room, they use less electricity. The X Series goes on sale in November (2007).

Japanese designer water

I ran across this Japanese mineral water brand a while back and was impressed by the packaging. Besides the prototypically Japanese color patterns, the bottle itself was cleverly designed to recall the contours of gourds, which were in days gone by used like canteens in Japan. So the combination of the shape, label and mineral water contents makes Hyotan Kara Mizu a modern product with a delightfully fun and traditional feel ("hyotan" means "gourd" in Japanese).

But given the price (¥350 per bottle when purchased direct in cases of 20, and over ¥500 in some retail channels), my guess is that not a lot of people are purchasing the brand as an everyday drink. More likely, they're buying the bottles to use as display items, reusable containers or as little gifts. I for one will be picking up a few as souvenirs to take to Stateside friends over the holidays.

Hyotan Kara Mizu is manufactured by Kinki Partners (a Nara-based company known more for its recycling-related enterprises than consumer products).

Top 5 Japanese Companies, Part IV (books & stationery)

So you're wondering which Japanese specialty stores earned the highest revenues last year in sales of books and stationery? The top five performers, according to numbers released by Nikkei earlier this year, were:

1) Kinokuniya
2) Maruzen
3) Yurindo
4) Bunkyodo
5) Junkudo Shoten

Cool Interactive Advertising: Panasonic Viera

If you're into traditional Japanese imagery you might want to explore this award-winning website that Panasonic created to promote its Viera line of flat-panel televisions. Dubbed "experience color," it skillfully employs graphics, live action, color and lighting to create a sophisticated mood and give a sense of the high quality pictures you can expect from Viera.