Twisted View of Marketing in Japan

(All those different names to describe people you want to sell your product/service to.)

At the end of the day, it is “a human-being (Hito)”, though.

This topic has been in my mind as the one that I have to discuss sometime.  But it is quite big topic to tackle, and I do not have any clear answer to it.

In a sense, this is about fundamental concept and its definition for marketing.  I do not have a license or knowledge to argue what is right or wrong.  Today, I just put my thoughts and feelings here.

Shouhi-sha (Consumer):  A ward that is used most often.  Consume-er sounds quite rough and anachronistic, or very 70’s.

Seikatsu-sha (Living People):  Guess it is created by Hakuhou-do Agency.  They are not-yet “consumers”, and decide themselves if they “consume” or not in their own living context.

Kokumin (A national):  A ward that is allowed only to those marketers of Tokyo University graduates.  To stress the nuance, add “normal”.  (Just joking.)

Shimin (A citizen):  A ward that is allowed to rest of the marketers who are not from Tokyo University.  Putting “normal” to the word does not lose its nuance of “we all are good friend/buddy”.  (Of course, just kidding.)

Target:  Often used with the Shouhi-sha; Target Shouhi-sha.  Has a nuance of selected/focused.

Viewers/Readers etc.:  Words coming up suddenly when you start working on advertising.  Somehow, have nuance that “they are waiting/dying for information, sitting before TV/magazine”, and thus have “passive” image.

Kokyaku (Customer):  Often used in the context of B-to-B.  Original meaning of the word is very straightforward.  Has some feel of “a loyal customer”.  When you have the 3^rd party in supply chain, the word often means companies in between,

Okyaku-sama (Dear Customer):  A ward you hear a lot in department stores and retail stores.  When used as “Okyaku-sama is a god”, it gets different nuance?  (Or, there might be a group of people who does not want “nation/citizen” to be a god??)

In the world of marketing, many people use one or two of those words without clear intention.  But, because it is “redefined as a word/terminology”, even slight difference of meaning and nuances can make big difference in final product like marketing plans and executions of communications.  Sometime, it can become tragedy.

When you say “Shouhi-sha”, it can lead you to “looking down and talking down to them” as it has a nuance of those (everyday) people who are waiting to “consume” your product or service.

On the other hand, I myself do not feel good/familiar to the “Seikatsu-sha” while it is designed to wipe out the nuance of consume-er.  Don’t know why, maybe because it is a “created” word.

In any case, both are of selling people’s convenience.  Both have marks of selling people’s ego.

I myself, by the way, use 3 words depending on situation/context.

Target:  I use the word to define size or number of people quantitatively.  It is “cold” and left-brain oriented word.  Having that in mind, use it to discuss size and risk of investment and strategy.

Okyaku-sama (Dear Customer):  After defining them quantitatively as “target”, switch my brain, using this word, to understand and feel them as a person, living his/her own life.  I have never seen, for example, a woman of “a woman aged 18-29 years old, not married”.

This is, in my view, the most important step of marketing thinking and planning.  You should never skip this, or you must pay a lot later.

Partner:  The other day, I had a chant with a Copy Writer over twitter about this.  When I move to a phase of developing communication executions, like package design and advertising, I push “Okayku-sama” to one step further/deeper to re-define him/her as a “partner” to develop communications together. Some say “buddy” for the same purpose.  Communication, regardless it is one-to-one or through mass media, does not stand only with a sender of message.  It becomes “communication” when receiver of message put the final piece of puzzle in.  In this sense, he/she is not just message “receiver”, but a partner to complete the communication and close the loop.

Good use of these 3 definitions can always help me be “faithful” to marketing challenges for business and Okyaku-sama.  80% of time, I see him/her as an Okyaku-sama, though.

If I just use those common words of Shouhi-sha (consumer) and Target, for some unknown reasons, I often end up with plans that are looking down and talking down to them.  For instance, “Hey you do not know such simple thing?  Let me educate you.”  They would notice my attitude somehow.  I have lots of failure cases due to this.

And after all, they are a “human-being (Hito)”.  It is a truth even in the world of mass-marketing.  None of them/us is living everyday to be a consume-er.  But “Hito” does not sound like marketing terminology…

Let me sleep on it.

“O.”

To the previous note about “How clients view a position/role of Copy Writer”, one Creative Director (ex-Copy Writer) wrote to me.

Let me share this, hoping it would be another stimuli for people working on Marketing, as well as Copy Writers (or Writer-to-be).

“M.”-san, from B-con agency.

I worked with him for approx 10 years.  Through working with him (on Vidal Sassoon, h&s, and Attento), he demonstrated how great it is to “let the brand talk”.  Or, he is one of those “teachers” for me.

~~~

O.-san,

Long time no seeing, how have you been?

Recently, there came across a quote that made me get what is Copy Writing.

It is Mr. Shun-ichi Iwasaki’s words in Senden Kaigi’s advertising for Copy Writer Seminar, which I guess O.-san is teaching a part of it.

“Don’t try to craft copy, discover it.”  (May not be as is, though.)

Top-notch Creator, that he is!  Copy should not be made/crafted.

Good case, illustrating this.

It is a story about naming “Sha-mail (Photo-mail for mobile)” quite a few years ago when they were still J-Phone.

Back then, people in the project had already been using the word of “Sha-mail” to describe this new function.  It had started naturally, no one’s naming.

However, somehow, people had not believed the “Sha-mail” would be the right one for the function.

They were trying hard to “make/craft” a new name that is cool for their advanced feature of mobile phone.

After wasting some days over the naming, one of project members “discovered”.

“Hey, don’t know when, but aren’t we using the “Sha-mail” everyday?”

Said another.

“Yeah, that’s right.  Everyone’s using it.”

Then another said.

“Isn’t it great, spreading this fast?”

Finally they noticed that they had been sitting on gold mine.

(Dramatized conversation.)

When a Copy Writer comes up a good copy writing, it often came from a discovery.

It could be a word from ladies’ chat at the next table at a restaurant.

A word happened to be caught from a corner of a page skimming a magazine.

Or, a word from my memories of imagination long ago.

There happens a moment when the word and the task spark.

It hits me like lightning.  It is not often coming from hard work.  It is exactly like a discovery.

They may not be logically correct, rather they are “It’s strange and cannot tell, but I get it” or “It is charming, lasts long, and makes me want to speak”.

There was a mention in O.-san’s blog, “Copy Writer can give a name to something that is too conceptual or that you need to “explain”.  Once it has a name, it stands on its own.  It is no longer abstract concept, it now has a life, and has nuance of thoughts and belief.”

If I extend this, a job of Copy Writer may be about discovering a strong word, a word with full of life, in the market/category.

So, my request to client people is, rather than checking out if they are logically making sense or covering everything to be said, to choose one, client’s hat off, that talks to you like “strange but fall into place” or “somewhat crooked, but tickling”.

They go to consumers’ heart.

Another essence to be a good Copy Writer is to be “easily possessed”.

This goes well with what O.-san says.

No matter how good/bad the copy is, it must be on Brand Character.

So, Copy Writer should have a talent that gets possessed by the Brand’s spirit.

Going back to the J-Phone story.

They had wanted to make J-Phone a cool brand.

In fact, they used to ask Mr. Yaumichi Oka to develop edge-y advertising.

But from consumer view point, J-Phone was cheapest in market, smaller company, and familiar company, rather than cool.

Its Brand Character that consumers had as an image got along with the strange name, Sha-mail.

The word might have not become this popular if they had asked a Copy Writer to put a cool name instead.

By the way, Softbank, formerly J-Phone, runs two campaigns, but one with a dog is better than the other one featuring big celebs.

It might be coming from their DNA.

In addition, I would agree with O.-san that Copy Writer should be a translator between Creator and Client.

It is generally true that people with Art background is not always good at explaining things.

Mail got this long, but net I wanted to tell you many copy writers would agree with you.

Looking forward what is coming out from ETOJIYA.

Good luck.

“M.”

B-con Communications

~~~

Thank you very much, M.-san.

“Hyoui Taishitu” (a talent that gets possessed by else’s spirit), nice word, let me use it as well.

“O.”

Long time no seeing (writing?).  It’s been already 3 weeks since the last entry to this Blog.  Was I out on vacation for Christmas – a new year holidays?  Yes, I was on vacation, but in December, I caught very “sticky” cold, staying in and out for 3 weeks to give me a bit of fever and headache to stay in bed.  It was not flu, fortunately.

Anyways, please visit and enjoy this Blog in 2010, as you always do, to kill some time in breaks in office.

So what should be the very first topic in 2010?  Well, let’s not put that way to give me unnecessary pressure.  Simply, let me talk about a recent on-air TV spot that I like very much.  It has been heavily aired for these days (hope it is not just in Kansai area, though), you must have seen it as well.  But just in case, here is the film:

Did you expect I would pick up Google?  Not.  (I like it, though.  It has very nice idea in it, but it forces me a little too much to “think” to follow, so I cannot be relaxed to enjoy it.)

This one is much more easy-going, you can just watch and enjoy.  TV CM from historic product called “Putchin’ Pudding” from Glico.

Very good advertising.

I looked into some entries in YouTube to see what kind of title people are giving to it.  A few put “President Putchin’”.  I have to agree with the title.  It tells how good this advertising is, in fact.

(Again, I have selected a kind of topic that is very hard to translate into English, or needs to be explained to be understood, I guess.  I started the English version of the Blog just for my English practice purpose.  Here, probably I should give some explanation or note to describe what is “Putchin’ Pudding” and its play on word “Putchin’ ~ Puttsun = snap your temper(?)”…)

OK, let me try.  Putchin’ Pudding is a casual snack you can buy at any supermarket or convenience store.  It’s been sold for some 30 years, as far as I remember.  A custard pudding is filled in plastic cup.  You can eat it as it is, but you also can serve on dish by snapping a small pinch at its bottom to open a small hole to let the pudding slip out on to the dish.  Putchin’ is a sound, or onomatopoeia, of the snapping.

Now let’s go back to the topic.

This advertising has a few very good points.  It might become a bit of argument for its sake, but let me sort these points out.

The very first point is its great product feature, and decision to focus communications strategically on that feature.

The feature is, as I described above, fun of snapping and watching it slipping out and dropping on the dish.  It has a power to make people happy.

It is an innovation that Glico can be proud to the world and to the history.  (I really mean it.  I am not trying to be funny or be cynical.)

It has everything that cheap sweets should have:  Fun (and sweet).  In this sense, it is a perfect form of cheap sweets.

And the advertising is facing it and focusing on it.  That is the first point.

Next is its idea, turning the strategy into an idea very nicely.

Structure of the idea is quite simple.  It is about an exaggerated gap of change before and after the snapping, Putchin’, changing atmosphere and flow of happenings around.

If I put some words together, it goes like “Just Putchin’ the Putchin’ Pudding can turn anger, snapping his anger/Puttsun, to happiness in a second.”

(Puttsun is an expression to describe a person suddenly getting into anger with no reason or with very small reason.)

You would say it is too good to be true, yet you go “But I know, I understand how good/happy it is”, for those who know its pleasant/fun feeling.

Specific dramatization of the idea is also very well done.  The “president” in the spot appears like someone you know, maybe “that” president of a country in mid/south America.  The drama feels close to you as you know the “fact” that many people are sharing as an imagery person.  It pulls you into the story very nicely to enjoy it.  Direction, casting, and photography/art direction are also very well crafted.

And, as I wrote some time ago in this Blog, it does not miss the point of “You buy snack because it looks tasty”.  Very professional work, I think.

Only regret, because I like the spot so much, is the film is not visualizing the moment, the very moment of Putchin’/snapping the bottom of the cup.

Well, there must be yes and no to this.  Some may say you don’t have to.  Others would argue it is a cliché if you show it.  Or, some may tell me typical and boring preach that showing it is typical and boring “predictable harmony”.

But, I want to see it.

Historic innovation, it is.  Pleasant sensation that you can enjoy only once per one cup.  People buy Putchin’ Pudding for that.  Even when he/she knows he/she may end up eating it from the cup, he/she is imagining the moment when buying it.  The brand is exiting in this world for the very reason.

So, I want to see it, the moment.

Even without it, I still love the film, though.

"O."

Award winners have been announced for this year’s “Consumers’ Tameninatta Advertising – For the consumers’ good Advertising” award.

I guess many of you may not know this award, but this year’s was already 49^th.

METI Award, say Grand Prix, went to Panasonic Nano-e’s newspaper ads, Toyo Exterior Support Rail (handrail)’s magazine ad, and Toshiba’s company ad on TV.  I could not find the first two on web, but found Toshiba’s light bulb CM on YouTube.

“1890, Japan’s first light bulb was made by Toshiba.  Since then, we have thrown lights over your house and your town.  Toshiba is planning to terminate production of incandescent lights、aiming at 2010.  As the first company to make light bulb, we wanted to be the first to make a decision not to make.  In the future, we shift our effort to produce energy saving lights such as Neo Pole Series (light-bulb style fluorescent lamp) and LED lamps.  Long and strong cherished hope to light bulb.  But, it is longer and stronger for the earth.  Toshiba.”

It seems quite popular CM.  It holds you to say “A-ha” at the end.

When I myself watched this on TV, I rushed to make a complete list of types of incandescent lights at home and bought a lot of them to stock.  I do not like fluorescent light.  Well, I know I should not have acted anti-eco way…  But, the advertising indeed made me re-act, and think “OK, after using up the stock, let me switch to LED”.  It is a good piece of advertising. 　Poor excuse...

So what is “mixed feeling and questions”?  There are a few.

To start with, I have a big “?” to its name of “Tameninatta - For consumers’ good” (while I am not confident if this is translating its original nuance).  It means the world is full of those advertising that are not for their good?  No?  It means it is selecting “the best” from good ones?  OK, I was chopping and playing on logic, I understand.  And there are plenty that are not necessarily targeting to consumers.  You are right.  Some are for shareholders, for recruiting, for supply chain, for internal communications, and there are others, too.  But, “Tameninatta – for their good” reads like looking down to them.  Oh, it is just a bad try of faultfinding?  Excuse me.

Fact is, when I was working for marketing/advertising in manufacturer, that receiving this award was a very big credit.  As it was consumer goods company, it was always fulfilling to see advertising making an impact to numbers, and when consumers told us “It’s a good commercial” or “It made me like the brand”, I felt that all the hard work had completely been paid off.  And if the award of “For consumers’ good” chooses my work, it is a big honor.  The biggest reward, because I suppose it must be selected based on research among lots of consumers.

What?  They do not choose that way?  What do you mean?

Let’s take a look at judges…  Final judges are university professors and reps from consumer organizations.  Looks reasonable, so far.  6 out of 12 are women.  Sounds thoughtful.

So, these people go through all the pieces of advertising, in addition to TV CM’s, where approx. 1,000 new spots are born a month, from newspaper, magazine, radio, and web.  Is it so?  Not.  It says they review applied ones.  I see.  And they have pre-screening, first…

If I look at the list of judges for pre-screening, it appears 7 out of 20 are college/university students and 4 are university lecturers, so it means more than half are from college/university.  What…  These pre-judges select about 600 from all the 3,500 applications.  He~~~~, what a hell…

“Mixed feeling” is, by the way, also coming from my observation that, while clients are in general very pleased and honored to get this award, somehow, Creatives often give “a bitter smile”.  Not all of them, off course.  I saw some showed great appreciation to it.

But, there seems something for “a bitter smile” in advertising industry.

It might be too much of my suspicion, but it seems to me “It may be a great award for consumers’ and clients’ good, but it is not always for Creatives’ good”.

Are they having doubt to its selection process?  It looks true, unlike other advertising awards, they indeed do not invite judges from advertising industry or creative field.

Or, because “It does not judge its artistic value as a piece of work”?  Well, advertising is not made for an artistic expression as a primary purpose, though.

Not going to that extreme, because “It does not evaluate its originality/novelty of advertising executions”?  I kinda understand that impression, vaguely though.

Or, because “It has some Dasai (not cool) impression/image”?  Yeah, I understand that.  What leaves that impression, then?

Taking a look at all the finalists, you may find some consistency across.  Maybe of same old dramatic devises/set-ups or cliché.  And, well although I cannot find exact word to describe this, I think there are quite a few “Preachy/Enlightenmentism (?)” stories, “Interfering” speaks, or “Hey, ain’t I doing my best to be good for society” type of telling.  Is this the reason for your bitter smile?  (At least, Panasonic’s works, a regular member of this award, are still on its Panasocic-like enlightenment tonality.)

OK.  Let me talk to some Creative guys soon.

“O.”

(This was written on Nov. 5, after the 5^th game of the Nippon Series.)

It’s just like that I have realized tonight how great it is to be Giants’ fan.

Or, what made Amuro and Bright such a long term team partners, to start with?

You have to excuse me bothering you with confusing beginning, today.

You might want to refer to my previous write-up about the NIKE’s event of sending a support ball to Darvish, where I had a discussion about capturing “XX Moment” to capture customer’s heart.  Then, Fukumari-san, a friend of mine, gave me some comment about it.  It in fact inspired another thinking/hypothesis so that I decided to bring up this topic again.

Simply said, why then capturing the “Moment” makes it possible to capture cutomer’s heart?

That is probably because sharing the “Moment” can get you all the way up to be a friend (or your girl/boy friend) on the spot, skipping other steps/procedures you normally have to go through.

This made me think that it can yield a chance to make a strong “bonding”, before you even talk about what your product or service can offer (in exchange of money), called benefit.

Or, as Fukumari-san wrote in her comment, friends who have “lived under the same roof”.

Think about your own close friends or a partner.

What made the relationship start and get sustained?  Was it because he/she, in turn of your friendship or love, gave you something to make you think “This relationship is worth”?

(Please do not say “Yes” here, or this story ends here…)

I guess there were some moments/situations in which you shared fun, pain, or regret.  (If not, Amuro had no reason to need Bright as a partner…  I like Bright-san, though.)

Now let’s go back to the arena of Marketing.  They say, (at least in the Company I used to work for), “Acceptance of the brand’s message becomes significantly heightened when the benefit of product or service is communicated in the context where need of the benefit or awareness of it is high.”

Well, too complicated?

Let me try to put it simple, though it may be too simple.  When you are dying for drink after hard exercise, if you happen to see advertising from a certain beverage brand, you would want to drink that brand, for example.

Many companies are trying hard to do this.

How about airing TV commercial when consumers are hungry?  Transit ad in commuting trains may be more effective than magazine ad.  And so on.  It makes sense, though.

Let me tell you.  I have had a big question to this theory for sometime.  I understand it, but somehow, my gut says “something wrong with it”.

Knowing it is a bit far-fetched argument, it could indicate “You can sell rescue rings with premium price on the spot where someone gets drawn, to the person and to people around.”

I may not have any other choice but buy the brand then, but I would not buy the brand again.  Because it leaves me a strong impression of “mean guy”.

I suppose mistake is coming from “high acceptance to benefit”.

It is not “benefit (what it does for you)” but “character (who the brand is)” of the product/service, that is put on the test in the situation/moment, isn’t it?

Then, it goes very well with analogy of sharing the “Moment” with friends/a partner.

“He(brand)’s a good guy, ‘cause he was there with me back then.  So he is my friend.  Don’t know what he can do for me, though.”

This is what I have been thinking for sometime.  This is what makes it possible to grab customer’s heart, when you capture the “Moment”.

OK, the next game is in Sapporo the day after tomorrow, obviously “away” for Giants, let’s brace ourselves to win.

“O.”