(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.”

Unless I switch my brain to “Understanding Oversea Culture”-mode, many of them are just too hard to understand or appreciate.

A few years ago when I went to the Cannes award event, my “Understanding Oversea Culture” brain had melted and vaporized, spending 3 full days in theaters to watch, just watch thousands of advertising.

So, here is a piece of advertising that “Fu”-san asked me for perspectives:  Evian.

Do you get it?

I just don’t get it.

Visuals are great, very well crafted, that make me watch through, but at last, I am left out with “???”.  Well, you could argue, if it held me till the end to (vaguely) understand it is for Evian, then it does the job as a commercial film, though.

I heard that Evian has some effects to activate cell renewal, revitalize them, reduce health problems associated with aging, make skin beautiful, or help your brain to work.  However, at the end of the day, it is a bottle of mineral water, not medicine, that they may not be able to actively sell these as efficacy.

It could be then the case that they transformed them into an idea of “Evian = Fountain/Spring of Youth”, and dramatized it through “Full of life/youth = You become a baby”.  Am I correct?  Don’t know.  “Drink Evian and stay young”?

(It may be completely wrong thing that I have “logically analyzed” it, though.)

OK.  If I work hard, at least I can understand what is going on and intent behind it.  But if I keep my brain as “Normal (Japanese)”-mode, I have no clue what is going on for what-so-ever…

I wonder what is wrong with me.  I suspect the analogy of Youth – Baby itself puts the big wall that I cannot go over anyhow, right before me.  Even with copy/superimpose like “Let’s observe the effect of Evian on your body” and “Evian, live young”, they don’t help.  Often people say “Japanese people are just too literal”, and am I one of them?

While I usually agree with Creative saying “Let’s believe our viewers, they are matured enough to appreciate this.”, in this case, I would not buy it.

Am I the only one?

I would, by the way, agree that, with this great and fun visual drama, it would become talk of the town.

Airing it as it is should be much better than AXE, who somehow produces boring, cheap, and sloppy “Japan original CM’s”.  AXE has so many great films around the world, and they are not as “sophisticated” as Evian, so that they can/should choose to air them as they are.  If there is “most boring AXE advertising award”, Japan gets Grand Prix every year.

“O.”

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.”

It is not at all easy question for me.  But the question came at the right timing, as I have just started teaching a few classes, staring on last Friday, in Advanced Copy Writing Seminar by Senden Kaigi in Osaka:  What is a role of Copy Writer/Creator from Client’s view point.”

Thus, I anyway had to throw some thoughts on this topic.

I do not have any license, knowledge, and experiences to tell you either “All clients view this way” or “Copy Writer must act that way.”  This is just my own perspective.  I will try not to make argument too abrupt, but please bear with me.

I (when I was working as a member of client) think I often had the following three roles/expectations to Copy Writers or Creative Directors who used to be CW.

“Talk like Brand does. ‘Shall We Haagen-Dazs?’”

Of course, it’s the job #1 for “Copy Writer”.

If it is a matter of simply translating strategy into set of words, we do not need Copt Writer.  Writing copy is not simple math with theory and process, so that client people like me, left-brain-heavy people, cannot do the job.

If there is any difference for my opinion/perspective versus “commonly understood role of Copy Writer”, I would expect Copy Writer writes/talks as if the brand talks.  Copy is to me an expression of who the Brand is.

“Shall We Haagen-dazs?”, when it is written in Japanese, does not stand.  You go “Then who are you?”

To large extent, I often look for “Character of the Brand in words/choice of words” than “unique set of words”.

In one of my previous write-up, I defined “Brand” as “giving a name and respect to its character”.  Words/choice of words are the place where character/belief come out most.  Therefore, copy writing is of key essence to “grow Brand”.  (It includes attitude of not “talking”.)

“Translator between Creative and Client.  ‘In this useless and wonderful world.’”

As Copy Writer is primarily deals with words, compared to those Creative people speak visuals and sounds, s/he could be the closest friend among Creative people for left-brain-heavy client people.

Why the submitted idea conveys strategy best, and how?  What is “interesting” about it?  Where is key point or source of inspiration for Creative?  It is in fact quite difficult for client people.

So, if Copy Writer put them in simple structure using words I can understand, it is always very helpful.

Or, easier example is that scripted style of storyboard is very often much simpler to understand than usual storyboard with pictures.

I need 100 years to understand and appreciate why the campaign of “Alien Jones’s Diary – Living in Japan” can sell canned coffee, if I just got storyboards.

I believe Creative people already have complete picture of advertising when it is presented first.  But, when it is not produced yet, it is hell of a work for client to understand it and feel it.  Copy Writer can bridge the gap.

On the other hand, in the mind of client people, there are clear vision/results of achieving the objective and strategy.  However, they are usually data or numbers that most Creative people cannot feel how good they are.  Copy Writer can bridge the gap, too.  (One could argue it is a job of Planners, though.)

“Giving it a Name.  ‘Impossible is Nothing.’”

This role might be bigger than other two, at least to me.

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.

It is not “Nothing is Impossible”, nor “Anything is Possible”.  It is “Impossible if Nothing”.

Some of these go out as “Copy”, and others may stay internally.  Establishing Team’s slogan/manifesto is a copy writing of goal of the project, vision, or attitude.  Or, like TSUBAKI, name of project can be “copy writing” to start with.

Well, maybe I am trying too hard to “categorize” its role into 3, and telling you the same thing three times.

Excuse me that this may have been half cooked.

Net, I wanted to say Copy Writer has 3 roles:  Storyteller for Brand to Consumer.  Storyteller for Creative and Client.  Storyteller for Conceptual to Tangible.

Even worse?

Sorry.  This topic is way too big for me.

“O.”

Today, let me pick up a question from PO-san.

“That is a very nice piece of commercial.  I like it.”

“Me, too.  That touches my heart.  But which Company’s is that?”

“What?  Well…  I don’t remember.  Maybe an insurance company or some sort?”

Typical conversation that you would hear often or you may often be a part of.

For example, that popular advertising in which you see slide-show of nice pictures of family (and especially kids) one after another with a heart-warming song by Kazumasa Oda, a famous Japanese singer-song-writer.

Which Company/Brand is that for?

No clue.

Topic today is about the one that you must have viewed various versions on TV.  The one that “Cat and Duck work together”.

I like the advertising.

Before anything, that lovable song.

The cat somehow makes me smile with its strange movement and expression.

There are lots of good things in that.

Among others, if I have to pick up a few essentials, they are:  1) The fact that it coveys lots of things with exact balance within the limited time/space (while one could argue it is covered by its high media spending).  And 2) the fact that it is almost only one that is establishing a “Brand” in the industry or category, life-insurance, where being distinctive is of a tough job.

Given tough economy, commercial communication tends to be loaded with lots of tasks.  It is almost a thing of the past that being popular is everything, all you need is to get awareness, or just to improve images of the brand.  Recession forces TV advertising, of which media is losing it power day by day, to be multi-tasked.

It is always the best to focus only one thing to communicate to be a great advertising.

This may already have become a dream of naïve creators from 20^th century.

I don’t know.  But at least, I can say that it is a dilemma, and it is not easy to communicate lots of things at one time.

This campaign of “Aflac’s Cat and Duck” succeeds to communicate or at least leave an impression of its new service to cover super-advanced medical treatments, while TV is a media of emotion and senses.  And it has done it in a way that is not heavy, and is light and casual (without being too much so), through its lovely song.  Good Job #1.

Each piece of the campaign features insightful life moments/events to make you think, or re-consider your life insurance package.  Good Job #2.

This leads to eye-opening paradigm shift from “insurance being a fall back option to be ready to happenings” to “insurance blessing your life”.  In general, advertising of life insurance tends to use “threat”, like “what if you suddenly pass away or get seriously injured”.  (Even that commercial with gentle voice of Oda-san uses this “threat” approach behind the nice pictures.)  On the contrary, this Aflac’s campaign is blessing you/your life.  (No wonder they have Christmas and New Year versions as well.)  Good Job #3.

Their previous campaign, featuring true stories of cancer patients, contributed to wiping out too funny an image of “Why a duck?  Are you trying to fool me around?”, and it was certainly distinctive in the category.  Yet, it was within an arena of “threat”.  This new campaign elevated the brand to the level of “blessing” by re-defining “what is life insurance for”.  As a result, in the category where every (Japanese) company has been trying hard to be nice, not specific/tangible, not impressive, or when it is impressive, look like government/public advertising, Aflac became a “Brand”, only one in the market.  Good Job #4.

Aflac, please hung in there, be persistent about what you are doing.

Japanese friends in the life insurance, get out of the box otherwise you will be left alone.

Well, after talking this much, at the end of the day, what’s too good is that song.  It goes on and on in my mind, and cannot be stopped.

“O.”

On January 22, I went to the “livedoor” office to throw 2 events of seminar, workshop, or say, discussions.

It was for bloggers when I did this last time in livedoor, but it somehow impressed people from livedoor in the room.  They gave me another opportunity to do it for those in livedoor.

To this end, I ran one session about “What is Brand?” for those who missed it last time, and the other session about “What is Vision/Visioning” for all.

2 sessions in a row in the afternoon, 4.5 hours in total.  It must be hard work for them.  Thanks for active participation and discussions.

It was honor, but clearly pressure to me.  You see CEO and all the board members in the room before you, actively joining discussions and case studies.  (Was livedoor running business all right?  At least, the board room was empty then.)  Again, thank you.

First half was about “What makes brand a brand”, my original speech/case discussion that “You can understand essence of brand marketing in one hour”.  In it, I often use two Japanese word of “Kakun and Noren” (which I cannot translate well, let’s say “company principle/philosophy” and “signboard”) to understand conceptual building blocks of brand equity.  In the party after the session, I heard many livedoor people already using the concept/term like “It must be your Noren” or “I would not think it is the best way to put it as Kakun”.

Second half was in fact not exactly about brand marketing.  It was about “Vision”.  The word is used very often and casually.  But many do not know what it really is.  So, the session was to re-define what Vision is, and use it as a skill to think and communicate.  Discussion was heated than I expected.  It seemed timely topic for the company.  The word “Vision” was also popular word in the party.

These words were popular in the party, but can “Kakun”, “Noren”, and “Vision” be on everyone’s lips in livedoor next week onward?  I hope them to be.

(For those who attended the seminar, when you have a few minutes, please visit this topic in this blog.  It must be nice follow-up reading to things we discussed in the seminars.)

“O.”

It was not my intention at all but I came to realize, upon several peoples comments/questions, that there is no mention about my name in this blog.

So, let me introduce myself.  My name is Shinsuke Okamoto.

I’ve been using “O.” or “お。” as my signature for long, regardless it is formal or private, that I am using it in this blog, too.

I do not get into my profile as you can find a very long one on the left.

By the way, I am living in Kobe, (or in Sasayama, sometimes).

I draw this picture myself, using paint accessory in Windows, but some of those who know me well tell me that the picture projects much better image.  Sigh.

Anyways, it’s been 3 months already since I started this blog to serve you as fun “time-killing” readings.  There seem quite a few people come and read (at least for Japanese version).  It is encouraging or stimulating when I see some comments/discussions over Twitter or mails to me.  Thank you.

Can you please help me improve contents of this blog?

I need your questions/comments/challenges/”How do you see/read this?”.

(Well, many already told me that I always write too long…  I know.  And I am working on it, believe or not.)

It may be easy for you to use the comment section underneath (click コメント（０）).  Or you can tweet to me on Twitter.  If your writing can become longer for them, you can tell me your mail address thru the comment section or Twitter, then I will write to you.

I do not think I can give answers to all of your questions fast, but I do promise I will respond to you with my “perspectives”.

Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu (Thank you for your help in advance).

“O.”

Why about the one that I am “NOT” interested in?

It is because I’ve got quite a few inquiries.  Since its start, from various people.  “How do you interpret this?”, “What do you think they want to achieve?”, or “It’s been talk in town, but how effective is it?”

As it has been out there for sometime that it does not have a kind of momentum it used to have once, and that many professionals have already put their argument or evaluation, I do not think I can add any new perspective here.  Just wanted to respond to those questions came to me.

It is about Softbank’s CM featuring SMAP.  Just in case, here are links from YouTube for the very first one of this campaign and the recent one about color variation of phone.

 
How come this does not intrigue me much?  I do not dislike the other campaign featuring a dog, instead.

It is probably because I somehow do not see/feel what they are doing as “marketing”, but as “rich man’s fight/scuffle”, firing bundles of buck out from a big cannon.  Well, in a sense, you can say it is dead on Softbank’s character, so it may be very good “Brand building”, though.

Structure of campaign, at its beginning, was a “set-up documentary” with flood of TV media:  A big group of talents representing Japan, who used to be a CM character of docomo, a competitive company representing Japan, is “transferring” to Softbank.  Obviously fake movement.

It is indeed a kind of thing that only rich man can think of.

The second series featuring color variation of phone and iPhone is what they have been doing even before this campaign using Hollywood stars.  Films of this campaign feel like “set-up documentary or fake making-film” as well.

But I kinda like its idea.  I may tell you “If SMAP was not there, it should not have been bad advertising”.  The world can become better place with full of fun and joy if the world is filled with many vivid colors.  Not bad.  Visuals are very beautiful.

In any case, as it is “rich man’s scuffle”, amount of media is horrendous.  Or said differently, huge amount of media transforms the obvious “set-up documentary” to “obviously fake but entertaining movement”.

In net, to people like me, there is not much to learn.  As consistency is power, I hope they continue this.

If I have to find any lesson here, it is that, unless you are trying hard to dump your money, do not take this approach of making so-so idea into “societal movement”.

Rather, work hard to develop strong idea.  It is not easy, but I would suggest this way.  When an idea is outstanding, you do not have to stir up it to make it “societal movement”.  It will be.

“O.”

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."

A few people have sent me questions.  Here are a direct answer, and some marketing talks related to it, to one of them.

“When I watch CM’s from docomo’s Google Keita, Windows 7, or Apple iPhone, I see some consistent feel among them, “buttery-smell”.  Is it effective?  … The taste of film, which I do not see many Japanese companies use but lots of non-Japanese firms use, what is behind it?”

Was the question, from Sasaki-san.

Very good observation.  Others like FRISK, NIKE, and XEROX, also have similar “buttery-smell”.  (A lot of people do notice that they are different, vaguely though.  A message to marketers is “Hey, guys, people know what you are doing or not doing.”)

There are several questions in it, so let me sort them out:

1. Where does CM’s “buttery-smell” come from?

2. Is there any intent or aim behind CM’s “buttery-smell”?

(3. Why Japanese companies do not do it?)

As for #1, I may not be a right person to answer technical matters, so I have asked Mr. Abe, a veteran producer from Sound By S, commercial production company.  But, as I expected, his answer was very long (as long as his talk), contains a lot of technical terms and codes, and complaints with some real names, so that I had to sum it up anyway.

Upon that, let me answer to question #2.  Will touch on #3, too.

Making the long story short, maybe too short, though, CM’s “buttery-smell” comes from the fact that it is produced by Western/Caucasian director, cameraman, and their crews.   That’s why it has “buttery-smell”/Western feel.  Excuse me giving you such a stupid answer.  The difference is a product of difference of shooting method, choice of lenses, way of lighting, and policy or philosophy behind all of them.

Let’s dig in a bit more, of course Abe-san’s telling, though.

Caucasian’s eyes are very sensitive to intense lighting/luminosity, especially UV rays, compared to non-white guys like us, so they do not like direct lighting.  They tend to use in-direct lighting like using a wall to reflect it.

On the other hand, people like direct lighting to its object in Japan.

As a result, just like a movie film from Hollywood does, oversea CM features only an object that you want to see/show, versus that of Japan shows everything bright in the frame.

Accordingly, type of lens also becomes different.  In Western industry, they prefer longer lenses = narrower depth of focus = an object just on the focus point shows right but a bit off gives off-focused visual.  In Japan, they use short lenses to capture everything under the light.  To a layman like me, it may be easier to understand it as a difference between a tele-photo lens and a wide-angle lens.

In addition to these two biggest reasons, there are other smaller differences.  And they add up to this difference of taste of films.

And somehow, it cannot be done in Japan. Though Japanese is known to have skillful hands for anything, they can hardly copy this.  It is because it’s a product of totality of industry structure, techniques/skills, knowledge, experiences, people, apprenticeship behind, and their value/philosophy, I guess.

Net, if you want that “buttery-smell” CM, you have to go abroad and shoot with oversea stuff.  No wonder you do not see it from Japanese companies.

Let’s move to its Marketing intent/aim/effect.

The film above is a good old Haagen Dazs ice cream commercial from 1990’s.　I still remember this.  In 1990’s, these high quality “buttery-smell” visuals came on TV, not as a movie but as a CM spot, and made us say “Cool!”.  Vidal Sassoon, which I used to be responsible for, was introduced with very “buttery-smell” CM, too.  In fact, we produced it in Hollywood.

While Haagen Dazs is of course an oversea brand, truth was that this TV commercial was made first in Japan.  This “buttery-smell” CM was made by Haagen Dazs Japan, for Japanese consumers, to be aired only in Japan.

I believe there must have been clear intent for marketing for this “buttery-smell”.

And it was achieved, splendidly.

It is not a cheap ice cream for kids around, but is a high quality ice cream for adults (must-be made in Europe).  The image was brilliantly engraved in our heart and mind with this one film alone.  Later, they started using TV with similar film outside of Japan, I heard.

Same for Vidal Sassoon.  Back then, Japan was only country in the world where the brand was spending major marketing dollars.  In UK, its origin, it was one of those minor salon shampoo brands.  That film established clear image that it is landing on Japan from Western world, in the middle of the Bubble economy days, as an oversea premium quality hair care brand.

Esthetic sense, feel, and image, which people watching TV get from visual and sound, are often more important than literal/word-oriented information.  In this sense, Haagen Dazs is one of the best examples of effective use of “buttery-smell”.

Besides, there are other cases that they do not have any aim or intent.  Some are simply using the same films used in US or Europe.  And reason why Japanese firms do not produce those films could simply be that they do not have any particular reason to do so.

If there is any marketing challenge to this, it should be if you are making up two “different personalities with different sense/images” other than just a difference of touch of film, when you are producing films in Japan at one time and go abroad at some other times.  Shooting oversea, especially in US, is not easy task.  It costs more, eats longer time, puts harder schedule management for talents and stuff, etc.  OK, so let’s do it in Japan this time.  I think it is a reasonable choice.  However, the question remains.  If those two different types of communication show at the same time or back to back, are people watching them recognizing and remembering them as the same “personality”?

Or, simply, they may watch you saying “Somewhat cheap, this company is trying cutting corners these days.”  At least, I can say, many of them notice the difference.

“O.”

“Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo!”

That peaceful and heartless story should not be anything but a joke.  But there is a lesson hidden in this for marketing, particularly for Brand Marketing.

People give pet a name.

Like any dogs, my dog has a great name, “Mozuku”.  “Natto” was the previous one’s name.

Horse, when it is for riding or load-carrying, has its own name, and it’s been that way for long.

On the other hand, people do not usually give names to those animals, livestock for food.

Some special stud bulls have names, but they are marks rather than names.  When livestock animals are given names, it is often the case that those who raise them are different from those who process them for meat.

It’s been like that for long, and I heard it is also true outside of Japan.

It is because “Naming brings it to personality”.

Then, you cannot kill it easily, or can hardly eat it.  It is the same thing that it is hard to throw away a stuffed toy which you gave a name and spent time with.

“Naming it → Giving it a personality”.

This is, indeed, the fundamental concept of what Brand Marketing is.

(The other day, I ran a work session at livedoor about “Brand Marketing”.  Just one scroll down on this blog.  There, I did not get into this, so this is about “What is Brand?”, a kind of “Supplemental Lesson” to the workshop.

That reminded me of livedoor’s Sasaki-san’s question when we meet first time, “O.-san, so what is Brand, by the way?”  In a sense, this has been my homework left for 6 months.”)

People give a name to their company, product, or service.

A birth of Brand.

Putting a question aside if they are conscious or not, at the very moment, it conceives a personality.  At this point, it is still very young, premature, like a baby, though.

Parents have their own hope or wish to it, “I want my kid to be this kind of person”.  Sometime, it could be just taking over granddad’s name.  Or, it could be given by a fortune teller.  Yet, it is another way of putting parents hope/wish into it, and nothing less.

The baby, to begin with, has its own talent or characteristics, role or mission in the world it belongs to, and premise or request of the times.

And, it gets a sign board of parents’ wish, or package design.  Flyer or advertising is produced for it.  A start of its life as the personality.

Soon or later, the personality would get influenced by communications/interactions with customers as well, and, character, attitude, behavior, value, and philosophy become clearer and clearer.

There is no longer a room for parents to selfishly change its image.  They must respect it as one personality, or it can fall out of right path.  Only thing that parents or adults around can do is to help its growth.

In the world of marketing, this is called Brand Character, Brand Equity, or Brand Philosophy.

A shampoo called “Pantene”, because it was named after the active of medicine for burnt victims, cannot abandon its role of “cure/improvement”.  It does not “fit”, when it says “Don’t get bothered.  Be beautiful today, and forget tomorrow.”

On the other hand, a shampoo, with its family crest on her chest, named after the name of the flower of the crest, cannot be persuasive by saying “I can improve hair damage”.  It is a destiny to keep manifesting “It is all women’s joy to be beautiful, nothing else.”

Each one’s blood/fate, and character/attitude.

(Excuse me using shampoo story always.  I had been in the business way too long.)

NIKE has its given mission, birth, personal history, character, and attitude.  Ozeki has its own.  Google, too.  Toraya as well.  TOYOTA has his, Haagen-Dazs has hers, SHARP, KissMint, KOBE City, each has its own.  If you discard it, your brand goes to one-coin commodity shop.

It is my definition of Brand Marketing that, at the end of the day, it is about systemic thinking and tools to sell a product/service and get customer to choose it based upon personality of the brand, which marketers define right and help to grow.

Well, to the very big title of the topic, a very light answer, maybe.

This is not it, but this is very fundamental starting point.

“O.”

Unfortunately, it is not a story about a man and woman or sex.  I do not stop you trying to read between the lines but I did not put anything in between.

It is about Marketing.

For 18 years out of 21 years of services in the previous company, I had worked on various things in Hair Care category.  This is my own rule of thumb that I have developed over the years based on my personal observations/experiences, there is no research data backing it up.

That is, “Because I like the smell” is NOT “Because I like the smell”.

When you interview the users of the long selling leading Hair Care brand, and ask them “Why do you continue using the product?” you often encounter this answer of “Well, because I like the smell, I think.”

Heard a hardworking marketer (I once used to be one of them, you would not believe, though.), s/he thinks,

“OK, I now understand that they like the fragrance.”

An even harder-working marketer thinks, “OK, I now understand they are using it for the reason that is not its primary benefit, so they understand very vaguely about the brand.  It should be a chance for us.”

A stupidly hardworking marketer may even say “OK, so it means that we would win if we develop a fragrance that is superior to theirs.  Go for it!” and establish a big fragrance improvement project to develop a blind test winning fragrance.

An even more literally stupid hardworking marketer might write up a concept to test with consumers, “Aren’t you choosing a shampoo brand based on its fragrance?”

But, (fortunately its product acceptance would improve because fragrance is an important product characteristic) efforts end up…

After all, they continue using that brand.

“What’s wrong?  My product tested better than it in the consumer test.”  And s/he goes to consumer research again.

“What makes you keep using the brand?”

“Well, because I like the smell, I think.”

“Can you tell me reason why you do not use my product?” (By the way, this is the worst question you could ever ask.)

“Well.  I cannot tell till I sniff its smell.”

(OK, mom, here you go.) “How do you like it?”

“Good fragrance.  But I do not know, I need to hear what my friends who used it have to say.”

End of story.

A sad story.

In a nut shell, she is not selecting a product for good fragrance.

(She never uses it if she does not like the smell, though.)

Then, what makes her to answer “Because I like the smell.”?

Let’s here take a look at consumer research from panelist’s view point.  (While she gets paid for her time in research) I suppose it is an intense experience for her, it is like a test at school.  Marketers think they themselves are the ones on the test, but in fact panelist thinks it is a test for her, too.

When a question comes to her, just like a teacher points you in a classroom, her mind goes to “how not to make wrong answer”.  It is not that she wants to say the right thing or tell her real feeling/thinking, in reality.  It is very similar to a typical answer in a classroom, “I am in the same place as XX-chan”.  (It’s always like this in Japan.)

“Because I like the smell” is an almost perfect answer to serve for this purpose.  Talking about any specific function of the product, because you know there must be something else out there that is better than what you like, you would not want to be accused “Hey, then you should like the other one, right?”  Or, when a question of “Why?” follows, you can always say “It is simply my personal taste” to escape from any more pursuit of question.  It is the best excuse to escape from secondhand car salesman.

Then, natural question here would be what is she telling you behind it.

After number of failures, I come to a conclusion that “Because I like the smell” = “Because I sort of like it as a whole for some reason or other”.

When a Hair Care customer tells you “Because I like the smell”, it means “Somehow, I like it overall, I cannot tell you what in specific ‘cause I do not think very hard about it, but I like it, I tell you.” In her mind.

Off course, this does not always apply to any case, as there are products of fragrance sell in the category.  And as fragrance is a very important product characteristic, I am not telling you it is unimportant.

My point is that it is pointless to literally react to “I like the smell” comments.

Even in the category where fragrance is one of the selection standards, though this is very personal opinion, you should not “sell” fragrance benefit, probably never.  It’ll be a hard and bitter lesson for you later.  This topic could go very long, so I’ll keep it for someday later.  (A reference for some clue, click and go to the related topic.)

I guess there should be an equivalent of “I like the smell” in categories other than Hair Care.

Something that you should not literally pursue or you get trash or nothing.

Can you tell me if you have anything similar in your area of product or service?  I want to learn more.

“So, what do you like about me, darling?”

“Everything, sweetie.”

I tell you again, it is not about such a silly story of a boy and a girl.

“O.”

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.”

(Well, it begins with something not really about the Marketing, but bear with me for a moment.)

One day, say, you go to supermarket to buy coffee beans.

Then, you remember coffee sugar is running short so you are to buy that, too.

Question.

Where, which isle/shelf, do you think you can find coffee sugar?

(Maybe easy question for those who often go shopping and know the store very well.)

Answer:  Next to Miso and Salt, in most stores.  (Just in case, I went to 5 big supermarkets around.  No exception, all had it there.)

In general, you cannot find it on coffee/tea/cocoa shelf.

Baby diapers are sitting in the corner with menstrual pads, paper towels, and tissue papers, and baby food is located in the canned food isle.

If you shout at yourself, “OK, today, I will fix very nice pasta!” and go shopping, you will end up having to grab spaghetti next to dried Ramen noodles, pick up anchovies and olives sitting with canned Saba (fish) in Miso soup, select olive oil next to Japanese sesame oil, put dried pepper into your basket in front of Hidaka Konbu…  Off course, get fresh garlic from veges section.  Ah!  I need some cooking wine!  But you cannot locate it between cooking Sake and Mirin.  So you timidly ask store clerk, and he says “It is at the liquor section, (off course, don’t you know?)”  What?  I was there two seconds ago to buy some beer…  You would walk good hundreds of meters even in a small store.  If you are in big suburban store, you would have an intensive exercise.

By the way, many stores have “Store Percepts” or some sort, often found on the wall in the office in backyard, maybe above fax machine or next to a switchboard.  It says “We strive for customer centric management.  We always do our best to provide fun and convenient shopping for customers.”

And, dear customers are enjoying good exercise everyday.

What is it that makes this happen?  It is for efficient stock management for stores and wholesalers.  Store clerk is assigned to each section, so that one person looking after coffee section is not always same as one for sugar shelf.

It is not “customer centric” at all.  They design isles/shelves for shelf stock management, “store centric” thinking.

If their Store Principles say something, they should decide how they behave accordingly, otherwise it does not make sense.  Or, they should decide to put “Provide the lowest possible price through strict management of stock on shelf and backyard” or “Pursue profit improvement as a priority”, instead.

Excuse me, it gets very preachy.

Many companies and stores have statement/percept of purpose or principles, or some may have statement/story of founder’s wisdom/tips.  And in the world of brand marketing, they have Brand Equity, Brand Philosophy, or Brand Story.

Many successful brands with consistent brand images and sustained business indeed implement behaviors=marketing plans that are surprisingly faithful to their equity.  Louis Vuitton in any point in time keeps themselves very Louis Vuitton, yet always fashionable.  Haagen-Dazs has always been “indulgence of ice cream for matured” yet you can always find fun seasonal flavors.

But, like the story of supermarket in the beginning, a lot of brand philosophy have been put on the wall to get sun faded, left unused.  There are managers who think it is for sometime when they have time and money, but they have a lot more than that to coop with changes of the market and severe competition.  Or, some go after what customer says in research, swaying here and there.

At the same time, they always say they suffer from the lack of distinctive positioning, “Hey, all look the same!” just like many super market chains suffer.

There must be some good wisdom or intent in or behind the statement of company principles, founder’s words, brand equity, philosophy, or history.  Some lessons or laws that hold true still today.

So, put it off the wall and clean the dust, time to time.

There must be something good about applying “define what you do according to principles” not just to how you live but to how you manage your company or brand marketing.

Oh, any tips to do better shopping in supermarket?

Think about which wholesale industry is the product from, then you can find it quick.  Paper products are from paper wholesaler.  Dried food is from dried food wholesalers.  Cooking oil is coming from cooking oil wholesaler.

Phew…

“O.”