Japanese Marketing Techniques You Must Know
To capture the Japanese market, it is essential to understand marketing strategies. Among them, knowing which techniques are necessary is a key point.
Since the Japanese have grown up on an isolated island, their culture differs from that of other countries. Simply understanding this can be considered one important technique.
Additionally, factors such as seasons and media play a role in marketing. These are characteristics that many Japanese people share.
In this page, we will introduce important techniques for incorporating the Japanese audience into your marketing strategy.
The Omotonashi Culture of Japan
Omotenashi is a Japanese hospitality mindset that has been enrooted in the history of Japan since the 16th century.
It derived from the tea ceremony in Japan and it is characterized by whole-heartedly and self-less hospitality characterized by intricate attention to details and service.
Here are technique aligned with the Omotenashi culture of Japan.
- Being constantly proactive and understanding the need of Japanese consumers to deliver services exceeding their expectations will foster loyalty among Japanese consumers.
- Putting effort on small details such as product layouts and genuine after-services will help you win the heart of Japanese consumers.
- Having a personalized service such as remember names of Japanese consumers will be effective in stimulating the consumer loyalty in Japan.
- Constantly being aware of Japanese consumer feedbacks and always find ways to will further stimulate their trust and loyalty.
Techniques Utilizing the Collectivist Nature of Japanese Consumers
Japan’s consumer behavior is also characterized by the collectivist nature, where they are heavily influenced by the opinions and recommendation of their peers.
Therefore, utilizing word-of-mouth technique is proven success in-order to create product/service in Japan.
Social media has been popular among Japanese consumers as it provides them valuable information about how their peers feel about a product/service to meet their needs as collectivists.
Market research from public company in Japan has proved that over 40% of Japanese consumers, who have made a purchasing decision after a product review have posted on social media about their purchase.
This highlights that positive reviews can create conversion chains for more sales and enhancing brand reputation, while the opposite can heavily deter your brand image.
Marketing Techniques for Various Seasons in Japan
Japan is also characterized by its four distinct seasons.
- Spring
- Summer
- Autumn
- Winter
This allows thematic promotions aligned with the seasonal concepts to stimulate the purchasing behavior of Japanese consumers.
Utilizing seasonal promotions can enhance exclusiveness of your product/service, as the Japanese consumers will perceive it as a limited-time offering. This will stimulate sense of urgency and can drive higher conversions and engagement among Japanese consumers.
To understand more about seasonal marketing in Japan, here are some of cases where technique was applied in each of the seasons.
Spring
A transportation company in Japan launched a promotional event where customers could enjoy cherry blossoms (Sakura) while riding in taxis. The promotion centered around “Ohanami,” which means flower watching in Japan and is a seasonal activity that takes place only in spring. This event perfectly aligned with the temporary beauty of spring and successfully engaged Japanese customers.
Summer
A well-known grocery brand launched a summer campaign featuring seasonal products such as fruit sorbet and cold noodles. The event included social gifting products to raise brand awareness and encourage word-of-mouth among Japanese consumers. This promotion targeted the refreshing needs of consumers during the hot summer months, increasing both brand awareness and conversions.
Autumn
A popular convenience store launched a campaign encouraging customers to post photos of limited-edition Halloween products on social media for a chance to win rewards. The campaign featured ghost-themed products, including items with pumpkins, to enhance the Halloween spirit. This promotion was successful in boosting online brand visibility and engagement by offering a reward incentive.
Winter
A theme park in Japan introduced a winter Instagram and Twitter campaign where they offered rewards for the best photo using their hashtags. The campaign featured extravagant prizes, including hotel tickets for couples to enjoy during Christmas. This strategy aimed to increase social media following and engagement by offering the chance to win appealing rewards.
Television Advertising with Utilization of Social Media
Despite the rising trend in social media, utilizing of television for promotions is still proven to be effective when trying to penetrating the Japanese market.
Despite the fact that social media has been popular tool of advertisement due to its lower entry cost, there are cases where television trends have significantly affected social media engagements among users.
For example, after broadcasting a live-action version of famous drama in Japan in 2018, posting of the behind-the-scenes contents on Instagram had led to over 600,000 followings on the official Instagram account creating increased awareness.
Regardless of the effectiveness of television when trying to increase digital presence, it may not be recommended for foreign businesses as it comes with hefty cost.
Visual Perception of Japanese for Digital Marketing
Another consumer trait of Japanese is that they are very sensitive to the visual appearance of a product. For instance, a Japanese consumer may avoid purchasing a product if it lacks outstanding or unique packaging.
Moreover, lack of information on packaging or label may limit the purchasing by Japanese consumers as they may not perceive the product as valuable.
Here is one example where both packing design and product value was delivered effectively by a company in Japan.
A renowned food company “N” in Japan released at instant noodle with cat ear-shaped cover for unique visual appeal. Furthermore, the cover was made with sustainable materials, adding value for Japanese consumers.
Both visual appeal and value proposition was carefully planned in this case leading to conversions and reposting among different medias for increased awareness.
Conclusively, to stimulate the purchase intent of Japanese consumers, eye-catching visual appeal must come with value that they may be willing to pay for.
Utilizing Reviews and Influencer Opinions for Purchasing Decisions
With rise of digital media in Japan, consumer reviews and influencer promotions play a crucial role in purchasing decisions, while traditional advertisement as viewed with skepticism, as they are overly commercial.
Japanese consumers and businesses are centered on trusts and recommendations, meaning their favorite Japanese influencer’s opinions can be effective in facilitating purchasing decisions.
Here are some examples of where recommendations of Japanese influencer led to product purchasing on different social media platforms including.
One of Japan’s popular YouTubers, “H,” has shown great success with his gadget review content, which has led to increased sales for the products he features. His followers’ loyalty to his opinions and recommendations played a crucial role in driving this success.
X(Twitter)
A well-known comedian and fashion influencer, “N,” frequently collaborates with various fashion brands. These collaborations have resulted in increased conversions and enhanced brand visibility, especially among younger demographics in Japan.
YouTube
A famous cooking influencer, “K,” collaborated with an alcoholic company, “A,” to promote their brand. The video highlighted food pairings that go well with beer, successfully establishing the brand’s image and driving conversions in the process.
TikTok
A female cosmetic influencer, “Y,” created a review-style brand promotion aimed at increasing brand awareness, user engagement, and conversions. Her fans’ loyalty, along with her certifications in the cosmetic industry, contributed to the success of this campaign.
Where to Find Japanese Influencers for Marketing Utilization
Some of you may be inclined already to utilize Japanese influencers to break into Japan’s digital market, but unsure of where to find these influencers.
With hotice, you will be matched with influencers that resonate with your brand. The company’s solution provides you the convenience of you not having to speak Japanese and contacting the Japanese influencers directly for collaborations.
Contact hotice now to find the perfect influencer who will help you market your brand in Japan.
