Marketing Japan: Online Newspaper in Japan Bites the Dust....

By Mike in Tokyo Rogers

JanJan, an online newspaper here in Japan, has folded their Internet operations. Janjan was to be the digital answer to Japan's old guard press. The story of the Internet company folding got so much traction that even the business section of the New York Times wrote about it today! The article talks much about what Janjan tried to accomplish, but I think it misses the point and doesn't seem to want to talk about how print media and newspapers are losing out to the Internet when it comes to everything including information, smart marketing, PR and advertising - or any PR for that matter - here in Japan.

I tried to find a more modern picture of a guy reading the newspaper...

Oh well, the article did appear in the New York Times who, of course, wants to conveniently forget that, Internet company or otherwise, would have a hard time competing in a staid market like the news in Japan that targets the over 40-years-old crowd for news and marketing.

Let's face it, many young people in Japan couldn't care less about the news - mass media delivered or not; the older people who do care want reputation in their news and will stick with Nikkei Shimbun, Sankei Shimbun, or Yomiuri, thank you very much.

When it comes to TV news, even huge companies like TV Asahi or Fuji TV cannot unseat NHK for viewership or reputation amongst older Japanese.

If the playing field is "the news" (an area that targets over 40 crowd - who still want their newspapers) then there is no way that an online news service could ever hope to unseat the old school. The under 40 crowd in Japan, like anywhere else in the world, that has electricity, do not subscribe to newspapers.

When the service targets under 40 year old people in Japan then print media is basically dying a quick death in this country.

Anyway, I thought the New York Times article was "interesting" and had the usual suspects of "err" that I've come to expect from dinosaurs like the New York Times. In one sentence they claim that the Yomiuri Shimbun has more than 10 million subscribers (I heard from a former top executive at Yomiuri Shimbun that it was only 8 million):

For a variety of reasons, cultural as well as economic, the digital revolution has yet to wreak the same havoc on the news media here that it has in the United States and most other advanced countries. The media landscape is still dominated by the same handful of behemoths that have held sway for decades, like the Yomiuri Shimbun, the world’s largest newspaper, with daily circulation of more than 10 million.


Never, but never, believe these types of sales or circulation numbers when they are touted by any industry in Japan; especially newspapers (add to that magazines, record company sales, etc.) Also, quite hilariously, a few sentences later, the New York Times writes that the Asahi Shimbun claims a 3% drop in subscribers over these last ten years. 

Circulation of The Asahi Shimbun, for example, Japan’s and the world’s second largest daily, has fallen by 3 percent over the past decade to just over eight million.

Well, 3%? That doesn't sound so bad... Hello? New York Times, you conveniently forget to mention what really matters in this equation: Not subscriptions, but revenue! From 1997 to 2006, newspaper revenues have dropped 25%. Read here: http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20090303i1.html

What planet are these New York Times people living on?  Oh, well, forgive the New York Times for failing to state the obvious because the implications for themselves are pretty much doom and gloom... 

In Japan some newspapers still have credibility because they will take the government to task for lying and being incompetent; while in the USA, newspapers like the New York Times, are mouthpieces for the government and, as such, have seen their readership seriously decline because they lie all the time (remember WMD in Iraq? etc., etc.,) and people have lost respect for them... 

For all Japan's warts, we still have a press that is skeptical of the government's motivations and I'm sure that has helped the newspapers to retain readers.... Their revenues? Well, that's another story.

New York Times, why do people need newspapers like you if you are not going to do investigative journalism and just be a voice for the regime? Us bloggers? We have Twitter, Pick, Facebook, Mixi in Japan, and a host of other Social Media to get the word out.

Many older people in Japan still have the habit of buying newspapers. Old habits die hard. But, some of us oldsters are easy to change; especially if money is any motivator. I, for one, certainly don't need to pay a dollar fifty for yesterday's news. I got my old-style traditional blog and my blogger friend's.... Thank you very much.

Here's an old joke for the New York Times:

Question: What's white and black and red all over?
NY Times staff answer: A newspaper!
My retort: No, the New York Times balance sheet!


Anyhow, check out the full article here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/21/world/asia/21japan.html

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Marketing Japan: The Theory of the Future of Online Advertising by an Entrepreneur...

I like Shelly Palmer.

There's an extremely interesting Blog by Shelly Palmer about advertising goods and services in the future and her conversation consider it with a successful entrepreneur that I'd like to direct you to. Here is an excerpt from that article:

...Joe presented his theory of the future of online advertising empowered by social media. He articulated a future where traditional media and big brands were dead, and, just for good measure, he postulated a consumer-controlled, self-selected future of infinite choices of goods and services. His monologue was pervaded by phrases like, “advertising doesn’t work” and “people don’t want to be interrupted.” And, my favorite, “Social Media marketing is the only possible future … brands are completely out of control and marketers have to realize that. Consumers control everything! Besides, everyone wants targeted, measurable messaging, it’s all going to be online.” 

The rest of the article talks about Social Media and Social Media Marketing versus traditional media. I have issues with both sides, but it is interesting to read what "Joe" and Shelly think.  But there is one thing that Shelly writes that I thought was completely wrong:

You need to brush your teeth. You need inexpensive, nutritious food. You need durable goods, soft goods, hard goods and you need them packaged and delivered to a venue near you … everyday. In fact, the more organic, unpreserved, special and perishable the produce and goods are, the more time and energy must be expended to get them as close to you as possible. Not just in your town, nationwide — and in some cases, worldwide.

OK, it might sound as if I am nitpicking, but what I think Shelly is implying here is that organic, unpreserved, perishable produce needs advertising since this s not an article about food distribution. So, here Shelly is wrong. Generally speaking, basic foodstuffs do not need TV, radio or any other mass media advertising at all as they are basic to survival and are sought out by people. This is why is is unusual to see advertising for raw fruits or vegetables, etc... Processed food, and things that come in colorful boxes, on the other hand, are a different story.

But there is one thing that Shelly writes that had me howling:

most self-described Social Media-types are too into technology to understand real business. 

How true! If you get people to help you with marketing, advertising, buzz marketing and Social Media, including blogs, vlogs, U-Stream, Pick, Mixi, Facebook, Twitter, whatever - in the west or in Japan - especially in Japan - then get people who have true business experience.

Read the full article here. 

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Twitter a hit in Japan as millions 'mumble' online

I just found this on AP and, since I post about Twitter and Social Media so much, I thought I'd post it as is.

Twitter a hit in Japan as millions 'mumble' online

Twitter a hit in Japan as 'mumbling' tweeters give micro-blogging a distinctly Japanese flavor 

Twitter is a hit in Japan, succeeding where other social networking imports like Facebook have foundered as millions "mumble" -- the translation of tweet -- and give mini-blogging a distinctly Japanese flavor.

The arrival of the Japanese language Twitter service in 2008 tapped into a greater sense of individuality in Japan, especially among younger people less accepting of the understatement and conformity their culture is usually associated with, analysts say.

A mobile version of Twitter started last October, further fueling the Twitter boom in a nation where Internet-connecting cell phones have been the rule for years.

These days, seminars teaching the tricks of the tweet, as the micro-blog postings are known, are popping up. Ending Japanese sentences with "nah-woo" -- an adaptation of "now" in English -- is hip, showing off the speaker's versatility in pseudo-English Twitter-speak.

A TV show features characters that tweet. A Tokyo bar has screens showing tweets along with World Cup games. And pop idols, a former prime minister and plain regular people are all tweeting like crazy.

The proportion of Japanese Internet users who tweet is 16.3 percent and now surpasses the ratio among Americans at 9.8 percent. Twitter and Japan's top social networking site, mixi, have been running neck-and-neck with monthly visitors between 9 million and 10 million but in April Twitter squeaked past mixi, according to ratings agency Nielsen Online.

In contrast, only 3 percent of Japanese Internet users are on Facebook compared with 62 percent in the U.S., according to Nielsen. MySpace has also failed to take off in Japan, at under 3 percent of Net users versus 35 percent in the U.S., according to comScore Inc.

Twitter estimates Japanese write nearly 8 million tweets a day, or about 12 percent of the global total. Data from Tweet Sentiments, a web site that analyzes tweets, show Japanese are sometimes tweeting more frequently than Americans.

"Japan is enjoying the richest and most varied form of Twitter usage as a communication tool," says Daisuke Tsuda, 36, a writer with more than 65,000 "followers" for his tweets. "It's playing out as a rediscovery of the Internet."

One reason is language. It's possible to say so much more in Japanese within Twitter's 140 letter limit. The word "information" requires just two letters in Japanese. That allows academics and politicians to relay complex views, according to Tsuda, who believes Twitter could easily attract 20 million people in Japan soon.

Another is that people are owning up to their identities on Twitter. Anonymity tended to be the rule on popular Japanese Web sites, and horror stories abounded about people getting targeted in smear-campaigns that were launched under the shroud of anonymity.

In contrast, Twitter anecdotes are heartwarming. One well-known case is a woman who posted on Twitter the photo of a park her father sent in an e-mail attachment before he died. Twitter was immediately abuzz with people comparing parks.

So far, people are flocking to Twitter in positive ways, reaching out in direct, public and interactive communication, debunking the stereotype of Japanese as shy and insular, says Noriyuki Ikeda, chief executive of Tribal Media House, which consults on social media marketing.

"Twitter is turning out to be like a cocktail party," he told The Associated Press. "Japanese see how fun it is to network and casually connect with other people."

Twitter is also proving a good business tool. Companies are exploring Twitter as a way to reach consumers and get feedback, a function that holds potential in Japan where broadband connections are widespread and cheap, and mobile phones outnumber the population.

Retailer Tokyu Hands uses Twitter to answer queries from customers, while clothing-chain Uniqlo has used Twitter in marketing by setting up a virtual queue where people tweet with each other and get freebies.

Motohiko Tokuriki, chief executive of consultant Agile Media Network, who has nearly 200,000 followers, believes Twitter is on its way to be chosen the hit new word of the year, a coveted honor that draws great publicity here.

"It's telling that Twitter was translated as 'mumbling' in Japanese," he said. "They love the idea of talking to themselves," he said.

Twitter may even offer Japan's web entrepreneurs global opportunities that had so far eluded them because it's the first digital "global-standard" outside of search engines like Google or Yahoo! to catch on here, says Toru Saito, chief executive of Loops Communications, which specializes in social networking businesses.

That means software applications Japanese develop for Twitter could win acceptance from a global market. Japanese mobile software products have tended to be for Japanese up to now.

"I'm getting so many queries, including those from abroad," Saito said.

Rocky Eda, corporate communications manager for Digital Garage, which supports Twitter's Japan operations, is thrilled people are embracing Twitter.

"In finding fulfillment in expressing what's on your mind for the moment, Twitter is like haiku," he said. "It is so Japanese."

(Article from AP see here)

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What Should I Do About My Floundering Business?

By Mike in Tokyo Rogers

"What should I do about my floundering career?" A good friend asked me the other day.

This guy, whom I have known for well over thirteen years, told me the other day that he was "lost" and didn't know what to do about his floundering career here in Japan.

This is from a guy who has one regular TV show and a nightly FM radio show. Most people, in show business, would love to change places with him. Having two regular shows is great.

But he is right. His career is floundering. In my opinion, it could come to a crashing end at any time. I'll bet there are a lot of other people, in different business fields, who can relate to this feeling of impending doom.

My friend asked what he should do to help his career opportunities. When he said that to me, I almost spilled my coffee.

I think this fundamental question; "what to do about my career?" And; "what to do about my business?" is essentially the same question. Of course, if you stop to think about it, I have to believe that you'd agree. After all, you are your business. If you do not make the effort to grow your business, to improve yourself and your life, then who will? As famous American Basketball coach Pat Riley once wrote,  "If you are not constantly getting better, you are getting worse."

In the new economy, you have to get better every day or you will not be able to compete with people who do. Trust that there are many young people out there, hungry for a job, who will work much harder than you will for less money. Increase your value by becoming more knowledgeable and more connected.

Isn't one's saleability the same as the saleability of a product or service? If there is a need for a product or service, then isn't creating the demand for that certain solution merely a problem of marketing and PR?

As far as my friend telling me that he is lost and doesn't know what to do, I have a hard time believing that. I had to ask him to open his eyes and get real. I said, "Jeez! It's 2010. Get into the 90's willya?"

Is there anyone who doesn't believe that the Internet is the future of media, marketing, advertising, and promotion? Is there anyone around you who hasn't heard of blogging, Twitter, Facebook, Mixi (in Japan) or Pick? Is there anyone who doesn't think that Social Media and the Internet are not buzzwords amongst sponsors and society-at-large?

One the other hand, is there anyone who doesn't understand the idea of "out of sight, out of mind"?

Whether you or I think the Internet is taking over or not is immaterial (I think it is undoubtedly). The point is that, for example in the case of my friend wanting to know why his phone doesn't ring from agents, or why he gets no offers for work, then I want to remind everyone of something all of our moms told us when we were kids, "To receive letters, you have to write letters."

My friend, incredibly, has two great platforms for promoting his brand. He has the radio and TV, yet he fails to capitalize on this by using one of the most effective means at his disposal; the Internet.

My friend does not blog, he does not Twitter, he does not Pick, he does not U-Stream. He doesn't do any of those things! Now, when you see this written down in black & white, it must astound you all. It does me. How Google would have loved to have had a TV station or radio station at the start to help promote their brand.

My friend has that, yet he chooses not to use it.

Here is a guy who has, easily, over one-hundred thousand listeners to his nightly radio show, yet he fails to capitalize on that by not blogging, Twittering, or what-have-you. Is that just plain lazy? Or is that just plain crazy?

It's a bit of both.

The obvious solution to creating a buzz about his business and his branding is to get off his butt and start doing some effective Internet Marketing starting now!

Take your pick, blog, vlog, Pick, Twitter, Mixi, whatever. It's all there for the taking and it's all free.

So what is stopping my friend, what is stopping you, from using this free media to promote yourself and your product / service? That's intelligent marketing.

What are you waiting for?

Sitting around waiting is not a good business plan. Hoping for the best is an even worse business plan. In the new market, you will have to create opportunities for yourself. Begin to do something, blogging, vlogging, Social Media, whatever. Create a good, useful image for yourself with some focused message.

Once you get off your butt and make the effort and walk down that corridor of opportunity, then doors will become visible... But no one will make that walk down that hallway of opportunity if you don't.

Remember, if you want to receive letters, you have to write letters. If you want people to talk about you and to create a buzz, then get to where the buzz is; Internet and blogs, and vlogs. That's not just great advice, that's smart marketing. Get started now.

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Internet and Social Media? Get a Great Name

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet." -  Juliet from Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2)

What's in a name? Most people would say, "Not much." But in these days of Social Media and with how the Internet is coming to dominate business, then what is in a name means a whole heck-of-a-lot.

Today, I want to talk about how having a unique name is critical to smart marketing for you. And how you will need a unique name if you want to have any hope of creating a buzz.

And this is not only in Japan, but all around the world. Having a great name for yourself for your business, product, service, or Internet idea is critical for success; especially in this day when people are actively searching for a special topic or item.

Take the example of a blog. The other day, a friend of mine, who is not Internet savvy at all, told me that he was thinking of a name for an online television show that he wanted to begin and he called me to ask me if his idea for a name for the program was good. The program was about interviewing foreign businessmen in Japan, in English, about doing business in Japan.

My friend seemed very pleased with the title he thought up for the TV show. It was, Tokyo Exchange.

Sounds like a typical business interview on your typical terrestrial TV station, right? Sure. It does to me. Now just think about how poorly terrestrial TV is doing. Do you want your business to emulate them? I sure hope not.

I told him that this was very old-fashioned thinking and that Tokyo Exchange was a terrible name... Can you imagine what people will think when they see a, er, "catchy name" or press release that says "Tokyo Exchange"? When someone hears this, the first thing that will pop into their mind will be the Tokyo Stock Market.

If you do a Google search on Tokyo Exchange, then you will get 25,400,000 results.

Now think about this for a moment. If you do, you will realize why this kind of name has to be one of the worst ideas a person could have. My friend is going to do an online TV show on a small Internet TV station that few have ever heard of. Now, if someone like you or me want to find his show by doing an Internet search, we would enter Tokyo Exchange in the search engine.

Now, also consider just how many tens of millions, if not hundreds of millions, of people per day search for financial information concerning the Tokyo Stock Exchange... How in the world will anyone find my friend's online TV show? They won't.

The resulting Google search page that shows my friend's TV show will probably not be even in the first 100 pages... It probably wouldn't hit the first 1,000 pages. And, as you know from your own personal experience, if you do a Google search and the result that you are looking for does not show up in the first page - maybe the first 2 or 3 pages - then you'll stop looking.

I know that if it doesn't show up in the first five on page one, I rarely search farther.

My friend would be better off with a name like "ZZXZ Dorky Tokyo." I'd bet they'd show up on the first page of an Internet search with a name like that.

Of course, I'm not saying that ZZXZ Dorky Tokyo is a great name. But it is a heck of a lot better than Tokyo Exchange.

To prove to you that I know what I'm talking about here, think about my name. My name is Mike Rogers. Mike Rogers is a very common (boring) name. If I do a Google search on Mike Rogers, I find a US congress-critter; a K-1 fighter; a professional hockey player; and a zillion others.

But Mike Rogers is a western name and I live in Japan. Ah! A unique name: Mike in Tokyo Rogers.

Now, let me brag to prove to you that I do know what I am talking about here. If you do a Google search of my name; "Mike in Tokyo Rogers", you'll find me #1 on a search. If you search "Mike in Tokyo" (without knowing my last name) you will find me #1. If you search merely "Mike Tokyo" I show up in the top 3.

Now that is a useful and killer name!

So it doesn't matter now what I do. Whether it is Twitter, Pick, blogging, U-Stream or any Internet Social Media or promotion or marketing. I always use the name "Mike in Tokyo Rogers."

So, before you decide on what name you will use, do Google searches. Use your imagination and find something unique. Use your middle name or find a new and cool moniker.

Make and use a name like this and people will find you.... If you don't, you or your service will be just like one of the millions of pieces of paper on the floor at the end of the trading day at the Tokyo Exchange; lost in the shuffle and headed into the trash.

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