| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Why brands should have audits
For any brand involved in the Japanese market it is crucially important to
understand how the Japanese market works and what role the brand plays in it.
If brands do not understand what makes the Japanese market unique then any
strategy you come up with will lack resonance.
Japanese consumers perceive brand images differently from Western consumers. The
underlying principle in Japanese consumption is always social in nature.
Therefore, if your brand is to succeed in Japan you must acquire a special and
effective association with aspirational groups and symbols since Japanese
consumers are involved in belonging to social groups. The image of who is using
a brand (of having clear and consistent associations with the right user group)
is of utmost importance for a luxury or premium brand in Japan.
Brands must be aware of their social role in the networks. That is, they participate or are unwitting participants in a complex and sophisticated
game of styles and accessories that is played by the consumers and the media, ultimately serving as social
status markers that regulate and hold social groups together. Not understanding
and influencing these dynamics can be risky, especially on the long run.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Japanese fashion labels are very adept and proficient at using the Japanese
media and models to create these associations, but foreign brands are often not
even aware of the ubiquitous and complex messaging sent out by using certain
magazines in favor of others. Moreover, as import brands they have a stronger
role as status markers and therefore operate under different premises than
Japanese brands.
Western people who are interested in fashion grow to be more aware of brand messaging and often develop a certain sophisticated distance to the fashion dynamic and a tendency to become rather abstract in their consumption. Many have developed an ironic attitude toward brand messaging. Some fashionable Japanese have also developed awareness about brand messaging, but their consumption behavior tends to remain social in nature. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
We carry your brand image and narrative to our networks for a test run and work
from there. What we can build for your brand is a tipping point in the Japanese
market by accessing the right media channels, seeding the right networks, and
fine tuning a strategy up to the point where a social dynamic sets in. We can
monitor an ad campaign. We monitor the successful endorsment of celebrities and
use of magazines.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||