Japanese Market News

Internet coupons, via both personal computers and cell phones, have become omnipresent in Japan as a way for various services to attract customers. However, the companies themselves still experience financial hurdles in paying for the publicity cost of being placed in these coupon directories.

Noticing the financial burdens small businesses have to face, a coupon site specializing in massage and relaxation therapy related services recently opened with coupon listings for free services of over 200 stores. In this coupon service, the store registers to pay approximately 20thousand yen (200 US dollars) for website development and a monthly maintenance fee of 10thousand yen (100 US dollars).

Posted by Alisa at 08:51 AM | Permalink

The Internet is changing the face of how products are marketed in Japan. The increase in number of internet community portal sites where those with common interest spread information word off mouth are what brought buzz marketing to a new level. One of the most well known community sites in Japan is cosme.net, a portal site specializing in cosmetics. With 600 thousand registered members and more than 3 million written reviews on a variety of cosmetics, the influence the site has is large enough that any item with a good review is said to sell well. The surprise is that this trend can be seen regardless of how large or small the cosmetics manufacturer. Cosmetics developed by previously unknown manufacturers are selling extremely well without investing millions on advertising fees, which is forcing large cosmetic manufactures to rethink their sales and marketing strategies. There are now companies that have utilized the site's influence to their advantage as a cost efficiently way to do research and development.

Blogs have also become major players in this buzz marketing phenomenon because of affiliate programs where individuals recommend products on their blogs. It is important to note that this trend towards buzz marketing is not just present in the consumer goods market but other industries as well, such as the food service industry, etc.

Posted by Alisa at 08:44 AM | Permalink

Ideas found in various cultural traditions can sometimes lead to unexpected hit products in the Japanese market. The rising popularity of the ger, a traditional Mongolian dwelling that can easily be assembled and disassembled to support a nomadic lifestyle, is an example of such a phenomenon.

Something that the public would have never purchased seven years ago is now turning into a new business, resulting in an increase in imports of these dwellings. Beginning with the popularity of Mongolian Village Tenger, a campsite in Tochigi Prefecture Nasu City, where trees and snow surround 13 ger, business ventures using ger are increasing. For example, a Mongolian restaurant just recently opened in Tokyo built inside a 10-meter ger. However interesting enough, these new ger import businesses are mainly responding to demands from individuals looking to purchase a ger as a second home.

It is hard to deny that the increase in popularity of these dwellings is at least partially related to Asashoryu, the Mongolian sumo wrestler whose fame recently put Mongolian culture in the spotlight in Japan. However, there was definitely something in this Mongolian dwelling that spoke to the modern citizen living in Japan. Many say that the lack of partitions between people when living or just dining in these ger was what attracted customers. To those that live in large cities in Japan like Tokyo where people find it difficult to communicate and meet new people, these ger provide a space that allows them to easily start conversations with strangers.

Posted by Alisa at 09:16 AM | Permalink