Articles
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Mar 10 2017
How to Advertise on LINE Messenger in Japan
LINE is Japan’s most popular social network and its most popular messenger, all built into one app. This article will explain how to get started as a business on LINE in Japan. We will highlight proven ways to build a network of followers and give advice on how to plan content for LINE users in direct and group contexts. Though mobile messaging apps haven’t caught on as a strong marketing tool in the west yet, platforms such as WeChat and LINE have become hugely popular among marketers in Asia. As for Japan, LINE is its number one messenger and is installed on over 90% of smartphones. As a result, LINE serves as an amazingly effective tool for creating genuine and useful connections with Japanese consumers. If you’re looking towards the Japanese market, it’s impossible to ignore its potential. If you’re unfamiliar with LINE or how it is used, check out our previous article that goes in depth on LINE’s general usage in Japan. If you already know how it works, then let
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Jan 12 2017
Japan's Top Social Media Networks for 2017
Welcome back to our annual social media Japan report! Though the main players in Japanese social media haven't changed since our 2016 report, their positions and users have. This article will take a look at which networks are most important in Japan, how they’ve changed over the past year, and what you should be ready for in 2017 to stay ahead on social media. For 2020 statistics, please check out our latest report on social media in Japan. If this is your first look into Japanese social media, we also recommend checking out our 2016 Japanese social media report. Reading it will give you a good understanding of how social media in Japan is different compared to other markets. If you already have, or are already aware, then let's get started! Japanese Social Media Indicators in 2017: Twitter has a big lead on Facebook in Japan and is still showing strong growth Instagram is taking off just as we expected, pushing beyond 10 million users in Japan this year Facebook i
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Nov 01 2016
LINE—Japan's Favorite Mobile Messenger App
Since its inception in 2011, Naver Corp's LINE app has grown to be one of Japan’s most popular mobile apps. It’s found on over 90% of all smartphones in Japan, with just under half of the entire population signed up. We’d say it’s virtually impossible to have a social life in Japan without using LINE to connect with friends. This is the first of two articles that will focus on LINE in Japan. First we will go over how LINE became so popular and how it is used among Japanese people. In part two, we will elaborate more about how companies use LINE in Japan for marketing and advertising. LINE’s Rise to Popularity Total LINE Monthly Active Users (MAU) in Japan (in millions) *Tap or hover over the graph for more information Statista LINE began as a project in the Japanese office of Naver, a Korean tech firm, as a solution to communication problems that Japanese people experienced after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. The outcome of that project was a mobil
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Aug 10 2016
Localization and Sales on E-Commerce Websites in Japan
Japan is the world’s 4th largest e-commerce market, and it’s projected to continue growing steadily in the coming years. However, successfully selling here requires a strong understanding of local buying behaviors first and foremost. Reason being, localization is key for both online and offline businesses in Japan. This article will help you gain a better understanding of Japan’s e-commerce market, and how to be successful here. E-commerce in Japan: Where Are We Now? Japan's B2C e-commerce market is worth over 10 trillion yen, nearly 90 billion US dollars, and is already well established. With over 76 million online shoppers, spending money online is commonplace. This spending is expected to continue increasing as e-commerce grows and takes a larger bite of sales from traditional retailers. Knowing that Japan has a highly active e-commerce market with healthy growth ahead of it, it seems like a no-brainer then to dive right in. But before you put on your bathing suit
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Mar 24 2016
6 Social Media Tips to Market on SNS in Japan
With 45% of Japan’s population active on social media, and tons of companies flocking to social media for their marketing needs, how do you get (or stay) ahead and make your voice heard? Below we have compiled a list of tips for using social media effectively in Japan. These tips are related specifically to Japanese users and networks. Strategically applying these tips can help your brand or product be seen, and allow you to gain real results via social media. Tip #1 – Find Your Target’s Favorite Networks Proper targeting is obviously a must for digital marketers on all platforms. For social media, identifying the social network that attracts the most of your target users in one place is a great way to make your promotions more effective. For example, if you want to reach young women in Japan, Instagram would be a great network to use. Targeting teenagers? Twitter is generally where they hang out, while Facebook is more popular with 20 somethings and young professiona
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Jan 07 2016
Japan's Top Social Media Networks for 2016
Here’s an incredible fact for you: as of 2015, over 90% of Japan’s entire population is online in one form or another. Here’s another important number: over 50% of those individuals are regularly active on social networking services. The keyword there is “active”. Other sources may show higher numbers representing the number of online users who simply own a social account, but we’re focusing here on a truly, accessible audience as it applies to your business. For 2020 statistics, please check out our latest report on social media in Japan. Internet Penetration by Country *Tap or Hover on the graph below to see details. Source: ITU Does My Company Need Social Media Marketing in Japan? Doing the math based on the above statistics, your company has the potential to reach 45% of all the people of Japan through social media—or to translate that into a tangible number, just over 57 million people (based on the Japan national census). Moreover, connection sp
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Jul 16 2015
How to Use English in Japanese Advertising & Promotion
Have you ever wondered why there is so much English content in Japanese advertisements? Just take a ride on a JR train, or walk through any of the major crossings in Tokyo, and you’ll be exposed to an interesting (and possibly confusing?) blend of English and Japanese ads. Using English when marketing towards a non-English, Japanese-speaking audience is not as poor of a decision as one might presume. However, there are certain differences to consider as they have different functions and applications. By the end of this article, we hope you'll be well equipped and confident in how to utilize it for your marketing and promotions. Citing Notes First off, to give credit where it’s due, we found an amazing thesis written by Douglas Goldstein of Carnegie-Mellon University. Some information from this post was gathered from his work and research on this topic. English as an Attention Grabbing Promotional Tool When professionals from Japanese ad agencies were asked about
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Jun 01 2015
Opportunity in Japan's Travel & Tourism Industry
Japan's tourism and travel related companies are currently in an advantageous position for unprecedented growth and expansion. Un-ignorable regional economic factors; local fiscal policies; and future large-scale, international events (yes, plural) have put Japan's travel and tourism industry (and those companies willing to heed the opportunity) in a pivotal position for success. In a nutshell, it’s really now or never to kickstart, supplement, and optimize your marketing efforts if you're operating any sort of tourism-affected business in Japan: from hotels to airline companies, ryokans to restaurants, OTAs to brick and mortar travel agents. First some background: The Decline of Inbound Tourism in Japan (2008~2012) As is common in many industries, Japan’s tourism industry has truly been at the mercy of world economic and other uncontrollable events. Taking a look at the Japan National Tourism Organization’s (JNTO) statistics, we can see two massive catalysts for
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May 12 2015
LLS Light the Night Walk in Tokyo
Take a quick look at Humble Bunny's about page or our 'No Pressure Sales Promise' and you'll quickly see that helping others is a major cornerstone to what motivates us to do design and marketing here at Humble Bunny. Last weekend, we had a chance to donate to a cause that hits close to home for us. On Saturday, May 9th, 2015, I took a walk as part of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Light the Night Walk event here in Tokyo. Why the LLS? Before I was working full time in the design and marketing business, I got my foot in the door, here in Japan, similar to the way a lot of foreigners do when they're anxious to come over to this country: by getting a position as an English instructor. At a school I used to work at, we had a young and very talented female student. I didn't know her well as she wasn't my immediate student, but as time went on, I began to see her and her family a bit more at neighborhood events, and built up a small relationship with them. As time passed and
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Dec 08 2014
Advertising Your Company at Disneyland Japan!
The Ultimate Advertisement As a company with a product to sell, nothing's better than putting your company name in front of a guaranteed hundreds of thousands of people in one given day. Moreover, if you can make an impression upon those people in an environment designed to bring happiness to its patrons, those positive emotions and experiences will become (at least a little?) synonymous with your company's brand. What better place than Tokyo Disneyland? The following are how some advertisers make their mark by using Tokyo Disney's atmosphere of happiness and enjoyment to show their companies in a positive, fun and energetic way. Brand development and marketing at its best! UCC Coffee UCC Coffee's angle (the header image of this blog) comes in the form of (believe it or not), a coffee shop! Center Street Coffeehouse is actually more of a restaurant, but at least UCC was able to tie it into their key product. What's really interesting is that the coffee shop is designed in a
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