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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Keywords: U-Stream, Twitter, intelligent marketing, marketing, TV, vlog, targeted, marketers, targeted message, vlogs, goods, services, message, Facebook, product, online advertising, radio, mass media, mass media advertising, Marketing Japan, technology, Mike Rogers, Mike in Tokyo Rogers, Marketing Japan, Japan, business, buzz, radio station,  Internet, Mixi, Social Media, intelligent, advertising, traditional media, blog, 

Write a Blog! But at Least Spell-Check!

By Mike in Tokyo Rogers

I wonder if Barack Obama Twitters or, at least, does Pick, or any other Social Media? I guess he certainly must not blog himself. If he does, then, judging from his White House transcripts,  those must be nearly unreadable. And, if so, forget about his Facebook or Myspace... Those must be a total mess.

Marketing, blogging and doing Social Media is a must in this day and age.... Well, duh! You knew that already. You'd think that the president of the United States would know that too. You are about to be shocked by just how useless these people in government are!

But, I guess, Barack Obama is a moron, like his predecessor... Is Obama as dim as Bushy Boy? I think he is, but you be the judge.

Many people have asked me, "How do you blog so much?" Well, the secret, I think, is to - funnily enough - not to think too much. The secret to blogging often (3, 4, 5 times a week) is to write down what you want to say in your blog, Twitter, Pick, whatever  immediately on the fly - then spell check it - then upload as soon as possible.

You've got to strike while the iron is hot!

If you keep editing and re-editing your blog, it will kill the creative juices and slow down your productivity greatly.

So, when it comes to Social Media and Social Media Marketing, in Japan or your country, then the rules and hints to frequent blogging are to:

1) Write quickly while the ideas are fresh.
2) At least spell-check before uploading
3) Edit after uploading
4) Edit as much as you like using this method. Keep doing it until you get it right.

Simple enough.

Now, just for a laugh, I've got to show you the press release from the White House about president Barack Obama's latest comments. I know how hard it is to keep from making mistakes on a blog as I make them all the time, but you'd think the President of the United States could at least arrange to have work done better than a 4th grade level. Jeez, doesn't this guy have a proof-reader?

I'm not making this up. This is the White House press release. It is full of amateurish mistakes. I have highlighted the mistakes for you (if this is the level of work we get from the White House and Obama, then we are in serious trouble):

Obama: "We need to commit to fiscal adjustments that stabilize debt-to-GDP ratios at appropriate levels over the medium tenn. I am committed to the restoration of fiscal sustainability in the United States and believe that all G-20 countries should put in place credible and growthfriendly plans to restore sustainable public finances. But it is critical that the timing and pace of consolidation in each economy suit the needs of the global economy, the momentum of private sector demand, and national circumstances. We must be flexible in adjusting the pace of consolidation and learn from the consequential mistakes of the past when stimulus was too quickly withdrawn and resulted in renewed economic hardships and recession. For our part, we will pursue measures to SUppOit the recovery in private demand and return the unemployed to work. At the same time, we recognize the impoltance of setting a credible medium-term fiscal path: that is why my Administration will cut the budget deficit we inherited in halfby FY 2013 and work to reduce our fiscal deficit to 3 percent ofGDP by FY 2015, which will stabilize the debt-to-GDP ratio at an acceptable level in that year."

There are a bunch of other mistakes in this message, but I just copied and pasted one paragraph here for you. There are a bunch more at the original. Is this a joke, or what? I understand a simpleton like myself, making these sorts of spell-check errors, but the president of the United States of America? And in an official press release? Think about it folks, this guy is the leader of the western world!? Like I said, I'm not making this up... 

We're doomed. The insane have taken over the asylum.
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