The Japanese media landscape is well… a bit different to say the least. Of all the things I do at this agency, perhaps nothing is harder than trying to get foreign communication managers to understand the many local discrepancies in Japan.
It’s widely accepted across the globe that Japan is one of the hardest countries to launch into for overseas brands.
As anyone who is working in the public relations field in Japan can attest, to a fault, the communications industry here has been extremely adverse to going fully digital.
As anyone who braves the morning commute in Tokyo can attest to, the collective attention of all of Japan has converged on but a mere handful of platforms.
Picture this. You spend hours slaving over the copy of a press release as you meticulously perfect each and every word.
Several years ago in early February, Japan witnessed one of the most peculiar media phenomena that I’ve ever seen.
One of the interesting quirks about the local media market here in Japan is how traditional outlets like printed newspapers and terrestrial TV programs have managed to survive.
Introduction Japan achieved remarkable economic expansion in the aftermath of WWII with huge advances in automobiles and consumer electronics, rising from devastation to its place as the third-largest country in the world by nominal GDP.
“Media relations…”“Media relations…”“Media relations…” It was about the third or fourth time I had heard that phrase uttered in a prospective client pitch, but I could tell something wasn’t clicking.
9.1 million… 6.8 million… 2.7 million. These are the circulation numbers for the Yomiuri Shimbun, the Asahi Shimbun, and Nikkei Shimbun respectively – three of Japan’s biggest morning newspapers and some of its most influential news sources.