<p>J@pan Inc Newsletter<br>
The 'JIN' Japan Inc Newsletter<br>
A weekly opinion piece on social, economic and political trends<br>
in Japan.<br></p><p>Issue No. 461 Wednesday April 16, 2008, Tokyo</p>
<p>------------------ HOW PBXL IS DIFFERENT ------------------</p>
<p>PBXL, Japan's leading Cisco hosted telephony provider,<br>
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<p>1) Pick a plan for your office (Knight, Bishop, King)<br>
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<p>and you're done! One week rush orders also available.</p>
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<p>Call us today!<br>
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<a href="mailto:info@pbxl.jp">info@pbxl.jp</a></p>
<p>Monthly seminars at Cisco HQ: <a href="http://www.pbxl.jp/seminarstt" title="http://www.pbxl.jp/seminarstt">http://www.pbxl.jp/seminarstt</a><br>
More about PBXL: <a href="http://www.pbxl.jp/aboutus2" title="http://www.pbxl.jp/aboutus2">http://www.pbxl.jp/aboutus2</a><br>
-----------------------------------------------------------</p>Please take one<br><p>Giving away products for free is an interesting marketing <br>strategy. It was perhaps most famously employed by Gillette who <br>gave away razors—a cost which was easily covered by sales of <br>
the blades that had to be purchased separately. Other strategies<br>involve attempting to add value to products via a complimentary <br>gift or, the free distribution of a product paid for by <br>advertisers. In the post-web world, the latter has become a <br>
hugely important market force with sites such as YouTube, <br>Google, and Mixi all providing services free of charge to the <br>end-user and then monetizing that community to advertisers. <br>In both online and print, media organizations (including <br>
ourselves) are also increasingly likely to make content freely <br>available in order to compete for attention. The last decade has<br>thus seen a large increase in the number of free papers, email <br>newsletters, websites and magazines, and even books, funded in <br>
a similar way. <br><br>In Japan, the business of give-away has some interesting <br>features. For example, there is tissue marketing—work around any<br>major city center and it is hard to avoid having a packet of <br>tissues pushed into your hard carrying a small notice, or simply<br>
a logo, from the sponsor. According to one Japanese company that<br>have taken 'free tissue marketing' global, research indicates <br>that the read and retain rate for leaflets is only 4.2% but for <br>tissues it is 81.6% (<a href="http://www.freetissues.com/thestory.html">www.freetissues.com/thestory.html</a>). <br>
<br>Covering this topic in her excellent 'So, what the heck is that'<br>column in the Japan Times, Alice Gordenker traces the origin of <br>this marketing tactic back to the late 1960s when a paper goods <br>manufacturer was trying to expand demand for paper products <br>
(<a href="http://search.japantimes.co.jp/print/ek20070821wh.html">http://search.japantimes.co.jp/print/ek20070821wh.html</a>). The <br>packs of tissues cost next to nothing and are thus an attractive<br>form of direct marketing. A survey conducted by GMO research <br>
found 'that 43% of pocket tissue adverts are loans or related to<br>finance. Other runner-ups include travel (4.4%), real estate <br>(7.2%) and adult content (13.4%).' Although this form of <br>marketing has been tried in other countries, it remains <br>
significantly more popular in Japan and relatively limited to <br>tissue although handheld fans in the summertime must surely come<br>in at a close second.<br><br>More promotional products tend be dreamed up by companies <br>
creating their own marketing materials, from the ubiquitous <br>logo-stamped matchboxes at bars and restaurants to the bog-<br>standard company pen. In Japan, another common promotional <br>accessory is the 'keitai strap,' – a small tag or object on a <br>
string that can be attached to a mobile phone. Health and beauty<br>salons have also in the past been known to give out nail files <br>and bath salts while small, branded cuddly toys have also proved<br>popular. Some printing companies are even offering their <br>
services for free in return for being able to put their URL on <br>the material, for example on the back of a business card or copy<br>paper. The most unusual promotional item that has come to our <br>attention is the portable ashtrays mailed out by the organizers <br>
promoting Japan Fashion Week. <br><br>Meanwhile, some corporations seem to be able to get people to <br>actually pay for things that also carry their brand name. The <br>most obvious example is Disney who manage to have product lines <br>
in almost every retail sector in Japan from kitchen appliances <br>to luxury brand jewelry. Other characters such as Hello Kitty <br>are also 'marketing prostitutes' in the sense that if a high <br>enough license fee is paid, any manufacturer can use them to <br>
add interest to their product. When Japan held the Aichi Expo <br>back in 2005 the two characters created especially for the <br>event, Morizo and Kiccoro, were sold in every possible shape or <br>form and can still be bought to this day <br>
(<a href="http://morizo-kiccoro-ecoshop.com">http://morizo-kiccoro-ecoshop.com</a>).<br><br>But back to the free stuff, it seems that we can be prepared to <br>get an increasingly varied (if not more useful) range of <br>
products up for the taking in return for a few seconds of our <br>attention. It is interesting to ponder the limits of this. Could<br>we end up with free loaves of bread baring logos on every slice?<br>Or, will we be able to download sophisticated software <br>
applications in return for detailed personal information about <br>our habits? Sounds eerily familiar.</p><p>Peter Harris<br>
Editor-in-Chief</p>
<p>++FEEDBACK<br>
Want to comment? It is now even easier to voice your opinion<br>
than ever before! Simply post a comment below the article<br>
online at <a href="http://www.japaninc.com/jin461" title="www.japaninc.com/jin461">www.japaninc.com/jin461</a></p>
<p>++EVENTS</p>
<p>-----------------------------------------------------------<br>
Marcus Evans Events - Supported by J@pan Inc</p>
<p>Customer Relationship Excellence, 15th - 16th April 2008, Tokyo<br>
<a href="http://www.marcusevans.com/html/eventdetail.asp?eventID=13548" title="http://www.marcusevans.com/html/eventdetail.asp?eventID=13548">http://www.marcusevans.com/html/eventdetail.asp?eventID=13548</a><br>
Featuring speakers from American Express International and others</p>
<p>Compensation and Benefits Forum, 27th - 28th May, Tokyo<br>
<a href="http://www.marcusevans.com/html/eventdetail.asp?eventID=13778" title="http://www.marcusevans.com/html/eventdetail.asp?eventID=13778">http://www.marcusevans.com/html/eventdetail.asp?eventID=13778</a><br>
This event provides Japanese firms the 'how-to' of investing in<br>
their employees to sustain their businesses.<br>
Supported by JSHRM</p>
<p>3rd Annual LNG World, 15th - 16th July 2008, Tokyo<br>
<a href="http://www.marcusevans.com/html/eventdetail.asp?eventID=13569" title="www.marcusevans.com/html/eventdetail.asp?eventID=13569">www.marcusevans.com/html/eventdetail.asp?eventID=13569</a><br>
This event focuses on key operational aspects of LNG business and<br>
current market dynamics to succeed in this competitive market.</p>
<p>'J@pan Inc readers are entitled to a 10% discount upon<br>
registration with Ms. Esther Wong.'<br>
Contact: +603 2723 6736 Email: <a href="mailto:estherw@marcusevanskl.com">estherw@marcusevanskl.com</a><br>
-----------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p>------------------- ICA Event - April 17 ------------------</p>
<p>Speaker: Brent Reichow and Andrew Anderson<br>
Co-founders of Blueshift Consulting</p>
<p>Event: The Growing Data Protection Market<br>
-What's Changing and Why?</p>
<p>Details: Complete event details at <a href="http://www.icajapan.jp/" title="http://www.icajapan.jp/">http://www.icajapan.jp/</a><br>
(RSVP Required)</p>
<p>Date: Thursday, April 17, 2008<br>
Time: 6:30 Doors open. Includes open bar and light buffet<br>
Cost:4,500 yen (members), 6,500 yen (non-members)<br>
Open to all-Venue is The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan</p>
<p><a href="http://www.fccj.or.jp/aboutus/map" title="http://www.fccj.or.jp/aboutus/map">http://www.fccj.or.jp/aboutus/map</a></p>
<p>-----------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p>++END</p><p><br><br></p><br clear="all"><br><br>