We’ve previously discussed how Japan’s reputation as one of the world’s last bastions of traditional print media is well-deserved, but nonetheless changing fast as digital becomes the go-to source of content, with ever-blurring lines between news and opinion.
Japan’s history is littered with examples of being resistant to change, maintaining the status quo until the very last moment.
More recently, it’s true that the country has been averse to going fully digital.
Even in 2020 we, like all agencies, were often expected to distribute press releases by fax or in person, particularly when trying to reach the long-established press clubs.
Change is the only constant
But when Japan does decide to change, it can happen fast.
Just look at the iPhone. For years the consensus was that Apple had no chance in Japan. We were reliably informed that the market had evolved differently. Japan’s dominant flip-phones were even nicknamed ‘Galapagos phones.’
But then came widespread access to mobile internet, the app store and instant adoption of the iPhone.
Enter COVID-19.
When the first state of emergency was declared in April 2020, Japan’s authorities called for people to reduce human contact by as much as eighty percent, with this continuing into the second state of emergency in January 2021.
Just as Apple took Sony and others by surprise in 2008, coronavirus shocked Japan’s status quo towards a tipping point, where real digitalisation and things like remote working were no longer a concept, but a government request.
Sudden change, endorsed nightly on the national evening news, has severely disrupted the routine ways that we implement PR here in Japan.
As with other countries, it’s no longer possible to gather journalists for a press conference or set up a face-to-face aisatsu introductory meeting – once the foundation of media relations here that was expected to precede an interview request.
Whereas journalists once shunned online press conferences or Zoom interviews, cutting to the virtual chase is no longer a faux pax, opening up new opportunities for your PR in Japan.
With so many journalists stuck at home, many outlets are in short supply of stories and hungry for content that will resonate with their readers or viewers.
The top newswires are now credible sources and have become competitive channels for reaching even traditional titles that once relied on acquiring news from their face-to-face contacts.
Everyone is facing the same practical hurdles, so your brand can jump the queue if you’re able to fill this gap.
For example, there are only so many Zoom interviews filmed on dodgy webcams that the media can broadcast.
High-quality visuals and video content created by clients suddenly have a very good chance of being printed verbatim or featured directly in media’s reporting.
Create. Measure. Adjust.
At Smith & Edit we’re maintaining our media network through online tools and continue to offer our full set of copywriting and PR services, including media relations and strategy consulting.
We maintain that the best approach is still to pro-actively create relevant content, measure the results and adjust your approach.
But we too are adapting and broadening how we define ‘PR’. New projects now include a greater focus on video production, interactive social content, high-quality visuals and data analysis to help clients break through the ever-intensifying competition to win views, engagement and loyalty online.
With our own trusted network of local creative specialists, including photographers, videographers, web and graphic designers based here in Japan, we are better placed than ever to build project teams, tailored to your needs.
Like everyone we look forward to the day when words like ‘lockdown’ and ‘pandemic’ are no longer part of our collective daily vocabulary, but some things are here to stay.
COVID-19 will undoubtedly have a lasting impact on the way PR is done in Japan.
Even those media who remain fiercely defensive of Japan’s face-to-face business culture and traditional craft are outnumbered by a readership now accustomed to consuming more content, in more ways.
Contact us now to discuss how you can best position your brand to take advantage of this shift and get noticed in a changing Japan.
And don’t forget, we’re still offering free “Japan Recovery PR” consultations as a member of the GoConnect initiative to support local business recovery from the crisis. Find out more here.
