The Evolution of Personal Media and the Rediscovered Value of Blogs: Part 2

In Japan, where mass media holds overwhelming power, companies have traditionally paid to disseminate messages. Recently, however, businesses have increasingly jumped on the blog publishing boom, leveraging shares to spread information. While issues like backlash and trouble are not uncommon, sincerely engaging with this trend can yield significant marketing benefits. Masato Kogure, blogger at Netafull; Motohiko Tokuriki of Agile Media Network; and Naoki Ochiai of Dentsu Inc. iPR Bureau discussed this potential.
Part 1 is here

A Service Developed with a "PR Mindset," Not an "Advertising Mindset"

Ochiai: Last April, Dentsu Inc. and Agile Media Network formed a business partnership and launched a service called iWire (official name: Influencer Wire , http://influencerwire.com/ ). iWire delivers information—arranged so that companies' products and services become blogger topics—as a newsletter, encouraging bloggers to write about them. While this might make some imagine stealth marketing, there are no payments to bloggers or writing guarantees for companies. It's purely a "If you genuinely think it's great, please write about it" approach.

When I first discussed this idea with Mr. Tokuriki, I remember how surprised he was. Why were you so shocked?

Ochiai: So you did have that impression. Tokuriki-san, you initially said something like, "Dentsu Inc. is over there. We're over here," right? (laughs). But I remember thinking that these concepts and industry boundaries were changing more than we realized, which is why I decided to take the plunge and consult with them.

Kogure: I also initially thought, " iWire, huh... This probably won't last long" (laughs). But after listening carefully, I understood they were genuinely trying to create the kind of service Tokuriki-san described, one rooted in a "PR mindset" value system. Their stance isn't about paying people to write, but rather encouraging writing through the information and communication activities they provide. They show bloggers genuine respect. It's been about a year since the service launched. I'm involved as an advisor too, and I feel they've steadily built trust with bloggers, leading to an increase in the number of articles being written.

The overwhelming love from fans brought by blogs and bloggers

Ochiai: I've heard that overseas, companies and bloggers actively communicate, and blogs are established as media. Why is that? How is it different from Japan?

Personally, I believe the frequent user-driven backlashes during the early days of blogs and SNS also played a role. In Japan, cases where corporate marketing failures sparked backlashes became notable topics. In contrast, overseas, backlashes often stemmed from users exposing corporate shortcomings, such as poor support from PC manufacturers. This is why I feel overseas companies have come to value communication with bloggers. In contrast to overseas practices, many Japanese companies seem to keep their distance, fearing backlash if they engage with net users. However, these blogger relations aren't just about preventing trouble. Deepening exchanges with bloggers also means cultivating fans who are media influencers themselves.

Kogure: Because fans' passion is truly intense (laughs). Many companies probably view blogs as something prone to backlash or scary, but I'd love for them to focus on the positive aspects too, so we can build better relationships.

Blogs created the highball boom!

Ochiai: Are there any successful examples in Japan of communication between companies and bloggers?

Kogure: Suntory's highball campaign, I'd say. Actually, blogs played a role in that boom. Suntory organized a "Hakushu Distillery Tour" specifically for bloggers. Among the activities—like touring the whiskey factory and tasting—they happened to include a program called "How to Make an Amazing Highball." It was just a single slide, very compact, but it really struck a chord with the participating bloggers. The return bus ride was filled with nonstop highball discussions. Suntory representatives observed this buzz and subsequently organized a "Highball Night" event connecting Suntory and bloggers. A campaign launched afterward, ultimately leading to the current boom.

Tokuriki: It's the ideal form of "PR-minded" communication, right? Honestly, for companies that have grown through mass marketing, this kind of bottom-up, "PR-minded" communication seems like a tedious process. It requires a lot of effort from the person in charge, yet the results are hard to see, the impact is difficult to predict, and it just feels cumbersome. However, if you allocate a portion of your overall organizational personnel and budget to activities like communicating with bloggers and nurturing personal media, you can potentially achieve effects that mass marketing alone cannot produce. I believe it's worth incorporating as one portfolio within the overall marketing flow. Starting early also helps create a gap with competitors.

Kogure: And ideally, I'd like to see this as an ongoing effort to nurture relationships, not just a one-off event. As mentioned in the first part, the appeal of blogs boils down to one thing: they have history and stories. By continuing, better relationships are built, and stories accumulate. This makes it increasingly easier for positive information to spread.

Ochiai:At iWire, we also aim to create two-way communication between companies and bloggers, not just one-way. We make small efforts like issuing press releases that provide bloggers with story ideas, offering samples for bloggers to experience, or planning events they can participate in. We hope that through services like this, new possibilities in marketing will open up. Thank you very much.