Part 2: Advertising Aspirants and Marketing

In a previous column, I wrote, "Advertising agencies don't do true marketing. They only do advertising work." I strongly believe this, and it's an unshakable fundamental premise. But this time, I want to discuss something seemingly opposite: "Let's challenge true marketing using the techniques of advertising agencies."

Marketing is a "comprehensive activity for creating markets," mobilizing every means—product, price, distribution, promotion, and more. By definition, any approach is valid to achieve its goals. Yet, the larger the company—or even small and medium-sized enterprises, really—the more terrified they seem of "failure" in modern Japan. The focus is on making the right judgment, taking the right action. There appears to be far greater interest in "error-free processes" than in "how to achieve dramatic results."

On the other hand, as I wrote previously, advertising agencies possess the "technique for creating good relationships" between people and products/experiences. They have a methodology for moving the target audience's emotions – one that involves exhaustively considering every possible approach and is hardly logical. While this technique is obviously effective in the advertising domain, it is equally effective in every aspect of marketing: when considering products, pricing, or where to sell.

Advertising agencies have certainly assisted various companies with product development before. However, the approach used was primarily the "technique of thinking correctly." It involved conducting thorough research, discussing based on analysis results, and making decisions grounded in data verification. But what I want to challenge is tackling marketing using techniques more unique to advertising agencies. It's about creating compelling products and delivering them to you using the "technique for building good relationships between people and things/experiences." Specifically, it's the challenge of creating a new business model by connecting local producers who have real talent but struggle with branding and marketing with us, who excel in those very areas.

Heaven's Pig

Chop Katsu

Both the rich pudding " Heavenly Pig," created with a tamagoyaki shop in Gunma Prefecture, and the ultra-coarsely ground minced cutlet " Chop Katsu," made with a long-established Tokyo wagyu beef wholesaler, are part of this effort. Results don't come easily, but projects are still underway in Fukui, Hiroshima, Shizuoka, and other places. My dream is to realize fun marketing that makes people say, "Why didn't I think of that?"

Homemade Umazurahagi Liver Salad

Golden Week got swallowed up by work, so to make up for it (?), we decided on a weekend mini-trip with the family. Naturally, that led us to the Station South Ginza area right by Shizuoka Station, where we'd been taken care of during the "Karakuri Samurai Sessha 1" event. There's an amazing izakaya here; everything you eat is delicious. What stood out as especially delicious that day was the liver-marinated horseface wrasse and fresh whitebait simply topped with coarsely ground black pepper. Washing it down with the local sake "Kokuka" instantly transported me to paradise.

Homemade whitebait with coarse-ground pepper

Perhaps because Spain has a dish where baby eels are simmered in olive oil, the combination of whitebait and olive oil is quite common. But the crispy peppercorns? "That's the trick!" It's an innovation! A searchlight illuminating a new deliciousness! While I was raving about it, the night in Shizuoka wore on.
It was so delicious that the next day, I bought the same ingredients at the fish market and recreated the dish at home. I especially recommend whitebait & peppercorns to fellow drinkers!

Please, give it a try!