Understanding 'Tomorrow's Planning' in 3 Minutes

"TV is dead," "Make it go viral on SNS," "It's all about content marketing," "This is the age of technology," "It's still all about 15-second commercials." These wildly differing assertions echo throughout today's communications industry.

So, what's the real deal...? I believe this book, 'Tomorrow's Planning' (Kodansha), provides an overwhelmingly clear summary from a higher perspective. My apologies for the late introduction—I'm Miichi from Dentsu Inc. Kansai Creative. I'd like to introduce the new book by my mentor, Satonao, who inspired me to pursue communication design several years ago.

(Below, I've concisely summarized what I felt were the core arguments)

Dividing planning between "people who enjoy information" and "people who find information annoying"

Around 2005, changes in the online world triggered an information explosion. For example, data shows that in just the single year of 2011, the volume of information flowing was "19.21 million times" the total amount of book information in human history (P29). For daily internet users, this is truly an "information flood." Furthermore, with the spread of SNS around 2010, "group-specific" information among friends and acquaintances flooded the internet. It became impossible to digest all the world's information, and it even started to become annoying.

However! There are 56.7 million people who do not use the internet daily (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications Information and Communications White Paper 2014, Chapter 5, Section 3: Internet Usage Trends). The number of people who do not routinely use internet search is even higher. Roughly half the population still lives largely untouched by this "information flood." These people are still happy to receive information without finding it annoying.

In other words, an enormous information gap has emerged in this country. Future planning must be carefully divided based on whether it targets "people who welcome information" or "people who find information annoying."

Mass media works for those who welcome information

Unfazed by the information flood, they receive information from us as valuable precisely because they have little around them. For example, mass approaches like TV commercials remain highly effective. Even people with no prior interest in a product or company will turn their heads due to the impact of the presentation. The "mild yankii" demographic, estimated at around 10 million people, also falls into this information-welcoming group.

For "People Who Find Information Annoying," Friends and Acquaintances Are the Strongest Media

People who use the internet daily have grown to find information annoying. Conveying even a single "grain of sand" of information you want to share has become nearly impossible... Yet, even in this "overwhelming despair," there is one way to get through. That is the ultimate media: "friends and acquaintances."

・When information overload hits, people turn to friends and acquaintances who share similar values and environments.
・Valuable information comes to you from friends and acquaintances without needing to search for it.
・With the spread of social media, information spreads rapidly through friends and acquaintances.
・Smartphone adoption keeps us connected to friends and acquaintances 24/7.

There's no other media this powerful. Even in the flood of information, words from friends and acquaintances feel real and are super relevant. Indirect communication through these connections is the ultimate approach to reach people who find information annoying.

Organic reach from fans is what drives attitude change.

Even with indirect approaches through friends and acquaintances, what about wildly viral web videos? While they can generate awareness, they struggle to change attitudes. People might think, "This is fun! This video is awesome!" but it rarely leads to "I want to buy it!" So how do you actually change attitudes?

That's "organic reach from fans to friends and acquaintances." The definition of a fan ranges widely, from people who simply have an interest in the source of information to passionate evangelists. When they recommend something to their friends and acquaintances in their own words, that's "organic reach." The recommended friends and acquaintances think, "If this person, who shares my values, says it's good, it must be worth trying. Maybe I'll buy it." Triggering this feeling is the communication of the "Grain of Sand" era.

Seven Ways to Elicit Organic Words from Fans

So, what methods can we use to draw out organic words?

1. Build empathy among employees, your "strongest fans."
With the spread of social media, internal empathy constantly seeps out to the outside world.

2.Treat fans with hospitality and make them feel special.
Prioritize passionate fans over new customers. Special treatment is what generates organic reach from them.

3.Reevaluate touchpoints with consumers.
For example, the subtle yet heartfelt handwritten messages on Starbucks cups can simultaneously inspire customer loyalty and generate organic reach.

4.Reevaluate the product itself. Co-create with fans.
Constant new product launches become as annoying as information overload. Consider co-creation with fans, like GAP reverting its logo based on fan feedback. Direct co-creation in product development is growing, but attracting passionate fans is crucial in such cases.

5.Discover, activate, mobilize, and track fans.
There are various ways to discover fans, such as the Net Promoter Score survey asking, "Would you strongly recommend this product to a friend?" Build ongoing relationships by asking those with high scores to write reviews, attend events, or provide regular feedback.

6.Grow alongside fans. Support fans.
No matter how famous they become, AKB48 never leaves the small theater in Akihabara where their passionate fans gather. Various initiatives are implemented that capture the pure feeling of "I just want to support this girl!"

7.Sharing a vision with fans.
Not CSR, but CSV (Creating Shared Value). Not charitable social contribution activities, but activities that solve social issues alongside consumers while generating solid profits.

For example, there are these seven methods. Above all, the ability to draw out organic words from fans will become a crucial skill for planners going forward.

Simply empathizing with the intended audience

Above, I've summarized what I feel are the most important points in my own way. However, this book contains much more—a wealth of ideas, concrete examples, and even exceptions like "That said, in this case, do this instead" (e.g., direct outreach can be effective even for low-involvement products among audiences who find information annoying). I highly recommend reading it while reflecting on your own current work.

Incidentally, the book concludes by discussing how to craft expressions that resonate with fans. If the preceding sections cover how to approach fans, then what about the actual words used? How do you specifically speak to them? I'll leave that as a surprise for readers to discover. It resonated deeply with me.

Now, while 'Tomorrow's Planning' introduces various techniques, I think what Satonao-san really wants to convey at the meta-level, if I may put it a bit bluntly, boils down to just one thing.

It's simply about caring for the person you want to reach.
Carefully planning while imagining their happy faces, then speaking to them in your own words. It's not flashy, but I believe this human, sincere approach is what moves people. In my work, whenever I catch myself slipping into that "It's advertising, so just make it stand out!" mindset, I always want to return to this. That's what I thought.
(By the way, this is not stealth marketing but "organic words")