We will continue to evolve content marketing.

Traditional communication design inevitably leaves certain phases entirely up to the user's free will. Content marketing plans for that very space.

Traditional consumer behavior models like AISAS always had a phase beyond our reach, one we had to leave to the user's free will. I believe content marketing can enter that space and naturally guide their actions without them even realizing it. I think about and implement content marketing within the overall design of communication.

Takashi Nishiyama
"Never stop. Think while running and deliver results." The "excitement curve" mindset learned in the TV world

Leveraging my years of experience on television production sets, I achieved results for a major corporation by creating buzz through content and sustaining audience engagement. A major difference between the TV and advertising industries is the concept of time. Continuously creating and managing content resembles the challenge of maintaining high ratings for an ongoing TV program. Can you plan projects with a "peak curve" that anticipates a certain level of success, while remaining sensitive to the changes and reactions of the consumers who receive it? I believe it's crucial not to stop and think, but to think while running, constantly adapting to achieve results.

"Owned Communities" are treasure troves of ideas for success

I manage "owned communities" where users interact on large corporations' owned media platforms. Here, simply providing small pieces of content allows us to gather consumer reactions and needs at an astonishing rate. It enables incredibly efficient collection of ideas for product planning and VOC (Voice of Customer) for existing products. It's a treasure trove of ideas for corporate success. While the ongoing operation of owned communities presents many challenges, we are accumulating the know-how to overcome them daily, in real time.

Yasutaka Seto
Content marketing is like a "marriage" with consumers

I see the difference between traditional advertising and content marketing as akin to the difference between "dating" and "marriage." What brings happiness changes between romance and marriage. The goal isn't just winning someone over; it's deeply understanding them and building a lasting, positive relationship. That's what we should strive for. Armed with the ability to make anything interesting—honed in the cutthroat world of commercials—we make content marketing fun. Results in this field are brutally honest, and that healthy tension keeps me on my toes as a creator, which is exciting.

Making the ordinary interesting

For this field to become truly interesting going forward, I believe we need to execute with precision, calculating even the feeling of satisfaction when it lands. I hope the power of ideas—not just mechanical outputs derived from numbers, but that elusive quality where ordinary things become a little more interesting, or stiff things become a little more charming—can truly come alive. I want to add more human warmth than we have now. I'm working on digging deeper into needs from a sensory perspective, finding those elusive sweet spots that make things interesting even if they're hard to explain, and shaping them into reality.

Content Marketing That Creates Memories: A Business Planning Perspective

In a project I handled for a foreign-affiliated manufacturer, we employed content marketing combining digital and analog approaches to "create memories for consumers." This was recognized as having successfully increased brand awareness. Success came from not just addressing immediate challenges, but taking action as part of a mid-to-long-term business plan. Going forward, I believe there will be an even greater demand for a mindset that drives content marketing not just from a communication perspective, but constantly through a management lens. The appeal of this department is that it brings together specialists dedicated to making that happen.

Pursuing relentlessly whether those words truly reach their audience

The PR field I've worked in emphasizes whether words become meaningful messages and how far those messages reach. I see my role in this expert department as akin to the cafeteria lady where club members gather. I hope to contribute by offering small pieces of advice that introduce different perspectives or values to the team, or strengthen their unity. I constantly think from a PR perspective, presenting how content might be perceived by consumers and society, drawing on past examples. I pour extra energy into gathering information and building networks for this purpose.

Understanding consumers intuitively and presenting the best options

One of my strengths is being part of a generation that intuitively understands the interests and values of influential internet users. In content marketing, it's essential to sincerely engage with consumer reactions and present the best options. While I come from a creative background, I don't rest on my laurels. I build solutions through collaboration with analysts, data experts, and media specialists. In fact, such collaboration is already yielding results on a current project.

Visualizing the latent moods and voices of consumers and society

My original specialty is PR. In PR, while measurable metrics are important, I consciously focus on capturing and making visible the unspoken voices, moods, and trends in society that don't show up in those numbers. Incorporating this perspective is essential for designing next-generation content marketing. This department's strength lies in creating and disseminating information and content that resonates personally with consumers ("personalizing") or captures societal interest ("socializing"), and then managing its ongoing implementation.

Aiming to be a "Communication Translator" who bridges gaps with a fresh perspective

I was assigned to this department in my first year at the company. Having lived overseas since childhood, I realized I had naturally been deeply connected to content marketing and truly appreciate its appeal and richness. Possessing the cultural background and values that gave birth to content marketing, I aspire to become a "Communication Translator" who bridges clients and consumers through content marketing.