Seven Businessperson Clusters Revealed by Research

■What Are the Reader Characteristics of Their Own Media, as Described by Business Web Media Editors-in-Chief?

The seminar introduced seven clusters of business professionals in the first half, followed by presentations from each editor-in-chief using symbolic articles representing their media outlets and reader characteristics.

First to take the microphone was Editor-in-Chief Yamada of Toyo Keizai Online.

The article introduced as symbolic of Toyo Keizai Online was this piece:
<The Lonely Battle of a 39-Year-Old Man Working for "¥910 an Hour">

Readers of Toyo Keizai Online are relatively young business leaders aged 25 to 44. With approximately 200 million monthly page views (PV) and about 30 million unique users (UB), it is one of the largest web media outlets in the business genre.

This article is part of a series exploring the social theme of "poverty." It was planned and researched specifically for Toyo Keizai Online readers who seek to genuinely digest and understand "what is happening in Japanese society," rather than dismissing such social issues with superficial "should-be" arguments.

Regarding the readers, Editor-in-Chief Yamada stated, "Age is irrelevant. We want to provide evidence-based, useful articles for people who are always actively engaged in the field, who think positively about things, and who seek to be actively involved in decision-making."

Next to speak was Editor-in-Chief Kawaji of Gendai Business.

The representative article introduced for Gendai Business is this one:
<Kyohei Sakaguchi's Escape from Kumamoto>

Modern Business, operated by Kodansha, is characterized by its wealth of writers, leveraging the strength of being a comprehensive publisher. It's a site that handles articles across a wide range of genres, not just economic information, but also culture and the arts.

This article is a powerful documentary report on the Kumamoto earthquake by one such writer, Kyohei Sakaguchi, a writer residing in Kumamoto. By reporting from the perspective of a disaster victim—how the author thought and acted amidst the sudden catastrophe—it allows anyone to feel Kumamoto's reality vividly and intimately.

"We want to emphasize who is writing the articles," explained Editor-in-Chief Kawaji. "By having experts write properly, we hope users will gain knowledge. Amidst the constant influx of new information, knowledge is what you can rely on."

The final speaker was Editor-in-Chief Takeshita of HuffPost Japan.

Here is the article introduced, symbolic of HuffPost Japan.
<What a 23-year-old volunteer guide thought in Hiroshima after President Obama left.>

The Huffington Post is a global media outlet operating in 16 countries and regions worldwide (with a South African edition scheduled to launch in November). It is characterized by its high level of social interaction, enabling experts and individuals across fields like politics, business, and social issues to exchange opinions.

This article was written by one of the Huffington Post's proud 1,000 bloggers. It showcases the collective wisdom of the internet and highlights how crucial a blogger's original perspective and writing style are for conveying reality.

Editor-in-Chief Takeshita stated, "For example, simply changing jobs can provide new insights. Even a short trip abroad leads you to search for information different from your usual sources. We consider people who continuously engage in such 'movement' to be elites. Our target audience is those who can share their personal perspectives within this context and embrace diversity."

■Approaching Business Leaders Through Business Web Media

The "Smart Salaryman" and "Innovator Businessman" clusters are active groups characterized by keywords like proactive information gathering and embracing new challenges.

As if to confirm these traits, a common image emerged from the three editors' discussions: "business leaders who constantly maintain a problem-solving mindset and take action to effect change themselves."

When your target audience is "business professionals," rather than simplistically defining them as "businesspeople working in the city center" or "high-income salaried workers," approaching business leaders like the "Smart Salaryman" or "Innovator Businessman" identified in this analysis becomes a crucial point for generating new communication and business opportunities.

This is because these individuals, who constantly act with a problem-solving mindset, possess strong information dissemination capabilities and are the ones with the power to drive change in society.

Web media outlets in various business genres are now organizing reader attributes and data, with some emerging platforms capable of highly sophisticated segmentation.

Whether your product is B2B or B2C, utilizing these business-focused web media for lead generation strategies and native advertising enables more efficient and effective communication.