Dentsu Inc. Conducts "Japan Brand Survey 2018"

The text of the Dentsu Inc. news release distributed on April 27 is as follows.

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April 27, 2018

Dentsu Inc. Conducts "Japan Brand Survey 2018"

Dentsu Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Toshihiro Yamamoto) conducted the "Japan Brand Survey 2018" in 20 countries and regions(*) from January to February 2018. This survey is part of "Cool Japan" initiatives aimed at expanding overseas markets for products and services that leverage Japanese culture and strengths.

This survey, conducted by the company-wide cross-functional project "Team Cool Japan," has been carried out continuously since 2011, with additions to the target areas, sample size, and questionnaire items. Its purpose is to collect detailed data and insights regarding pro-Japan sentiment (favorability toward Japan), intentions to visit Japan, preferred regions to visit and reasons for choosing them, as well as interest in, awareness of, and perceptions of Japanese products.The survey results are utilized by companies expanding overseas and those domestically advancing services for inbound visitors.

Compared to the previous survey conducted in 2017, this version has been upgraded by adding new questions to address the still-booming inbound demand, while also increasing the sample size for each country/region. Furthermore, for the United States, one of the surveyed countries, analysis was conducted by dividing it into four distinct areas, a more granular approach than the previous survey's division into just the East and West Coast regions.

As a survey tracking trends over time, Taiwan, Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam tied for first place as "Countries/Regions with the Highest Affinity for Japan." (Reference Data ①) The Philippines remained the top country in terms of intention to visit Japan, with Asian countries dominating the top rankings. (Reference Data ②)

Regarding travel styles, "Visiting photogenic spots for social media" ranked for the second consecutive year, reflecting trends like photogenic and Instagram-worthy locations in the scores. (Reference Data ③)

This release focuses on newly added items and introduces three major findings revealed for the first time in this survey.

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※20 countries/regions = China (Group A = Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou; Group B = Shenzhen, Tianjin, Chongqing, Suzhou, Wuhan, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Dalian, Xi'an, Qingdao), Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, India, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines, Australia, USA (Northeast, Midwest, South, West), Canada, Brazil, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Russia

【Key Findings】

1. Airbnb/private lodging is popular in ASEAN.

Given the high interest in visiting regional areas within Asia, "Airbnb/private lodging" holds the potential to be key to revitalizing regional cities.

■Accommodation Type

* Regarding preferred accommodation types in Japan, the order of popularity is: Economy Class Hotel, Ryokan (Traditional Inn), First Class Hotel, Airbnb/Private Lodging, Capsule Hotel.

* By region, "First-Class Hotels" were most popular in North America, "Ryokan" in Europe, and "Economy Class Hotels" in Asia. (Reference Data ④)

* Globally popular "Airbnb/private lodging" shows particularly strong interest in Asia and ASEAN. Airbnb, representing the private lodging sector, has seen annual user growth since entering Japan in 2014, with domestic listings reaching 51,000 (Airbnb Japan, 2017).

* In this survey, over 30% of respondents in Japan expressed interest in using "Airbnb/private lodging." In ASEAN countries, particularly Thailand and Malaysia, where future increases in visitors to Japan are anticipated, this figure exceeded 40%. The number of people using "Airbnb/private lodging" is expected to continue growing.

* Regarding regional visit intentions, East Asia and ASEAN show stronger interest compared to Europe and North America, suggesting an increase in visitors to regional areas from Asia. (Reference Data ⑤) Given this, the high popularity of "Airbnb/minpaku" in Asia makes it a particularly important accommodation option for regional areas, potentially holding the key to revitalizing regional cities.

2. In the U.S., the South, West, and Northeast are pro-Japan and show high intent to visit Japan.

Across all regions, the top activity conducted in Japan was "eating Japanese food." Differences were observed in the items ranked second and below depending on the area.

■ Comparison of4 U.S . Regions (※1)

* The presidential election and subsequent actions of the Trump administration highlighted differences between America's inland and coastal regions. Reflecting this, this survey analyzed data across four regions—South, West, Northeast, and Midwest (including inland areas)—to explore differences in values and attitudes/perceptions toward Japan by region.

* Favorable views toward Japan were highest in the West, exceeding three-quarters. This was followed by the South, Northeast, and Midwest. The Midwest had the lowest score, at just over 50%. (Reference Data ⑥)

* Intent to visit Japan was high in the South, West, and Northeast, exceeding 60% in all three areas. However, the Midwest showed a lower tendency, at just under 50%. (Reference Data ⑦) Looking at overseas travel experience, 70-80% of people in the South, West, and Northeast had such experience, while in the Midwest, it was lower at just over 60%. This suggests that, in addition to favorability toward Japan, differences in the fundamental awareness and interest in overseas travel itself are also influencing these results.

* Regarding interest in Japanese activities, "eating Japanese food" ranked first in all regions. Differences were observed in the items ranked second and below across regions. (Reference Data ⑧)

3. The image of "Made in Japan" is "high-tech," "high-performance," and "reliable." Conversely, many overseas consumers cite "environmental and social considerations" as important when purchasing, making "SDGs" a key keyword.

■Image of Japanese Products

* The top three images for Japanese products are "high-tech," "reliable," and "high-performance." Continuing from last year, Japanese products overwhelmingly have a better image compared to Korean or Chinese products. However, they are neck-and-neck with Korean products on "stylish" and "popular," and on "popular," they are only slightly behind Chinese products. (Reference Data ⑨)

■Overseas Consumers' Purchase Priorities and "SDGs"

* When asked about purchase priorities by category, "high quality" ranked highly across categories including food/beverages, home appliances (washing machines, air conditioners, refrigerators), sanitary products (feminine hygiene items, disposable diapers), and toiletries (laundry detergent, shampoo). This suggests the aforementioned strength of Japanese products can be leveraged.Conversely, for sanitary and toiletries products, the perspective of "products developed with consideration for the environment and society" ranked within the top three priorities. (Reference Data 10)

* Recently, "SDGs" frequently come up in discussions about social issues. In this survey, the average awareness rate of "SDGs" across 20 countries and regions was 51.6%. While a reference value, this is a higher score compared to the SDGs awareness rate in Japan (14.8%) revealed in our "Consumer Survey on SDGs"※2.Among the top three actions taken by those aware of the SDGs, besides "I agree with the SDGs philosophy" and "I think the SDGs will become globally important in the future," the item "I choose products or services from companies that seem related to the SDGs" also ranked highly.(Reference Data 11) Furthermore, the higher SDGs awareness among those with a favorable view of Japan compared to those with a less favorable view indicates that the SDGs will be an important perspective for Japanese companies expanding overseas.

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※1 The four regions are distinguished based on the U.S. Census Bureau's regional classification: Northeast, Midwest, South, and West.

※2 A domestic survey conducted by "teamSDGs," a company-wide cross-functional project aimed at promoting SDGs awareness in Japan. Conducted in February 2018 with 1,400 Japanese men and women aged 10-79 nationwide. Conditions differ from the Japan Brand Survey as income criteria were not set for respondents, making this data purely for reference.

<Japan Brand Survey 2018 Overview>
・Purpose: To understand overseas consumers' perceptions and actual behavior regarding the overall "Japan Brand," including food, tourism, and Japanese products
・Target Areas: 20 countries/regions
China (Group A = Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou; Group B = Shenzhen, Tianjin, Chongqing, Suzhou, Wuhan, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Dalian, Xi'an, Qingdao), Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, India, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines, Australia, USA (Northeast, Midwest, South, West), Canada, Brazil, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Russia
・Survey Method: Online survey
・Respondent Criteria: Men and women aged 20–59 *Middle-income and above
　*Definition of "middle-income": Conditions set per country based on national average income (OECD statistics ) and social class classification (SEC)
・Sample size: China: 300 each for A and B groups, total 600; USA: 600; Other regions: 300 each, total 6,600
・Survey Period: January 12 to February 16, 2018
・Survey agency: Video Research Ltd.

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<Reference: Target Regions for Japan Brand Surveys 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014>

◇Japan Brand Survey 2017 (conducted February–March 2017)

・20 Countries/Regions: China (Group A = Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou; Group B = Shenzhen, Tianjin, Chongqing, Suzhou, Wuhan, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Dalian, Xi'an, Qingdao), Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, India, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines, Australia, USA (East Coast/West Coast), Canada, Brazil, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Russia

◇Japan Brand Survey 2016 (Conducted April–May 2016)
・20 Countries/Regions: China (Beijing, Shanghai), Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, India, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines, Australia, USA, Canada, Brazil, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Russia

◇Japan Brand Survey 2015 (Conducted April 2015)
・20 countries/regions: China (Beijing, Shanghai), Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, India, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines, Australia, USA, Canada, Brazil, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Russia

◇Japan Brand Survey 2014 (conducted in April 2014)
・18 countries/regions: China (Beijing, Shanghai), Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, India, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines, USA, Brazil, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Russia

*For details (reference data), please refer to the Dentsu Inc. News Release [PDF].

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Dentsu Inc. News Release
http://www.dentsu.co.jp/news/release/2018/0427-009529.html