Want to increase piano lesson students? → Solve it with brainstorming across 10 genres simultaneously.

The " Dentsu Inc. B Team" brings together specialists from diverse fields to solve problems using unconventional approaches. Among its many problem-solving processes, the "10-Genre Simultaneous Brainstorming" ( past article ) is particularly popular with clients. In this process, ten specialists each propose solutions from their respective expert perspectives.

This time, we specially selected a topic from concerns submitted by Web Dentsu Inc. News readers and conducted an actual brainstorming session. We report on the session in two parts.

The '10-Genre Simultaneous Brainstorming' is a service provided by Dentsu Inc. B Team to companies and local governments. For inquiries, please contact Dentsu Inc. B Team ( info@bbbbb.team ).

 

[Participating Specially Appointed Researchers] From left back: Hidetoshi Kurashige (Concept), Yuko Wada (Health), Akane Yamada (Beauty), Nadezhda Kirillova (Global Education), Aki Koike (Fashion); From right back: Tomoyuki Torisu (Peace), Masahiko Sakamaki (Product Design), Eita Nakajima (Festivals/Celebrations), Hirokazu Tanaka (Sociology), Yuko Uezu (Molecular Gastronomy)

<Table of Contents>
▼① From an Instagrammer's perspective? Start by promoting your profile on Facebook
▼② From a Product Design Perspective? The Appeal of European-Style Piano Lessons
▼③ From a fashion perspective? Coordinate outfits with your teacher based on the pieces you're learning!
▼④ From a global education perspective? Teach children the songs they want to play

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Kurane: Normally, we do our 10-category simultaneous brainstorming sessions based on requests from companies. But this time, as a one-off special edition, we'll tackle a real concern sent in by a Web Dentsu Inc. reader with this team. First, Torosu-kun, please explain the topic!

■Topic: "The problem of low enrollment at my mother's piano studio"

Requester: N-san, a third-year university student
※As the requester is a student, this is published under a pseudonym.

■Information about the mother's piano studio, as shared by the requester

• She started the piano studio 10 years ago to support the household finances.
• The studio has no specific name. When advertising, it is listed as "Piano Lessons."
• Lessons are held in the piano room at home (8-tatami mats).
• Currently has 25 students. 90% are children (ages 3 to junior high school), 10% are adults (ages 20 to 60).
• The location is in a residential area, a modest neighborhood.
• The mother holds qualifications as an aromatherapist, facial aesthetician, mental trainer, and certified psychologist.

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Torisu:...That was the original consultation, but as I exchanged emails with the client, they mentioned, "We recently held an open house, and our membership has skyrocketed!" (laughs).

Naja: So she's not really struggling? (laughs)

Torisu: Still, she said she'd be thrilled if it doubled to around 50 members by the end of the year!

Kurashige: So, with that kind of concern, we gathered 10 members who are somewhat strong in the music field this time. Alright, first off, Mr. Yamada, what do you think from an Instagrammer's perspective?

Yamada: From a content creation perspective, first we need a name for the piano studio. Without a name, you can't even add hashtags.
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① From an Instagrammer's perspective? Promote your profile on Facebook

Yamada Akane... An Instagrammer with 17,500 followers, currently serializing "The Secrets of Women Driving the Economy" for Forbes JAPAN. Has piano experience. Her specialty is beauty, but she's participating this time from an Instagrammer's perspective.

Yamada: I thought adding just the surname, like "Ms. N's Piano Studio," would make it feel more like her own studio. Also, since you have such a unique profile, it would be powerful to include your mother's profile and special skills on your website or flyers. Lessons with aromatherapy? Sounds soothing.

Kurashige: I see. Profile and hashtags are the basics for Instagrammers.

Yamada: But since we're not sure if Instagram posts would suit her, maybe start by creating a Facebook community page for the studio.

Torisu: That's a really interesting profile, isn't it? Certified psychologist, mental trainer... The client mentioned that a child who used to be quite mischievous started attending this studio and gradually became more serious. Word of that spread among the other mothers, which is probably why the number of students suddenly increased.

Kurashiro: "A piano studio run by a mental trainer" or "a piano studio by a facial aesthetician" – that alone reduces the competition, right? It's like they leave with both their sensibilities and looks enhanced. This is your first time here, Sakamaki-san, but what do you think from a product design perspective?

Sakamaki: Looking at the studio photos, I thought, "Wow, they have a pretty rare piano."

Torisu: Oh, really? (laughs) The photos the client sent us don't show any manufacturer logos or anything...
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② From a product design perspective? The Case for European-Style Piano Studios

Masahiko Sakamaki... Previously worked at an instrument manufacturer where he planned and developed numerous unique instruments and music gadgets.

Sakamaki: It's an upright piano, probably a European brand, and I think it's a bit of a rare find. I think it's good to emphasize that aspect, to say "We have something good" or "We have something rare" about the piano itself.

Ms. N's mother runs a home-based piano studio (※blurred for privacy). The piano logo wasn't visible in the photo sent, but upon later inquiry with the client, it was identified as a W. Hofmann piano (founded in Berlin in 1893, now manufactured by Bechstein Europe in the Czech Republic).

Tanaka: I actually thought, "Maybe they're not motivated because it's not a grand piano?" But that's actually the good part.

Sakamaki: Preferring a grand piano is a bit of an American mindset. Europeans often say an upright is better. So maybe we should try for a more European-style piano studio.

Yamada: The interior design is European-style too, right?

Sakamaki: And I also liked the idea of facial esthetics earlier. Just adding "music" to other skills gives it a sense of sophistication. Music-related events try to maintain their scale by increasingly combining with non-music events. One day, a mother might come along for her child's piano lesson, but another day, a mother who came for a facial esthetic might have her child practice a bit while she's there. It's about increasing the average customer spend.

Tanaka: Cross-selling (laughs).

Sakamaki: Improving LTV (Lifetime Value)! That kind of thing seems promising too. That back there is probably a Yamaha portable keyboard.

Tanaka: You're like a detective (laughs). Shifting it to Europe is interesting, like École de Mademoiselle.

Kurashige: A European-style piano studio. After the interior, what about the fashion aspect?

Koike: When I heard this theme, I wondered if they even have recitals here.
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③Fashion-wise? Coordinate outfits with your teacher based on the pieces you're learning!

Koike Aki... Frequently travels overseas for business, keeping a daily eye on global fashion trends. Has piano experience.

Koike: Looking back on my own childhood, piano recitals—from age 3 through junior high—were the times I dressed up the most and got the spotlight. Especially girls—they pick out outfits with their moms. While emphasizing an aromatic space and the "enjoying lessons" approach is good, I still think having those events is great. Things like "Let's work hard for that recital on such-and-such date!" or "Then my friends can see me!" become motivation.

Torisu: Motivation is so important, right?

Koike: Also, like you mentioned earlier, having moms and kids come together is really great. Moms these days love matching outfits too. It would be wonderful if moms could share photos of themselves and their kids in matching outfits, happily playing duets together at the recital. Plus, actually, the teacher at the piano studio I went to was incredibly stylish. That's why I always looked forward to seeing her.

Kurashige:Like matching your outfit or the teacher's outfit to the piece you're learning that day, creating a link coordinate with the music.

Koike: I think that's possible! Like, "We're playing a slightly more mature piece, so please wear something mature" (laughs). Or "We're playing a really bright, Latin-style piece, so please choose bright colors."

Nakajima: I'd love to wear that Mozart thing (all laugh). That kind of thing is fun, right?

Tanaka: It gives off that maestro vibe. It's basically cosplay (laughs).

Nakajima: Cosplay piano might be great.

Naja: You can become your favorite performer.

Kurashige: Like Rentaro Taki, for example. What do you think, Naja? Educationally speaking.

Naja: I think it could work for attracting more adult students, not just kids. Since it's about aromatherapy and mental training, maybe it's okay for people where piano isn't the main goal.
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④Globally speaking, educationally? Teach kids the songs they want to play.

Kirillova Nadezhda...studied at elementary schools in 6 countries. Read about her violin experiences in elementary school here.

Nadezhda: It's a combination no other classroom could possibly offer, right? They pick and set up aromas and music tailored to the person and their mood that day.

And then there's the motivation Mr. Koike mentioned earlier. When I was in junior high band, they first asked us , "What do you all want to play?" and we got to choose the pieces ourselves. Not the usual old classical stuff, but things like the Mission: Impossible theme. Regular Japanese piano schools don't do that, so I think it's great for kids like me, who don't get motivated by recitals, to have that kind of fun.

Sakamaki: Oh, speaking of Europe, in Japan, when you learn piano, you usually start with Hanon or Bayer. But that's pretty much unique to Japan. So, deliberately stepping away from the standard method books and offering a "European-style" menu might be a good idea.

Naja: Exactly. Plus, music isn't just about playing—there are so many cool things around it. With violin, you need to know fractions, so even 5-year-olds learn them, and you might even pick up some Italian. I thought that was so cool when I was five! (laughs) It'd be great if they could teach that too.

Kurane: Where's this "play whatever song you like" approach?

Naja: Canada. Everyone picks theme songs from popular movies, and that really gets everyone fired up (laughs). Even the unmotivated troublemakers played properly.

(Continued in Part 2 )