What is Dentsu Inc. Gal Lab's "#Girls Tag" Marketing?

Today, both information and goods/services are increasingly readily accessible, and individuals can now disseminate information and conduct business. Consumers have become more discerning, and in an era where falsehoods are easily exposed, it's not hard to imagine that consumers' tendency to "refuse to compromise" will only continue to grow.

To sell products in such an era, it is essential not only to create "valuable products" but also to have trustworthy information providers—those perceived as having reliable information—communicate and spread the word about those products.

Dentsu Inc. Gal Lab (hereafter Gal Lab), which conducts research on women's consumption, developed the "#GirlsTag" system. This system visualizes people who are "interested in the same things," "share the same characteristics," "have had the same experiences," or "participate in the same activities" by attaching "tags" to them, similar to social media hashtags. Among those with #GirlsTags, Gal Lab identifies and focuses on individuals possessing deep, almost otaku-level knowledge and information about specific genres as "Genre Innovators."

Why did Gal Lab create "#GirlsTags"? How can "Genre Innovators" be leveraged in marketing? This series explains Gal Lab's original Genre Innovator Marketing!

What is the "#GirlsTag" that identifies Genre Innovators?

After several studies, Gal Lab conducted a d-campX survey in 2017 targeting 1,151 women aged 12-39 in the Kanto region to uncover insights. We categorized the responses into a total of 117 #GirlsTags by genre. Among these, we created 36 "#Genre-Specific Innovator Tags" for categories where women often possess deep, almost otaku-like knowledge and information, and 81 "#Modern Girl Tags" representing the behavioral tendencies and trends of today's young women.

Among these, we define and focus on individuals possessing a "#Genre-Specific Innovator Tag" as "Genre-Specific Innovators." These are people who self-identify as "loving/obsessed with/more knowledgeable than others" in that genre—meaning they know more than the average person and can answer questions or give advice when asked.

Notably, 81.8% of survey respondents possessed at least one #Genre-Specific Innovator Tag, averaging 5.1 tags per person. This indicates that many Genre-Specific Innovators possess otaku-like qualities across multiple genres.

That said, the depth of their "otaku-like qualities"—such as the amount of information they possess or their level of enthusiasm for each field—varies from person to person.

Within a single person, multifaceted qualities and preferences coexist. It's not uncommon for a girl dressed in flashy fashion to consume games or anime at home, immersing herself in her own world as a reaction to her usually communication-heavy life. A girl who buys a swimsuit in Shibuya for summer might end up discussing politics on her way home.

By viewing things through the lens of the "#GirlsTag," it becomes possible to recognize people with the same tag—those who share the same mindset—as a single group, even if their appearances differ, and to identify a market within that group.

#GirlsTag Marketing Adapting to Consumer Change

As the trend toward diversity accelerates and social media becomes ubiquitous, changing consumers' decision-making processes, companies must evolve their marketing activities.

The internet has made diverse individualities visible, connecting people virtually who would never have known each other's existence in a world without the web. As individuals and minorities connect, forming visible communities, demand also becomes visible. This makes it easier for both companies and individuals to offer new products and services. Consequently, the choices of goods and services increase. In this environment where information, friends, and products/services are readily accessible, an era has arrived where everyone can choose what they like, choose how they want to live, and pursue their passions more deeply.

When choices were limited, compromise was sometimes necessary. But as choices have multiplied, compromise has become unnecessary. Consumer decision-making processes are shifting from "this will do" to "this is what I want," showing a growing tendency to avoid compromise.

If you broadly categorize marketing targets into five or six segments like "gal-style girls" or "otaku-style girls," you lose sight of their true nature.

To truly grasp the target audience, adopting a #girl tag perspective is effective. This allows for detailed classification of women's characteristics, interests, and behavioral patterns. New business opportunities lie in the overlaps between these segments.

By examining characteristics like "people drawn to the same things" or "people sharing similar experiences," we can discern the shared, particular worldviews of those who respond to the same tags. Groups reacting to "#travel" posts on SNS and those reacting to "#nail" posts may have different members or overlap. It's crucial to view these worldviews through the lens of which #girl tags each group possesses.

In today's world, where women increasingly express themselves primarily through social media, their unique personalities across different genres are becoming visible. Many people gather information on social media, seeking out who is deeply immersed in each genre? Who holds the most trustworthy information? They identify individuals deemed appropriate as information sources for each genre.

Consequently, more people are following the purchases made by genre-specific innovators. What differs from the past is that it's not the recommended items that are being watched, but the items they are actually purchasing. Now that everyone knows that the people who truly understand what's good are those who frequently purchase and use products/services within that genre, finding out what the genre-specific innovators bought has become the easiest and most reliable way to obtain credible information.

In other words, category innovators are the key players driving the market within their specific categories. Their influence in shaping the market is likely to grow even stronger going forward.

In Part 1, we examined the historical context to explain why we need a perspective that captures a woman not through a single cluster but through multiple "#girl tags," and why focusing on "category innovators" is essential.

Next time, we will explain marketing and communication strategies utilizing genre-specific innovators.

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<Survey Overview>

・Survey Name: Dentsu Inc. Gal Lab "College Women Survey for Discovering #GirlsTags"
・Research Organization: Planning = Dentsu Inc., Fieldwork = U-Campus
・Survey Participants: 1,000 female university students (years 1-4) nationwide registered with Circle Up
・Survey Method: Web-based responses via Circle Up
・Survey Period: June 8–11, 2016

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・Survey Name: Dentsu Inc. Gal Lab "First #GirlsTag Survey 2016"
・Survey Organization: Planning = Dentsu Inc., Fieldwork = Global Utility
・Survey Target: 700 women aged 15–34 nationwide
・Survey Method: Internet survey
・Survey Period: July 1–5, 2016

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・Survey Name: "Dentsu Inc. d-campX Survey" featuring Dentsu Inc. Gal Lab's "2nd #Girls Tag Survey 2017"
Research Organization: Planning = Dentsu Inc., Fieldwork = Video Research Ltd.
・Survey Target:

Video Research Ltd. ACR/ex Panel
Individual women aged 12-59 within a 50km radius of Tokyo (randomly selected)
2,274 samples (2,125 valid responses)
*Data in the main text is based on 1,151 samples of individuals aged 12–39 (valid responses: 2,125 samples)

The actual survey covers ages 12 to 59.
・Survey Method: Electronic questionnaire method using dedicated tablet devices provided to respondents
・Survey period: June 2–18, 2017

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d-campX is a quantitative database developed by Dentsu Inc. for uncovering insights. It incorporates this survey data and the "#GirlsTag" data, and is utilized for marketing, planning, product development, and more. In addition to the spring/summer 2017 survey of the Kanto region panel, the Gal Lab "#GirlsTag Survey" is scheduled for fall/winter 2018. Updates will continue going forward.

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Dentsu Inc. Gal Lab
Established in March 2010.
A girls' planning team that harnesses the power of young women, primarily girls, aiming to invigorate not only businesses but society as a whole.
We conduct environmental analysis of girls' insights and information behaviors from various angles, planning across a wide range of business areas—from marketing strategy and solution proposals to output production, product/business development, and consulting.
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The 'gal' in Dentsu Inc. Gal Lab represents powerful women. We focus not just on appearance, but on girls who possess an inner power that shines through.
They are not only the spark for new trends, but also key factors that will boost the Japanese economy and change the world of tomorrow.
Our purpose is to unleash their power and energize Japan and the world.