JAA Holds 2019 Business Briefing Session, Demonstrating Ambition for "Work Style Improvement" and "Diversity"

The Japan Advertisers Association (JAA) held a business briefing on April 16 at Hotel Monterey Ginza in Chuo Ward, Tokyo. The Chairman and committee chairs presented the 2019 policies and plans.

First, Chairman Masatoshi Ito (Chairman of Ajinomoto) explained topics including the "advertising market," "enhancing advertising value," and "improving work practices in the advertising industry."

Regarding the advertising market, he stated: "Japan's advertising market has shown steady growth for seven consecutive years. We believe this is the result of advertisers, advertising agencies, and media working together to adapt to demographic shifts and the digital transformation of industries and lifestyles, while striving to accurately capture consumer needs. The growth of digital advertising, in particular, holds great promise for advertisers. However, it is also true that negative aspects are being highlighted, making the enhancement of trust a major challenge."

Regarding enhancing advertising value, he stated: "We will actively promote the efforts and initiatives of mass media companies through seminars and other means, positioning them as trustworthy media. Television aims to enhance its broadcast value. We will focus on enriching viewing data and deepen discussions with the National Association of Commercial Broadcasters. For digital advertising, we will tackle fundamental issues in collaboration with relevant organizations."

Regarding work style improvements, he noted that awareness activities have been conducted for the "Advertising Production Transaction 'Ordering and Order Acceptance' Guidelines" formulated by four advertising-related organizations in March 2018. "With the national Work Style Reform Bill enacted in April, our efforts are now entering the critical phase. We want the advertising industry to strive for sustainable growth," he expressed.

Following this, Executive Director Shinji Suzuki explained the FY2019 activity policy, consisting of four items: "Strengthening collaboration through closer communication with stakeholders," "Efforts to identify and resolve challenges in digital advertising," "Enhancing a global perspective," and "Human resource development and knowledge sharing."

Takayuki Nakui (Director, Creative Division Head, Ajinomoto Advertising Department and Global Communications Department), who leads the Work Style Improvement Project launched in FY2018, introduced the "Advertising Production Transaction 'Ordering and Order Acceptance' Guidelines" and the "Advertising Production Process Management Handbook for New Work Styles" published in September. He stated, "This year, we aim to understand the usage status of these two documents and are currently conducting surveys within each organization. Through this, we hope to identify future challenges and work towards resolving them."

Satoko Ogata (Director of Public Relations at Toray Industries), who also serves as Chair of the Diversity Committee launched in FY2018, shared her aspirations: "We aim to conduct broad industry surveys on the themes 'Approaches to Advertising Expression from a Diversity Perspective' and 'Creating a More Welcoming Workplace Environment for the Entire Advertising Industry from a Gender Perspective' to understand the current state. We also plan to hold seminars featuring lectures from an academic perspective, including case studies on advertising expression with experts, and introduce diversity-related topics from both Japan and overseas."

Other committee chairs reported on new initiatives, research projects, human resource development, awards, and public relations activities before adjourning.