Publicity Over Advertising: The Ideal Form of Collaboration with YouTube Creators

This series has explored why YouTube creators resonate with consumers, presenting findings from a joint research project between UUUM and Dentsu Inc.

This time, through a tripartite discussion with Yoshinori Ichikawa, Director and Head of the Buddy Planning Unit at UUUM, we explore the solution capabilities of YouTube creators. In the first part, we discussed recent trends among YouTube creators and influencer marketing.

The discussion was held online. From top: UUUM's Yoshinori Ichikawa, Dentsu Inc.'s Akira Amano (bottom left), Dentsu Inc.'s Shoichi Tamura (bottom right).

What's Happening on YouTube Now?

Amano: Social attention toward YouTube creators has significantly increased in recent years. What do you think is behind this, Mr. Ichikawa?

Ichikawa: Our founder and CEO, Kazuki Kamata, foresaw "an era where individuals become media" back when we started in 2013. Indeed, smartphone proliferation has ushered in an era where anyone can access information 24/7. This has rapidly increased exposure to digital media like YouTube. Within this landscape, YouTube creators like HIKAKIN and Hajime Shacho have risen to prominence.

Furthermore, the pandemic accelerated digital transformation, making YouTube creators' content more accessible. As a result, talents, models, and actors have also intensified their efforts to enter the digital space. I feel the barriers between traditional mass media and digital media have dissolved, creating a seamless landscape.

Amano: Are YouTube users changing too? If there are any trends or characteristics, please tell us.

Ichikawa: Both creators and users have grown exponentially, with viewers now loyal to specific creator channels. The appeal of YouTube lies in the constant emergence of new creators—like women who camp or male cooking enthusiasts—offering specialized content across diverse genres. Consequently, viewer demographics vary significantly by channel.

I also sense a broadening age range. Now, it's commonplace not just for younger generations but also for people in their 40s and 50s to watch YouTube.

Amano: So advertising clients need to look at the audience for each individual channel, rather than just the broad YouTube framework, right?

Ichikawa: Yes. Moreover, the audience for each channel is broadening. For example, golf channels traditionally targeted existing golfers. But our golf channel, " UUUM GOLF," is now watched by a wide range of people—from beginners looking to start golf to advanced players aiming for a 90 score. The same applies to other channels like fishing and camping.

Tamura: Regarding the videos YouTube creators publish, have you noticed any changes in recent years?

Ichikawa: To put it abstractly, I feel the content has become more diverse. Creators range from long-time YouTube veterans to those entering from the entertainment industry, creating a varied landscape. The content itself spans TV-style productions, self-shot vlog formats, and even high-budget, film-like paid videos.

Tamura: It's like the chicken-and-egg question, but both viewers and content are diversifying. This diversity is driving both qualitative and quantitative diversification in content.

TV programs are one-to-many communication, while YouTube content is one-to-one communication.

Amano: So, what's the difference between YouTube creators with large followings and those without?

Ichikawa: This might stray slightly from the question, but I don't believe follower count alone measures which creators are truly supported. What's more important is engagement. For example, there are creators with 100,000 followers who are extremely well-known within a specific community, like card game enthusiasts. Within that community, they wield greater influence than a YouTube creator with a million followers in a different genre.

With that in mind, a common trait among creators with large followings is their dedication to their content. While they might delegate editing or filming to staff, they typically handle everything themselves: planning concepts, filming and editing, creating thumbnails, and even calculating the optimal release timing. They think about things like TV programming schedules. And they consistently publish such videos.

A prime example is " HikakinTV." It's loved by people of all ages precisely because it's easy to understand and genuinely entertaining. I believe the secrets to YouTube videos are hidden within this channel.

Amano: Hearing you talk makes me wonder again what exactly constitutes a "YouTube-like video." For example, if we say "Instagram-like photos," everyone shares a common image, right? Even though things are diversifying, I feel like there must be something like a "YouTube-like video" too.

Ichikawa: It's hard to define. But I think most devices until now were designed for 1-to-n viewing. Families watch one TV, and in movie theaters, over 100 people watch one screen simultaneously. YouTube, on the other hand, often involves 1-to-1 communication, whether on a PC, tablet, or smartphone. Content that resonates well in this environment, content that easily connects creators and viewers, might be what we call "YouTube-like videos."

Tamura: Related to what we discussed earlier, could we also interpret that YouTube creators who put more effort into planning and editing their videos are paying closer attention to that one-to-one communication aspect?

Ichikawa: Creators understand their fans most deeply. They pay attention to incredibly subtle details we might miss, like the nuance of phrasing or how captions are placed. Creators who engage with their audience to that extent and produce one-on-one content tend to see their follower counts grow more readily.

Advertising clients should also heighten their sensitivity to influencer information

Amano: Let's broaden the topic and discuss trends in social media marketing. What challenges do you feel advertising clients currently face in digital marketing? Also, what role do you think social media, centered around YouTube, should play within that?

Ichikawa: Given the drastic societal changes during the pandemic, I'll focus on the current situation. With traditional communication plans significantly altered, advertisers now need to understand what's trending digitally. However, it's not uncommon for them to know TV personalities well but remain unaware of Instagram creators with over a million followers. This is the current challenge in influencer marketing. We also plan to continue our awareness-building efforts.

Amano: It's true that advertising clients vary greatly in their digital literacy and intuitive understanding, depending on whether they regularly engage with digital media or not.

Ichikawa: When developing communication plans, it's essential to deeply understand which media the target audience set as KPIs by the advertising client consumes, which specific channels and accounts they engage with within that media, and what kind of information is being shared daily on those channels and accounts. Planning specifically for each channel and account is crucial.

Amano: On the other hand, the video advertising market is expanding, and social media marketing as a whole is shifting toward video. What kind of impact can video be expected to have in solving advertising clients' challenges?

Ichikawa: Video has no time constraints and few expressive limitations. I find it particularly well-suited for showcasing product details and highlighting features. That said, I don't believe we need to limit ourselves to video alone.

At UUUM, we operate the paid creator-fan connection platform "FOLLOW ME," the audio streaming social app "REC.", and the interactive live streaming app "SUGAR." "FOLLOW ME" provides static images, while "REC." is an audio-focused platform. I believe creating content tailored to each platform, not just video, is key to solving advertising clients' challenges.

Content created as a single team by creators and clients achieves high reach rates

Amano: Next, let's discuss influencer reach. For example, there's a theory that comparing one top influencer with millions of followers to multiple mid-tier influencers shows the latter group achieves higher reach. In other words, ten influencers each with 100,000 followers reach more viewers than one influencer with 1 million followers. What are your thoughts on this?

Ichikawa: Actually, we conducted a similar study about three years ago and found that leveraging multiple creators does lead to easier reach. Our sales pitches to advertising clients also build their proposal logic based on this research. That said, it really depends on the case. Depending on the advertising client or product, using someone with a large follower base might offer greater benefits. Perspectives on frequency (how often ads are seen) also vary. I think it's crucial to thoroughly discuss these points during planning.

Tamura: Huh, really? That's interesting! From a marketing perspective, that's exactly what I wanted to ask someone "on the inside" at UUUM.

Amano: Recently, there's a trend of quantifying influencers' reach and information dissemination power through scoring systems, using these metrics for selection criteria and ad effectiveness measurement. What kind of initiatives is UUUM undertaking in this area?

Ichikawa: We take pride in having top-tier YouTube analytics data in Japan. While we can't disclose specifics, we aim to leverage this internally in unique ways. For corporate projects, we're currently focused on delivering metrics like video views and engagement rates to satisfy our advertising clients.

Tamura: Corporate projects often end after a single campaign, right? What distinguishes cases where clients continue working with us?

Ichikawa: The key lies in whether the advertising client and agency truly understand the creator's content before using it in their campaign. Clients who already watch the creator's YouTube content and understand their unique traits can see tangible results, like "This video got more views than usual," and we can have conversations from various angles. This often leads to discussions about continuing the partnership, like "Let's try this approach next time." Conversely, clients who haven't been exposed to the content or creator before, or those just trialing influencer marketing, often end up with one-off projects.

Tamura: So clients who understand the content and creators will continue the campaign with appropriate metrics, right?

Ichikawa: Yes. Some even trial multiple creators together, saying, "This time, let's use Creators A and B. Next time, let's try Creators C and D." They run campaigns with the same product three or four times and think through it to the point of concluding, "This creator was the best fit. Let's use them for the new service." We're truly grateful for such clients. We maintain ongoing discussions with these partners.

Tamura: What metrics do advertising clients use to measure effectiveness?

Ichikawa: It varies by client. Some focus on "driving store visits" or "increasing download numbers," while others prioritize "boosting product awareness" or "improving ratings for TV programs that had been losing younger viewers." We're able to deliver diverse results across a wide range of objectives.

Tamura: Are each client's target metrics shared in advance?

Ichikawa: Sharing them beforehand and working together is fundamental. Personally, I believe it's crucial for creators, advertising clients, advertising agencies, and UUUM to form one team when creating creative content. Such teams tend to see higher video views and significantly improved effectiveness.

Fundamentally, I see influencer-driven promotions as closer to "publicity" than "advertising." If we only focus on achieving the advertiser's objectives, we risk creating content that doesn't resonate with the media or audience. Treating influencer and creator content as publicity, and collaborating on content while considering the influencer's unique style and the audience's characteristics, leads to better results.

Amano: At UUUM, we're expanding our marketing and production capabilities beyond YouTube to encompass Instagram marketing ("LMND"), TikTok, live streaming services, and the entire social media landscape. Could you share how your know-how and methodologies have evolved?

Ichikawa: When a talent is cast in a TV commercial for a product, they appear on shows sponsored by the advertiser and feature as a character on in-store POP displays, right? We believe YouTube creators and influencers can do exactly the same. As mentioned earlier, the barriers between traditional mass media and digital media have dissolved, creating a seamless landscape.

Beyond just marketing, we're pursuing various initiatives to build a market where YouTube creators and influencers can thrive even more. Simply put, we want to do anything and everything related to influencers and creators. We aspire to be the go-to name for influencer marketing—where people say, "When it comes to influencer marketing, it's UUUM."

(Continued in Part 2)