Word-of-Mouth Designer (iPR Bureau, Mamoru Nishiyama)

Word-of-Mouth can be strategically harnessed. The power of the "Word-of-Mouth Designer" is so immense it makes this claim possible. Kimezo, with zero digital literacy, will delve into the essence of this Dentsu Inc. original tool—winner of the "2013 PR Award Excellence Prize." Or maybe not.

──I'm talking today.

Nishiyama: Huh?

──When it comes to designing word-of-mouth, no one can beat me.

Nishiyama: What are you talking about?

──You mean the "Word-of-Mouth Designer," right?

Nishiyama: No, it's "Word-of-Mouth Designer."

──When did you change the name?

Nishiyama: It's always been this name.

──I knew that. Who created this?

Nishiyama: We created it by combining the expertise of Dentsu Inc.'s iPR Bureau, Platform Business Bureau, and Dentsu Public Relations.

──Just say it plainly, it's your achievement, right?

Nishiyama: No, it's the team's achievement.

──Playing the team player, you model corporate citizen. Why did you create it in the first place?

Nishiyama: Until now, word-of-mouth either happened by chance or depended on the individual planner's skills. But I thought we needed know-how to strategically create word-of-mouth going forward. That was the starting point.

──Word-of-mouth is like rain or snow, a natural phenomenon. You didn't know that?

Nishiyama: Word-of-mouth might seem like it happens naturally, but there's always a source of information somewhere.
Since media often acts as that spark, the "Word-of-Mouth Designer" is a tool to systematize which media triggers word-of-mouth and how it spreads.

──That's a grand vision.

Nishiyama: Since CGM marketing using bloggers became popular, we've been continuously measuring word-of-mouth. But the idea of strategically creating word-of-mouth from a PR perspective was rare. You could say the "Word-of-Mouth Designer" was a tool destined to be born.

──You keep talking and talking, so I can't help but just stare at your mouth.

Nishiyama: Stop it.

──How did you flesh out the details? Was it just a hunch?

Nishiyama: If it were just intuition, the Word-of-Mouth Designer wouldn't exist. We gathered as many success stories as possible and thoroughly patterned the sequence of word-of-mouth diffusion.

We also studied papers by university professors researching word-of-mouth and information networks, conducted interviews, and scrutinized everything. There are definite "patterns" to word-of-mouth.

──But there have been people orchestrating word-of-mouth before, right? Is a "Word-of-Mouth Designer" really necessary? Will it make my life easier?

Nishiyama: Take orienteering, for example. Some people can naturally find their way to the goal when climbing mountains. But the majority need a "marker" or a "compass."

It's the same with generating word-of-mouth. Having a "guidepost" or "compass" like a "Word-of-Mouth Designer" helps more people generate word-of-mouth without getting lost.

—Has it actually helped anyone specifically? And will it make my life easier?

Nishiyama: A close example: For instance, Dentsu Inc. releases "Japan's Advertising Expenditure" annually. For the 2012 release, we analyzed the 2011 word-of-mouth data to pinpoint which media served as the fuse—the "key accounts."

User distribution on Twitter regarding "2012 Japan's Advertising Expenditures"

Then, by gathering those media outlets and giving them a lecture, word-of-mouth increased by 30% compared to the previous year.

──Man, you're impressive... I'm getting chills.

Nishiyama: Beyond just analyzing and planning word-of-mouth, we proceed with careful attention during campaigns. We check: Is the talent the only one standing out? Is the talent becoming the center of the word-of-mouth? Is the word-of-mouth actually spreading among the product's target audience?

──You're like a word-of-mouth craftsman.

Nishiyama: You could say that. But word-of-mouth is ultimately a means to an end. What matters most is how we use it to achieve our objectives.

──Tell me one last thing. How do I become a hot topic?

Nishiyama: Well... maybe you should stop showing so much skin. Beyond that, you need to tune up your hairstyle, clothing, persona, and the content of your words.

And then...

(Nishiyama's advice kept coming, even as Kimezo hung his head in despair)