The news in Japan is dominated by headlines of economic malaise and political incompetence. Spending money frivolously is definitely not in fashion. SAVVY SPENDING is in. As such, the other two key elements in The Hunting! concept are “young women empowering themselves” and, less high-minded, “tracking down those must-have items at TGC!”  Must-haves this season will feature masculine images such as armor to promote “strong women”, according to a press release.

The event is organized by mobile fashion site GIRLSWALKER.COM and, as in previous years, the clothes worn by models in the show will be available for purchase immediately via the site. TGC released data from its own research that says Japanese in their late teens and early 20s it surveyed currently spend almost 100 minutes a day using the mobile Internet, 10 minutes more than a year ago. About 65% shopped online using their mobiles over the last year.

New this season is TOKYO GIRLS PARADE, a website where users can pull a fashion slot machine to create Nintendo Mii-like avatars dressed in random fashion looks from Tokyo. (The website is currently avaialable only in Japanese.)

Here’s a clip from last season’s TGC:

MAGASTORE will launch first on the iPhone

One of Japan’s most powerful companies, Dentsu, is trying to extend its control of traditional media to the mobile arena with a new application that will force users to pay for online magazines and maintain its dominance over their ad space.

For years the advertising behemoth has been sitting pretty, thanks to its near-monoploy over media buying and the commissions that go with it. Last week, Dentsu announced the launch of MAGASTORE, a downloadable app that will sell access to magazines on mobile phones.

In fiscal 2008, the digital publishing market was estimated at ¥46.4 billion (US$500 million), up ¥10.9 billion from the previous year. Of that, mobile publishing accounted for more than ¥40 billion, according to research by Impress Holdings. Digital comic books are selling especially well, thanks to improvements in cell phones, with larger screens, faster Web access and simpler billing systems.

MAGASTORE, a collaboration with mobile software provider YAPPA Corp., will begin as an application for the iPhone on the Softbank network this summer, and later be made available to other handsets and carriers. After downloading the application, users can purchase magazines and store them to read anytime. Users will pay ¥115 to for the application and then ¥115 to ¥600 per magazine.

YAPPA has made one-off solutions for magazines in the past, such as Shufuntomo’s éf magazine. But Dentsu’s bundled app will be cost-effective for publishers. They will get access to viewer data as well as an online settlement system and, according to the company, “a new advertising solution combining the characteristics of magazine contents and the technology of mobile advertising.”

Among the publishing houses that have signed up for MAGASTORE are Asahi Shimbun, Fusosha (Numero, Spa!), Condé Nast Japan (Vogue, GQ) and a host of niche publishers of titles about everything from skateboarding and kimono to salt-water fishing.

The control of content by powerful corporations remains solid in Japan, even in mobile, where providers like DoCoMo and KDDI strictly control who gets access to users’ menus. (The App Store model developed by Apple for the iPhone fits nicely with this strategy.) When it comes to the question of whether online content should be free or paid, Japan clearly veers toward the latter. Consumers don’t expect mobile content to be free, and by the same token are more willing to pay for it.

Although the list of participating publishers in MAGASTORE is by no means comprehensive at this stage, Dentsu’s intention seems clear: to control the mobile publishing market by controling the delivery system, its model in print and television for decades, and one that has served the company well, if not the consumer.

The campaign gives specific examples of when to drink Oranomin C

In a highly segmented and overcrowded marketplace, time-bereft consumers need to be spoon-fed if they are to understand what differentiates one product from another. This collaboration does just that for both Oronamin C energy drink and Navitime.

Otsuka Pharmaceutical organized direct marketing for businesspeople outside train stations in central Tokyo this month, handing out samples along with a detailed 8-page booklet designed like a personal notebook. The company helps consumers plan the product into their daily routine, such as before a business meeting, while waiting for a train, or to recharge during a work break.

The campaign, co-branded with Navitime, a GPS-based mobile maps and listings service. There are similar suggestions for incorporating Navitime into your routine too, such as to get to a meeting on time, planning a journey or looking for a restaurant.

Consumers can use a QR code to access a co-branded mobile website and sign up to receive regular mails on business lifestyle themes like “Work-Life Balance”, as well as a free two-week trial of the Navitime service.

The campaign also saw the drink sponsor this week’s R25 (a popular freepaper for men in their 20s), with a spot on the cover and a multi-page survey on how men handle various business situations.

Although Navitime and Otsuka offer two seemingly different products, they have come together to aggressively try and show comsumers that they empathise with and can support them through the challenges of the day at work.

To find out how Five by Fifty helps its clients innovate in the beverage sector, contact us.

If imitation is any sign of success, Tokyo Girls Collection, the live fashion show-cum mobile commerce event created by Branding Inc., should be flattered.

A Japanese printing company, Toppan, has announced that it will diversify into fashion and launch a series of catwalk shows in Tokyo in September, according to WWD and Nikkei.

In a concept almost identical to TGC, Toppan will sell clothing and accessories worn by models in the shows via a mobile website. It will also sell magazines and DVDs related to the event. Toppan hopes to attract 10,000 girls in their teens and 20s paying at least ¥3,000 (US$30) for a ticket. It expects annual sales of ¥3 billion (US$30) by 2011, and plans to export the shows to other cities in Asia.

Branding Inc. (formerly Xavel) held the first TGC in 2005. Attendees can instantly buy clothes they see from an affiliated mobile website, fashionwalker.com. Versions of TGC took place in Beijing in 2007 and 2008. The most recent event was held in Tokyo in early March and featured brandsincluding Alba Rosa, BEAMS, Jill Stuart and Milkfed.

The super premium mobile phone offered by SoftBank and Tiffany.

Following on a recent trend of tie-ups between mobile phone providers and fashion brands, SoftBank released a premium mobile phone made in collaboration with jeweler Tiffany.

The phone, which went on sale simultaneously on November 1 at the SoftBank flagship store in Omotesando, Tokyo and the Tiffany store in Marunouchi, Tokyo,  was limited to only ten sets, carrying a price tag of 12.98 million yen ($139,242). The model featured a platinum gold front panel encrusted with 537 Tiffany diamonds. The phones sold out within three days.

Learn more:
Other SoftBank products
SoftBank mobile official homepage (Japanese)
SoftBank Tiffany press release (Japanese)

A phone designed in collaboration with fashion magazine Glamorous.

Japanese mobile phone provider SoftBank has announced a new handset model designed in collaboration with Glamorous, a fashion magazine for stylish women in their 20s. Advance reservations are being accepted for the new model, which will go on sale September 6, to coincide with the publication of the October issue of the magazine.

A phone designed in collaboration with fashion retailer Ash & Diamonds.

This is not the first fashion tie-up for SoftBank, the third largest mobile provider in Japan, which has been making efforts to win more female users. Autumn, 2007, saw the launch of a limited edition model made in collaboration with fashion boutique Ash & Diamonds, which specializes in chic and sexy fashions for women in their 20s. Another model, the Dolly Girl, is a creation of American fashion designer Anna Sui, who enjoys great popularity in Japan.

A phone designed by Anna Sui for SoftBank.

Learn more:
Other SoftBank products
SoftBank Mobile official site (Japanese)

A advertisement for Japan's first mobile phone bank near Shibuya station in Tokyo

Jibun Ginko (“Personal Bank”) launched on June 18th, 2008 as a 50-50 joint venture of the Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ and KDDI Corp, operator of the au mobile phone service, the second largest mobile provider in Japan.

Jibun Ginko is the fifth internet bank in Japan, and the first to take full advantage of the full range of the advanced features of mobile phones in Japan. Users can send and receive payments 24 hours a day, 365 days a year through mobile phones from the three major providers, the internet , or by telephone. Future services will include applying for credit card loans, depositing foreign currencies, and purchasing financial products.

Users with au handsets have a wider range of possibilities, such as sending funds to other au users using only the recipient’s mobile phone number, paying for online auctions, and purchasing electronic money credits.

Although Jibun Ginko does not have any brick-and-mortar locations, applications are available at Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ branches, where some temporary signs for the internet banking service have been set up.

Girls Trendy is a fashion portal site for mobile phones.

It has become commonplace for trendy young Japanese women to utilize their mobiles for shopping. 87% of the users on their mobile portal “Girls Trendy” have made purchases on their phones in the past, according to Xavel, the company that operates the site.

Xavel also presents the Tokyo Girls Collection fashion shows, which have been shaking up the catwalk since 2005, showcasing affordable clothing aimed at girls aged 15-24. Unlike other fashion shows which present apparel that will not be on the market for another six months, at the Tokyo Girls Collection, attendees get photos of outfits e-mailed to their mobile phones mere moments after they appear on the runway, along with a link to purchase the item online. Over 22,000 people attended March’s show, and the concept has been exported to Paris and Beijing.

According to Xavel, Japanese fashionistas can be divided into four categories:

Edgy Girls: Numbering slightly more than 10%, they are always up-to-date on fashion news and have a unique and personal style; willing to cut spending on food but not on fashion

Popular Girls: Equally up-to-date; passes this information along to friends, but also listens to their input. They make up 26% of the total.

Talky Girls: Looks for fashion news from their many friends rather than magazines and news sites. At 31%, the largest group.

Keep-An-Ear-Out Girls: Loyal followers of trends, but not prepared to sacrifice everything for fashion – willing to spend on food and drink. Slightly above 30%.

Not only do Edgy Girls stay ahead of the pack in terms of fashion, but they are also the ones who spend the most when it comes to impulse buying. Is this the new core target group for the mobile retail industry?

Natalie Meyer

Avatars from the Poupee Girl Website.

Poupee Girl, a fashion social networking site operated by Tokyo-based web firm CyberAgent, has won a devoted and quickly growing base of users since launching in March 2008.

After registering on the site for free, users can create avatars named poupee (“doll” in French) by mixing and matching hairstyles, facial features and body shapes that resemble themselves. Users can then dress their avatars with thousands of available garments and accessories, and take a snapshot to post on their personal page on the site.

Users create avatars and dress them virtually.

Poupee Girl has a virtual currency, known as “ribbons,” can be purchased by credit card, or earned by posting new snapshots or commenting on other users’ snapshots. Ribbons can be used to buy virtual fashion item for their avatars. Users can also auction off virtual items they no longer want to other users. Many of the virtual items are based on actual garments, so users can coordinate a look on the site and go out and by the actual outfit.

Users post to the message board every few seconds.

However, Poupee Girl is much more than a virtual fitting room. It is also a social networking site with a rapidly growing base of users. In the “Poupee Cafe,” users can post one-line micro blogs on how they are feeling at the moment, which appear with their latest snapshot. New comments are posted every few seconds, attesting to the popularity of the site. Users can post photos of fashion items bought in the real world from their mobile phone cameras and receive comments and advice from other users.

Users can also post photos of items they actually buy.

The site has collaborated with brands to bring popular Louis Vuitton and Hello Kitty items into the virtual space, helping traffic to double every month since the site’s launch.

Learn more:
Poupee Girl site
News on Louis Vuitton
News on Hello Kitty

The new Pantone series from SoftBank.

It was a year ago when SoftBank introduced it’s Pantone series, offering a range of its mobile phone handsets in a range of 24 colors taken from the numbered Pantone color range.

The popularity of the Pantone line and the introduction to the public of a B2B company that is usually only known in fashion circles made marketers realize that consumers want the products they use on a daily basis to match their personality, or even their daily moods.

A new line of MP3 players from Sony.

This year electronic makers are unveiling new models with a marketing emphasis placed on the number of colors available. Sony is marketing its latest generation of digital Walkmans with interchangeable panels in different colors and patterns.

A new line of IXY cameras from Canon.

Canon’s popular IXY line of digital cameras, long available only in silver, is now available in five metallic shades, and Panasonic’s new line of high definition TVs – rolled out just in time for the Beijing Olympics – is also available in five colors.

A new series of Viera TVs from Panasonic.

Communication for these new products ask consumers “Which color will you choose?” With so much variety, the problem is choosing the one you like most.