In our second report on communication trends in Asia, veteran PR counselor and roving reporter Ray Josephs consults with a top-seed PR firm in Tokyo to illustrate why media relations is king in Japan.
Like Westerners, Japanese counselors are stretching their credentials to include disciplines like internal communications, cyber PR and investor relations-but they're still pitching the media as the most important stakeholder group. And with good reason. The press has enormous influence on public opinion in Japan, and Japanese consumers are hungry for news. Consider that the aggregate daily circulation of Japan's five national newspapers is 27 million, equaling the total number of households within the nation.
"Japanese are well-educated, voracious consumers of information, and face a lot of pressure to be 'in the know,'" says Sakae Ohashi, president and CEO of KYODO PR Co. Ltd., a 35-year-old firm that boasts roughly 100 Japanese and 20 international clients.
"We believe media relations is a more cost-effective method than advertorials, brochures and other printed matter, or sponsorship at special events. Japanese consumers generally regard editorial articles as credible, but give less weight to advertising," he says. As such, Japanese CEOs tend to rank media relations above lobbying and I/R on their lists of budget-worthy priorities.
Ohashi adds that media relations can yield a particularly effective ROI in Japan, as the country is "essentially homogenous and all in the same time zone." The challenge is getting the ink or the air time.
Major publications or broadcast stations receive upwards of 200 news releases a day, according to George Kanazawa, a senior account executive with KYODO. And a look through the morning edition of any national daily in Japan reveals there are no more than three to four pages devoted to business. Even the Nikkei Business Daily and Financial Times are sparse on pages when compared to the Wall Street Journal (only 40 pages each, compared to the WSJ's 80). As such, competition for reporters' attention is fierce, and media coverage is a precious commodity.
KYODO maintains its competitive edge by building strong personal relationships with reporters at all levels. Many of the cub reporters the agency befriended 30 years ago are now top editors or writers. KYODO has perpetuated a cycle whereby PR staffers grow in tandem with their counterparts in the press. New generations of reporters entering the fold are never ignored.
KYODO has a database of more than 10,000 reporters, editors, TV producers, and other media wonks from major dailies to local press and even town guides published by neighborhood associations. But the agency never mails out press releases en masse. Recipients are selectively targeted, and most pitches are hand-delivered. Materials sent via mail or fax are followed up with personal phone calls.
Ray Josephs has been in PR since 1948, specializing in international communications. He was the founder and longtime chairman of International Public Relations Company, Ltd. In New York. He can be reached at 212/758-1313.
Appetite for News
| A comparison of average daily newspaper circulations, by country. | |
| Japan | 576,000 |
| U.S. | 218,000 |
| U.K. | 344,000 |
| Germany | 313,000 |
| Source: KYODO PR Co. | |