Post on 05-Dec-2014
description
Opinion Leadership and Culture among youth in
JapanThe case of @cosme
The concepts of Opinion Leaderships
and Culture
the process by which one person (the opinion leader) informally influences the actions or attitudes of others.
The key characteristic of the influence is that it is interpersonal and informal and takes place between people who are not representing a commercial selling source.
Opinion leadership
CultureThe sum total of learned beliefs, values,
and customs that serve to regulate the consumer behaviour of members of a particular society.
Culture is learned over time, and normally transferred through various social levels of interaction (Family, school and peers) which tend to form sub cultures.
Opinion Leaders and Culture…
The relationship (often opinion leaders) reinforce the unique cultural values and/or attitudes of a selected group
Whereas such values or traits might be subjective, they often reflect a common trend.
In Japan, youthyouth have increased in number and purchasing power => forming the basis for a unique cultural definition, with a unique consumption culture
An external influence
Internal Source
External Source+ = Consumer
Decision
Experience, Knowledge,
Memory
Opinion leaders, Reference groups,
Family, Social class, Culture
Presentation of @cosme
Introduction to @Cosme Website : Advice and shopping
Main users : Youth between 16-25
Business model is mix between Community and infomediary (information intermediary)
=> Based on loyalty : High investments in time and emotion
=> exchange of voluntary and independent data which can be analysed to support advertising campaigns
Social networking => product and service reviews which help users make consumption decisions
What is “@cosme”?
WOM based SNS website(especially about cosmetics )
Only in Japanese
200 million PV/month
Advertise
Selling
Research
Organize cosmetics
community on website
1,350,000 members
What is “@cosme”?
Who are their target?
Mostly young women who are interested in cosmetics
“@cosme’s 3 key features”①WOM based ranking
“@cosme’s 3 key features”②WOM based search engine
Product picture
Comments
Rank by ★★★
Link to the online store of @cosme (come.com)
“@cosme’s 3 key features”③ Free question asking wall
As there are 2,800,000/month unique users
ask
answer
Get some points that can use for receiving samples of products
Also @cosme sells products
web
real
Convenience stores
@ cosme thanks festa
Experience professional make up
Get some samples
Specialists’
Marketing Mix
Product PlacePromotion
What What makes makes
@cosme @cosme attractive?attractive? Pric
e
Product (service in our case)
product and service reviews around cosmetics mostly but other products could be included
PriceFreemium pricing model
=> Because access and contribution to @cosme is free, i.e. no subscription, many youth are more inclined to use it
• Their strategy is weakened by the limited number of physical stores
=> Perhaps this keeps their operational costs down and further permits freemium pricing for web usage
PromotionDifferent ways of communication via Internet
Promotion=> Strengths
Use mainly Internet : community website
Ex:
Events
Ex: once a year giving samples
On the products in cosmetics shops you can find sometimes the ranking
Trust because no partnerships
=> Objectivity
Promotion=> Weaknesses
No referenced on Google as an ads
Private circle for the events
No use of magazines => important media in Japan
PlaceOn Internet
=> The main product is the website for advices
=> Huge mobility
Some stores well located in Tokyo
Ex : Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ikebukuro
=> But not well indicated, and limited number of physical stores
What are the specificities of Japanese Youth Market?
Dominant Japanese Youth consumer traits
Loyalty to brands
=> Group Conformity
Status
=> Desire to be recognized
Trendy
=> Technology
=>Sophisticated
Powerful word of mouth
=> Collectivist attitude
Conspicuous consumption
=> No responsibility + disposal income
Things you need to know about Japanese youth
consumers…
1. 1. Short PLC
Things you need to know about Japanese youth
consumers…
2. 2. Importance of product/brand recognition by
others
Things you need to know about Japanese youth
consumers…
3. 3. Word of mouth
Things you need to know about Japanese youth
consumers…
4. 4. Consumption = Status
Things you need to know about Japanese youth
consumers…
5. 5. Fulfilled needs
→→ new needs must be created by marketers
(Consumers are no longer seeking to fulfill needs. New need recognition must be created by the supplier)
What does @cosme say about the Japanese Youth
consumers?
What does @cosme say about the Japanese Youth
consumers?
@cosme as opinion leaders In the model of consumer decision making, @cosme is
considered an avenue for opinion leaders. It is an external influence on consumer behaviour
The fact that it resonates a lot with Japanese youth means it is a symbol of consumer behaviour within this age group
Its model and choice of the marketing mix reveals some of these traits and cultural aspects towards consumer behaviour
…@cosme and Japanese youth…
@cosme suggests Japanese youth as search buyers and risk averse : reduce any perceived risk in the consumption decision process. This is also suggestive of their insistence on quality…
The popularity of and reliance on @cosme also suggests a collectivist consumption attitude among Japanese youth : the need for group conformity
The majority of the reviews are around Japanese cosmetics and brands could be indicative of this age group’s trust in the quality of Japanese products and inclination towards ethnocentricism
Where next for Japanese Youth…
Despite these suggestions of consumer behaviour of Japanese Youth through their use of @cosme, the tide might be changingmight be changing
Researchers contend that there is increasing “Americanisation” of this consumer group in Japan
The example of Hip-hop Culture
This can be seen in the development of the Hip-Hop culture (among others) in Japan, which has its roots here since 1984
Hip-Hop culture (which is essentially American) exhibits itself in some Japanese youth’s choice of dressing, choice of music consumption and many times use of language.
This suggests that perhaps Japanese youth are Japanese youth are becoming more global consumersbecoming more global consumers than ever before
Conclusion
But more interestingly, it might suggest a trend towards more “Western” consumption behaviour
Such behaviours are characterised by individualism as opposed to collectivism, greater independence and less group conformity when making consumption decisions, a slightly more risk tolerant attitude towards consumption thereby caring less what they rest of the “group” thinks about them.