For those responsible for product development and PR, some may be struggling with “not being able to come up with good PR ideas,” while others may be troubled by the current situation, thinking “the sales promotions we're doing now aren't working well.” For those seeking new ways to disseminate information, this article will explain the benefits of anime marketing.
We hope that by reading this article, you will understand the advantages of anime marketing and find it a starting point for solving your challenges.
Those responsible for new product development or PR often face challenges like “How can we raise public awareness of this product?” or “We need to know how to drive purchases.” The methods available are numerous, and in recent years, various approaches have been tried, such as event planning and utilizing social media and websites. “Anime marketing” is positioned as one such method.
In fact, more corporate representatives are adopting this “anime marketing.” The reason lies in the fact that animation is widely accepted across all age groups. According to the Anime Marketing White Paper 2020, the number of anime viewers in Japan exceeds 35 million, clearly showing its broad appeal.
However, given the popularity of animation, you might wonder if it only resonates with younger audiences. To address that, the data shows that viewers in their 40s actually make up the largest demographic. This proves that animation's appeal extends far beyond just the young and is enjoyed by a wide range of age groups.
Source: Anime Marketing White Paper 2020 “Survey on Consumption Trends in the Entertainment Sector” (KADOKAWA Game Linkage Co., Ltd.)
Specific examples of other companies leveraging anime marketing
Now, let's take a look at how other companies are utilizing animation marketing and explore what kinds of approaches are out there.
Otsuka Pharmaceutical: Calorie Mate CM “Summer Begins”
This animation captures the passion of students who never gave up during the pandemic, striving hard in various club activities. It's a video uniquely from Calorie Mate, which every year releases videos cheering on those who keep pushing forward toward their goals.
Regarding the video production, Morinaga Milk Industry's official website states:
“This video depicts the people featured in the previous four episodes connecting within their daily lives to form one larger story. It embodies our wish that by having our products be a part of everyday life, it will bring more smiles to each person and help cultivate enriching moments.”
Within the animation, Morinaga Milk Industry's products blend seamlessly into the characters' daily lives, making it easy for viewers to imagine themselves using the products. Furthermore, as evident from the text on Morinaga Milk Industry's corporate site, serializing the animation series represents the company and its products as being “close to everyday life” across various scenes.
Benefits of anime marketing
So, what are the benefits of “anime marketing” using such popular animations? Primarily, two key advantages can be cited:
It fosters a sense of familiarity among users
It effectively communicates the features of services or products
Let's examine each in detail.
Easily fosters familiarity and high visibility for users
In anime marketing, creating animated videos featuring characters offers distinct advantages: they are easily recognizable and tend to make users feel “so cute you just can't help watching” or “the animation makes it dynamic and easy to understand.” Furthermore, combining music and backgrounds alongside the characters allows for a stronger impression on users and stimulates their imagination—this is the benefit of animation.
Furthermore, characters introduced through animation can be leveraged for information dissemination and character merchandising, paving the way for expansion into IP business.
For more on IP business, please see the next article.
Effectively communicates service or product features
How can we effectively communicate the features and appeal of our services or products? Primarily, it involves: ① Presenting the user's concerns or challenges to gain empathy, ② Making the target user believe “this benefits me,” and ③ Clearly depicting the usage scenario.
In other words, creating compelling storytelling is fundamental. Looking at the competitor examples mentioned earlier, we see that their stories evoke emotion, empathy, and engagement. By crafting such strong narratives, animations can convey significantly more information than static images and make intangible services easier to understand.
Furthermore, compared to live-action videos, animation can express complex product structures and character movements that are impossible to film. Unlike real people, characters in animations can be freely designed in appearance, personality, and even subtle emotions and expressions, making it easier to portray the ideal persona users seek.
Thus, animation's high expressive power offers the advantage of effectively communicating the appeal of diverse products and services.
Essential factors for success
As we've introduced, anime marketing using animation popular across a wide range of age groups offers various benefits.
However, if you're going to utilize anime marketing, you'll want to ensure it delivers solid results, right? Two essential elements for successful anime marketing are producing high-quality illustrations and designing stories that resonate with users.
That's why we recommend the service “voiPic” operated by NOKID Inc. NOKID is an illustration-focused content production company with a strong capability for large-scale animation production and a reputation for delivering quality that exceeds its price point.
Tokuma Kanna
Founder and CEO of NOKID Inc., a premier creative studio specializing in short-form animation and graphic design. With a focus on narrative-driven visual storytelling, he has spearheaded high-profile projects across the global entertainment landscape. His portfolio includes the acclaimed VALORANT: YORU TYPICAL DAYS cinematic, the Hatsune Miku x Seven Premium 15th Anniversary campaign, and Koda Kumi’s music video "100 no Kotoba-tachi e." As a leading producer in the PV and MV sectors, Tokuma continues to redefine the intersection of animation and contemporary digital media.
Behind the scenes of the short-form anime production process! The secrets to capturing viewers' attention through planning, production, and outsourcing
