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Japanese Homemakers Switch on to U.S. Agriculture
By Ritsuko Nomura
FAS’ Osaka office linked a local broadcaster with U.S. food exporters. The result: low-cost publicity for American agriculture, reaching Japan’s primary food buyers.
It’s the ebbtide of a weekday afternoon in Osaka, Japan, and "Wide ABC..." is on the air once again doing what it does best--entertaining homemakers with slices of life from their city.
One day, proud mothers can videotape their daughters’ performance in a girls’ bell choir. On another, seniors demonstrate a traditional dragon dance in front of a train station.
And on two episodes last year, there were unexpected guests: carrots and grapefruit from the United States.
A dashing young television reporter enthusiastically proclaims a sample of California carrots "delicious cooked or raw and very healthy" and he adds that they are "very convenient to use" since they come packaged, pre-peeled and bite-sized.
He then pours Italian dressing on a bowl full and gobbles it with gusto.
Viewers can send in postcards to win a sample of the widely praised carrots–plus a set of the same lovely wooden bowls featured in the spot.
Who came up with this fantastic U.S. produce publicity? Actually, it was a stroke of good luck made better by the excellent networking skills of FAS’ Agricultural Trade Office in Osaka.
"We used the shotgun approach," said Daniel Berman, who headed the Osaka office at the time of this project. "We sent letters to about 20 FAS cooperators in Japan. You had to already have a presence as an established exporter to benefit from this kind of promotion."
Armed with information about who was ready to supply, the ATO recommended only products that Japanese consumers could see, remember and buy the next day at the store.
A Bargain for
U.S. Exporters
That winter, "Wide ABC..." featured Florida grapefruit. A perky announcer, bundled up in a blue ski jacket, excitedly extolled the fruit’s health benefits as snowflakes fell on her hair.
Exporters paid $830 to have their products appear in these contests. It turned out to be a bargain.
"It’s expensive to get on television in Japan. Usually, you must spend between $5,000 and $10,000." said Berman.
Cooking Shows Spice Up Markets
A feature spot on these programs may actually be better than advertising, Berman notes. Being on a favorite show or receiving a celebrity endorsement can enhance a product’s credibility.
A case in point would be Emiko Kaminuma’s "Cooking Time." This internationally syndicated culinary show can be seen in the United States on some Hawaiian stations.
It’s spawned cook books and a website, complete with Asian and Western recipes.
During each show, Emiko Kaminuma invites another renowned Japanese chef into her television kitchen to make a special culinary creation.
On one program last year, king salmon with mushrooms was featured on the menu. The star chef pointed out that he was using fresh salmon from Alaska.
During the commercial break, a 60- second ad told viewers more about the virtues of Alaskan salmon. They were encouraged to write in for samples, and about 1,000 did.
This show was more expensive--at about $6,125–but it provided lengthy exposure.
Tuning Into a Key Demographic
In the United States, there’s plenty of television that caters to homemakers. Afternoon soaps and morning talk shows may not admit it, but their advertising is an obvious clue to their target audience: cold medicine, often for children, cleaning products and toys.
Program planners and advertisers overseas also know that when it comes to supermarket shopping, the hand that runs the sweeper rules the world. And to court her, it pays to make an appearance on programs she watches.
Japan Insight, a clearinghouse of statistics and news, reports a surprising demographic development. The number of stay-at-home housewives rose dramatically during Japan’s period of economic growth in the 1970s and 1980s. A change, since traditionally husband and wife worked as a team in business.
Whether she works outside the home or not, in 70 percent of Japanese families it is the wife who manages the household money–including food purchases.
"‘Wide ABC...’ with its 10-percent market share, is very popular with housewives," said Berman. "It may be only a 20- to 60 second slot, but they remember the prizes, whether or not they send in a postcard."
Similar, Yes; Identical, No
To get the most out of these promotions, an exporter should try to think about food the way a Japanese housewife does.
"U.S. consumers like the idea of being able to eat their favorite foods year ‘round," said Berman. "Japanese shoppers prefer knowing which foods are in peak season and enjoying them then. They also like specialty items."
Freshness and quality are the key points to stress when selling in Japan.
"There is a tendency in Japan to be suspicious of imported foods," according to Berman. "While we do extensive work in Japan to convince consumers that they can have confidence in our foods, there is a lingering perception among some consumers that imported foods may not be as safe as their domestic products."
There Is No Re-Wind Button
While promotions on these programs offer opportunity, they are not without risks. All four U.S. participants in this project said they would participate again. But they did have to accept whatever was said about their products on the spot.
Tomasello Winery in New Jersey had a blueberry wine featured on "Good Morning, It’s Asahi Broadcasting." But they found their product lumped into a larger segment on international wines.
Although they were the first wine sampled, not every anchor liked it best.
"It’s very sweet...ladies would like it," one host sniffed as he sampled the Tomasello product.
Considering the primary audience, it was a sound endorsement.
"We were contacted by Willex Company, Ltd., a firm hired by Asahi Broadcasting, which airs ‘Wide ABC...’Although the companies involved have not yet documented actual sales results, they feel that the image-advancing TV exposure will help sell their products to department stores."
--Ritsuko Nomura, FAS Osaka.
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The author is with the FAS Agricultural Trade Office in Osaka, Japan. Telephone.: (011-81-6) 6315-5904; Fax.: (011-81-6) 6315-5906;E-mail: atoosaka@fas.usda.gov
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