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Kadokawa Shoten Publishing has entered a new business
domain: magazines for clients conducting marketing activities within
a specific geographic area. Distributed free of charge, each periodical
is filled with information of use to consumers in a particular region
of Japan. Stores, service providers and other businesses in the targeted
region pay to submit articles to these publications in order to attract
more customers. There are two editions. Containing less time-sensitive
information, the annual edition is designed to be kept by readers
over a long time. The monthly version is intended to trigger consumer
activity by readers, primarily by offering one-time-use coupons. Annual
sales in the free periodical market in Japan are estimated at ¥960
billion. This figure breaks down as ¥156 billion from telephone
directories, ¥348 billion from direct-mail publications and ¥455
billion from hand-out materials. Based on patterns at similar businesses,
Kadokawa Shoten Publishing estimates that about ¥160 billion of
the free periodical market is accounted for by long-term retention
publications, while around ¥800 billion is generated by publications
with shorter time frames.
Kadokawa Shoten Publishing is entering the free publication business
as an extension of its successful Walker series of periodicals. Although
somewhat similar, the two publications have clearly different roles. The Walker
series provides readers with ideas through articles that have been selected by
its editors.
The articles are designed to entice readers to buy products and to visit certain
restaurants and recreational facilities. Walker publications cover relatively
broad regions, providing a readership that attracts companies with a nationwide
presence. In contrast, the free magazines contain information solely for activities
close to home and are structured so that readers can easily locate items for their
own neighborhoods and interests.
Clients are primarily operators of stores and other facilities, service providers
and other local businesses.
This approach makes Kadokawa Shoten Publishing’s free magazines a powerful
means for local advertisers to attract customers and boost sales. Since both “proposal”
and “enticement” information are of use to consumers, the Walker
series and free publications can coexist in the market while generating significant
synergies. Furthermore, the entire Kadokawa Group will be able to adapt the information
in these free magazines for a whole range of other content distribution channels
such as different print media, the Internet and mobile phones. |
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KADO navi NAGOYA
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KADO navi FUKUOKA
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A:The existing magazines represented by “Walker” contain
special features called “Recommendation & Suggestion Type
Articles” that are edited and shaped by the editorial division,
which have the function of guiding the readers to purchase specific
products and to go to specific places. In this sense, these can
be called “Suggestion-type” and “Guidance-type”
magazines.
B:The new magazines are new life information magazines that deal
mainly information that supports activities in nearby surrounding.
They are edited so that information items near at hand within the
scope of home life, etc. in a fairly narrow area can be searched
through various patterns. The clients are the owners and operators
of stores, facilities, services, etc. that are engaged in business
in that area.
Thus, these can be called “Sales Promotion Type” aimed
attracting and pulling in customers.
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