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Biggest Marketing Trends in Japan

What was trending in 2022?

In the field of digital marketing, nothing ever stays still. Trends are ever-changing, and move with the market.Micro trends are being born each and every day. Last year has been as interesting as ever in Japan so far. In this video, we take a look back on 2022, and discuss 3 largest trends in digital marketing. 

In general, we can notice 2 major themes to current marketing trends:

  1. First one is the result of increasing digital demand and consumption (in line with other nations around the world).
  2. The other surrounds a major change in data control and transparency which highlights the importance of a multichannel approach when it comes to digital marketing in Japan.



1. Digital consumption dominates

Back in 2020, digital ad spend surpassed TV for the first time in Japan. It was a major moment for the industry in Japan and a momentous occasion for digital marketing as a whole. Other nations declared the same only a few years earlier (e.g. the US in 2016 and the UK in 2018). At the time, it seemed inevitable throughout the world.

The vast rise in digital ad spend is fuelled by consumer demand, and the way we live our lives. As time has gone on, generations have changed, technology has advanced and in turn, so have our habits. We have welcomed this change and our reliance on mobile connectivity and computer usage.

In fact, Japanese people now spend almost twice as much time online as watching TV.  This suggests 2 things: Firstly, the demand for digital content continues and shows no signs of stopping. Secondly, the sheer size of the opportunity for advertisers online. 



2. Multichannel marketing

Businesses started realising the need to embrace multichannel marketing. That is how important this trend really is, and the Apple’s iOS 14.5 update only added fuel to the fire. The update in 2021 meant that iPhone and iPad users can now decide if they want to block or monitor apps tracking them throughout the internet. It is designed to give people more control and transparency over apps that want to track them for advertising.

Two years later, the iOS 14.5 update still proves that businesses should not be over reliant on a single channel for their digital marketing. Therefore, the smarter decision, especially for consumer-focused businesses, is to diversify your brand’s marketing channels so that you get full consumer coverage across digital.

At DMFA, we with clients and partners to create the most effective marketing campaigns possible across various channels to increase sales and brand awareness in Japan. We cover platforms like LINE, Yahoo! JAPAN Ads, Google Ads, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Apple ads etc. We also provide website localisation and SEO services, making sure it’s as user friendly as possible for Japanese audiences. Let’s discuss how we can support you and your business.



3. Ecommerce

Japan’s ecommerce market is expected to register a combined annual growth of 14.3% during the period 2022-2027. This industry is well developed and has registered sustainable growth over the last five years, supported by high mobile and online penetration and high consumer preference for online transactions. 

The success of ecommerce in Japan is down to a number of different factors. First off, distribution in the country is advanced and well connected. This, combined with the small size of the country, means that shipping and delivery is quick and reliable.

Digital advertising, such as search and display, have also boosted the ecommerce market. Furthermore, social commerce is on the rise. This is when ecommerce businesses use sponsored content by working with influencers to promote products which is further propelling the growth of ecommerce. 

 


Summary

To summarise, we could notice 3 prominent trends in digital marketing in Japan last year:

  1. Digital consumption dominating over other media.
  2. Visible increase in multichannel marketing.
  3. Continuous rise of ecommerce.


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If you are looking for an agency to boost your digital marketing in Japan, or a trusted partner in the APAC region – let’s talk! Simply fill in the form and schedule a free consultation here.

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