Goethe was a workaholic

The publisher Fujisan has come up with Goethe, a lifestyle magazine for workaholic men in their 30s and 40s. Japan is famous for its long working hours, so one might ask why nobody has come up with such a concept before.

I think the reason why such a magazine has only appeared in 2006 is the progressing income polarization in Japan, which is the result of quite recent economic and social changes. Probably until the 1990s almost everyobody in Japan worked long hours, but this was nothing special as it was done for a largely equal pay. These days, with the increase in part-time employess and freeters, having a full-time job and being on the career track seems to have become a distinct lifestyle option. A large workload has come to equal career success, and therefore very much a status symbol - hence the need for a lifestyle magazine dedicated to not being stuck in a dead-end or part-time job.

By the way, the title is less far-fetched than it seems - Goethe seems to have been a workaholic himself.

Kitkat

Nestle Japan is a good example of a multinational company that has successfully adapted its marketing and communications approach to the special characteristics of the Japanese market. Because of a linguistic resemblance of the name Kitkat with the Japanese "kitto katsu" ("definitely going to make it"), Kitkat has become the snack of choice for high-school students studying for the university entrance exams each spring. Nestle has cleverly included this fact in its current advertising campaign, encouraging students to do their best and using the cherry blossom season (which begins after the exams have ended) as an image of the bright future the students can look forward to.



The campaign is not limited to print adverts, but also includes a limited-edition Kitkat in cherry blossom flavor and package design as well as POS decoration (such as in this convenience store close to a famous university) with fake cherry blossoms.

AU goes interactive

AU has come up with an interesting new idea to present its handsets on the web. With hi-touch au it is possible to touch the handsets (albeit virtually through movements and clicks of the cursor) and so view them from all sides or zoom in on details and special features.