Mixing it Up with Manga

Although many are familiar with Japanese manga, it is not typically regarded as a marketing medium outside of Japan. However, evidence shows that this may be changing as manga has become increasingly popular across the globe. Impactful marketing is often a combination of words and visuals, which makes manga an ideal channel for marketing messages. And since manga has yet to become part of mainstream marketing, it is a highly unsaturated and under-utilized channel with a ton of potential.

The good news is that conversion rates are high with manga. And this applies to both print and digital. By combining beautiful and detailed graphics along with an engaging storyline, manga has the ability to quickly hook and draw in readers. When used in marketing, it may be a single scene or a multipanel comic, is often used like an advertisement - it is clickable and includes some form of CTA.  Japanese companies have been successful with manga, largely because the format is common and familiar within Japan, but other countries are getting in on the trend, including the UK which has highlighted the art form in different venues and has been a large promoter of manga marketing.

So what exactly works? It really depends on the market and we are still in the early stages outside Japan. But manga can be utilized across different channels, allowing for a lot of creativity. Print and billboards have dominated the market for so many years, but recently digital has made inroads when competing for attention. Social media is also an effective channel for marketing with manga, which is often associated with the youth. Government agencies and other promotional bodies are also participating in the trend as manga can be used to convey serious messages in a light manner and is less intrusive. 

 

A Couple Examples of Manga Marketing:



In this popular manga series "Kosaku Shima," the main character was promoted to company president (shacho) in May 2008. On the volume cover he gives a cheers with with a Premium Malt beer, which was planned in a partnership with the manufacturer Suntory. Along with this promotion, they also sold collab merchandise and advertised in the mass media, generating great results that was covered in the national news.



In this advertisement by the IPA (Information Technology Promotion Agency), what looks like a romantic scene is really just a guy saying "The only thing that can really protect you is your password. You got it?" in order to encourage people to use stronger, more secure passwords.