Tokyo Tours from CScout on BBC Fast:Track

Written by: Michael Keferl on July 2, 2009 at 7:06 pm | In DIGITAL LIFE, LIFESTYLE / FASHION, MARKETING IDEAS, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS | 1 Comment

Earlier this month we had the pleasure of spending the day with Rajan Datar and the crew of the BBC World business/travel show fast:track during their visit to Tokyo with Richard Branson.

Since the show expressed an interest in our Tokyo Trend Tours, a service we’ve been doing here since 2002, we planned a full day of locations and meetings that give a well-rounded view of what we do. We do tours and market immersions for professionals and globe-trotters alike, this time with a focus on a few of our favorites: The KDDI Designing Studio, Beams CULTuART, HP France, and Toppan. The idea was to show the power of mobile culture, fashion, and where they converge in the retail space.

It was also nice to find out that our friend Danny Choo was going to be featured in the same segment, which I believe we had once before on Attack of the Show. Funny how these things work out.

Many thanks to the BBC for a successful day, though I think I’m going to change my last name to “Keferi” since it seems to be the default misspelling/mispronunciation every time I do television!

Check out the video here on Yahoo. If you’re interested in inspiring yourself or your team with some time in Tokyo, from street-level trends, to nightlife, to boardrooms, feel free to contact us anytime.

Tags: Mobile, Press coverage, Retail
Category: DIGITAL LIFE, LIFESTYLE / FASHION, MARKETING IDEAS, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS
Other categories: No categories

Net-based Supermarkets on the Rise

Written by: Rebecca Milner on July 2, 2009 at 7:06 pm | In DIGITAL LIFE | No Comments

According to a study conducted by Yano Research, the commodity home delivery market rose 4% between 2007 and 2008 reaching a worth of over 1.5 trillion yen (about USD15.6 billion). Moreover, the value of “net super” orders (groceries ordered over the internet) reached 23 billion yen in the same year—1.7 times the value of the previous year. The growing elderly population and increasing number households where both partners work are cited as reasons for presumed market growth.

While convenience is obviously key, a number of customers concerned with food safety are using the internet to order food directly from organic and pesticide free foodstuff producers. Orders of this nature (following recent scares about tainted food from China) rose an impressive 12.6%. Yano anticipates that the general commodity delivery market will rise to 1.8 trillion yen (about USD18.8 billion) by 2013, of which 46.8 billion yen (about USD488 million) will be organic foodstuffs.

While most major national grocery store chains have “net super” components, other service providers are rising to the occasion. Once such example is the fashionable Kunitachi Farm. Originally a restaurant in suburban Tokyo that sources ingredients from nearby farms, the brand has expanded to include a net store on Rakuten, Japan’s enormous, all-encompassing net mall. Shoppers to the site can see pictures and profiles of the farmers who bring the food to the table, adding a new element to the food preparation process.

While some may lament that solitary shopping online means that neighbors will no longer meet and interact at local markets, a few web services actually have a community element built in. A popular example is the Co-op supermarket chain online Pal System that allows neighbors to form community purchasing groups, saving money on bulk purchases and receiving free shipping. To date, over a million shoppers around the country are enrolled in the Pal System.

Trend Potential
Online grocery shopping rises to the occasion, meeting the needs of consumers valuing not only convenience but, increasingly, food safety. Meanwhile key sites show how a community element can be included, demonstrating that net shopping need not necessarily be anti-social.

Tags: FMCG, Retail
Category: DIGITAL LIFE
Other categories: MARKETING IDEAS, LIFESTYLE / FASHION, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS

Marc Jacobs QR Code from SET Japan

Written by: Michael Keferl on June 30, 2009 at 9:15 pm | In DIGITAL LIFE, LIFESTYLE / FASHION | No Comments

Creative QR code innovators SET Japan, fresh off of their buzzworthy Louis Vuitton / Murakami QR code promotion, have now released a new edition for Marc Jacobs.

You can only access the new Marc Jacobs mobile site from a Japanese phone after scanning the code, but the code itself is worth it on its own. Quite amazing how nicely they can be designed while still remaining incredibly functional.

Tags: Marketing, Mobile, QR Codes
Category: DIGITAL LIFE, LIFESTYLE / FASHION
Other categories: MARKETING IDEAS, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS

Retro Paper Speakers from Princeton

Written by: Michael Keferl on June 30, 2009 at 7:38 pm | In DIGITAL LIFE | No Comments

Gadget maker Princeton has just come out with some nifty DIY Paper Speaker sets that look like retro audio players, but plug into your modern player or PC to become your unassuming, space-saving speakers.

Inside the paper boomboxes and record players are a tiny 3W amp and 1W speaker that, if anything like the Yorozu Audio Sound Revolution paper speaker we’ve played with before, should actually have some decent sound. It’s quite amazing how well sound vibrates through paper to become quite full.

Princeton is also doing a speaker-crowdsourcing contest for creative types to make their own papercraft speakers, so if you have any ideas that you want mass-produced, now’s the time to break out the scissors and crayons!

Tags: Audio, gadgets, Papercraft
Category: DIGITAL LIFE
Other categories: MARKETING IDEAS, LIFESTYLE / FASHION, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS

Louis Vuitton x Mobage Town Make Branded Mobile Game

Written by: Rebecca Milner on June 27, 2009 at 1:27 am | In DIGITAL LIFE, LIFESTYLE / FASHION, MARKETING IDEAS | No Comments

Louis Vuitton Japan has created an original game for mobile web SNS and game portal site Mobage Town by DeNA. The free game, called Precious Cargo, will have a limited run from June 25th to July 7th. The simple puzzle game features a backdrop of the brand’s iconic monogram. Players try to line up the boxes with matching designs to clear the boxes, score points, and reveal images of Louis Vuitton products. The debut of the game is timed to follow up the opening of the Louis Vuitton “/underground/” concept shop that opened last month in Ikebukuro’s Seibu department store.

Trend Potential
Young potential consumers are given an opportunity to literally play around with the brand’s classic monogram. For many, the Precious Cargo game may be their first interaction with the brand—and Louis Vuitton endeavors to make it a positive and fun one.

Tags: Brands, gaming, Louis Vuitton, Luxury, Marketing, Mobile
Category: DIGITAL LIFE, LIFESTYLE / FASHION, MARKETING IDEAS
Other categories: PRODUCT INNOVATIONS