The countdown to the Tokyo 2020 Games begins today (proudly sponsored by Omega the official timekeeper) with a number of events taking place across Japan to celebrate the “One Year to Go” mark.

One of the major events today was the unveiling of the "sustainable" medals that will be awarded to the athletes during the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The medals make history by being crafted from 100% recycled metals.

Between April 2017 and March 2019, the Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) conducted the “Tokyo 2020 Medal Project”. The aim of the project was to collect small electronic devices such as used mobile phones from all over Japan to produce the medals.

Approximately 6.21 million devices were donated over the two year period to craft the 5,000 Olympic and Paralympic medals. The Tokyo 2020 Medal Project hit its metal collection target in July, 2019, generating 30.3kg of gold, 4,100kg of silver and 2,700kg of bronze.

Scopic works to help Japanese businesses grow globally, contact us to find out more.

Less is always more in design, and uncluttered, easily navigated websites are always the big winners!

If you’re thinking about updating your website in 2019, then consider implementing these three minimalist web design basics to make sure you are creating a positive user experience.
 
Focus on Simplicity
An effective website is structured on a minimalist approach to visual communications. Minimalist websites are built around the concept that less is always more, and always better. This means that minimalist website design purely focuses on the necessary and essential elements required to effectively communicate. This way any clutter or distracting visuals that may increase complexity are cut. How minimal you go, will depend on the purpose of your website, your target audience, and of course your business.
 
Maximize Negative Space
Minimalist websites maximize negative (or white space, but it does not have to be white). Negative space is the space on your website where there is no element placed. Using a white background on a minimalist website increases the negative space and pulls visitor attention to the dominant content. Creating space around images, clearly separating paragraphs and isolating important content guarantee visual communications are easily absorbed by visitors. Sparingly utilizing negative space will reduce unwanted interference and improve the overall user experience.
 
Minimize Color Palate
Color plays a powerful role in the visual communications of your website and is a central element of your brand's visual identity. While it is not the only element, it is most definitely one of the first things absorbed and possibly one of the most remembered by visitors in relation to your brand. Minimal use of colors (no more than two or three core colors that are associated with your brand) will add clarity, improve navigation, increase accessibility and reinforce your brand's visual identity. Taking the time to carefully consider your website color palate will also reinforce your brand experience for visitors.

In web design, a superior user interface, or UI design, is crucial to a positive user experience or UX design. You only have one or two seconds to entice your visitors and have them engage with your website. Creating a clean, crisp, minimal website will allow you to communicate your brand more efficiently and effectively --- it is that simple.
 
Scopic works with businesses to create a simple experience for website visitors, contact us to find out more.

For a brand to attract and engage with an audience in a saturated global market it needs to communicate its brand in a consistent, relevant and authentic manner across all channels to all audiences. The smartest way to maintain strength across your brand is to create a style guide with exact specifications, guidelines and examples.
 
What is a brand style guide?
A brand style guide (also known as a brand book or brand guide) is simply a reference tool that helps content creators maintain consistency by establishing what a brand must look, feel and sound like at all times. It’s one of the most important resources of your business. It sets a clear focus for all parties—employees, partners and investors.
 
A style guide should include all the essential guidelines for your brand’s identity voice and tone especially the elements listed below.

• Brand Position: Brand story, mission and values.
• Logo: Color, size, positioning and clear space.
• Color Palette: Print color (CMYK) and digital color (RGB) codes.
• Typography: Font type/s, size, color, spacing and alignment.
• Imagery: Mood, size, focus, clear space and background.
• Copy: Key words, word count and tone.
• Print Material: Specific specifications and examples.
• Digital Material: Specific specifications and examples.
  

A well-thought-out style guide is an essential reference tool for creating branded content. To clearly and effectively communicate with your target audience in a consistent and effective way you should always refer to your style guide, as it provides brand stability and strength.

Scopic works with businesses to create engaging and memorable brands, connect with us to find out more.

As business becomes more globally competitive, Japanese companies need to better align with local English-speaking markets in order to expand and grow in the future.
 
We work collaboratively with businesses to create effective branding, communications, marketing and sales solutions that positively impact on future growth at a global level through our Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) partner services.
 
Outsourcing certain business processes offers a number of advantages for Japanese businesses.

Cost Reduction: Outsourcing helps Japanese businesses control costs and increase profits. Business process outsourcing provides a comprehensive range of business services at reduced costs including lead generation, email marketing, telemarketing, inbound customer inquiries and order taking.
 
Experienced Professionals: Recruiting new English-speaking employees and training them in product knowledge and services requires a lot of time and money. Through utilizing the services of business process outsourcing, Japanese businesses have the ability to have their marketing and sales divisions communicate directly with global customers in English in real-time.
 
Core Business: Outsourcing increases the time that Japan-based management and employees can better focus on their key domestic responsibilities. Business process outsourcing offers a flexible and customized way to grow Japanese businesses across new English-speaking markets without having to neglect core Japanese customers.
 
As a global partner, business process outsourcing partners add reach to Japanese businesses on an international scale through the integration of branding, communications, marketing and sales solutions.

If you like what you see and are interested in finding out more, then connect with us via email and we’ll get back to you on the same business day.

Business Outsourcing Inquiry
global@scopiccommunication.com
Communications Inquiry
hello@scopiccommunication.com

Japanese Webpage 
www.scopiccommunication.com/japanese

Color is one of the most effective ways to communicate your brand and products to your audience. Color contributes not only to distinguishing your products from your competitors, but also influences consumer mood and feeling.
 
Research into the impact of color in marketing, appropriately titled Impact of Color on Marketing found that colors really do influence the moods and feelings (positively or negatively) of consumers. This research paper indicated that between 60-90 percent of product evaluation and product purchase is based on color alone. Additional research has also shown in The Interactive Effects of Colors and Products on Perceptions of Brand Logo Appropriateness a correctly chosen color mix for your business logo can bring immediate value to your brand.
 
Effective brands use color to great success to engage and connect with their audience. Before even choosing the color mix for your logo, marketing materials, website or product range it is important to firstly consider some basic points:
 
1. Color is memorable
Color is a central element of your visual identity. Carefully consider your visual identity color mix, as it acts like the personality of your business with your audience. While it is not the only element in your visual identity, it is definitely one of the first things seen and possibly the most memorable of your visual identity. 
 
2. Color is innate
Find out the demographic breakdown of your audience and what color mix may persuade them to act. Defining who you are speaking to will greatly influence your color selection. Now you know your audience, you will be able to choose a color mix that positively influences your audience’s moods and feelings.
 
3. Consider the competition
Check out your competition and consider how you can differentiate your brand and products from your competitors with color. This can be tough, as you will still need to connect with your audience and satisfy marketplace perceptions. A/B testing (split-run testing) of color options with your target audience will help you make an informed decision.
 
4. Consider the platform
Be sure that whatever color mix you choose for your brand and products it can work online as well as in traditional print marketing. What looks great on a computer screen in RGB may not look so great on paper in CMYK. Also, carefully consider the color mix for your online messaging, active text and purchasing buttons, so to complement and at the same time stand out from the other content on the webpage.
 
5. Be consistent with color
Your branding and visual identity needs to be consistent, clear and uncomplicated. When you try to do too much color, your messaging gets lost. By keeping things consistent and clear, you are keeping your visual communications strong and memorable. Color consistency will ensure your audience develops a visual connection and relationship with your brand's personality and products. This will inevitable influence sales. 
 
​Scopic works with businesses to create strong and memorable brands, connect with us to find out more.

As you have no doubt heard by now, online content marketing is the new currency of our digital age, and if done correctly, offers one of the most effective ways to communicate with your target audience.
 
But don’t let this shift in how we communicate and share information have you think that the old school Press Release or Media Release has had its day. Media releases should still be an essential element of your public relations strategy. They are an extremely effective way to share business achievements, product releases and event announcements with a wider audience via credible media outlets. 

Here are five tips to writing an effective media release for free.
 
1. Get picked up
The very first thing seen of your media release — just like your brochure content, magazine advertisement or online banner — must grab attention. Your media release headline and first paragraph need to be engaging, and attract the attention of the editor or journalist. Basically, make sure you cover who, what, where, when and most importantly why your media release should make news in the first paragraph. Remember to write in an inverted pyramid style — most important to least important, just like in the newspapers.
 
2. Keep things simple
Write in short sentences, short paragraphs and keep the information clear and concise. As a basic rule, limit your media release to one A4 page in content. This will have you focus of producing concise, compelling content — something time-poor editors and journalists are always looking for. If your media release is picked up, you will most likely get the chance to add more detail later if required.
 
3. Quote an influencer
People like to hear news from credible sources or experts in a specific field, so make sure to always include quotes. Using quotes from someone in your business, an industry leader, a local celebrity or a social media influencer will help make sure that your story is "newsworthy" and newsworthiness plays a central role in whether your story makes it to the presses or online.
 
4. Save your story
A media release is all about building positive public relations — trust — with your audience/consumer, so focus on the news first and keep a short "about the brand" to the end. A strong, trustworthy relationship between your business and media outlets is always mutually beneficial. 
 
5. Look the part
Make sure to have Media Release or Story Idea in the subject line of your email with an enticing headline. Editors and journalists will spend just a second or two deciding whether something looks interesting and should be opened up. Also, add an image or short video (30-60 seconds) that helps tell the story.

​Finally, editors and journalists will need to have your contact details in the media release to follow-up and ask questions, or to arrange an interview if required — for convenience, use the standard media release format below.
 
Head your media release with the following:
Media Release
For Immediate Release – (Date)
 
Close your media release with the following:
Media Contact:
Email:
Phone:
Media Release Ends
 
Scopic connects businesses and people through creative communications, contact us to find out more.

The key purpose of your communications and marketing activities should be to entice your client, visitor and/or potential customer to act. This is why you need to use strong and clear call-to-actions (CTA).
 
A CTA is the text and/or graphics you use to persuade your target audience to take positive action. An effective CTA grabs your audience and tells them exactly what to do next.
 
Choose specific objectives
Carefully consider how you want people to act and be specific. Create your CTA based directly on your marketing objectives. Use concise language and keep the actions required hassle-free.
Download your product overview? "Download Now"
Click on a specific webpage? "Click Here"
Sign up to your newsletter? "Sign Up Now"
Pick up the phone? "Call Today"
Visit your store? "Come In"
Send an email? "Email Us"

Use space and color
Carefully consider the negative/white space you have around a CTA as this space will draw audience attention to your key message.  Also, using contrasting colors will draw greater attention to the CTA. Use a different color for your key messages, active text and buttons, so they stand out from the other content on the page.

 Interested in finding out how we could help your business persuasively communicate? Let's connect.

We understand that as business becomes more globally competitive, Japanese companies need to better align with local English-speaking markets. We work collaboratively with businesses to create effective communications, marketing and sales solutions that positively impact on future growth at a global level.

As a global partner, we add reach to Japanese businesses on an international scale through the integration of our communications, marketing and sales solutions into their business.

Discover the benefits of international business outsourcing and get an idea of the communications, marketing and sales solutions we offer in our 2017 Business Process Outsourcing Overview.

As the end of this year quickly moves closer, it is not too late to start proactively planning your 2017 marketing strategy and related marketing spend. Ensuring marketing success in the year ahead, requires you to reflect, focus and plan now.
 
Use these simple five steps below to create a plan to drive business growth in 2017.
 
1. Create a marketing schedule
Get a 2017 calendar and mark each day/week you want to launch a marketing campaign for your business. Mark days/weeks that are key sales periods on your “Marketing Schedule” – of course this will vary depending on your products/services and key markets. Remember, to make sure you firstly take the time to review your current 2016 marketing periods/activities and identify what worked for your business.
 
2. Identify marketing deadlines
Now you have created your “Marketing Schedule” for 2017 – for every day/week you marked, count back four weeks and mark it as “Marketing Deadline”. This is when you should have your marketing strategy finalized and ready to go. Too often marketing campaigns are rushed and this impacts on the creative aspect being compromised.
 
3. Consider strategy time
For every day/week marked “Marketing Deadline” schedule at least two weeks before as “Strategy Time” – this is when you need to take a few hours to review the overall marketing strategy to make sure it is inline with current objectives and market trends.  Marketing KPIs you need to be measuring to better understand your ROI may include: website traffic and level of engagement, social media reach and engagement, marketing qualified leads (MQL), sales qualified leads (SQL), and of course sales growth relevant to a particular marketing campaign or promotion.
 
4. Allow for production time
Effective marketing campaigns take time to create, test and revise. Booking quality advertising space or media spots also takes time and by leaving it too late you may be limiting your options. This is why it is extremely important to plan ahead.
 
5. Build professional connections
Finally, now is a great time to start to build new relationships with marketers, designers and media outlets in preparation of launching your 2017 marketing activities. By reaching out now you will be able to start to grow strategic relationships with key partners. Like effective marketing, creative business relationships take time to grow.

Scopic helps you better engage and connect with creative communications, contact us to find out more.

​Nielsen a global leader in consumer understanding shares the keys to unlocking the millennial mindset. With millennials making up nearly 25% of the globe's population at 1.7 billion people they are about to make a substantial impact on the global consumer landscape in the immediate future.
 
" Millennials are also a demanding generation that wants a more balanced, healthy lifestyle, and they want to be more informed about companies, their products and their business practices. They also expect products to do more for them and for their community."
 
According to Nielsen, “core values and characteristics will remain the key influencers and drivers for how Millennials think, spend and act throughout their lifetimes.”
 
Read more here: The keys to unlocking the millennial mindset
 
Scopic helps you better understand and engage with your target audience, contact us to find out more.

Simply, localization is the process of reworking business communications to align with another market and culture. The key objective of localization is to have a brand resonate with the local market’s audience.
 
The localization of Japanese brands will become a necessity for many businesses (based on the target demographic) as the population continues to age faster than any other country on the globe. With over 30% of Japanese aged over 65, weak consumer spending in the Japanese market is predicted to continue.
 
Why Japanese businesses should localize and go global?

• Over 55 percent of consumers stated that the ability to have product information in their own language is more important than price.
• Over 60 percent of multinational enterprises believe localization is important for achieving higher company revenues.
• Over 70 percent of multinational enterprises believe localization is important to achieve increased revenues from global operations.

 
Japanese to English translation of a print ad, digital campaign or company website is only one small part of a number of pieces that are involved in the successful localization of a brand.
 
To truly capture and then engage with a local audience Japanese brands must also consider the following important points:

• Evaluating the graphic design elements and images so that they better target the audience’s visual tastes
• Shaping the tagline and copy to better connect and engage with the local audience’s beliefs and expectations
• Adapting the design format and layout inline with local market standards and industry requirements

Remember, it is important not to strip away too much of the businesses brand identity during the localization process. Keeping your branding globally consistent will ensure international partners and clients develop a strong connection and relationship with your business. Japanese products/services are generally internationally associated with high standards in quality, so use this positive as a point of separation from the local brands in the marketplace.

Taking the time to research, plan and successfully execute the localization of a Japanese brand will positively impact on the business’s future growth.
 
Scopic works with Japanese businesses to localize for the global market, contact us to find out more.

Designed by Tokyo artist Asao Tokolo the design uses three varieties of rectangular shapes and the traditional Japanese colour of indigo blue to represent different countries, cultures and ways of thinking.

According to the 2020 Tokyo official statement "In Japan, the chequered pattern became formally known as “ichimatsu moyo” in the Edo period (1603-1867), and this chequered design in the traditional Japanese colour of indigo blue expresses a refined elegance and sophistication that exemplifies Japan."

​Hit the link below to read more: https://tokyo2020.jp/en/games/emblem

Nielsen a global leader in consumer measurement and information offers a snap shot on how a creative strategy can resonate with different consumer groups in different ways. 

"For years, Carl’s Jr./Hardee’s creative strategy has included incorporating sex appeal into a number of their ad campaigns. While their sexual advertising, presumably targeting male audiences, catches viewers’ attention in high-profile events such as the Super Bowl, analysis via TV Brand Effect identified the polarizing effects that these ads have on women that could impact the brand’s overall equity in the long run."

FINDING #1
Carl’s Jr. ads featuring sex appeal creative are no more memorable than their ads without sex appeal for both men and women. 

FINDING #2
Both men and women were more likely to connect the sexual ads to the Carl’s Jr. brand than their non-sexual ads. 

Download the full report here: Nielsen Case Study - Using Sex to Sell

Watch Carl's Jr. | Tex Mex Bacon Thickburger commercial here: Tex meets Mex - Borderball

Scopic helps you connect with your target audience via creative communications, contact us to find out more.

Now more than ever before in our digital age, it’s important for both big and small businesses to have a crisis management and brand reputation plan ready to effectively respond to potential threats and crises.
 
Here are five essential crisis management tips to protect your business and brand's reputation.
 
1. Be prepared
Don’t wait until a crisis hits to create a crisis management and brand reputation plan. This means taking the time, now, to plan your approach; outline the procedure to follow, prepare key statements and messages, and identify the most appropriate channels of communication. Now, is also the time to select the spokesperson to manage and represent your business and brand throughout a threat or crisis.

2. Be open
Don’t remain silent. You may think that remaining silent and waiting for the threat or crisis to blow over will protect your brand, but no it won’t. Explain what occurred, make a formal apology and try to right the situation. If you’re honestly still waiting on facts a simple statement like “We’re aware of what has occurred and are currently looking into the facts.” Remember to never say “no comment.”
 
3. Be honest
Don’t lie. Always tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Trying to hide the facts will only result in more damage being done to your business. When a crisis does occur you must quickly collect the essential facts. What happened? When did it happen? How did it happen? Who was affected? What is the potential impact on your customers, employees and business?
 
4. Be quick
Respond in a timely manner to both customers, employees and media outlets. The longer you wait to communicate the more damage will be done to your business. This is why it’s crucial to have a crisis management and brand reputation plan in place as it allows you to respond quickly to potential threats and crises.
 
5. Be consistent
Maintain consistency by keeping to your crisis management and brand reputation plan at all times. Your plan may include a "public statement" that has been prepared according to potential scenarios that are related to your industry. By having such statements prepared and key messages at hand it’ll help your spokesperson maintain consistency. 

We all make mistakes, but having a crisis management and brand reputation plan ready to counter any potential threats in a transparent and timely manner will protect your business and brand's reputation.

Scopic works with you to protect and grow your brand, contact us to find out more.

We love sharing simple ideas that will help increase your bottom line.

Stay in touch with the latest creative ideas and smarter solutions for your business with our Ideas blog.

Scopic helps you connect with new audiences through creative communications, contact us to find out more.