Development and provision of video applications and systems (Sprasia)
Successful media exposure by conducting preliminary study sessions
PR for the launch of the video marketplace “CM STUDIO”
Company name: Sprasia Inc.
Industry: development and provision of video applications and systems
Business content: Provision of IT services centered on the video domain, system development, and operation of the video marketplace “CM STUDIO”
Interviewees: Toru Motooka, Head of Marketing Communication Unit, and Mai Ishikawa, Unit Leader, Splasia Inc.
Interviewed by: Keiko Shima and Yusuke Kamimura, PR consultants, ShapeWin, Inc.
Since its opening, Sprasia Inc. has been working in IT services centered on the video market. In March 2019, it launched “CM STUDIO,” the first video marketplace in Japan. The company held a “media study session” as a means of PR to promote the superiority of CM STUDIO in against an oversaturated market of competiton.
The event successfully gained the desired media exposure; five media outlets in the IT/marketing fields attended. ShapeWin consultants spoke with a representative from Sprasia about impressions of using a PR firm for the first time and the key strategies behind the scenes that resulted in the success of PR campaigns.
Providing Convenience Beyond Existing Video Production Clouds
Keiko Shima
Please tell me about Sprasia.
Mr. Motooka, Head of Marketing Communication Unit, Sprasia Corporation：
Since its establishment in 2007, Sprasia has specialized in video-related IT services and simultaneously began offering a consumer video platform. We have developed a video synthesis engine using our cultivated technological capabilities and hold a patent for it. With the technology it has cultivated, it has developed a video synthesis engine for which it holds a patent. Today, in addition to video-related services, which have always been our forte, we are also working on designing some business systems through utilizing the knowledge and know-how gained from our experience in developing and operating services as an operating company.
Shima: How did CM STUDIO come into being?
Ms.Shima
How was CM STUDIO born?
Mr.Motooka
In 2009, we launched CocoMovie, a video editing application that later became the forerunner of CM STUDIO. CocoMovie was a fixed monthly service that allowed users to create videos easily with fixed templates., but it had some issues with usability and scalability, such as the difficulty of gathering the necessary materials for production and the trouble of flexibly changing the templates. We wanted to solve this problem and create a service where anyone can easily create videos.
Ms. Shima
We already had the technology and the platform. So, all we need is to clarify the concept and make the price and features easier to sell.
Mr.Motooka
That is correct. Soon, we joined the Hakuten Group, where we learned about new marketing ideas and various business concepts. Then, we created a new project “CM STUDIO” – a marketplace that includes many functions and templates.
The PR challenges for the launch of CM STUDIO
Yusuke Kamimura, Shapewin Corporation (Kamimura)
You approached us before the launch, and one of the issues you mentioned was that you wanted to increase awareness but lacked knowledge. What kind of knowledge did you need to solve this problem?
Mr. Ishikawa, Leader, Marketing Communication Unit, Sprasia Corporation
To begin with, even our parent company had no experience in public relations for its services and businesses as a product company. We wanted to ask an outside professional to help us with what we lacked in knowledge and experience in marketing and PR.
Mr.Kamimura
How was your first contact with a PR firm?
Mr. Ishikawa
As I talked to different specialists while selecting a PR company, I began to think that “CM STUDIO” is more complicated in terms of PR service than I had initially thought.
Mr.Kamimura
What exactly did you find was difficult?
Mr. Ishikawa
CM STUDIO is a new service based on a mix of multiple factors, including years of experience in video services and a unique business model that developed over the years.
Mr. Kamimura
When I first heard the explanation, I thought it sounded interesting. At the same time, I also thought it would be challenging to differentiate it from other similar services. I had to bring up a “pitch” and “keywords” that would catch the media’s attention.
Working with a PR Firm that Can Solve Issues
Mr.Kamimura
Why did you choose ShapeWin from among the many PR firms?
Mr.Ishikawa
I was looking on the Internet for a company that provides PR support to venture companies, IT, and B2B. The deciding factor was the best impression of your PR services during our first meeting
Mr.Kamimura
What are the specifics?
Mr.Ishikawa
There were a lot of B2B PR case studies, and there was also a wealth of knowledge about other IT services and SEO. Also, the many ideas you gave us in our first meeting were already helpful. Above all, I liked the flexibility of your proposals.
Mr.Kamimura
Thank you.
The Keyword “5G” and the Implementation of Study Sessions
Ms. Shima
The ironclad rule of public relations PR is how to incorporate a trend. I was deliberating which trendline to use for the PR of the new service. I suggested “5G”, which launching in 2020 could be a good one to appeal to.
Mr. Ishikawa
When we launched the service, Mr. Nakajima (the current President and CEO) was aware of 5G, and we had talked about including that element in our sales materials, etc. So, the story of the lack in the content, even when the infrastructure was in place, made sense. However, we did not consider an idea to include it in the press release.
Ms.Shima
Perhaps, another explanation of the success is the integrity of our management strategy and PR.
By the way, how did you feel about ShapeWin’s media relations?
Mr. Motooka
I already heard that you have a strong relationship with the media. However, I wanted to know some specifics about your connections with the media world. .
Ms. Shima
Relationships are hard to convey because they are sensory values. We appealed to our media sources prior to the launch and offered them a compelling story about Sprasia. The media found the story interesting and wanted to know more about Sprasia’s business model and future potential.
Therefore, we proposed a “Media Study Session” inviting the target media for exposure and demonstrating the concept of Sprasia to them. We counted on the direct explanation and demonstration that would provide more understanding and raise the media interest in the project.
The Outcome of the Study Session
Mr. Ishikawa
The most challenging part of preparing for the workshop was creating the materials. Even when creating a marketing strategy, it’s not easy to make a document with these many details. However, we decided to explore the opportunity. Representative Nakajima and the members of the MarCom Unit developed an approach for an easier understanding of our project. We demonstrated all our communication channels, including sales, productions, materials, and sales agents with whom we have alliances.
Ms. Shima
I had all the information on hand when I visited the media to talk about the numbers and other aspects of the story. It gave us an advantage because it was all done to the completed picture.
As a result, we could have as many as five people for the workshop. How did you feel about that experience?
Mr. Ishikawa
I hadn’t had many opportunities to interact with the media in the past. Therefore, it was a great chance to communicate with the people right from the middle of the trends. We were also able to exchange opinions on how to grow our service in the future, which was a great learning experience.
Mr. Kamimura
Are there any specific and helpful comments?
Mr.Ishikawa
The media of the online stores asked good questions from the “standpoint of using”. All of the feedback we received has been incorporated into subsequent FAQs and used in sales.
How Actually PR Works
Mr.Kamimura
We knew the importance of having high-quality articles in the necessary quantities. So we conducted PR activities with that in mind, but how were the results?
Mr.Ishikawa
Thanks in part to the study session, a total of eight media outlets (excluding reprinted articles) were able to publish the article. Of these, four were the media that participated in the study session. I believe that the study session led to an increase in mindshare.
Ms.Shima
In the case of new service announcements, the media often writes articles about obtaining features from the release.I felt the article was worth reading because it included their opinions about the future of the service.I think they became fans of Splasia through the study session.
Mr.Ishikawa
One of our articles is still receiving traffic from Facebook to the CM STUDIO website and shows the potential to embrace more audience.
Ms.Shima
Many curated media also reprinted it. I think it continues to flow in from online searches after the announcement. That’s a strong influence. The media that attended the event are still asking for updates on CM STUDIO.
Ms.Shima
How is the business of “CM STUDIO” since its launch?
Mr.Ishikawa
The number of registered members has been steadily increasing thanks to our efforts. The CM STUDIO is a free service that allows users to create as many videos as they want, so we are trying to get as many people as possible to become members and try out the CM STUDIO. We still need to work on attracting more customers, but the conversion rate is satisfactory. In addition, there are visitors progressing to become a member.
Mr.Motooka
There are many issues to be addressed. However, I am satisfied that the first step in PR has been taken where I thought it would be.
Future Plans for CM STUDIO
Mr. Motooka
The CM STUDIO mission is to solve the fundamental issues in video production, such as cost and skills, and create accessible environments for working with videos.
The service is designed to be easy to install and use from the user’s perspective.
Ms.Shima
What are some of the most common templates utilized?
Mr.Motooka
There were many templates for company introductions. I have the impression that many of the registered users are advertising agencies.
Mr.Ishikawa
I have the impression that many people are looking at templates for targeting events.
Ms.Shima
What are some aspects where CM STUDIO can help PR and marketing professionals? Can you tell me anything, in particular, you think “CM STUDIO” is qualified for?
Mr.Ishikawa
First of all, it’s not a “monthly fee” service, but a “spot service” that anyone can use easily, which is fundamentally different from other services. No specialized knowledge or skills are required, and any user can easily produce high-quality videos whenever they need them. It is free to create, and it is all free except for some paid functions. So, I hope our clients use it as much as possible whenever they wish.
Mr.Motooka
A video released together with a press release makes it more newsworthy. Also, it is possible to turn all the text into a video.
Ms. Shima
There is also a press release service that distributes press releases with the video attached, so the use of video in PR is likely to increase.
Mr.Ishikawa
In the press release of CM STUDIO, we sent out a video introducing the available services. Some media published the video. In addition, we uploaded the video to YouTube and sent the same information as the press release in the company’s e-mail newsletter. So, the click rate was very high, and the views were continuously increasing.
Motooka
In IR (investor relations), there are times when we don’t make a video for a “shareholders meeting” but only for a “briefing session” with a question and answer session.
Kamimura
I think the stock price will go up if use the video. It might be good to have a template like the 30-second digest video for IR.
Motooka
That’s what business videos are for.
Kamimura
I’m sure there will be many ideas for using video. It’s a platform, so I’m sure there will be more ways to use it in the future. Thank you very much for your valuable talk today.
Final Thoughts
A press release is one of the cheaper methods to obtain media coverage than advertising and promotion. Yet, PR is not as simple as that. This is not that easy to obtain media attention. Media receive hundreds of press releases a day, but they need to comprehend the content of the release and cover it in an article that appeals to their audience as well. For example, in the IT field, such as applications and internet-based services, it is necessary to convince the media to see the actual movement and understand the details of the environment surrounding the industry. This time, we held a study session for the media to provide a small group of journalists with detailed information on the competitive environment and other factors. The fact that the journalists could experience the advantages of CM STUDIO led to the targeted exposure.
Currently, videos are used for promotions in various fields, such as company introductions for hiring and sales rankings that change every day and will continue to increase in speed in the 5G era. I believe that video will continue to be an essential tool for public relations and PR. The “CM STUDIO” is a great tool to produce high-quality videos relatively easily. So, it is worth giving it a try.
Homepage: https://cmstudio.jp/
Account creation and video production are free of charge. Purchase of videos is charged.
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