Mass-media coverage (700+) for “FOODEX JAPAN”, an International Food Exhibition
Case Study: Japanese Management Association Industrial Promotion Center
Business: Management Organizations
Service: Exhibition Holdings
Behind the Scenes of PR activities. Benefits for FOODEX and exhibitors.
Japan Management Association Mr. Yamanobe (on the left) Ms. Kusayanagi (on the right)
The Largest 700+ Media Coverage over FOODEX JAPAN, International Food and Beverages Exhibition
We interviewed Ms. Kusayanagi about how she achieved a record number of media visits and how she was able to conduct PR that was beneficial to both FOODEX and the exhibitors.
According to Ms.Kusayanagi, it was fascinating having women’s magazines, and other media that had not visited the show before coming to cover the event.
About FOODEX JAPAN
Tomomi Kusayanagi (JMA)
JMA sponsors about 30 exhibitions a year. One of the exhibitions organized by JMA is FOODEX JAPAN, one of the largest food and beverage trade shows in Asia. Buyers of food and beverages come from Japan and overseas.
Mr.Kamimura (ShapeWin)
What differentiates you from other food and beverage trade shows?
Ms.Kusayanagi
First of all, although there are quite a few food exhibitions held both domestically and internationally, many of them feature machinery and equipment. Differently, FOODEX is a specialized exhibition for food and beverages. So, many mouth-watering items are exhibited, and many buyers seeking new food ingredients visit this event. Another advantage of FOODEX, it gathers approximately 10,000 overseas buyers from all over the world. It allows us to expand our sales channels to a global scale.
Mr.Kamimura
What kind of companies exhibit at FOODEX?
Ms.Kusayanagi
Many of the Japanese food manufacturers that are exhibiting are medium to small-sized companies rather than large corporations. Buyers who visit FOODEX consider it a place for treasure hunting, and many of them are looking for companies to extend their business network.
Mr. Kamimura
It is a great opportunity for a small company to make a fortune.
Ms.Kusanayagi
A wide – range of buyers from major domestic supermarket buyers, hotel chefs, and overseas buyers visit our booth. We have received positive feedback about the significant role of the show in the expansion of sales channels.
Mr.Kamimura
Are there any examples (products or companies) that have been a hit among the companies’ exhibitors?
Ms.Kusayanagi
I heard that a local company that manufactures pickles exhibited at FOODEX for the first time 15 years ago. The customers they met and exchanged business cards with at the show for the first time turned into their current major clients and expanded their sales channels.
Another example is a vinegar manufacturer who could not obtain the rights to meet with official buyers prepared by FOODEX. That company was looking forward to meeting a particular overseas buyer. So, they waited outside the room for the meeting. Eventually, such enthusiasm paid off; the company succeeded in a business meeting.
Mr.Kamimura
That is an impressive effort on the part of the company! Do you have any ideas to promote efficient business negotiations amidst the broad number of exhibitors?
Ms.Kusayanagi
Preparation before a business meeting is meaningful, and the FOODEX secretariat is committed to supporting this. We meet with buyers regularly to find out what they want to see and what kind of exhibitors they would like to do business with. We also support the creation of business opportunities by communicating these needs to food and beverage manufacturers as we travel around the country. We also hold lectures on how to write business meeting sheets.
Ms.Kamimura
A key point is not only in providing a venue but also in creating an opportunity. As someone who supports Yamaguchi Prefecture’s efforts to develop sales channels in the Tokyo metropolitan area, I would like to encourage companies in the prefecture to take advantage of FOODEX. Now, let me move on to PR activities.
FOODEX 2016, the exhibition area of food manufacturers from all over the country
The Challenges in FOODEX PR Activities?
Mr.Kamimura
What kind of PR activities did you do before you hire us?
Ms.Kusayanagi
The JMA public relations department was in charge of distributing press releases and handling media interviews. Last year, the policy was changed so that each person in charge of exhibitions also handles press releases and media relations.
Mr.Kamimura
It must be difficult to be in charge of the PR office while you have the overall management of the project.
Ms.Kusayanagi
FOODEX attracts more than 3,000 exhibitors from Japan and abroad, and the wide range of product themes makes it difficult to deal with the media. Therefore, I thought that it would not be possible to conduct sufficient publicity activities.
Mr.Kamimura
I think FOODEX was getting a lot of media coverage even before ShapeWin came in to provide PR support.
Ms.Kusayanagi
Yes, but before, we had been less active. We were receiving applications for TV interviews without doing much. However, we could not build the right strategic approach to the media.
Japan Management Association Ms.Kusayanagi (on the left)
The purpose of FOODEX PR activities
Mr.Kamimura
ShapeWin starts by clarifying the purpose of PR activities since PR is a broad range of activities, and the effects are difficult to understand.
Ms.Kusayanagi
PR is a prerequisite for the recognition of FOODEX itself, and I think we have reached a consensus that PR activities are prominent as one of the ways to appeal to exhibitors.
Mr.Kamimura
We suggested it was necessary to create the image of an exhibition that the media would come to cover and to make it an event attractive for exhibitors to participate in.
Ms.Kusayanagi
With your suggestion, I believe that FOODEX has become a key-role PR activity to be recognized as a “food trend-setting place” as its purpose.
Press Releases Based on the Research to Hit and Increased Media Attendance.
FOODEX Media Invitation Press Release
Mr.Kamimura
I would like to start talking about specific PR measures.
What have been the challenges in creating press releases so far?
Ms.Kusayanagi
It is the content of the press release. It was mainly about what kind of event we would hold as an exhibition organizer and what type of exhibition area we would have. I wasn’t sure if the content was of interest to the media.
Mr.Kamimura
We, too, were not sure what to point out due to a large number of exhibitors and the many themes in the exhibition area. Therefore, we conducted a survey of the media in each genre to find out what they wanted to cover. Based on the materials of some interviews, we asked FOODEX exhibitors to fill out a questionnaire and used this information to identify PR points for FOODEX.
Ms.Kusayanagi
It was significant that we were able to issue press releases based on hypotheses about highly demanded products. I was happy to see that women’s magazines and other media, which had not visited the exhibition before, came to cover the event. We also could strategically expose FOODEX to media in such business programs as World Business Satellite (TV Tokyo) and information programs as NSTA (TBS). I think it was a success in terms of PR for FOODEX.
Wide Range of Media Support in the exhibition: TV, newspapers, and Magazines
TV Coverage of FOODEX Gastronomy Women’s Grand Prix
Mr.Kamimura
You were in charge of the PR contact for FOODEX, including the day of the event. How did you feel about the movement?
Ms.Kusayanagi
Having the media requests for interviews compiled in advance made it easier to handle the media on the day of the event. We had not worked on this before, so we did not know what kind of media would come on the day of the event.
Mr.Kamimura
It was challenging to manage when and which media would come, including TV, but I assume it led to a good result.
Ms.Kusayanagi
I think we were able to schedule the media arrival so that there was less confusion on the day of the event. We could arrange the interviews with FOODEX organizers and interpreters smoothly.
Mr.Kamimura
We could handle covering the event without making them wait too long, which received a very high evaluation by the media. We also heard some journalists mention how well FOODEX managed the event so they could get some good shots.
The “Gastronomic Women’s Grand Prix” Becomes a Standard
FOODEX Gastronomy (culinary science) Women’s Grand Prix Award Ceremony
Mr.Kamimura
We also utilized the Gastronomic Women’s Grand Prix, which has become a standard part of FOODEX, as PR content. Please tell us more about this project.
Ms.Kusayanagi
FOODEX Gastronomy Women is a project started in 2013 to introduce new food trends by influential women as models, celebrities, and nutritionists who are well versed in food. We have received positive feedback from award-winning companies.
Mr.Kamimura
How were the sales of the product?
Ms.Kusayanagi
The product won the Gastronomy Grand Prix and was introduced on Nippon Television’s “Sukkiri ministry”, as a result, a three-month supply was sold out in half a day at once.
Mr.Kamimura
Many media attended the Grand Prix presentation, and NSTA (TBS) also reported on the award-winning products. Do you have any plans for next year’s Gastronomy Women?
Ms.Kusayanagi
For 2017, we have established four categories: Sweets, Drinks, Meals, and Mom’s Love. In addition, female buyers will join the jury from the perspective of a gastronomic girl on the selling side.
Mr.Kamimura
The theme and the selection are now clear. I think it has increased the credibility of Gastronomy Women.
Ms.Kusayanagi
It is not easy to find many male buyers for food products and few female buyers themselves, but we are still expecting about 20 buyers to cooperate with us.
Mr.Kamimura
That is interesting. I am looking forward to seeing the Gastronomy Women’s more powerful than in 2016. I would also be happy to work with them for further projects in terms of support for media exposure.
High Rating of FOODEX PR by Exhibitors
TV Coverage of Exhibitor Booths
Mr.Kamimura
How about the exhibitor’s feedback about this PR?
Ms.Kusayanagi
On the last day of the exhibition, we asked exhibitors to fill out a questionnaire. Remarkably this time, many exhibitors felt satisfied having their booths covered by the media.
Mr.Kamimura
I was pleased to hear positive comments from exhibitors when talking to TV Asahi’s “Morning Bird.” We had a record number of media and visitors, and seven TV programs came to the show, so we are very happy with the results.
Ms.Kusayanagi
You also organized local newspapers and regional TV stations to come to interview us.
Mr.Kamimura
The local media also came to cover the event.
Do you have any specific expectations from us for next year’s FOODEX?
Ms.Kusayanagi
Based on your negotiations with the media, it seems the theme of “otsumami” (a customarily served snack with alcoholic drinks). So this year, we are planning a project called “OTSUMAMI JAPAN” to collect otsumami from not only Japan but also from other countries, if possible.
Mr.Kamimura
We plan to promote otsumami to foreign media in a similar way as tempura as a new culture. It should be an interesting story about how overseas buyers are looking for these snacks, whether they are from Japan or from abroad.
The Message to Following Year’s FOODEX Exhibitors
Ms.Kusayanagi
For the Gastronomy Women’s Grand Prix, we have included female buyers as judges, which will have a branding effect on the award-winning products. For FOODEX in general, we are taking advantage of the lessons learned from the previous show to conduct PR activities more strategically to attract more media, including TV stations.
Mr.Kamimura
Thank you very much for your cooperation in this interview.
Ms.Kusayanagi
Thank you very much.
About FOODEX JAPAN
FOODEX JAPAN 2016 Overseas Exhibition Area
FOODEX has been held since 1976 and this is Asia’s largest food and beverage trade show for business networks. FOODEX contributes to the further development of the food and beverage industry by providing the latest information and services.
Postscript
PR has a wide range of activities, and the objectives are often unclear. The purpose of ShapeWin’s PR support at FOODEX was to increase the number of attending media and exhibiting companies. Understanding what PR can and cannot do will lead to effective management, including collaboration with marketing and sales. Do not hesitate to check out more FOODEX breakthroughs in the future by following the link.
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