Girl Power
No, this is not about teenagers, not even women in their 20s. This special section in the May 1 issue of Senden Kaigi is about women in their 30s or older, who are being perceived by marketers as a major force in the Japanese marketplace. It’s a topic that I find fascinating, so I am taking a break from my series on the thoughts of top-ranked Japanese creatives to bring this report to you.
Following the usual Senden Kaigi format, this report is a series of interviews. These are prefaced by a page headlined
The amazing product development power of girls “running wild.”
GIRL POWER
makes markets!
The illustration shows two pairs of women. One of the older pair in front is saying to her friend, “Did you know that [Korean actor] Yon-same has a false tooth?” One of the younger pair in back is saying to her friend, “They say that Prince Hanikami likes fried pork cutlets.” The caption reads, “When women talk about the people they like, age is irrelevant. Women are still girls.” The illustration is followed by a lead paragraph that starts with the fact that two women, Kawakami Mieko and Sakuba Kazuki, won Japan’s leading literary prizes this year and are credited with reviving a sagging publishing industry. It goes on to suggest that, instead of the career woman, the role model for Japanese women in their 20s and 30s is now the girl they want to remain.
The first interview is with sociologist Kurita Nobuyoshi, famous for his studies of the role of kawaii (“cute”) in Japanese pop culture. Kurita suggests that the phrase “girls in their 30s” is no longer seen as a contradiction in terms. Women may grow out of being little girls, but remaining girls is now seen in a positive light. “Girl” no longer implies inferiority to men. Instead it refers to freedom and the pleasure that women take in all-female groups where workplace hierarchies can be forgotten. Ohira Ayako, editor in chief of InRed, a magazine the targets the “girl market” says that “girl” is a concept that transcends generation and occupation. It evokes the power of women to turn around and be themselves.
Nagaya Ayako, chief producer for fashion house Girls Collection observes that, while women prefer conservative styles when they go out to parties that include men, in all-female groups they want to be as stylish as possible. F1 Media CEO Handa Katsuhiko adds that these women are used to good quality products and service and discriminating in what they choose for themselves. If something strikes them as “for other people” they regard it as irrelevant.
Media activist, manga artist, and columnist Shinsan Nameko probes more deeply. She points to the popularity of actresses Nakasaku Hiromi and Izumi Kyoko, who are fully competent adults but constantly appear to be in need of someone to depend on. Their cute or girlish quality is rooted, she says, in this gap. She says of herself that she feels most girlish when she is with having lunch with classmates from high school or college.
I can’t help observing as I read this that classmates have normally scattered to different homes and workplaces; thus, these gatherings are thus relatively free of competitive pressures. Who is most stylish may be an issue, but competition is throttled back. More compliments than barbs are exchanged.
The section ends with profiles of two rising female stars in the world of Japanese advertising. Morimoto Chie, the founder of design house goen has worked on projects that range from the Nissan Note automobile to the music group Mr. Children. Mitsui Akiko is a copywriter, planner and creative director at ADK, Japan’s third-largest agency. Morimoto sees no limits to the imagination and sensitivity that women bring to communication. Mitsui says that the key to success in the advertising business is to love the product even more than the client (though it also may help to include a professional hair and make-up treatment in preparations for presentations).
