the hobonichi business model

Good morning!

I’m Makiko Shinoda.

Our business: Hobo Nikkan Itoi Shimbun

• Run the website “Hobo Nikkan Itoi Shimbun” (Hobonichi)• New content every single day for over 17 years, since

June 1998• 1.3 million visits per month

• Generate revenue by developing and selling lifestyle goods via e-commerce within own website

• Sales breakdown 　 merchandise 90%; publishing 5%; shipping&handling 5%

(no ad revenue) 2

Who is Shigesato Itoi?

• Copywriter• Lyricist• Essayist• TV personality• Game designer

• Editor in Chief, Hobo Nikkan Itoi Shimbun

WHAT WE DO

ほぼ日手帳Hobonichi Techo

14

550 thousand copies in

2015

#1 at Loft

Hobonichi Techo is going global.Over 30 thousand copies, 82 countries.

International users on Facebook, Instagram, and Weibo

HOW WE DO IT

「まず銀座通りをつくる。

そうしたら、自動販売機を置いても

稼げる」

First, create a Ginza.

Then we can make money even with

a vending machine.

読み物も商品もコンテンツ。

Content can be an article or a product.

High willingness

to pay

Long-term profitability

No sponsor

s

Free content, no

sign-up

New posts every day

Enjoymentof

everydaylife

Flexibility in content

theme and format

Large, diverse

readership

Three Rings of Creativity

Trust

Internet

Three Rings of Creativity

Motivation

Articulation

Congregation

Society

WHAT WE BELIEVE

Our perspectives

Understand fundamental nature of people that is constant throughout historyEmbrace both the goodness and weaknesses of human nature, and aspire to be good『インターネット的』 “ Internetty” Flat, Link, Share

History

Human nature

Society

うちの土鍋シリーズ　「ベア１号」Clay pot

『インターネット的』“ Internetty,” 2001

• Flat Hierarchy⇆• Link Compartmentalize⇆• Share Monopolize⇆

Our approach to marketing

Conventional approach• What do they want?

– End users– Channel– Other departments, your boss…

• Most advanced, supreme, ultimate

• Who is the target segment?

• PR is an afterthought.

Our approach• What do we, the consumer, really

want?

• Is this the best among the standard?

• Would someone from the 15th century like this?

• Would people want to talk about this? Is it fun?

Target “them” and improve the odds.

Manipulative – “they can’t tell”

Start from “me” and dig deep to approach universality.Respect and trust the average consumer.

Hierarchy… is toppled… and becomes a ship

Office seating arrangements by lottery

Other sharing mechanisms

• Share philosophies and decisions

• Wednesday meetings

• Weekly planning meeting

• Be open, be seen

• cc: All

• All customer e-mail is forwarded to everyone

糸井事務所が目指すもの「ほぼ日」がどうしていくかについては、いつも同じです。「人（＝じぶん）がうれしいことって、どういうことか」とにかくこればっかりを、しつこく考えることです。逆の言い方でもいいんですよ、「じぶん（＝人）がうれしいことって、どういうことか」　たぶん、これがぼくらの最大で、唯一の仕事ですから。ー『今日のダーリン』より

Our aspiration

What Hobonichi should do stays the same.“What is it that brings people (=me) joy?”

Just think through this, single-mindedly, persistently.We can turn it the other way around, you know.

“What is it that brings me (=people) joy?”This, I think, is the most important and only work to be done.

--Today’s Darling

Who we aspire to be

やさしく be good

つよく be strong

おもしろく be fun

Thank you!