the hobonichi business model
TRANSCRIPT
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!