Mikio: Our company operates “Pocket Marche,” a platform connecting primary industry producers with consumers. Amid the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sales of agricultural and marine products, we urgently decided to air a TV commercial. We consulted LampTokyo on everything from strategy planning to creative development.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCVlDkcWpQY

The TV commercial planned and produced by LampTokyo.

At Pocket Marche, we have provided our service with the belief that by conveying producers’ passion to consumers and supporting sales and delivery, we can make primary industries such as agriculture, fishing, and dairy farming sustainable. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, many people started refraining

from going out, which caused significant damage to farmers, dairy farmers, and fishermen who supply restaurants. In early March, we created the hashtag “#StrugglingDueToCOVID19” on Pocket Marche and began supporting affected producers.

This movement was reported on TV information programs, sharply raising attention toward Pocket Marche. Until then, many of our consumers were highly interested in food issues and ingredients, but now more general users have become aware of and started using our platform. We felt that this level of social attention to connecting producers and consumers might only happen once in a hundred years, so we decided to run a TV commercial.

However, since we had limited experience with promotions, we consulted Takaki from LampTokyo. Incidentally, Takaki and I joined the same company as new graduates, and we have had discussions beyond just promotions. He was in charge of marketing as an advertiser at a large company, so he understands both the client and contractor perspectives. This ability to understand both sides was the main reason we ultimately entrusted the project to LampTokyo.

Takaki: At first, it felt like helping a friend from my former company, so I was surprised when I heard we were actually going to broadcast a TV commercial. However, after hearing Pocket Marche’s passionate vision, I decided to support them.

Usually, it takes at least three months from briefing to air for a TV commercial, but in this case, it was only three weeks. The most important part was understanding what the client wanted and repeatedly discussing proposals that matched their needs to improve the plan’s quality. Normally, that process takes time, but this time we had less than a week. We managed this because of my close relationship with Mikio, which enabled quick understanding of the business context and issues. Also, Hiroyuki Takahashi, CEO of Pocket Marche, clearly conveyed the vision at the first meeting. Knowing the top management’s intentions helped us finalize the plan and production within a short timeframe.

Mikio: The biggest thing was that they understood what we value. We had struggled for a long time over what keywords to use to communicate our service’s value. The social value we want to convey is the joy and happiness born from direct connections between producers and consumers. But that emotional value is hard to reach in the short term.

On the other hand, the most common value consumers feel when using Pocket Marche is “deliciousness.” We wanted to show both these points. LampTokyo understood our concerns and considered how to express this creatively.

Usually, you have to choose one value, but they stood in our shoes, devised a strategy, and created a creative concept that balanced both. That is why I am glad we entrusted LampTokyo.

Takaki: From my experience as a former advertiser, I felt the advertising industry often operates as one-way communication, with the advertising company simply responding to client requests. Based on that experience, I believe it’s essential to face clients as “partners.”

To achieve results in marketing and promotion, dense discussions in a short time are necessary. If something doesn’t feel right, I speak up. For example, even if asked to make a TV commercial, I think it’s better to start by discussing “why” they want it. From that discussion, we grasp the client’s intentions and propose appropriate plans and strategies. That is our policy.

Basically, I work from the business owner’s standpoint, considering marketing strategies, planning, creative production, and media selection as the greatest benefit.

In Pocket Marche’s case, the need was not long-term branding but increasing new members immediately while conveying the company’s message. Many viewers probably saw Pocket Marche for the first time, so the commercial needed to serve as an introduction and feel “interesting,” with elements encouraging action. The creative directly expressed the company and employees’ identity. It was not only about producers’ feelings but also about connecting through smartphones and delivery — all part of Pocket Marche’s character.

Mikio: The monthly transaction volume was already increasing before the TV commercial aired, but it rose about 14 times after broadcasting. On the consumer side, new users increased, and some dormant customers started using the service again.

Producer registration requests also increased about five times. Loyalty among existing producers improved. Some producers said, “It’s the first EC commercial I’ve seen that doesn’t use the word ‘bargain.’” Producers, who often feel ingredients are treated as “consumer goods,” recognized that we are providing different value and understood our stance. This was also a significant effect.

Takaki: Of course, we watch sales, but we also tracked social media for 1–2 weeks after the broadcast. This was a so-called “nice to meet you” commercial, which usually doesn’t generate a huge response. New memberships increase, but that doesn’t often lead to social sharing. However, in this case, there were posts like “It’s moving that Pocket Marche did a commercial,” and people who said “I actually bought something.” Many had such strong feelings they shared their actions on social media, which exceeded our expectations and made us feel the impact was solid.

Takaki: Many products and services like Pocket Marche are attractive but not widely known. We established LampTokyo to shine a light on such people, products, and stories — hence the name “Lamp.” Many companies want to engage in marketing but miss opportunities due to lack of know-how, marketing staff, or budget. We want to support and highlight such companies, contributing to Japan’s future. Corporate and brand challenges vary greatly. We hope companies who want to identify issues, develop strategies, and achieve results with us will contact us.