One of the biggest objections is a simple lack of understanding. Business owners may see digital transformation as a threat to their workforce or a costly investment. In truth, it represents a ground-breaking opportunity. Myriad business sectors are set to save money and reach more customers than ever before.

Digital transformation: what does it really mean?

It’s easy for marketers to throw around tech buzzwords without any real substance. Machine learning, artificial intelligence or even user experience offer little value without context.

Instead, we need to approach it from a holistic point of view. The Binar Academy defines digital transformation as “a holistic, end-to-end process to serve customers with a better experience by adapting technologies”.

In plain English, focusing on digital innovation will help to:

• Automate manual processes
• Create new revenue streams
• Collect data to spur actions
• Provide a personalised customer experience
• Adapt to new customer demands.

Applying these principles to your business strategy

How we implement these business processes depends largely on the sector. For a successful strategy, organisations need to review their technology and personnel.

Saving time and money with automation

The manufacturing industry has seen some of the biggest impacts of digital transformation. In October 2019, US-based Ithaca Beer Co. introduced automated batch reporting to streamline their production. Previously, brewers would write manual batch reports, which were susceptible to human error. A new automated system saved them $75,000 per day in downtime and left staff able to focus on other key roles.

Adding value

A fantastic retail case study is that of the Lego Group. In 2004, the company was close to folding. The group underwent a huge organisational restructure and turned their attentions towards digital products. They were able to get more value from their staff by experimenting with micro businesses. They also adapted to new customer demand by branching out into mobile apps and games.

The consumer effect

These digital transformation initiatives aren’t limited to in-house production. They also have a tremendous impact on your customers. Once again, it is a holistic, end-to-end process.

So, why should this business transformation impact your consumers? Because the modern-day customer is changing.

How well do you really know your customer?

Smart technology is now so universal, we almost forget how far we’ve come. We engage with emerging technologies daily without even thinking about it, from voice assistants to streaming services.

These digital technologies provide a snapshot of the modern consumer. To survive these exponential advances, we need to recognise new customer needs.

Access over ownership

Physical ownership is becoming a thing of the past. Today’s consumer opts for streaming media rather than owning CDs and DVDs – we want fewer ‘things’ and faster access.

Multi-device access

Today, mobile traffic accounts for 48.91 per cent of all online browsing. The modern customer wants a mobile-friendly experience, and search engines prioritise this.

Need for speed

We know what we want, and we want it now. 53 per cent of people will abandon a mobile site if it takes more than three seconds to load.

Personal experiences

By 2020, 51 per cent of consumers expect companies to anticipate their needs and make relevant suggestions before they make contact. Likewise, 79 per cent of us are more likely to engage with a personalised offer. Only by harnessing customer data can businesses meet these increasing demands.

How can we innovate to satisfy our customers?

There is no better argument for digital transformation than the pace of change. From the age of the Neanderthal, when tools took thousands of years to develop, we’re now moving towards the age of singularity. Quite simply, it’s going faster than we ever anticipated – so how can we keep up?

Leverage customer data

The answer lies in your data. Every two days, we create as much data as we did from the beginning of time until 2003. We’re searching, downloading, transacting – all of which is invaluable information to business owners.

We shouldn’t collect data for data’s sake. We should use it to spur actions, for example:

• Analyse online behaviour to see where customers ‘drop-off’:
  • Conduct a speed/mobile-friendly audit to improve the user experience
• Identify customer segments based on buying trends:
  • Create targeted, personalised campaigns for user groups
• Leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning to predict future sales:
  • Reduce wasted stock by anticipating customer needs.

The three steps towards digital transformation

Digital transformation is not just about technology. It’s about the customer experience, your company culture, and most importantly, your strategy. At Netsells, our teams are on-hand to put these strategies into motion.

Identify the problem you’re trying to solve.

Whether it’s streamlining processes or identifying new revenue streams, digital leaders succeed by pinpointing problems and combating them with new technologies.

Formulate a digital transformation strategy.

This will involve a review of outdated technology, your business capital, and each staff member’s role. Some organisations may benefit from a restructure to get the best from their teams.

Assess your expertise.

New technologies often mean new roles. Business owners should assess whether or not they need to hire an expert, or outsource to a third-party.

Are you ready to transform?

The transformation process is a daunting but infinitely worthwhile investment. According to the International Data Corporation, 85 per cent of decision-makers say they have just two years to make inroads into digital transformation. The time to act is now.

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With 25 years’ experience in transport technology, including a product development director role at Trainline.com, Richard says he co-founded YoRIC to share knowledge and encourage people to engage with the rail industry.

“We hold quarterly evening meet-ups that are open to all – not just those in the rail sector,” he says. “Each time we pick a theme like data or legal innovation and hold a few talks. Then we network with other professionals from all over – anything from academia to York Council, museums and the tourism sector.”

YoRIC also hosts a biennial event to showcase developments in the rail industry, featuring speakers from Network Rail and those involved in the supply chain. The last event took place at the National Railway Museum in February 2019, and Richard says one of its key aims was to change public perception. “Rail travel has a bad public image – people tend to think of clapped-out old pacers. Our events are held to highlight the innovation taking place. We want everyone to get involved, from electronic engineers to data scientists.”

The tech challenges facing the rail sector

Beyond refuting misconceptions, Richard identifies three big developments and challenges for the rail industry over the next five years. The first is structural change – and keeping up with the pace of technical change as ownership changes hands.

“The franchise model no longer works,” says Richard. “We’re seeing a big shift towards public service obligations and the government is taking short-term control. The last Williams’ Rail Review set out a new list of priorities for the industry, fixing the problems caused by privatisation.

“Structural change is a big catalyst for other change – projects that perhaps didn’t make sense some years ago may be viable today, or vice versa. The previous structures didn’t serve them.”

Richard notes a number of challenges within structural developments, including service contracts. “We’ve driven a culture of contractual compliance. It’s hard to plan three or four years ahead – you promise one thing, and then when the time comes, the world has moved on, but you’re still tied into the contract.” This makes rail very risk averse, particularly as an industry that has no allowance for failure.

Mobility as a service

With this shift towards customer-centric travel, we’re now seeing a ‘mobility as a service’ trend. Richard notes that this all comes down to the type of customer. Commuters want convenience, using pay-as-you-go systems from devices like smart watches to touch in and touch out.

“We’re moving away from the inconvenience of the cash and paper ticket system. Much of this comes down to the way we’re working – we might work from home two days a week, so season tickets are no longer cost-effective.

“However, we also need to look at the type of journey. Long-distance travellers don’t just want to touch in at London and find out how much they’ve spent when they touch out at Edinburgh. They want more information around their travel, so the onus is on how we present this information, from websites to mobile apps.”

Connectivity and edge computing

The digital innovation we see today can have myriad effects on pricing, timetabling, error management and crowd control. However, Richard warns that the rail industry has some way to go before we approach true connectivity.

“Most people from the tech sector would be amazed at just how ‘offline’ the transport sector is. Only recently have buses begun transmitting GPS signals. Many trains still run on diesel. The good news is, this is changing – even classic 1980s trains are being retrofitted with analytics tools, like a big computer on wheels. This uploads data in real-time, helping to report errors and reduce delays.

“We’re not timetabling based on guesswork anymore – we can look at CCTV, assess how many people are getting on and off, and report dynamically. This transcends customer benefits – staff can also use apps to report issues.”

Enhancing the digital ticketing experience

Using data to identify customer needs, retailers can now optimise the digital ticketing experience. For example, long-distance business travellers rely on well-designed apps for a distraction-free journey. “Ultimately, it comes down to the product you’re offering. If you are offering long-distance journeys at a reduced price, customers need to have all that information available to them. They don’t need to be distracted by needless contactless tickets and barcodes.

“Conversely, urban travellers going short distances are not as reliant on information, but speed. They don’t want to queue for tickets – they want to be able to track their journeys, and be in and out.”

Naturally, new developments in train connectivity will also affect pricing. Using CCTV, booking data and timetable live reporting, retailers can adjust their prices based on customer demand. However, Richard notes, this only works for rural areas, or for long-distance travel. “In urban environments, simplicity wins. Travel is so frequent that all we need are peak and off-peak prices. For those in more remote locations, or travelling farther, we can use capacity data to adjust pricing.”

But what about other forms of transport?

While timetable delays and on-board errors represent rail’s biggest fear – failure – Richard says that the industry should be more experimental. “Not everything needs innovation, but ticketing certainly does. We need to experiment with different business models.”

One such business model is multi-mode transport. “We could be moving towards one set fee for multiple modes of transport – buses, trains, cars and bikes. But again, we need to understand the customer demographic.

“The London Travelcard scheme was born in the 1980s, whereby you could go to a shop and buy one card for your bus and rail travel. Now, we can do the same with a contactless card, so convenience isn’t the issue. Instead – it’s pricing. Statistically, those who travel by bus only are likely to have lower incomes than those who travel on multiple modes of transport, so why aren’t we offering them the discount?”

However, if we do make the move towards ‘bundles’, we face structural issues once again, warns Richard. “Local authorities are putting together mobility schemes, but the problem is – who buys them? Outside of London, there’s no customer for this. In Manchester, for example, the mayor couldn’t deliver this type of bundle as he only has control over the trams.”

A sustainability shift

Of course, if we can solve the ownership issue, then we could move towards more sustainable travel. “A bundle scheme could drive down car ownership, particularly if we make it convenient with demand-responsive services. For example, if you have many people requesting the same journey at the same time, you could optimise it for the shortest route and the biggest number of passengers. Ad hoc timetables tend to be inefficient, which can contribute to higher emissions.”

Technological advancements are also making the rail industry more sustainable, says Richard, including electrified railways. “We’re moving a lot more now from diesel to electric, and we’re relying on things like regenerative braking and battery power for energy savings.” For an eco-conscious customer, the burden is on retailers to promote the environmental benefits of these new systems, as well as any potential transport bundle schemes.

The takeaway: customer demand drives innovation

Whatever the kind of rail traveller, notes Richard, their demand for convenience is what pushes rail technology forward. “It doesn’t matter about generation – younger people and older people rely on free travel, such as touch-in bus passes. Tech doesn’t deter anybody from using these new ticketing systems, but it does make things easier for the ‘middle’ demographic.”

Ultimately, whether our concerns are pricing, sustainability or simply getting from A to B delay-free, innovation will satisfy customer demand. We’re living in a pivotal moment for rail travel, from more efficient timetabling to better customer convenience.

If we can overcome contractual obstacles, then there’s no telling where rail could go next.

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Few people understand these challenges as well as Ian Pope. As founder of Pope Marshall, Ian offers a talent advisory service for the neobank space and fintech markets. With 22 years’ experience in headhunting, he has spent the last 12 years working with “neobanks”.

“We work on-site while neobanks are undergoing their approval process, otherwise known as the ‘authorisation with restrictions’ stage. They want to remain hidden while they go through the regulatory process.

“Pope Marshall guides them through this. Once they get to the mobilisation stage, we find them an internal person to start training from within. They soon realise that it’s more commercially viable to employ a larger team. At this point, we help out with a thorough, considered recruitment process.”

The barriers to fintech recruitment

Like most start-ups, human resource is one of the biggest barriers to fintech recruitment. “The issue with start-ups is that there are so many things going on at once. They have no time to write a job description. We go beyond just doing a word match – we educate ourselves on the company culture, and interrogate the spec to a high degree.”

But when it comes to launching a new fintech service, what is more important – the people or the product?

“It depends entirely on whether or not they’re in a regulated environment. If they’re not regulated, there are more barriers with timelines, investment, and the market they’re in. If they’re building a widget, they’ll only have one investor – they need to build an MVP and take it to market.”

For regulated companies, however, the right team is essential. Ian notes that timelines are essential once again – but the best staff need to be present from the beginning. “You need to consider having the right people from a risk, finance and tech perspective. In those first six months, you need to have the right figurehead for the business.”

Do fintechs overlook the recruitment process?

One thing that fintech start-ups may miss is the money-saving potential of good recruitment. “Let’s say you need a CTO. You can find someone at a chief architect level and pair them with an independent non-executive. This works just as well and can save you up to £100k on salaries.”

Ian also says start-ups should be commercially-minded. “Historically, most of these companies have focused on customer care and ‘pretty’ products. But they also need to focus on the commercial side. You can’t change the world and then make money – it needs to be the other way around.”

Of course, he concedes that many successful start-ups are a case of right place, right time. “The crucial difference is that commercially-minded people know how to spot an opportunity.”

Diversity and culture: how we can attract the top talent

With Pope Marshall’s reputation for meticulous hiring, Ian is a keen advocate of behavioural tests.

“Businesses often miss vital signs early on in the interview process. To find the real top-tier talent, they need to use a combination of behavioural and technical competency tests.” He cites examples from companies such as Good&Co, who have ‘gamified’ their behavioural assessments based on input from a former Google psychologist.

“These are so much more involved. They talk about learning and development needs, work ethic, and ethos. This is so important because one bad hire could lead to untold toxicity. This could push you back six months – which is six months your competitors have to get ahead.”

Is diversity a non-issue in the tech space?

What is refreshing with fintech recruitment, says Ian, is that it’s so progressive. “Fintechs are so forward-thinking, diversity doesn’t even come up in conversation. They really do take everybody on their own merits. They recognise the benefits of a diverse and inclusive management structure.”

Of course, as a relatively nascent industry, there are dangers of a limited candidate pool. Ian notes in particular that there are fewer female applicants for risk assessment roles. “It’s challenging, but I’ve seen first-hand the benefits of hiring with diversity in mind. I recall going to visit one very traditional, and one very inclusive, neobank in the same day. Only after that did I realise the impact.”

Practising what you preach

Inclusive hiring practices may be one facet of company culture, but Ian advises that business values must be authentic. “I think culture is more important for those with larger aspirations – for example, if you’re building a Bitcoin platform and want to sell to investment banks.

“But you need to practise what you preach. There are socially aware platforms like bunq, whose USP is that they care about the world. They’re living and breathing those values – they’re paperless, and are committed to planting trees.”

Bringing it home

A notable shift in company culture is the unforeseen rise in remote working, which Ian says can only be a good thing for fintech recruitment.

“Working from anywhere gives you access to a bigger pool of talent. Coronavirus has moved us towards a flexible working environment far quicker than we could have anticipated. There’s no reason why all the full-stack developers should be in London.”

Moreover, these mobile working developments are making recruitment a more even playing field. “Recruitment has changed from a proprietary database of information – for example, one agency might have had the monopoly on ERP. Today, everybody has access to that talent: it’s called LinkedIn.”

Flexible working could also signal the end of long-term working contracts, as start-ups look to hire temporary contractors to aid growth. “The talent managers deploy an onsite agency model, develop the project, and move on to the next one.”

Tech as a recruitment asset

As more of us adjust to a working from home culture, Ian notes an upward trend in digital behavioural assessments. “Let’s say you need a project manager. You could ask them to record a four-minute dialogue about Agile – then they could describe what they do outside of work, which will determine if they’re a good cultural fit.”

Despite this, there appears to be coup against video interviewing – perhaps in response to the dreaded ‘Zoom fatigue’.

“I thought video interviewing would be picked up quicker. There are tech platforms like Odro and Hinterview, which record the process and self-delete for data protection. These could save so much time and money in travel.”

He speculates that interviewers may feel as though there’s a lost “human connection” with video interviews. “85 per cent of human communication is done via body language, but the benefits of video outweigh these minor drawbacks. How many times do we think ‘nice guy’ at the end of an interview, without any conclusive data?”

Why the right senior teams matter

Ian notes that we need to upskill senior executives to detect behavioural cues and become better assessors. While tech is a valuable asset, there’s no end to the value of the right team.

“Everyone should have independent non-executives, but they need to be right for the role, not just a beauty parade for regulators.”

The world of work may be changing, but we still need to focus on the fundamentals – recognising human talent and spotting opportunities.

“You need to choose people who will add value to your business, which is why it’s best to have a diverse range of ages and backgrounds. Non-executives have less experience, but executives might be waiting to retire. It’s all about finding the right balance of those hard-fought battle scars and new ideas.”

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As with all marketing, resting on our laurels puts us at risk of strategic drift. Our competitors get ahead of us as they adapt to changing circumstances. If we cannot evolve, we lose our customer base.

So how do we tackle business communication in a closed-off world?

Changing positions – pivoting towards digital

The answer is simple. We position ourselves in front of our customers digitally. You may have seen an incremental rise in webinars and live sessions during lockdown. Early adopters took advantage of a captive audience – global internet use is up 70 per cent since the outbreak.

But while these interactive sessions add value, they can lead to the dreaded ‘Zoom fatigue’. The best business development strategy combines a mixture of long-term and short-term assets.

Social media

Consumers are now spending 44 per cent more time on social networks. We need to make sure our brands are at the forefront of their minds, for example, by offering high-value, shareable content like whitepapers and reports.

The key with social media is consistency. If you’re posting more during lockdown, don’t expect it to tail off once things return to ‘normal’. Consider a long-term strategy that will get customers into phase one of the funnel.

Email marketing

Now that the spate of identikit ‘we’re here for you’ emails is over, it’s time to start putting out content with a purpose. We should be using this time to clean our mailing lists. Consider updating them with the latest contacts and segmenting leads to guide content.

Word of mouth

The oldest marketing method in the book continues to be relevant – but it’s going online. Take advantage of this extra social media activity. LinkedIn is a great way to refer contacts, while you should also use this time to build up your social proof. Ask your clients to leave testimonials on LinkedIn, Google, or third-party sites like TrustPilot.

SEM

Search engine marketing is, without question, the most time-consuming business development method. Pay-per-click can get you quick returns, but it should always be supported by a thorough organic strategy. As Google pledges to help small businesses with advertising costs, now is the time to invest in organic and paid search.

Search engine optimisation – a long-term strategy for COVID-19 and beyond

The pandemic has gifted us extra time to focus on our marketing efforts, including website optimisation. When it comes to SEO, the key thing to remember is that it doesn’t happen overnight. We should expect to see results in a few months, which can be as high as 12 months for a new site.

Consider:

• Are there any ‘quick wins’ you can implement, e.g. fixing 404 errors, optimising meta descriptions or checking page indexing?
• When did you last analyse the competition? Who is ranking for your key terms? Backlink analysis tools can help to power an off-site SEO strategy.
• Is your site UX-friendly? We’ve moved a long way since 2015’s ‘Mobilegeddon’ – now, SEOs are planning for the 2021 user experience update. Consider a user-testing analysis to prepare for these changes.
• What KPIs have you set yourselves and/or your agency? Do you need to adjust expectations based on COVID-19? Are you getting the best ROI from your organic SEO spend?

A cost-effective alternative

Typically, agencies can charge anywhere up to £10,000 per month for SEO services, though this depends largely on the market and the current state of your site. If you’re not looking for a comprehensive DM package, you could try local SEO.

Why local SEO?

Local SEO focuses on serving customers closest to you, and can help you rank against larger national competitors. Of course, the basic principles stay the same, but the focus is on your Google My Business profile. This can help to:

• Rank you in the ‘knowledge graph’ on the map above organic results
• Display opening hours, telephone numbers and your website
• Share updates e.g. blogs, events
• Allow mobile searchers to call you with one click.

It’s also a great way of building trust. Your Google reviews show up directly, giving you social proof with star ratings. This service costs less than £500 per month and offers significant returns.

A short-term alternative

Again, it’s always best to invest in long and short-term strategies. But if you’re a new business with dreams beyond COVID-19, paid advertising is perfect. Ads for a new site have a far higher chance of appearing on page one than organic results, making this a short-term exercise in brand awareness.

Paid ads are also a great source for keyword research, which can power your organic strategy. Note that Google Ads is not for the faint-hearted: it requires constant monitoring of ad spend and search behaviour. That’s why it’s best to have an agency help out and prevent wasted spend.

After some months of investment, you’ll develop a brand reputation. Brand searches have a significantly lower acquisition cost – money which you can re-invest into your organic strategy.

Which business development method is best for you?

Return on investment is key for business survival beyond COVID-19. Before you invest in a digital marketing strategy, make sure you can answer the following questions:

• What are my objectives? More sales? Better brand awareness? What is my agency’s goal?
• Are they SMART? (Specific, measurable, assignable, relevant and time-based.)
• Do I have the funds for a monthly investment? Should I start small and invest more later?
• Am I willing to review my spend, and change in line with what works best?
• Do I have a good foundation of digital assets? Do I need to tidy up my social media/website first?

Wherever your customers are in the funnel, you need to present them with a valuable, trustworthy digital product. This will help your organic rankings and improve your UX – leading to those all-important sales.

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We get it. Marketing is a luxury for some and most senior staff only want to see bottom lines. If your budgets are tight, we’ve picked out the best free content marketing tools.

Content creation and inspiration

From conquering writer’s block to generating new ideas, these tools will get you started.

BuzzSumo

If you’re short on ideas, BuzzSumo has the answer. It offers a free seven-day trial with great research features. Enter a keyword into the content analyser to find out how many people are talking about a topic and where.

Use the question analyser to see what kind of questions your blog posts could answer. It’s also great for topical reaction pieces, giving you insights into what’s trending now. After seven days, you can still use the trending news, “most shared” and influencer research tools.

Canva

We all know that design software doesn’t come cheap. Canva offers free social media templates, backgrounds, graphics and much more. It’s incredibly simple to use and allows you to upload your own images. Its free version is more than enough for infographics and social media posts.

Mailchimp

If you have a message for fewer than 2,000 subscribers, try Mailchimp. It has an extensive list of templates which will allow you to embed your own images, file uploads and links. There are custom fonts, or if you know code, you can add your own web fonts.

The free version allows you to upload mailing lists and segment them. You can also integrate campaigns with Google Analytics and create landing pages.

Unsplash

High-quality, professional images are yours, royalty-free. Ideal for stock images with technology or travel in mind, Unsplash offers high-res photos – ideal for brochures or static webpages.

Hemingway App

The Hemingway App analyses your text for complicated sentences, giving you a numeric score. It will advise you on overuse of passive voice or adverbs, plus it will suggest simpler alternatives. Hint – the lower your score, the better.

Proactive marketing

If you’re looking for sources for an article, try these.

ResponseSource

Created for journalists, ResponseSource allows users to send out requests for information, quotes or products. Journalists plug in their publication details, enquiry, deadline and theme. This request will go out to all PRs, who should respond and point you to a relevant source.

Twitter

Use the right hashtags and the responses will start pouring in. Whenever you use the term #journorequest, for example, the @PressPlugs account will retweet it for you with your contact details and a deadline.

Buffer

Social media scheduling is great for anticipating events or announcing product launches. Buffer allows up to three accounts for free, including LinkedIn pages, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. It recommends the best time of day to post and allows you to customise posts when scheduling across many accounts.

Reactive marketing

Answer PR enquiries quickly and secure more brand coverage.

SourceBottle

Like ResponseSource, journalists use SourceBottle to send out requests for information. You can subscribe to these updates absolutely free and respond where your expertise is required. SourceBottle also holds regular webinars and provides free resources like content calendars. (ResponseSource also has a paid version for PRs signing up for enquiries.)

HARO (Help A Reporter Out)

Much like SourceBottle, HARO sends out large text emails with huge numbers of requests. These are categorised by theme and have a link to a longer enquiry. The beauty of HARO is its consistency – it sends out three posts daily with upwards of 70 requests.

Google Alerts

Enter a keyword into Google Alerts and you’ll receive an email every time it’s mentioned in the news. This is ideal for reactive social media posts or short blog posts.

Google Crystal

Whether you’re trying to engage with customers or flatter a journalist, Google Crystal will help. This free Chrome extension analyses people’s personalities based on their profiles, giving you guidance on when best to email or what content they like best.

Measuring campaigns

Report on ROI with these fantastic analytics tools.

SEMRush

It’s short-lived, but SEMRush will allow you to make 10 enquiries on your IP before asking you to upgrade. SEMRush is an incredible suite of analytics tools, giving you insights into backlink data for competitors, Google Ads data, keyword volumes, content ideas and more.

BrandYourself

Again, this is a free trial only, but will give you insights into how you’re perceived online. BrandYourself gives you a reputation score and advises on how to ‘clean up’ social media posts – great for new campaigns.

Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn analytics

All of these come free with any profiles or pages you set up on social media. They can provide insights on post views, shares and new likes or followers – ideal for monthly reporting.

Google Analytics

Add one tiny piece of tracking code and you could view visitors in real-time, count page views, locate users, identify acquisition sources and even assign a monetary value to users. Google Analytics should not be missing from any self-respecting marketer’s arsenal.

The takeaway

Before you start a campaign, do your research. Are you using these tools for free insights or are you prepared to pay for them in the long term?

There are a million and one tools to help your content marketing go further. It’s really a case of getting out what you put in – and that’s not just money. Define your goals before you start and you’ll maximise each one to its full potential.

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As if teaching primary school students wasn’t difficult enough, we now have the ‘new normal’ transition to contend with. Pupils around Britain are essentially starting again – relearning their social skills, while feeling the pressure to be on-track.

For the sake of the students, teachers and parents, we must adapt our teaching. We believe the only way to do that is through taking an active learning approach.

Physical and mental health challenges

During lockdown, we saw some eye-opening reports on children’s development:

• Sport England warned that children were becoming less physically active
• Parents of four to 10-year-olds reported more anxiety and behavioural issues.

In addition, some students have struggled to learn in the home environment. Niamh Hunter, a Year 4 teacher at Holy Family Catholic School in Addlestone, has seen the changes first-hand.

“The kids are looking forward to being back at school, but everybody’s circumstances are different. Some children haven’t been able to learn as well as others.”

With the new term afoot, many schools are turning to active learning to teach essential English and Mathematics skills.

How active learning helps

The Teach Active learning approach involves using games and physical competitive activities to teach literacy and numeracy.

For example, students can take part in a ‘Fraction Race’, whereby they answer questions about numerical fractions. Every correct answer allows them to jump one step closer to winning a prize. Likewise, ‘Danger Island’ has proved to be a hit for addition and subtraction. Children use their arithmetic skills to ‘escape’ across the playground.

While the Holy Family School has been following this curriculum for a while, it’s had a particularly positive effect in post-COVID education.

“The children have reacted very positively to the sessions. They know their school is a safe zone, and they are looking forward to getting back into their routine. They’re just so happy to be interacting with one another,” says Niamh.

Research tells us that increased physical activity improves children’s attention to tasks, and their motivation to learn. Likewise, it reinforces social interaction, leading to better mental health and improved development.

Active learning and social distancing

With reports of new outbreaks in schools, we need to do everything we can to prevent a second lockdown. Physical learning allows activities to be adapted for distancing measures.

Niamh says: “There’s a huge focus on social distancing, and we’ve made the changes. For example, in one Mathematics session, we divided the children into three teams, all appropriately spaced apart with marbles. They would run up and pick a question card, then run back, put the card in a hoop, and not touch it again. There’s no rummaging through equipment.”

Virtual value

Active learning is also just as rewarding in the home. Many parents turned to this method throughout lockdown in a bid to break the monotony of traditional methods.

Niamh says: “A lot of parents were home schooling with White Rose lessons. Watching videos every day can be monotonous for some, so it was great for parents to try the games at home. We had tons of positive feedback about the lessons while schools were closed.”

Temporary normal; long-term benefits

It’s important to remember that active learning isn’t a temporary measure. Whether it’s outdoors in a playground space, or in a socially distanced classroom, the benefits will inspire new pupils for years to come.

A renewed focus on physical education helps to:

• Increase concentration
• Promote motivation to learn
• Prevent sedentary habits later in life
• Attain better test scores in English and Mathematics.

More importantly, we’ll see a fresh outlook for today’s young children, who have suffered some of the biggest mental health issues for generations. With social media, not to mention the pressures of lockdown, today’s primary school children are being exposed to an unhealthy amount of stress.

Play is the “learning language” of children and an essential part of their development. If there’s a lesson to be learned from the pandemic, it’s that traditional, boxed-in methods do not work. The proof is in the pudding, as the team at Holy Family tell us.

“Not a single student has told me they don’t want to join in, even the less outgoing children. With this new approach, every child is excited to learn.”

Jon Smedley is a former teacher and founder of Teach Active. Any teacher can access up to 50 active lesson plans in English and Maths for free for a trial period at www.teachactive.org, many of which are social distance friendly.

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Any growing school will likely have big ambitions for improving efficiencies and student wellbeing. Whether we’re automating tasks or engaging with parents, tech has a huge role to play.

What many schools fail to understand is, a great tech strategy is not about the tech. The idea of shiny new equipment may seem novel, but we need to consider return on investment. When budgets are tight, it’s all about people.

Every good tech strategy starts with the end goals. What are you trying to achieve? Do you want to streamline financial systems with cashless payments, or manage attendance better? Once you establish your key priorities, you can start planning to integrate systems. And they don’t have to cost the earth.

1. Save resources by integrating tech.

Money isn’t just capital. It’s about measuring the cost of your internal resource. If you have 10 different systems all working towards the same goal, you’re wasting resources. It’s very tempting to invest in multiple pieces of technology. But if they can’t work together, they’re not serving you.

This is a common mistake between departments, for example HR and payroll. If systems cannot integrate, they can delay other projects like IT upgrades – leading to lost productivity and money. Talk to your suppliers and ask them for the best recommendations on complementary software.

2. Consolidate with other schools.

Integration is key once again – but it goes beyond the tech itself. The smartest schools consolidate with one another to get supplier discounts, whether they’re part of MATs or not. Many primary schools assume it’s the local authority’s responsibility to get these volume discounts. In fact, there are many ways you can pool your resources, like referral schemes. If you can give a supplier access to five other schools for a discount, they’ll snap up the opportunity.

You’ll also improve engagement with students and parents, as local communities come together and reap the benefits of their new tech.

3. Treat your supplier like a partner.

There’s no reason why the supplier relationship should cease after purchase. To get the best value out of your investment, ask what they can do to maximise your tech’s potential. One service we regularly offer is health checks. These often help to spot any initial problems, saving you money in the long term. Ask about training sessions, too. A little investment in education will save hundreds of man hours learning new processes, which staff can put back into teaching.

Now your supplier is a partner, negotiate with them a little. What’s in it for both of you? You could secure an early discount on a growth basis. For example, they can offer reduced rates on tech for five schools, assuming this will grow to 15 in X number of months. You could even try offering to be a beta tester. This works best for new software rather than kit, giving you access to new tools and letting them iron out any bugs.

4. Understand the full project cost before you dive in.

We see this time and again with schools – they invest in tech and think there are no more costs. This is just one part of the tech strategy. You have to consider the cost of rolling out the technology, and the staff resource too. Remember, your teams will have to be trained and there will be ongoing costs like maintenance fees.

When talking to your suppliers, get a fully transparent overview of long-term costs. Consider staff productivity and how you can integrate tech to speed up training and implementation. A good supplier should be able to recommend the fastest and best-value ways to achieve this. It’ll save any nasty surprises in the long term.

5. Investigate different pricing strategies.

Tech suppliers generally offer two different types of payment: subscription or perpetual licensing. You need to understand your internal finances before you choose what’s best for you. If your school is more cash rich, you may prefer a perpetual licensing model. This includes an upfront software fee, followed by an annual maintenance fee.

Subscriptions are becoming more popular as government funding is often distributed throughout the year. Subscriptions allow you to spread the cost, but may be more expensive in the long term. It all comes down to your internal assets.

Whatever your budgets, the key to getting the most out of your tech is asking more from people. Encourage your teams to educate themselves, communicate with others and pool their talents. Only then can you make tech work for you and your students.

QUICK TIPS

• Understand your technology needs. This will help you determine the top priority technologies and how you can integrate them with other departments.
• Prioritise productivity. Your tech should be able to automate laborious tasks and prevent duplication across departments. Communicate with teachers, HR, payroll and parents to get the best from your new tech, as well as the suppliers themselves.
• Share the benefits. You’ll get the best deals when you collaborate with others, whether it’s beta testing new software or working with other schools.
• Invest in your own education. You don’t have to be a tech expert, but you can learn how to make tech work for you. Approach buying with a two-pronged mindset – consider how tech will engage pupils, and how it will speed up processes.
• Don’t be afraid to negotiate. If you don’t ask, you don’t get. Suppliers love volume discounts. Consider how you can maximise volume. Can you work with other organisations? Do you have growth plans?

Don’t consider tech a one-time investment. Technology grows and adapts all the time. Incorporate this into your budgeting, and be upfront with your supplier about ongoing costs.

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With 267 pupils aged seven to 11 years old, Pocklington Junior School specialises in numeracy, literacy, SEN and ITT. Based in the East Riding of Yorkshire, the mixed academy also supports those with ADHD, autism, and additional social and emotional needs.

At present, the school is undergoing a huge cultural change, with a renewed focus on reading. It has a higher than average percentage of SEND students compared to national academy figures – approximately 14.6%. With these figures in mind, Pocklington’s Senco staff are focusing on making reading more accessible to all children.

Lexplore Analytics: the solution to an ongoing challenge

Aimee Cave, SENCo and assistant head at Pocklington Junior School, has been using the Lexplore Analytics system since the 2019 summer term. “As a small academy, we’ve faced a lot of challenges in recent years. In particular, there are many new housing developments in the village, which means an influx of students. Many of them start halfway through the year, so we need to consider this in our school development plan.”

Part of this plan was a shift towards ‘reading for pleasure’. As an expert in children with additional needs, Aimee recognises the importance of reading for personal development. When a colleague introduced her to Lexplore Analytics, she noticed an immediate change in the students, while teachers were able to get a better idea of their class progress. The eye-tracking software provides a visual overview of how students process text, helping to identify any issues early on and determine reading ages.

“We wanted to build a diagnostic package for every individual student. The Lexplore Analytics system helps us to identify the right support that each child needs. For example, children with ADHD may react differently from others. We test every child to see what they struggle with, which helps us build personal development plans.”

How Lexplore Analytics helps

The digital reading tool, which has been featured on media outlets such as BBC News, gives teachers a new insight into children’s cognitive processes. It tracks the child’s eye movements, analysing how long they fixate upon particular words, and how they move on throughout the passage. This helps teachers to pick up on the subtle nuances of how pupils process text – from a lexical, syntactic, semantic and structural point of view.

“We’ve already seen some astounding results,” says Aimee. “For example, we noticed that one student could read a word aloud quite confidently, but was struggling with comprehension. We realised she may have been using a masking strategy. We don’t get that level of insight with standard reading tests.”

The teachers aren’t the only ones thrilled with the results. “We’ve had great feedback from students, especially Years 6s. They actually think the testing is really cool! It’s great to see what’s inside their heads.”

The impact

Pocklington Junior School is currently following Lexplore guidelines to monitor students. They review all pupils biannually and take note of areas where they may need additional support. SEND students are reviewed three times a year. By monitoring progress, teachers can see first-hand the effects of these new reading schemes, and identify areas for improvement. For example, they’re encouraging students to broaden their reading beyond schoolbooks alone.

The school has noticed huge time savings, allowing teachers to spend more time with students and parents. “We were able to determine a reading age with our old tests, but they were very time-consuming. Lexplore brings everything together in minutes, including reading ages and difficulties. I can get through two Year 6 classes in a day, and could manage the whole school in a few days,” says Aimee.

Aimee also notes that Lexplore is instrumental in identifying issues early on. “The sooner we identify any issues with reading, the sooner we can fix them. If we don’t find out early enough, that reading gap gets bigger and bigger. We’re using Lexplore to point out struggles at the beginning of the academic year, so we can get students back on track.”

Getting the family involved

As part of Pocklington’s reading for pleasure initiative, they’re encouraging teachers to become ‘reading role models’ around the school, while they also want parents to get involved.

“A lot of parents worry about how best to support their children. We’ve created a reader’s guide which gives them a strategy,” says Aimee.

The school is also encouraging parents to take part in informal drop-ins, where teachers, parents and students can interact. “We’ve created special reading spaces to promote a relaxed environment. We also want students to know that it’s not just schoolbooks they can read – it’s anything that brings them pleasure, like magazines and nonfiction.”

In addition to mini libraries and reading corners, Pocklington also encourages ERIC – enjoy reading in class. “We want to show students that reading is cool. Last year we did a competition on reading in unusual places. The students loved the chance to get creative.”

Where next?

Pocklington has noted an upward trend in student attainment, and looks forward to taking this even further. “We’ve seen a big push on the reading side of things, and it’s noticeable to anybody who visits the school – in particular, Ofsted,” says Aimee. The staff now want to use these insights to power further reading initiatives, focusing on overcoming problems for struggling students.

From higher student attainment to more time for teachers, Lexplore Analytics has proven a crucial tool for students at Pocklington Junior School. As an institution that’s proud to support every child, the school looks forward to promoting a reading culture for its SEND students and their parents. Aimee says: “We believe reading should be accessible to everyone. By better understanding our students, we can all take our learning further.”

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Reports reveal that the new trade agreement will account for one quarter of the world’s GDP. The deal will aid intercontinental trade by reducing lobbies on machinery parts and food products. Initially, the deal will abolish €1 billion in tariffs on European imports (94 per cent). The European Commission has stated that, in the long-term, it plans to phase out virtually all fees, in a bid to “stand against protectionism”.

The impact on global whiskey brands

During a speech on 2019 trade trends, European Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström cited “language, customs and marketing” as some of the biggest challenges for global trade. While these intercontinental trade deals may facilitate commerce financially, marketers are still up against the mammoth task of localising their brand.

Where global whiskey brands are concerned, the agreement has an immediate consequence. From now on, all Irish whiskey products will see their “geographical indication” protected. Specifically, this means that only whiskey produced in Ireland with a technical certification can be sold under the description of ‘Irish whiskey’.

Head of the Irish Whiskey Association William Lavelle says that the move will help to combat counterfeit whiskey production in Japan, helping to “protect the high standards that are the hallmark of Irish whiskey”.

So how exactly does a product, for which provenance is held in the highest regard, succeed in culturally disparate Japan?

Going East: the obstacles faced by global food and drink brands

Whiskey may have taken off in Japan in recent years, but historically, it has not always been so easy. While Irish whiskey can date back as far as 1000 AD, in Japan, the first Japanese distillery did not open its doors until 1923.

Inbound tourism figures also suggest that marketers must do more to drum up Japanese interest. In its 2017 Irish Whiskey Tourism Strategy, the Irish Whiskey Association stated that:

• The USA is the biggest export market for Irish whiskey, accounting for 46 per cent of all exports
• Just 5 per cent of exports go to the “rest of the world”, despite this category topping the inbound tourism category at 34.6 per cent

Though Irish whiskey is sold to 136 countries currently, there is clearly a discrepancy between trying and testing the product on native soil, and purchasing it internationally. These figures present an interesting quandary for Irish marketers: is it better to try to sell the product based on the authentic, world class ‘Irish whiskey distillery experience’, or should they try to adjust their branding to better accommodate new markets?

How Jameson tweaked its product for Japan

Whiskey sales in Japan have, hearteningly, been on the increase in recent years – there was even a shortage reported in May 2018. Furthermore, our research shows that, in 2017, sales grew by 15.7 per cent to almost half a million bottles. Up until recently, Jameson more or less monopolised these sales, with 6 million cases sold worldwide by Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard, who bottle the brand.

Specifically, Jameson recorded an 11.3 per cent increase in sales in 2017. International Marketing Director of Irish Distillers, Simon Fay, attributes this to Jameson’s mass-audience appeal, appealing to consumers’ discerning tastes. Indeed, with the new geographical indication protection on Irish whiskeys, Jameson is unlikely to move away from its proud Irish recipe any time soon.

A pinch of Japan

Such dedication to maintaining its roots is evident in Jameson’s foray into “Japanified” whiskey. In an almost over-elaborate process, the Jameson Caskmates Tokyo Edition, released in June 2018, involves transporting the blend back and forth across continents to finalise the product.

Made in collaboration with Japanese brewery DevilCraft, Caskmates starts with an ageing process in Ireland. The same cask is then transported to Japan, wherein two DevilCraft beers are rested: the “Imperial Stout” and “Imperial Rye Brown Ale”. These barrels are then returned to Ireland for a further 10 months’ ageing, before everything is blended, bottled and sent to Tokyo for distribution. With an authentic blend of Irish history and Japanese innovation, the process typifies the “mass-audience appeal”.

Pernod Ricard prides itself on its decentralised business model. Rather than assuming the brand will translate globally, the firm employs 18,500 members of staff in 80 countries. In Japan, says Tim Paech, Pernod Ricard Japan CEO, innovation is key to success. “We have a more developed local innovation strategy in Japan than in many other countries. There are more Japan-specific products than Taiwan-specific products, or Singapore-specific products, or Korea-specific products.

“I think this is because Japanese consumers are always looking for new opportunities, new trends. There’s a lot of trendsetting, a lot of creativity here. It’s a very sophisticated country.”

Given the relative freshness of this product, and Jameson’s decision to distribute it in bars and restaurants only, time will tell if the Tokyo Edition is a success. What we can conclude is that no product can be launched in Japan without a meticulous strategy.

Japanified packaging

Of course, innovation goes hand in hand with experimentation, and in cases where Jameson has chosen not to change its famous blend, instead it has focused on Japanified branding. The second of Jameson’s “Japan-only” whiskey was released by the brand in August 2018 as the “Jameson Japan Limited Bottle”. Designed by Japanese artist Yu Suda, who has built a cult following and has worked with global brands such as Nike, the product contains the same classic Jameson blend.

This time around, however, the label features a Japanese cartoon figure wearing an ichimonji gasa. This traditional dress is combined with the Jameson coat of arms, symbolising not only the whiskey’s Irish roots, but also the start of a new chapter in Japan. Again, it is too soon to tell how this will be received by Japanese consumers, but it shows that even a brand as globally recognised as Jameson’s still needs to make efforts to adapt within the Japanese market.

The potential risks and rewards of marketing in Japan

Jameson’s marketing efforts within Japan come at a time of immense growth in the Irish whiskey market. The brand is currently on course for 12 million sales worldwide by 2020, while Irish whiskey was the fastest growing spirits category between 2009 and 2014, with an annual growth rate of 10 per cent. Though the success of Irish whiskey in Japan has been relatively slow until recently, our research shows that Japan now represents the largest market for Irish whiskey in Asia.

Likewise, however, research is critical when taking products to market in Japan. According to the Irish Food Board’s Export Performance and Prospects Report, for example, 2019 will bring about myriad challenges for whiskey exports, including regulatory restrictions on advertising, labelling and minimum pricing. Only with an air-tight strategy; that takes into consideration product forecasting, cultural attitudes and legislation; can marketers reap the countless rewards available within the Japanese market.

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Now is an exciting time to begin targeting Japan. With the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games taking place in 2020, plus the Osaka-Kansai Japan Expo in 2025, the potential marketing opportunities for sport, tourism, AI and biotechnologies are huge. Moreover, the recently signed EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement will see a reduction in tariffs, enabling better opportunities for exports.

The risk factors

Of course, as with any foray into a new market, there are plenty of risk factors for businesses trying to extend their global reach. Historically, Japan is one of only four countries in the world to never have been colonised by Europe. As a result, we have a region that is culturally and commercially disparate from everything we know as Westerners. Our research has led us to identify five key differences in Japan:

• A less direct, more polite approach to advertising
• Japanese and English alphabets/vocabulary
• A preference for busy, rather than a “less is more” design approach
• Continued loyalty towards brick-and-mortar retail
• Traditional folklore

With our extensive knowledge of the Japanese market and world-leading research methods, we have examined the key factors that make for an effective launch strategy in Japan. These insights are further underpinned by anecdotal evidence that shows what went right, and what went wrong, for brands launching in Japan.

The advertising misfire that led to an entire product launch for Pepsi

In spring 2018, global soft drinks powerhouse Pepsi made a tactical move to launch their own “Japanified” product – J-Cola. With no expenses spared on the marketing budget, the product ad depicts an extravagant Japanese festival, complete with monster trucks, bright colours and some of Japan’s best-known musicians.

The latter isn’t a new marketing tactic for the brand. In 1997, for example, Pepsi appealed to Western markets by having the Spice Girls front their “Generation Next” campaign. In less than a month, their cola market share increased from 15.1 per cent to 19.6.

However, they were not always as successful on a global scale. Notably, in 1994, Pepsi tried to take an American advertising model to Japan: comparative advertising. The competitive nature of the commercials, which saw taste testers comparing Pepsi and Coke, was so poorly received in Japan that five major television channels in Tokyo refused to air it. Quite simply, the Japanese consumers saw this competitiveness as a rude and highly disrespectful marketing tactic. Comparative advertising is even illegal in countries such as Argentina, but the resounding message here was that aggressive, competitive marketing did not appeal to an Eastern audience.

Two decades later, Pepsi have done their research. Suntory, who head up the Japanese Pepsi brand, factored the results of the 2015 GlobalData Q4 Survey into their Japanese product. It revealed that 18 to 34-year-olds found the concept of a drink tailored to night-time consumption appealing, up to a 32 per cent margin. This resulted in the “midnight” J-Cola concept, further bolstered by the abovementioned advertising campaign.

The sales figures of this new product remain to be seen, however this case study identifies the need for even the largest brands to rely on more than their reputation on home soil alone to guarantee a successful entry into disparate markets. Only with key research into Japanese customs, in this case, advertising, can these brands have any hope of success – even if they have to launch a new product.

While Frozen translates, smoke fails to light up the Japanese market

Accurate translation is one of the most challenging aspects of considering entry into new markets for global brands. When marketing within cultures that share similarities such as common language roots or shared cultural norms, branding messages usually translate effectively without much need for localisation. In English to Japanese, however, there are a multitude of considerations to take into account such as:

• Three main writing scripts – Kanji, Hiragana and Katakana
• Japanese is written from top to bottom
• Many English words are borrowed and adapted for Japanese use
• Japanese tone and vocabulary may vary based on age or class

Disney hit Frozen became the third-highest grossing film in Japan, and the use of effective translation could well have been a key factor for this. Film executives identified that directly translating the English title into Japanese would not convey the appropriate messaging, so renamed the film ‘Anna and the Snow Queen’, which proved to be highly successful.

Equally, the lyrics from the film’s most recognisable ballad within the West, ‘Let It Go’ were thoughtfully re-written in Japanese to convey the same emotions rather than being a direct translation of the English lyrics. The acute and insightful efforts made by Disney display the exact attention to detail that must be incorporated into all marketing strategies when considering entry into Japan.

In comparison, cigarette brand Salem’s famous “Salem, feeling free” slogan was directly translated into Japanese without taking any semantics into consideration. This resulted in the brand unjustifiably telling Japanese consumers that “when smoking Salem, you will feel so refreshed that your mind seems free and empty”. The difference may be slight, but the essence of each statement conveys an entirely disparate message and could prove highly detrimental to the brand’s successful entry into the Japanese market.

It is not enough to simply plug a slogan into a machine translation – brands need to understand how their products are received in the Japanese market and try to appeal to the emotions of their target audience.

The journey of the Japanese aesthetic

Historically, Japanese design has evolved considerably, particularly over the last three centuries. While today, it is commonplace to see modern Japanese designs favouring a “busier” aesthetic, for example, heavily loaded webpages, this has not always been the case.

A notable example is Japanese places of worship. Shinto shrines are sacred, quiet places, without regular visitors, and an overall sense of calm. This wabisabi approach favours the “less is more” sentiment, compared to historically crowded Catholic places of worship.

However, progressing to the WW2 era, the Western influence clearly made its way into Japanese culture, for example, changing concepts of space utilisation in the Japanese household.  This may be a contributing factor to the ‘busy design’ that Westerners traditionally associate with Japan in the modern day. While the West moved on after WW2, embracing the Scandinavian minimalist approach (popularised by modern retailers such as Ikea), Japan holds on to the post-WW2 Western design aesthetic.

Businesses looking to localise their product in Japan should bear these design sentiments in mind, in particular, online. Just 50 per cent of the Japanese population uses a smartphone, compared to a considerably  higher 85 per cent of consumers in the UK. Again, this underpins the argument that busier design still works in Japan, as mobile-friendly design is not held in as high regard.

However, conversely, history should not be overlooked. With Japan’s “simple” design history, Westerners have firm foundations on which to build their brand in the modern-day Japanese market.

Loyalty beats digital

With a comparatively low number of smartphone users than in the West, Japanese consumers are less convinced by online retail. According to our insights, 80 per cent of Tokyo residents between 18 and 64 years of age shop in brick and mortar stores, in comparison to just 21 per cent of Americans. Japanese respondents to the 2014 Consumer Survey preferred the “overall experience of going shopping”.

These findings were echoed in the Epsilon survey into Japanese consumer loyalty, which revealed that shoppers held value for money and customer service in extremely high regard. Westerners looking to target Japanese markets should heed the warning of online retailers such as eBay, whose digital, non-customer service-focused approach led to the company bowing out of the East. The lesson to be learned here is that retailers should earn their customers’ trust, which cannot be done without first researching and understanding the buyer.

Pampers should have plumped for peaches

Once again, Japan proves that large Western brands cannot always rely upon the reputation of their branding to succeed in the East. Procter & Gamble, whose Pampers product shifts 789,000 units in the UK per year, was almost run out of business in Japan. When the brand launched its disposable nappy range in Japan in the 1970s, sales took a nosedive.

Research into popular folklore would have revealed that the stork, a common Western symbol used for baby product advertising, has no significance in Japan. Rather, using imagery of the giant peach that Japanese folklore depicts as being sent from heaven to deliver babies within (from the story of Momotarō), would have held far more cultural significance and been an instantly recognisable branding idea for a baby product. Brands which rely on emotive, family-led advertising must familiarise themselves with Japanese traditions before attempting to target this new market.

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