Consumer Journey Mapping: "The Japanese Salary Man"
The Story of Beppu-san
It's 7:30am and Beppu-san is on his way to the office. Beppu-san is a 35-year-old salary man from Tokyo, who makes his regular 30-minute commute to work for what will undoubtedly be a long day at the office.
Beppu-san has many aspirations and dreams for himself as an individual while living in a very collective society that values assimilation as much (if not more than) one's own identity. Keeping face and respect without standing out too much is a delicate balance he must manage each day.
Putting his best self forward each day is critical. As part of his routine, he routinely chews mint gum each morning to reduce embarrassment from bad breath and give him the confidence to be his best self. His brand choices for gum are routine, made in seconds, and many times, nearly unconscious. To win his purchase, this brand has to ensure there are no gaps in Beppu-san's "Consumer Journey", from the minute he wakes up to the next time he purchases gum and beyond.
Process: Taking a Team Through the Journey
The team engaged in a two-day workshop to discuss the entire Consumer Journey that Beppu-san experiences in five stages: Encounter, Think, Buy, Experience, Share
Encounter
They first discussed where he would most likely encounter the brand, setting the stage for the development of a robust, multi-touchpoint communication strategy that would put the brand in the most relevant apertures at the right moment.
Think
Next, the team reviewed what Beppu-san thought about the brand. The distinct brand assets and imagery the brand owned were reviewed and discussed as a team, incorporating data that had been prepared for the day. Beppu-san, like all humans, is remarkably good at filtering information in his environment. He identifies what he wants, scans quickly over the category to find it, and moves promptly to purchase. Many artifacts in the world go unnoticed, as he hones in on buying "his regular" and carrying on with his day. Understanding the distinct brand assets ensured creative execution was focused and on-point for the immediate campaigns and future ones.
Buy
From a buying perspective, Beppu-san is on the move. He spends little to no time thinking about gum. The category as a whole would be considered "low involvement" compared to many other categories. Hence, the Shopper Strategy coming from the workshop was heavily geared toward maximizing impact at shelf and in the right location of the store. The discussion also led to revisiting the packaging and pricing architecture to ensure it fit with the buying moment.
Experience
Beppu-san is on the train in the morning for 30 minutes. There is nothing worse than stale gum after chewing for a few minutes. Actually, the only thing worse is not having anywhere to spit it out (if you have been in Tokyo train stations, you know they have no rubbish bins)! The team was inspired to look at product formulation that kept freshness for the entire 30 minute journey. They then communicated this BIG, over and over, to drive the power of the brand experience.
Share
Lastly, the team learned what Beppu-san shares about and what he doesn't. He doesn't share about his gum experience, but he often does share about friends, family, and sports. By understanding what the virtual Beppu-san talks about, the brand was able to put together a relevant social marketing strategy including multiple digital channels.
The Outcome - Consumer-Led Creative Development
The results of the entire Consumer Journey process were synthesized as a team. They were then used as inputs into a comprehensive marketing campaign that started with the consumer as the center of the executions. This resulted in strong and efficient television spots, online execution, and complementary in-store material.
Consumer Journey Process
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