Off-Site Meeting Spring 2023-2" held to share knowledge of community operations staff.

Background of the event

Hello. eLifeMy name is Miura, and I am in charge of public relations.
We recently held a two-day "Off-Site Meeting 2023 Spring" online. The purpose of this meeting is to exchange information and share knowledge on community management and user communication policies among companies, and we regularly invite people who are in charge of community management.

The second day was entitled "Off-Site Meeting 2023 Spring-2" and was attended by four persons from four different companies.

List of participating companies Suntory Spirits Ltd. / Suntory Marketing Commerce Limited /  TO AD KEWPIE CO., LTD. / Japan Airlines Co., Ltd. *Alphabetical order, titles omitted in the following text.

The moderator for both days will be our advisor, mr. Shinya Mizuno. mr. Mizuno was previously involved in digital marketing at kagome co.,ltd., and in the advertising department, he managed the community site "&kagome" as a "nakanohito", and is a leading expert in corporate community management. He is a leading figure in the management of corporate communities.

Shinya Mizuno Senior analyst, ITR CORPORATION. / Representative, Mikke Tech .LLC KAGOME CO.,LTD.Mr. Kurokawa worked in the information systems and advertising divisions of the company. He has been promoting digital marketing utilizing the website Social mediaas well as building information systems such as supply chain management. In the advertising division, he operates the community website "&KAGOME" as a "Nakahito" (a person in the middle). Currently, he is engaged in IT market research at IT-R Corporation, writes about customer engagement with a focus on corporate communities, and provides consulting services to companies. He is currently writing a series of articles on the topic. He is the author of "The Latest Digital Marketing Guide for Future Business" (MDN Corporation).

The second day also had two discussion topics, Sharing of Best Practices and Factors and Operation of the Ambassador System. Like the first day, the latter theme was derived from the previously prepared theme, but the discussion took on a different angle from the first day.

*See also "Offsite Meeting 2023 Spring-1 " held on Day 1.

Theme1.-Sharing best practices and their factors

Policies in the community vary from company to company. There may be many measures that have pleased members, generated a great response, or contributed to product sales. Therefore, we asked each person in charge to introduce their company's successes and the factors that contributed to them. Following this, we asked other companies to express their impressions, opinions, and questions, leading to a discussion.

Successful case study of the Suntory Spirits Ltd. community website "Kodawari Sour Fan Club"

Summary of measures
Conducted a comment submission campaign timed to coincide with the launch of new products.

Contents
We conducted a simple campaign in which consumers were asked to purchase the new product "Baru Koru Lemon Sour" and post comments about their impressions of the product to the community to complete the application process. Originally, "Kodawari Bar's Lemon Sour" had an older purchasing demographic than other canned chu-hi beverages, and Social mediaposting was not active, but we decided to conduct this campaign because we thought it would have a ripple effect on a wide range of people when a new product was released.

Result
We were able to gather consumer insights on the new product as many people not only posted comments but also posted pictures of how they were drinking it. Many people post their photos to the community and on SNS. A happy example of members spreading the word about a new product.

Company A: I could very much sympathize with the fact that our company has examples of members showing good reactions to new products.

*Suntory's discussion about the ambassador system was just as lively as on the first day, when he mentioned that the ambassadors had also contributed photos. Please see Theme2.-Operation of the Ambassador System for a description of the discussion.

Successful case study of the TO AD KEWPIE CO., LTD. community website "Ohanashi Dining"

Outline of measures
Conducted a monitoring campaign for new products

Contents
Although we are a community that does not usually put our products forward, we recruited monitors for the launch of "Paysanne Salad Dressing," which is inspired by French country-style salads.

Result
We had a great deal of interest in this type of dressing, which is not seen very often, and we received submissions from members who have had little action in the past. In addition, we have been successful in attracting many new members.

Company A: Inevitably, the desire to push the company's products to the forefront precedes the project, and I sometimes regret that I overdid it. This project is a good example. I like that the focus is on the menu or dish, and then the product, the dressing, is used to add color to the dish. I think this is a good idea. I think the product will naturally enter the consciousness of the members.

Company B: I can imagine a daily life where salads are the base of the meal and Kewpie's dressing is by my side when i notice it. This image of Kewpie's dressing is what leads members to make purchases, or to spontaneously tell others about the deliciousness of the dressing.

Successful case study of the Japan Airlines Co., Ltd. community website "trico"

Outline of Measures
Publicize the charms of Japan's many peninsulas

Contents
At the request of local governments and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, we have decided to develop PR for Japan's many peninsulas. To this end, the "JAL Furusato Ouen-tai," cabin crew members selected through an internal public application process, actually visited these areas and wrote a series of articles in the community discussing the charms of the region. The article introduced the highlights of the peninsula, such as power spot temples, Showa-era townscapes, and roadside stations, as well as "HANTO DELICIOUS," a special website where the specialties of the peninsula introduced in the article can be purchased. We also organized an event in which "JAL Hometown Cheering Squad", tomato farmers and members of the peninsula came up with recipes using local tomatoes.
Furthermore, each time we publish an article on trico, we also announce it on SNS to disseminate information to a wider audience.

Result
We were able to send out various messages using trico as a hub. Members who participated in the aforementioned events, posted photos and other information to the community as "voices of their experiences," and UGC became more active. We feel that this has led to the strengthening of cooperation with local governments and further revitalization of the community.

Company A: We would like to focus on the use of ugc as well. JAL is good at linking with SNS, and we would like to learn from them.

Company B: I found it wonderful that JAL's SNS introduced the community by quoting what was posted in the community, and other efforts to connect members' voices to the next action by posting them on the SNS. Members who are introduced to the community are happy, and the company is able to send out useful information, which is beneficial to both parties.

Theme2.-Operation of the Ambassador System

Ambassadors are selected members who share the appeal of a company or product. They are a reliable driving force for the community, but given the magnitude of their influence, careful attention must be paid to the design of the system.
Participants on the first day introduced tips on how to operate the system, such as "asking for a posting frequency that is not too burdensome" and "selecting people with a high level of enthusiasm.

Company A: Since we have had an ambassador policy for many years, we have quite a large number of ambassadors, but we manage IN and OUT once every three months.
It is not a good thing for other members to see someone who has no activity at all marked as an Ambassador. Also, those who make undesirable postings are also not worthy of being Ambassadors.
It is important to indicate that even if you become an Ambassador, you may be removed under certain conditions. that you may be removed from the Ambassadorship depending on the conditions.

Company B: We have an official ambassador status for those who actively promote our products. That person will a special mark is placed on the icon. so other members can easily recognize them as ambassadors. We believe this is also a motivating factor.
We do not set a standard for the number of times an Ambassador posts, but we do set a term of office for them. We believe that it is difficult for ambassadors to maintain the same level of enthusiasm and that the situation will change over time. We believe that it is effective to set a fixed term of office.

Finally, one of the community management concerns discussed was the age range of community members.

Company A: We currently have many people in their 40s and older, and we would like to successfully incorporate young people.

In response to this question, Mr. Mizuno stated the following

Mr. Mizuno: A similar topic came up on Day 1, but one participant said that he would not force himself to do it.
Actually, I had the same thought, communicate with people in that age group through the channels they are most comfortable with (community and Social media) This is not the right answer. This does not mean that this is the right answer, but I think it is better for each person to communicate intensively through that channel.

Participant's voice

Here are some of the comments received from this year's participants.

The participants were impressed by the exchange of ideas and the way in which they sought solutions to specific problems that they were facing.

I have heard from many different companies, and it was very informative. In fact, I myself have had the experience of being an ambassador, and when my posts were noticed and liked by others, it was a motivating experience for me. I felt once again that the ambassador program is a good marketing tool for the corporate community.

I tend to sell my own products, but I learned a lot and reflected a little on the fact that I think people would be more receptive if I presented myself as supporting the daily lives and routines of our members from the shadows.

I was hesitant about the extent to which I could use the community to promote my company. However, as you all told me, there is a way to use an editorial account. I don't know how the members will react, but I thought it would be interesting to give it a try first."

Organizer's Postscript - Reflections on Offsite Meeting Spring 2023-2

The two-day off-site meeting ended quickly.
Because we are all involved in the management of corporate communities, there are areas where we can empathize with each other, and areas where we can provide insight from different angles on issues that are troubling us.
Although not covered in this report, the participants continued to engage in deep conversations about how to communicate the SDGs message to the community. We hope that everyone who attended the off-site meeting was able to take home some hints on how to revitalize their communities.

We will continue to hold meetings like this one, as well as various other projects and information dissemination.
Please feel free to contact us if you would like to discuss any topics with other companies!

Thank you for reading to the end.

■Related Information List of Participating Company Projects
Kodawari Bar Fan Club(Suntory Spirits Ltd.・Suntory Marketing Commerce Co.)
Ohanashi Dining(TO AD KEWPIE CO., LTD.)
trico(Japan Airlines Co., Ltd.)