Home > Profile > Media Relations KYODO PR's media relations strategy is distinguished from other Japanese PR agencies in two respects: Our ability to place articles and features in all of Japan's national and local news media Our ability to tap media and other information sources to advise clients on a wide range of issues affecting their businesses. According to our media relations strategy we place special emphasis on media relations and publicity, and because we believe that media placement is more cost-effective than any other method, including advertorials, brochures and other printed matter, or sponsorship of special events. It should be noted, also, that Japanese consumers generally regard editorial articles as being credible, as opposed to advertising. The reason KYODO PR focuses on a media relations strategy is because of the exceptional influence Japanese press and television have on public opinion with their ubiquitous reach and coverage. Consider the following facts: The aggregate daily circulation of the five national dailies is over 27 million, equaling the number of households in Japan Japan is essentially homogeneous and is all in the same time zone Japanese are well-educated, voracious consumers of information, and there is a lot of pressure to always be in the know The number of copies of daily newspapers in circulation per 1,000 persons in Japan is 538, more than twice the figure in the U.S. (218), U.K. (344), or Germany (313). As a result of this influence, Japanese corporate CEOs consider PR activities targeted at the news media, not lobbying or investor relations as in the U.S., as their primary external communications target. The great influence wielded by the Japanese news media means that it is no easy matter to obtain publicity: A major publication or broadcast station may receive upwards of 200 news releases a day! A look through the morning edition of a national daily shows that there are only three or four pages devoted to business Even the Nikkei business daily, the equivalent of the Wall Street Journal or the Financial Times, has a total of 40 pages per edition, about half the pages of the WSJ or FT Japan's unique press club system, with no equivalent in the world, makes getting coverage even more complicated. Therefore, companies, and their products, are always competing for a reporter's or editor's attention and a precious commodity column centimeters of publicity space, or seconds of broadcast time. KYODO PR accumulated a large network of personal contacts with key journalists during its 44-year history. Many of the senior reporters that were our first contacts 40 years ago are now at the height of their career and organizations. We have perpetuated a cycle where our staff grows in tandem with counterparts of the same generation in the press, both gaining responsibilities along the way while a new generation begins the cycle a new. KYODO PR's total resources are committed to maintaining and enhancing our relationships with reporters and editors at all levels of Japan's media infrastructure. Contacts with the national news media centered in Tokyo? Both print and broadcast are maintained daily. Various client events and campaigns mounted all over Japan through the years have allowed us to build close, working relationships with local newspapers and broadcast stations nationwide. Because of the mutual trust that has developed over the years, normally busy media people are inclined to give KYODO PR staff the time to listen, resulting in more attention for our clients. A further advantage of developing, and maintaining, personal contacts with the news media is that it allows us to learn what is being considered newsworthy or particularly interesting at the moment, increasing our effectiveness in representing clients' interests. This information is used in advising clients and developing tactics to increase their media exposure. An important benefit of our long-term commitment to media relations is represented in KYODO PR's database of over 10,000 reporters, editors, television news producers, and other media contacts. These contacts represent the whole spectrum of media organs, from the major dailies and magazines to local presses and even town guides put out by neighbourhood associations. Our database enables us to select the optimum media mix to support a client's particular objective. Selective targeting is not only cost-efficient, but allows us to obtain the greatest exposure for our clients.