Omri Reis

Senior Creative Strategist

AKQA Tokyo

Omri.Reis@akqa.com

The Age of Intent, Context and Interest

In recent years, the proliferation of smartphones among older demographics in Japan has allowed us to get a much clearer picture of Japanese Baby Boomers’ digital behaviors. Brands in Japan still turn to demographics - categories such as age, gender, family status, and location - when deciding which consumers to target, and how. However, when we go over consumer data we often see that older consumers are engaging with content initially created by brands to entice their younger counterparts. One reason is that the Web not only flattens geographical regions, but also generational gaps and differences. Another reason is that social and mobile searches are becoming more relevant as masses of senior citizens start using them regularly. Demographics used to dictate the ways that traditional media ran surveys to sell ads, but today we need to reconsider demographics’ effectiveness. It’s time for brands in Japan to prioritize context, intent, and interest over traditional demographic targeting. Doing so will not only increase brands’ reach, but may also uncover interesting insights on how, when, and why people look for their products and services.