PR > Sectors & Services
YUBARI
BEACON COMMUNICATIONS, Tokyo / YUBARI RESORT / 2009
Awards:
Overview
Credits
Overview
BriefExplanation
With a debt of $353 million, Yubari City in Hokkaido, Japan, went bankrupt in 2007. Our challenge was to promote Yubari, reenergize its citizens, and help erase the debt burden.
Our PR strategy focused on the fact that Yubari boasted the lowest divorce rate in the whole of Japan and as such we created the idea, 'Yubari, no money but love.' In expanding this idea we created a couple of loveable, yet slightly ironic characters called 'Yubari Fusai'. “Fusai” means both “debt” and “married couple” in Japanese. Then we collaborated with the City Government to create a series of schemes positioning the city as a destination for happy couples – one of the many promotional schemes we initiated was the formation of Department of Happily Married Couples issued official Happily Married Certificates.Important to our strategy was the need to be upbeat and positive, protecting the sensitivities of the local residents, ensuring that our efforts didn’t demean them in any way. The idea of “no money but love” was an honest, yet endearing articulation of the situation they faced. Added to which, and in a country obsessed by cute characters such as Hello Kitty, the Yubari Fusai icon, proved to be a potent vehicle in generating WOM, print and broadcast PR.
ClientBriefOrObjective
Our ultimate goal was to help relieve Yubari of its’ debt burden by fueling a sustainable increase in tourism.
Execution
A press conference announced the launch of the 'Yubari Fusai' characters. The slightly ironic characters provoked a nationwide debate on the dire state of Yubari. Citizens groups and companies collaborated with the City to launch the Yubari Fusai Project. On 'Happy Couples Day' the mayor declared Yubari a city of Happy Couples and the first 'Happy Couple Certificate' was issued to a newlywed couple; the story was covered nationwide through television and newspapers. Limited pressings of the characters song CD went on sale and the song was distributed to Karaoke lounges nationwide. Branded local beer, dumplings and confectionary went on sale. A famous husband-and-wife comedic duo sang 'The Yubari Fusai Song' at a press conference. A Yubari Local Products Fair was held in Tokyo and Yubari Fusai stuffed toys boosted coverage and quickly became the toy company’s best selling line. The characters were reproduced as photo booth stickers, and licensed to appear in children’s comics.
Outcome
The PR activities generated $1.5 million in unpaid media value including 100 newspaper mentions, 100 online media mentions, 30 TV segments, and 53,100 blog entries (source Google search). In addition, the annual number of visitors to Yubari increased by 10% year-on-year since the start of the project. Better still $30 million has been generated toward alleviating the city's debt. But perhaps more importantly, the people of Yubari can once again take pride in their city – an intangible benefit that defies measurement.
Strategy
Introduce the umbrella strategy of “No money but love” and launch the Yubari Fusai characters to the media and the residents of Yubari. Phase two would involve mobilizing the Yubari residents and encouraging them to create revenue-generating ideas based on the Yubari Fusai characters. In Phase three we would set out to publicize their efforts - the nation would become aware that residents were taking action, and this news in turn would generate further business. In Phase four, work with the local government to create additional schemes that would help position the city as a destination for happily married couples. Finally publicize the predicted rise in tourism, which in turn would trigger more visits.
TheSituation
Once a proud mining town, Yubari saw its mines close as oil replaced coal. The city attempted to convert to traditional tourism (theme parks etc). But these efforts left the city further in debt and by March 2007 it was sanctioned for fiscal reconstruction. The city was given 18 years to clear its debt, but with a declining population of just 12,000 citizens, 40% of which were senior citizens, Yubari faced a monumental struggle.
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