At ZAIKO, we offer various services beyond electronic tickets, and this time we introduce a marketing tool "ZAIKO Borderless" that allows Japanese artists and event organizers to promote to fans overseas.

What kind of service is it, and what benefits does it have? We spoke with two members of the "ZAIKO Borderless" team, Joshua Berry and Vivian Ma.

Promoting to Overseas Fans in Their Own Language

ZAIKO Editorial Team:
Can you tell us about the services offered by "ZAIKO Borderless"?

Vivian:
We create an environment for fans worldwide to enjoy live streaming content from Japan. There are many Japanese artists who are very popular overseas, and I believe there are countless events, but with the current impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is difficult to travel directly.

Thus, "ZAIKO Borderless" helps connect overseas fans with artists and event organizers by promoting live streams internationally.

ZAIKO Editorial Team:
How do you promote to overseas fans?

Vivian:
Global media such as "The New Lens" in Taiwan and "bandwagon", "Japan Concert Tickets", and "JaME-World" in Singapore/Philippines, and ticket companies like "Ticketflap" and "Clockenflap" in Hong Kong are our marketing partners, and they promote live streams in the local languages of their respective countries.

Since the media mainly covers Japanese entertainment information, it reaches people interested in Japan in their native languages.

Fans who learn about events can purchase tickets through our marketing partners. They can access information in their local language and buy tickets in their local currency, which ensures a sense of security.

Examples of Promotions in Local Media

https://www.japaholic.com/tw/article/862679/

http://vrockhk.com/2021/05/14/53224/

https://hyperjapan.co.uk/online-event/akb48-concert-group-asia-online/

ZAIKO Editorial Team:
Can artists or event organizers who want their live streams to be seen by people overseas, but don't know where their fans are, use this service?

Vivian:
Of course, they can. In such cases, it might be good to use "Borderless Research by ZAIKO" in conjunction.

This service collects data that can analyze popularity and recognition in target regions and suggests promotional strategies based on that data. For instance, if the research reveals a strong popularity in Thailand, we can incorporate Thai-language content into the live stream.

ZAIKO Editorial Team:
How do you gather this data?

Vivian:
We investigate charts, SNS follower counts, search engine hits, etc., in that country or region. Certain features, such as "KK BOX being used more than Spotify," vary by country or region, so we conduct research tailored to those characteristics.

Sample Report from "Borderless Research by ZAIKO"

ZAIKO Editorial Team:
That sounds promising. How much is "ZAIKO Borderless" being used now?

Vivian:
At peak times, it is used for about 7-8 events a week. Not limited to music live performances, it was also used for events such as 'TOKYO FM's 50th Anniversary "Haruki Murakami presents MURAKAMI JAM - Blame it on the Bossa Nova-" in February 2021, and 'LUNA SEA 30th Anniversary CROSS THE UNIVERSE -THE DAWN-" in May.

The Inspiration Came from a Band's Live Stream

ZAIKO Editorial Team:
What inspired you to create "ZAIKO Borderless"?

Joshua:
I launched the service, but the idea came to me in the summer of 2020 when I was watching a live stream by a certain Japanese band on ZAIKO. The live performance itself was fantastic, but the Twitter messages introduced between songs were fascinating.

Fans from Europe, Asia, South America, and all over the world were excitedly tweeting. It seemed the band didn't realize they had fans spread so widely around the world. Witnessing that made me want to deliver Japanese live performances to more people overseas.

ZAIKO Editorial Team:
I see, that's quite a backstory. What do you think is the significance of "ZAIKO Borderless"?

Joshua:
The fact that artists and event organizers can grasp "where their fans are" and utilize that for their activities. They can communicate directly with fans, which will help not just with streaming concerts but also with touring in the future.

Moreover, as Vivian mentioned earlier, it is significant that local languages and currencies are used. This contributes to the users' sense of security and our credibility as well.

Vivian:
The team for "ZAIKO Borderless" is made up of people from various countries, so it is characterized by understanding not only the languages of those countries but also their cultures, allowing us to build the service effectively.

ZAIKO Editorial Team:
That's very international! By the way, Vivian, what kind of background did you come from when you started working at ZAIKO?

Vivian:
I was born in China and moved to New Zealand with my family when I was young, where I lived until middle school. After graduating high school in China, I proceeded to university in Australia, and came to Japan for an exchange program. I fell in love with the life and culture of Japan during that time, which led me to work in Japan after graduation. Initially, I worked as a manager for a voice actor responsible for English announcements on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen, and then came to ZAIKO in March 2021.

ZAIKO Editorial Team:
Wow! That's interesting. Joshua, you're one of the founding members of ZAIKO, right?

Joshua:
Yes, I started this company two years ago and work as the Chief Business Development Officer, developing new products and global services for overseas markets. I believe the fact that "ZAIKO Borderless" was started has been valuable because Japanese content can be difficult for people overseas to discover, and it is challenging for Japanese artists to reach overseas fans.

"ZAIKO Borderless" can be used by anyone. We encourage artists and event organizers who want to create fan communities worldwide to make use of it.

https://zaiko.io/borderless