We’ve previously covered the trend among fashion magazines to offer incentives, called “o-ma-ke” (おまけ), now the norm for every issue.
These giveaways can be great weapons to entice consumers to do that rare thing these days — buy a print product. The fashion mag Sweet especially has experienced great sales seemingly mainly as a result of a skillfully planned, high-profile brand o-ma-ke giveaway every month. However, this has now reached the level where the magazine itself is simply the extra perk that comes with the purchase: consumers are really focused solely on buying the brand item for the price of a magazine.
For its May issue Elle Japon is collaborating with American Apparel to give readers a headband with every copy. With seven stores in Japan, these kinds of collaborations will help to raise their profile among the magazine-reading public.
It also makes an interesting comparison with the recent entry into the Japanese fashion retail market of another all-American brand, Abercrombie and Fitch. Could they rescue their giant Ginza disaster through an o-ma-ke campaign? Hopefully not with fragrance samples.
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