Hasta La Gadget!

@Cosme is Japan’s most popular “kuchikomi” (word of mouth) cosmetics information and ranking website. On March 10th the website released a cosmetics guidebook called “1,200,000 Nin ga Eranda Cosme,” or “The Cosmetics Chosen by 1,200,000 People.” As the title suggests, the book showcases the top products as selected by the site’s 1,200,000 users.

From over 60,000 products discussed on the website in over 6,600,000 user rating entries, top items in categories such as skin care and make-up get mention in the book. The products themselves are surprisingly varied, from $200 face creams to drug stores staples like witch hazel and Vaseline—a reflection of the different users of the site.

Each product entry includes the category, ranking, brand, product description, age demographic breakdown, and select comments from the site. An additional “ranking points” is awarded to each entry based on the sum of all consumer rankings, meaning products move up in the ranks not only on the basis of high consumer rating (on a scale of 1-7) but by the number of consumer ratings as well.

There are other interesting bits of information gleaned from questionnaires on the website, such as how long users spend putting on make-up in the morning and tips for a flawless French manicure. The front of the book also looks at years past, showing the top items from 2006-2008.

“The Cosmetics Chosen by 1,200,000 People” is a “mook,” the curious Japanese word for a cross-between a book and magazine. More casual than a book, but not as disposable as a magazine, mooks usually enjoy an initial display on the magazine shelves at the bookstore before retiring to the appropriate book section.

Like other crowd-sourced products and self-publishing “keitai novel” sites that have proved hits lately, this does a nice job of making users of the site feel like they are really part of something greater—ensuring that a good number of them will feel vested enough in the creation process to purchase the book not only for the information but also as a “souvenir.” The layout of the book itself resembles the beauty section in fashion magazine, yet with the prominent “rating points” and “members comments” reminding readers that they themselves are part of the collective editorial voice.

“The Cosmetics Chosen by 1,200,000 People” retails for ¥1,000 and is published by Kodansha, the company also responsible for popular women’s magazines Vivi and With.

The Spring 2009 issue of Japan Inc. features CScout’s “Trends” column as always, this time on Crowdsourcing FMCG.

What better way to find out what people want than to let them design it? Within parameters of course…

Instead of focusing on hair types, the latest Japanese hair products focus on the needs of a few trendy styles.

This March, Mod’s Hair (Unilever Japan) launched two new hair waxes designed for two unique hair styles—and ones that the company is predicting will be the trendiest looks for the upcoming spring/summer season. The first, for the “airy bob,” promises both a firm hold and lifting at the roots for a full volume look. Meanwhile the second, for “wave memory,” works to preserve waves created in the morning, no matter how many times their owner brushes or runs a hand through them. Both products retail at major drug store chains for about $7.

We’ve spotted a few other style specific hair products on the shelves suggesting that this is becoming a major trend. Sala also has a line-up of hair waxes for different looks, though these are less trend-focused and include products tailored for more general styles: holding an up-do in place, adding volume to your layers, keeping a perm smooth. These products are easily identifiable by the promotional photos that show just what kind of style matches each product.

This trend is not limited to products marketed towards women; men, with their own unique hairstyles, are getting equally suitable products. Gatsby has likewise identified two currently popular hair styles—giving them the names “grunge mat” and spiky edge”— and created hair waxes accordingly. Meanwhile rival Uno, from Shiseido, has a similar line on the shelves, also with photo images to match.

Trend potential
Hair care products are no longer just about responding to the needs of different hair types—instead they can play an active part in current trends, even shaping them. This can result in an increasingly diversified, ever-changing line-up.

Popular fashion festival the Tokyo Girls Collection (TGC) has released a chilled cup beverage called Collaboration Blend: Royal Milk Tea. The special edition beverage is available exclusively at Lawson convenience stores and went on sale March 10th, just a few days after the latest successful edition of the event.

While the TGC is produced by influential fashion and lifestyle portal site Girlswalker.com, it is the recognizable pink logo of the TGC that is displayed more prominently on the packaging and in-store promotional material. According to the press release, the executive committee of the TGC selected the blend of Assam tea and fresh cream and the ladylike pink stripe of the package design.

What’s more, on the back of the package and above the requisite nutrition information, is a QR code that links to the TGC mobile website where consumers can check out photos and reports from the recent show. This feature works to reinforce the link between the product and the event.

Trend Potential
CScout covered the fashion show in-depth, but for us the most interesting aspect is the e-commerce integration and collaborations that have made Tokyo Girls Collection such as hit. Our mini reports on collaborations, including lots of descriptions and photos, are available in the Mobile Trendpool.

Believe it or not, there are cows in Tokyo, and not just the tender parts from Matsusaka either. Outside of downtown, several dairy farms are working together to create Tokyo Gyunyu (Tokyo Milk), a premium and rather exclusive brand that comes from these suburban bovine.

To promote the milk brand and its products, 7-11 convenience stores have recently teamed up with Tokyo Milk to offer exclusive products in only 87 locations in Tokyo, all in Ota or Setagaya wards. Tokyo Milk itself is available (though often out of stock) as are cream puffs made with it.

Tokyo Milk is interesting in that it works very well as an exclusive promotion with 7-11, but on its own is one of few sources of regional pride in agriculture for Tokyo. Yes, the are bees in Ginza and the occasional sidewalk garden, but milk is quite unique and rather unexpected for a metropolis of some 25 million people.

Below is a video from the Tokyo Milk site explaining about a regional farm, and showing off some pretty nice views of downtown in the process.