Testimonial

Hello, this is the customer case interview team at Orinas Inc.

This time, we interviewed Mr. Ota of the CRM Promotion Office, Strategic Sales Department, Digital Marketing Division, Apparel Company, Gunze Limited. We have been providing consulting support to Gunze for about a year to improve the operation of their official Twitter account, which boasts 100,000 followers. When we began supporting them, they already had a large account with many followers, but they had issues with their "followers and operation quality." Like Gunze, we often receive inquiries from companies whose issues and concerns are not about the number of followers, but about "improving the quality of their account after attracting followers."

We asked Gunze in detail about the problems they were having with their account and the specific measures they took to improve the situation!

Even with the Use of Social Media, Awareness Among Young People Did Not Increase

Orinas: Thank you for taking the time to speak with us today, Mr. Ota. I'd like to start by asking you a few questions, but first, could you please tell us about your company's business?

Ota: Currently, our main business is the manufacture and sale of underwear and stockings, but we also manufacture plastic film. The latter business started when we wanted to produce our own packaging for underwear.

In the medical field, we also manufacture and sell surgical sutures, such as threads that dissolve after suturing, eliminating the need for removal. We are a company that handles a wide range of different products and have been in business for about 125 years.

Orinas: It has a very long history. What role does the team you belong to play within your company?

Ota: I work in the CRM Promotion Office of the Digital Marketing Department, and my role is to expand the number of Gunze fans online and maximize sales through apparel EC/SPA channels. Specifically, I manage social media (Twitter and official LINE) and apps, as well as the brand site and a content site called "KiKi Plus."

Orinas: So you're doing PR for the general public. Before working with us, what were the challenges your company faced with digital marketing?

Ota: Even though we operate social media, we weren't able to increase awareness among younger generations. Our company's products are often thought of as underwear and white briefs for older people, but we actually have an underwear brand called "Tuché" that is aimed at younger people. However, in reality, it was difficult to raise awareness of this brand.

This year marks the third year since I started using Twitter, and although social networking sites like Twitter are supposed to be the perfect tool for disseminating information to young people and getting it spread, the spread of information and increase in followers has been slow. I wanted to think more about how to make myself more known among young people and how to create new customers from potential demographics, and I wanted to change the way I use Twitter.

Orinas: When you say "the spread of information and the increase in the number of people is poor," do you mean that the number of followers is not increasing?

Ota: No, in terms of the number of followers, we did reach our goal of 100,000. However, because we ran monthly campaigns on our company's account, a large proportion of our followers were prize accounts. As a result, people would unfollow us when the campaign ended. So, in the end, even though we had 100,000 followers, our message wasn't spreading, and we weren't able to retain the people who followed us through campaigns, which was a problem.

Set the Main Target as “Young Women” and Select a Company That Operates from the User’s Perspective

Orinas: I see. So, when it came to outsourcing your social media operations, how did you choose the company you asked?

Ota: We were of course considering what specific tasks they would be doing, but we also thought it would be good to have a woman in charge. Our company wanted to increase the number of young female fans, so we thought that if the person in charge was a woman, she would be able to communicate in a way that would capture the hearts of women from a closer perspective.

Orinas: So, among the young people you were targeting, you wanted to use Twitter in particular as a promotion targeting women?

Ota: That's right. At first, we were aiming for a wide range of people, regardless of age or gender, but Orinas' analysis showed that we were getting a very good response to messages aimed at women, so recently we've been promoting products aimed at women. We want to continue selling products aimed at women, so we're considering putting more effort into that area.

Account Management Using UGC Volume and Engagement Rate as KPIs

Orinas: Our company provides consulting services, but what kind of measures have you taken so far?

Ota: KPIs are the number of UGC posts and engagement rates. Specifically, I take advice like, "This type of post got a good response last month, so try using cuter photos and adding more images," and tweet accordingly. I think there's a big difference between tweets up until March and those from April onwards.

Orinas: Thank you very much. I'm very happy that Mr. Ota is able to quickly incorporate our advice.

Ota: I was sure I could improve even more, so I did exactly as I was told.

The Effect Was Realized Through a Significant Increase in Engagement Rate

Orinas: As a result of your efforts, how have you seen the actual figures grow?

Ota: It's improved a lot. Last year's average engagement rate was 2.8%, and while it's generally said that the average for corporate accounts is around 3%, recently we've been maintaining it at around 4.5–5%. By taking into consideration the advice we received from Orinas, such as "Tweets like this get a bad response" or "You should add an image," our numbers have steadily improved. It's all thanks to Orinas.

Orinas: Thank you. What was the biggest change you made to Twitter's operations?

Ota: It's the content of the posts. Up until now, I've only attached one or two images with a white background to my tweets, but I've changed it to images with actual models wearing underwear or images with a cute feel. I've also started adding text to white backgrounds.

Not only the images but also the text were softened while maintaining the style of a corporate account, and friendly messages such as "I also suffer from poor circulation and it's a problem for me" were added.

Orinas: I see, thank you very much. Wasn't it a burden for you, Mr. Ota, to incorporate the advice we provided?

Ota: No, not at all. It's difficult for me to take all the photos by myself, but I do get advice on photography, and I want to use that to increase the number of positive reactions. I ask members who can create images to turn existing images into cute collages.

Also, when a new product is released, it's easy to come up with a post, but I struggle to think of what to post until the new product is released. When I consult with them at times like that, they tell me about real concerns women have, like:

• "I want underwear that prevents static electricity."
• "I don't know how to wear colored tights."

I'm able to come up with new post ideas by thinking about how to solve those concerns. I couldn't have done all of this alone.

Orinas: How effective is the campaign?

Ota: We've received reports that the cost per follower acquisition for the campaign we ran in May was good.

Orinas: Have you ever worked with social media management companies as consultants before?

Ota: Yes, we have. Up until now, the management companies we've worked with have helped us come up with post content and proposed monthly campaigns. However, this is the first time we've had the opportunity to analyze tweets like Orinas is doing now, where they say, "This post was good, so let's do this next time."

I Want to Work Together to Post Content That Resonates with Women

Orinas: Is there anything you would like to see us do in the future?

Ota: Orinas has many female employees, so I would like to receive advice from them on what problems women face and what kind of information they are looking for, and work together with them to provide information that will resonate with women.

In addition to organic management, we would like to work together to launch campaigns to gain new followers.

Orinas: Finally, if you have the opportunity in the future, would you recommend our company? If so, what would you recommend us for?

Ota: Of course, I would highly recommend them. They are very sympathetic and willing to give advice, and because they are both women, you can talk to them with peace of mind. It is especially reassuring for someone like me who runs an account alone. They will teach you all the knowledge and know-how about running SNS accounts, so I would highly recommend them as they will really help you grow your SNS PR.

Orinas: Thank you for your kind words. I look forward to your continued support.

Finally

Even after analyzing an account and identifying areas for improvement, there are cases where the person in charge feels burdened when it comes to actually implementing the improvements in posts and daily operations, or where they are unable to continue in the medium to long term. However, Gunze has been uncompromising in this regard, and I believe that their attitude and enthusiasm have reached their followers, leading to the results of an increase in the number of fans and an improvement in engagement rate.

We would like to continue proposing new plans and ideas to attract more female fans! This was brought to you by the customer case interview team at Orinas Co., Ltd.