Marketing for Content Business

Abstract

The content business is booming in Japan. Relatively new types of content, such as manga (cartoon) and anime (animation), are regarded as parts of Japanese pop culture, and marketing is being used to attract fans around the world. Most businesses also reuse existing hit content and create various goods and services. Moreover, people who live in places that have been filmed for manga and anime are using destination marketing to attract tourists or “pilgrims” who regard the places as sacred and want to visit. Other kinds of content, such as music, novels and paintings, are also important parts of content in Japan, and are the subjects of thriving marketing efforts. However, there is insufficient academic research in this area. This special issue includes five articles using datasets collected in Japanese content markets to fill this research gap.