The Campaign

[Background] One year ago, Japan was hit by the Great East Japan Earthquake. People demanded more bottled water than they needed, with many areas running out of stock immediately. Water disappeared from stores. [Problem] Alkali Ion Water. What should one of Japan's best-known domestically-produced water brands do to connect with consumers in disaster-prone Japan? [Solution] SMART STOCK We offered a new style of living to consumers in Japan called SMART STOCK “Don't panic when problems arise, know the amounts of water and food you need, and rotate your stock through everyday use.” As a means to convey the importance of SMART STOCK, we determined that having a third party present it in the form of news would be most effective. Through various types of strategic PR, the SMART STOCK Project was picked up as a national item of interest. [Result] This SMART STOCK idea generated a buzz all over Japan, spreading instantly as a positive new ritual for the disaster-prone country. We succeeded in establishing a design for continuous and long-term sales of the product of bottled water, not by changing the market but by changing the lifestyles of individuals.

The Brief

We design a method by which a product could be sold continuously and for a longer time, not by changing the market but by changing the lifestyles of individuals. (Target:A housewife and its family) - Many famous bloggers introduced the SMART STOCK program on their blogs. - At stores, shoppers picked up bottles of Alkali Ion Water labeled with the SMART STOCK logo. - Access to the website totaled 4,600,000 page views. - Sales of the product continued to grow throughout the project's first year. Total sales for the year hit 135%.

Results

This SMART STOCK idea generated a buzz all over Japan, spreading instantly as a positive new ritual for the disaster-prone country. - The idea was covered in over 300 media outlets, including TV, newspapers, magazines, and online news sites. The effect was equivalent to over 2,520,000 dollars worth of advertising. - Access to the website totaled 4,600,000 page views. - “SMART STOCK” was chosen as one of the top trend buzzwords of 2011 by corporate consultants. - Sales of the product continued to grow throughout the project's first year. Total sales for the year hit 135%. We succeeded in establishing a design for continuous and long-term sales of the product of bottled water, not by changing the market but by changing the lifestyles of individuals.

Execution

- A well-known celebrity housewife was appointed SMART STOCK ambassador. - Many famous bloggers introduced the SMART STOCK program on their blogs. - Two days of the year, one near the anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake and another half a year later during Disaster Preparedness Week, were designated as SMART STOCK Days. We designed the program so that these days would regularly become news each year. At stores, shoppers picked up bottles of Alkali Ion Water labeled with the SMART STOCK logo. (between 06/09/2011-31/03/2012)

The Situation

One year ago, Japan was hit by the Great East Japan Earthquake. Water service stopped, roads were cut off, plastic bottle production lines were halted, and the nuclear reactors crisis shocked the nation. People demanded more bottled water than they needed, with many areas running out of stock immediately. Water disappeared from stores.

The Strategy

We offered a new style of living to consumers in Japan called SMART STOCK ''Don't panic when problems arise, know the amounts of water and food you need, and rotate your stock through everyday use.'' SMART STOCK As a means to convey the importance of SMART STOCK, we determined that having a third party present it in the form of news would be most effective. Through various types of strategic PR, the SMART STOCK Project was picked up as a national item of interest.