The Campaign

The campaign focused on one insight in particular: Due to the information overload that characterizes modern times, members of the target 30–49 segment often feel uncertain about what to believe, and lack a trusted source to refer to. With the internet awash with inadequately verified definitions, inadvertently mistaken use of a word can create real issues. Online sources are often unknown, and buzzwords come and go at lightning speed. In contrast, a paper dictionary is compiled with painstaking care by responsible editors who approve only firmly established terms, and this meticulous work is embodied in each 10cm, 3kg volume of the Kojien dictionary. Such factors lay at the heart of the perception shift this project aimed to bring about: What makes a dictionary seem old-fashioned and cumbersome is exactly what makes it reliable. The creative idea was summarized as “highlighting how dictionaries can serve as a trustworthy, authoritative reference.”

Execution

The results of a language survey, timed to coincide with a similar study by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, were announced prior to the release of the seventh edition. Data from 1,000 respondents aged 10–79, indicated that many aged 30–49 are less confident in their Japanese language skills than those in their 20s, and consider dictionaries a reliable source from which they would like to learn. Media coverage provided context for the next step, focused on highlighting new entries in the latest edition of Kojien, the book’s history and high quality, and the expertise of its editors. Lastly, buyers of the seventh edition were offered the chance to attend “Kojien University,” seminars in which experts from the fields of academia, poetry, hip-hop, and comedy discussed Kojien and the importance of words. The media reported on soaring sales of Kojien in bookstores as heralding a revival for paper dictionaries.

Right from its launch on January 11, 2018, Kojien seventh edition sold strongly both in bookstores and online. By January 12 and 13 it was already the best-selling Japanese language-related book at major book chain Kinokuniya, while at Maruzen & Junkudo, another of Japan’s largest booksellers, it held the position of top-selling dictionary for four consecutive months from January to April. Away from the high street, as well as becoming a leading seller for various online retailers, the dictionary was January 2018’s bestselling item at the bookstores of both the University of Tokyo and Kyoto University, Japan’s most prestigious national universities and each the home institute of numerous Nobel laureates. Demand was so great that even publisher Iwanami Shoten temporarily ran out of stock, and by May the initial sales target of 200,000 copies had already been surpassed. Meanwhile the inaugural Kojien University events, held February 12–14, received approximately 4,000 applications for only 1,300 places made available to buyers of the seventh edition. Overall, activities relating to the project—from the initial survey to Kojien University—accumulated a total of 6,112 reports from media including public broadcaster NHK and nationwide newspaper the Yomiuri Shimbun, which boasts the largest circulation of any daily paper worldwide. In fact, including the various local editions, the Yomiuri Shimbun ran stories about Kojien 79 times in total between January 12 and April 25, 2018. These reports also included endorsements from a famous rapper and a noted comedian.

The Situation

Although paper dictionaries are often perceived as old-fashioned and cumbersome, as most people now turn to their smartphone for answers, Iwanami Shoten, Publishers, planned to publish the seventh edition of the authoritative Kojien Japanese dictionary. This project was timed to coincide with its release, and redefined paper dictionaries as contemporary drivers of rich language and culture, as well as a trustworthy source amid the modern information overload. The project targeted readers, bookstores and influencers, providing opportunities to rediscover the value of paper dictionaries, and successfully leveraging cultural and social insights to help Iwanami achieve its sales target of 200,000 copies.

The Strategy

The strategy consisted of three stages: Uncovering demand among non-dictionary users and establishing a foundation for generating coverage; giving the many who already knew of Kojien a renewed reminder of the book’s benefits; and creating a social movement by encouraging widespread participation. First, the team gathered evidence illustrating unease regarding language and a need for dictionaries among the 30–49 demographic who, though not quite digital natives, no longer use paper dictionaries. The disconnect between this group’s need for a dictionary and their reluctance to use one was identified as a strong basis for generating coverage. Next, the team utilized those results to remind the target audience of Kojien and the benefits it offers, thus creating demand. Lastly, the team partnered with influencers, bookstores, and avid users of Kojien to create opportunities for consumers to reconnect with the dictionary, and ultimately pick up a copy of their own.