Manga: A Ripe Corporate Advertising Alternative

The word “manga,” once only popular to Japanese demographic, has completely infiltrated the U.S. and Europe in ways that can only be described as phenomenal. That word has now even become part of the English vocabulary. According to the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, “manga” is defined as ‘a Japanese graphic novel, typically intended for adults, characterized by highly stylized art’. Some distinctions lying between manga and comics – ones that are gradually becoming evanescent – are:

• The culture of origin,
• the presentation of story and characters in tune with their respective art style,
• the positioning of panels using sequential art,
• and the intended audience.

If one were to research the significant impact that manga has made in Japan across generations, and among the pre-teen to adolescent generation in the West, they would discover a major inconsistency, but one that shows an interesting trend. Though stories presented in manga decades ago in Japan were generally intended for an adult audience, this is no longer true.

Graphic novel sales in America since 2001 have increased almost five-fold, jumping from $75m to $330m. Manga sales are the decisive element in that media. Web comic creators are taking charge through their own stylized artwork and doing better than ever at establishing their own businesses through their creativity and devoted fanbase. In 2006, ‘American Born Chinese’ was a finalist as the first graphic novel up for the National Book Award. The obvious demand and influence that make manga and graphic novels so illustrious and appealing is high in the U.S. in all forms for all ages.

 

Manga are reaching an increasingly younger audience in the East, while in Western markets, the stylized art that is characteristic of manga, including manga itself, has been reaching an adolescent to young adult audience. What is interesting about these growing similiarties is many of these publications are poised to reach their audience regularly when they are most impressionable. However, because of their sophisticated themes, they often retain readership well into adulthood, bridging the gap between adolescence and adulthood. This is a feat that comic books in the West have not commonly achieved among their readers. The end result is that the majority of Western adults have only just begun to grasp the powerful possibilities that lie in manga, especially from a corporate perspective, while, likened to the Japanese, the younger generation is experiencing a similar generational gap closure through manga.

 

Now imagine if a reputable company (like yours) could appeal to the entire generational scope through a digital [web]comic and/or manga/graphic novel medium that could either span over time as installments or as a monthly one-shot story. The possibilities of expanding a company’s reach to a broad age demographic that is clearly responding well to this medium are almost endless. In short, this is an opportunity to market, advertise, and convey specific corporate messages even to the ever-illusive and often overly-cynical teenage demographic. Your company could potentially garner great response through such media if properly planned and executed with your business’s target and competition in mind.

 

‘Silly rabbit’? I think not. As forms of media that had once been separate – TV, newspapers, magazines, movies, Web sites, and yes comic books and Manga – now merge on internet, so do the audiences they influence in response. This is only one example. Before disregarding this idea as foolishness or place it on par with Trix cereal (‘Just for kids!’), take a few minutes and ask yourself a few questions.

• Is this booming medium an angle that I should ignore?
• Would the cost for this venture within reason for my business?
• What is the image of my business and would I be able to portray that same image effectively?
• What messages/products/etc. are readily available to me to utilize as content?

Many prominent companies, such as Toyota and Microsoft, have already taken advantage of this fresh initiative. Need more decisive proof? Visit Ad-Manga.us, a company that offers such services eqipped with a unique, compelling site design that directly conforms to their niche. If there were any better time to take advantage of this medium, it would be now. The only question left to ask is: Should I jump on the bandwagon before it gets too rowdy, just like Facebook and so many other internet fads ultimately did?

 

How do you reach your audience?

Niel Sumter, Jr. Interactive Producer for Image Cog, is a 21-year old BA degree graduate who has been an avid fan of anime and manga for over six years. He is also a part of the writing staff for Anime-Source.com where he has written reviews and editorials revolving around anime.

Internet Media 101: Nine Essential Mediums To Increase Your Exposure

With the Internet becoming more versatile in how information is presented and circulated, knowing which method(s) works best for you or your business can become more of an adventure than one would like. To help ease the process of you having to do your own homework, we have gathered up a glossary of potential avenues available to take (and, no doubt, may have already taken) to market you and your company in a way that can be a step in the right direction towards gaining maximum exposure in whatever your niche might be.

Website = A collection of Web pages, images, videos and other digital assets that is hosted on one or several Web server(s), usually accessible via the Internet, cell phone, or a LAN.

+ Anyone can start a simple website with available softwares, like Macromedia Dreamweaver, that are on the market. With the internet now being the first place most people search for information, having a professional-looking website has become increasingly more necessary to make an impression on visitors.

Blog = A website where entries are written in chronological order and commonly displayed in reverse chronological order. “Blog” can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.

+ Blogs require persistent management and frequent updating. Though most of the managing is done for you by the whichever service you choose, both are necessary to keep readers coming back. It has been said that one entry a day goes a long way. Professional Blogs are a great way to showcase your expertise and can help generate traffic to your site.

ePostcard = Similar to a postcard or greeting card, with the primary difference being it is created using digital media instead of paper or other traditional materials. E-cards are made available by publishers usually on various Internet sites, where they can be sent to a recipient, usually via e-mail. Sometimes, this is known as “HTML eMail”. This form of email opens as a site would, but in the email browser instead, offering the recipient a more graphic display than the common email.

eNewsletter = A regularly distributed publication generally about one main topic that is of interest to its subscribers via HTML e-mail. This like the ePost card with the exception that its articles link to the site they are hosted on.

Microsite = An Internet web design term referring to an individual web page or cluster of pages which are meant to function as an auxiliary supplement to a primary website. This is also known as a minisite or weblet. This is a great way to expand an existing site or create a feature focused on a specific product or service.

Podcast = A digital media file, or a series of such files, that is distributed over the Internet using syndication feeds for playback on portable media players and personal computers. Like the eCard and eNewsletter, these are being used professionally as a means of establishing credibility and expertise.

Internet Forum = A web application for holding discussions and posting user generated content. They are also commonly referred to as web forums, message boards, discussion boards, (electronic) discussion groups, discussion forums, bulletin boards, fora (the Latin plural) or simply forums. Generally, these are subject related. They are often used as a help tool where people can post questions or answer questions posted by the community.

Chatroom = A term used primarily by mass media to describe any form of synchronous conferencing, occasionally even asynchronous conferencing. This is typically less formal than the forum. While chatrooms often have a theme or area of interest, conversation frequently wanders.

Virtual Life = A computer-based, simulated environment intended for its users to inhabit and interact via avatars. This habitation usually is represented in the form of two or three-dimensional graphical representations of humanoids (or other graphical or text-based avatars).

+ There has been talk in the media as of late about corporations trying their luck at “virtual advertising” within these environments without much success. Here at Image Cog, we understand that this is because user dynamics change when applied to acting in a virtual world. With over eight million users registered at Second Life alone, this is a huge opportunity for those who reach these ever increasing populations.

Using these avenues simultaneously and wisely will result in reaching a broader audience. Having trouble getting started or are uncertain about how to properly execute your information into interactive media? We recommend getting in touch with a digital media company that will be able to suit your needs. Look for one that understands how these various points of media work in unison. Knowing that they are highly experienced individuals that understand user dynamics and how to effectively communicate the message you need to deliver is a must have. You definitely want a team that pays attention to the comparative nature of websites and how to out position your competition. This won’t be just any company, but a company like Image Cog that knows how to build up to a shameless plug. ^_–

Terms were sourced/paraphrased from Wikipedia