iKala, a KOL Marketing Tool from Taiwan, Contributes to Sendai City's Inbound Business; Further Business Development in Collaboration with ICHICO

With the onslaught of the new coronavirus infection subsiding, tourism from around the world to Japan and from Japan to the rest of the world is gradually reviving. Especially in 2024, the number of tourists to Japan has continued to increase, and according to statistics from the Japan National Tourism Organization, the number of foreign visitors to Japan in October 2024 will exceed that of the same month in 2019, and is estimated to exceed 20 million by the end of 2024. However! It is not easy to attract foreign tourists due to hurdles caused by language and cultural differences, and most of them are concentrated in urban areas. New developments are needed in the tourism industry in various parts of Japan. In this context, iKala Japan K .K. ("iKala Japan") and ICHICO K.K. ("ICHICO") are proposing a solution by sharing their expertise in Asian sales promotion.

Sendai Tourism PR Case Study

Sendai City in Miyagi Prefecture commissioned ICHICO, a general advertising company, to increase the number of foreign tourists. The city of Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, hired ICHICO, an integrated advertising company, to develop a campaign utilizing influencer marketing.

The campaign targeted Taiwanese visitors and used "iKala," a unique influencer marketing platform. Two KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders), one a Taiwanese living in Japan and the other a Taiwanese living in Taiwan, were used to develop video content centered on Instagram, based on the condition that many of the posts were travel-related and that the percentage of Taiwanese followers was 45% or more. The promotion period was from December 5 to December 8, 2023, and successfully reached approximately 18,000 people by posting 2 Instagram reels and62 story posts.

The videos introduced food, tourist attractions, and experiences in Sendai and Matsushima, providing useful information for Taiwanese tourists. As a result, a total of more than 300 videos were saved and shared, and a number of positive comments were received, increasing the visibility and likability of Sendai and promoting increased consumption by foreign tourists and tourism around the Sendai-Matsushima area.

98% use SNS, the influence of SNS in Taiwan

Instagram and YouTube are very effective in disseminating information to tourists, and many companies are actively using these platforms. Of course, Taiwan's tourism PR is no exception. The influence of SNS in Taiwan is extremely high, with click-through rates and time spent on SNS being higher than in Japan.

iKala Japan supports casting that fits your budget

iKala

When recruiting overseas influencers, there are not only language barriers, but also cost challenges due to the weak yen. However, choosing mid-size influencers has the advantage of being more cost-effective and increasing engagement. We will produce Instagram reel videos and use social networking to reach international travel enthusiasts.

KOL Radar" has a huge influencer database.

iKala is a global company headquartered in Taiwan that provides AI-driven cloud services and marketing technology with the mission of "AI empowerment. In Japan, iKala is expanding its services with "KOL Radar".

KOL Radar is an AI influencer marketing platform that helps you select the right influencer for each project. With a database of over 3 million influencers in the Gulf, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, and Hong Kong, KOL Radar collects information from social networking sites in real time. By using AI to classify influencers, the service leads to influencers that match the objectives of companies and local governments.

Furthermore, after influencers have been selected, the system also supports case management and the creation of performance reports. KOL Radar's strength is its ability to easily measure the effectiveness of marketing efforts.

With tourism demand on the rise, iKala Japan provides effective sales promotion strategies that overcome language and cultural barriers. iKala Japan plans to continue to contribute to the development of the tourism industry and strengthen its partnerships with local governments. iKala Japan's Asian sales promotion strategies will provide valuable hints for many companies in the future.