What is “Oshikatsu”?
“Oshikatsu,” means to enthusiastically support someone/something, like an idol.
Please see the article below for more explanation of “Oshikatsu” and the findings of the previous research.
There has been increasing focus on “Oshikatsu,” which means to enthusiastically support someone/something, like an idol. We researched this consumption trend to understand the Japanese market today.
How widespread has “Oshikatsu” become?
First, we investigated the general market and found that the percentage of people who have an “Oshi” has increased compared to 2022. Especially among teenagers, 80-90% of respondents answered that they had an “Oshi,” indicating that it has become a very popular pastime among young people. Generation Z is said to be unsuitable for mass marketing, but if you can motivate them to support someone of something, they may be more likely to purchase related products or services.
Note:
The term “Oshi” refers to one’s “favorite” of something or someone, such as idols, fictional characters, athletes, or objects.
The term “Oshikatsu” refers to activities in support of one’s “Oshi.”
How serious are “Oshikatsu” activities?
We conducted a survey by segmenting respondents based on their level of enthusiasm based on two axes: the amount of money and time they spend on “Oshikatsu.” As a result, the “SUPER HEAVY” segment accounted for approximately 10% of the total, the “HEAVY” segment approximately 15%, the “MIDDLE” segment approximately 21%, and the “LIGHT” segment approximately 54%. It can be seen that approximately 1/4 of the respondents heavily practice “Oshikatsu” with a high level of enthusiasm.
In addition, when plotting by category, the people who support “Idols,” “2D characters,” and “2.5D stage actors” spent more amount of money and time than others.
“Numa-Ochi Process” – Summary
Next, we focused on the “Oshikatsu” cycle and investigated the "Numa-Ochi Process" ("numa-ochi" meaning to "get hooked onto something") from encountering a potential “Oshi” to practicing actual “Oshikatsu” activities. We found that it takes about a year and a half from encountering a potential “Oshi” to actually solidifying them as an “Oshi,” and that activities that involve spending money begin within three months from the encounter.
What is the actual state of attitude change through content collaboration?
Finally, we will focus on a company's marketing activities.
When organized by industry and product category, we find that food-related collaborations tend to lead to product purchases and then to loyalty, while cosmetics/apparel-related collaborations tend to lead to brand recognition, and so on, and we found that each category has a different pattern of contribution to companies.
[Questionnaire research overview]
・Target: men and women ages 15 and over from VALUES, Inc.’s consumer panel (excluding junior high school students)
・Area: Nationwide (Japan)
・Devices: PC and smartphone
・Period: October 25-31, 2023
・Number of samples collected: 27,658
*This research uses weighted calculations based on population by gender and age group and internet usage rate. All numbers listed are weighted.
Born and raised in the Bay Area, U.S.A, I was fascinated by the different social and purchasing behaviors between Japanese and American consumers. I studied communication for undergrad and international marketing for my graduate studies. My professional background is in bilingual recruitment and Japanese-English translation.