An online seminar titled "PRTIMES x Morisawa Municipal Information Dissemination Seminar: From 'Communicating' to 'Understanding'" was held on August 28th. There was a lot to discuss, but here we will provide a summary of the event.

Part 1: Universal design of information and SDGs - Regional revitalization and the COVID-19 era

Lecturer
Public Relations Advisor, Nakano Ward, Tokyo / Visiting Researcher, Waseda University Manifesto Research Institute
Tomoyuki Sakuma

To gain fans on social media

Sakuma taught himself design as an employee of Miyoshi Town, Saitama Prefecture, and worked on its newsletter. Since retiring from the town in February this year, he has been active in a variety of fields, including as a public relations advisor for Nakano Ward. One thing that Sakuma consistently stressed in this seminar was, "Don't confuse the means with the ends." Of course, this also applies to social media.

The main purpose of social media is to "gain fans," and using social media should not be the goal itself. "The key to gaining a solid fan base is to set goals," explains Sakuma. It is necessary to set measurable goals such as the number of likes, number of followers, and engagement rate, and to continue using the PDCA cycle to improve these goals.

Another scary thing about social media is the risk of a "flame war," but avoiding social media for unnecessary fear of a flame war would be putting the cart before the horse. It's important to take proper precautions and operate safely.

Sakuma introduced the "5 S's" to keep in mind to prevent flame wars.
・Politics
·religion
·discrimination
Sports
・Sexual

In addition, it is important to keep the following five points in mind:
① Double check
②Is it contrary to the current state of affairs?
3) Are the words and content appropriate when interpreted objectively?
④Is there any personal information or confidential information on the photo?
⑤Is the timing appropriate? (Be careful in the event of a disaster)

For example, if you announce that you will be holding a town event immediately after a disaster, it will create a sense of distrust among residents. The timing of points ② and ⑤ is particularly important, and it is important to double-check before proceeding.

The audience of this seminar was also very interested in social media, and it seems that they were already asking questions in the chat. Sakuma took up the question, "What does it mean for sports to become controversial?" and answered as follows:

"For example, Hirado City in Nagasaki Prefecture is home to a J.League team, but if city officials or the mayor were to post on the Hirado City account supporting the Urawa Reds, it would likely provoke resentment among residents. With the exception of expressing respect for the opponent during a match against the Urawa Reds, posting personal feelings on official accounts should be avoided."

After giving a clear explanation of the flame wars that can occur in sports, Sakuma concluded by emphasizing the key to gaining fans, saying, "To achieve your goal of building fans on social media, it is very important to be aware of the recipients of the information."

Part 2: Panel discussion: Practices and challenges of disseminating information from local governments that is easy to understand

Mr. Takayuki Aida, Planning Division, Yokohama Charm Creation Office, Culture and Tourism Bureau, City of Yokohama
Mr. Yutaka Sato, Policy Division, Planning Department, Inabe City
Coordinator: Tomoyuki Sakuma

Promoting the town's charms through Instagram

The panel discussion that followed featured Aida from Yokohama City and Sato from Inabe City, Mie Prefecture, taking to the stage. Sakuma acted as moderator. The two first introduced their respective cities. They explained that Yokohama City has been ranked number one for the third consecutive year in SUUMO's "2020 Kanto Edition Livable City Ranking," and that Inabe City is rich in nature, with 60% of its land covered in forests.

Next, we discussed the topic of "Universal Design of Information and SDGs," before moving on to the topic of "SNS and Paid Media."
Mr. Aida of Yokohama City focused on the tourist bureau account. In 2016, Yokohama City launched a@findyouryokohamaHe opened an account called "Insta-san." Currently, about 64% of his followers are Japanese, and he has over 60,000 followers. The photos he posted on Instagram were also exhibited on panels in the atrium of the new city hall, which was completed in June. Sakuma also saw the exhibit, and commented, "It was spectacular."

Meanwhile, Sato from Inabe City explained that they use Instagram to promote the city's attractions, Twitter to announce disaster information and other matters, and LINE and Facebook for PR purposes.

Catalog Pocket for speedy translation

Sato spoke about Morisawa's translation app "Catalog Pocket," which is a paid media service. The reason they decided to use it was because of the large number of foreign residents in Japan, and the deciding factor was the speed of Catalog Pocket's translation.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Catalog Pocket was used to distribute notices of school closures and other announcements. Faced with the extremely difficult decision of balancing safety and education, Catalog Pocket was able to notify schools immediately after the decision to close, and has received positive feedback from educational institutions saying that it was a great help. Currently, three model schools have been selected, and preparations are underway to see if foreign language versions of the "School Newsletter" can be distributed digitally. If the system works well, it will have the added benefit of reducing the hassle and cost of printing, as well as making it easier to correct information.

Sakuma commented, "When I started, it was only available in five languages, but now it supports 10 languages. Catalog Pocket is frequently updated, which is really helpful." Aida said, "I didn't know such a convenient tool existed! I'm already excited to try it out (laughs)." He added, "It looks like we'll be able to find more people to join us. We can share our methods, and I'd be happy if we could improve together (Sakuma)."

PR TIMES leads to media exposure

Mr. Aida from Yokohama City introduced the use of "PR TIMES" as paid media. He said that Yokohama City has the "wall" of Tokyo, and that there was an issue of information not reaching outside the city. In order to overcome this, they introduced PR TIMES. As the goal is branding, they carefully select topics rather than issuing a variety of releases.

The art exhibition "Yokohama Triennale" caught the attention of reporters by releasing multiple releases with different perspectives, which led to many interviews. In addition, the release of the collaboration event with The Pokemon Company, "Pikachu Outbreak!", caused a buzz and was featured on LINE News.

Inabe City is also using PR TIMES and has been featured in the media. Sakuma appealed to the seminar audience, saying, "There is a one-month free trial available exclusively to local governments!"

Thus ended the fruitful seminar. With representatives from two cities, one large city and one rich in nature, speaking on stage, the seminar was surely informative for many viewers.