In-depth analysis of Internet celebrity marketing characteristics and cooperation models in Japan and the Middle East markets

Internet celebrity marketing has gradually become an important promotion method for cross-border e-commerce, especially in Japan and the Middle East. The characteristics and marketing cooperation models of these two markets have their own characteristics, which are integrated and analyzed below.

The salient characteristics of Japanese Internet celebrities

1. Language barrier
   In Japan, language barriers significantly limit influencer marketing for cross-border sellers. According to the EF English Proficiency Index, Japan ranks 49th out of 88 countries and regions, showing low English proficiency. About 69.6% of the Japanese people believe that their English skills are insufficient, which makes bloggers who use English as their main communication language less influential in Japan.

2. Talent Organization Management
   Most famous Internet celebrities in Japan are managed by talent agencies, and few bloggers are active as freelancers. Therefore, sellers need to use agencies for marketing cooperation, which makes the possibility of directly contacting Internet celebrities very limited.

3. Strict non-public sponsorship rules
   Japanese consumers are strict about non-disclosed sponsorships, and bloggers must mark their posts with the #pr tag to distinguish paid ads, which is different from other countries.

4. Critical brand selection
   Japanese Internet celebrities are very cautious when choosing cooperative brands, often refusing to cooperate with new companies that are not yet mature, and focusing on audience feedback to ensure that their brand image will not be negatively affected.

Internet celebrity marketing in the Middle East market

1. The rapidly developing internet celebrity ecosystem
   Internet celebrity marketing is developing rapidly in the Middle East. In the UAE, 71% of consumers will express interest in products recommended by Internet celebrities, especially when it comes to purchasing decisions about beauty products, 63% of consumers are influenced by Internet celebrities.

2. Younger demographic structure
   As young people become more active on social platforms, their trust in and interactivity with Internet celebrities has generally increased. Internet celebrities in the Middle East have attracted large followings with their humorous and personalized content, such as Saudi Reporters and Tamara Al Cabbani.

3. Cost-effective marketing strategies
   In the Middle East, working with small internet celebrities is often more cost-effective, especially since small internet celebrities have higher interaction rates and trust among their audiences.

Internet celebrity cooperation model

When implementing Internet celebrity marketing, sellers can consider the following cooperation models:

1. Unboxing display
   This form of sending products to bloggers for unboxing videos can effectively display product features and improve conversion rates.

2. Mouth sowing grass
   Internet celebrities’ oral recommendations in live broadcasts or videos use their own charm to drive the audience’s purchasing decisions, increasing product exposure and conversion rates.

3. Professional evaluation
   Bloggers who have been exploring specific fields for a long time can conduct detailed reviews to attract more precise target consumers.

4. Scenario
   By writing scripts that allow Internet celebrities to naturally incorporate brand information into their content, it can help enhance audience resonance.

5. Life VLOG
   Bloggers display brand products by recording daily life, making their promotion closer to consumers’ lives and enhancing their sense of participation.

6. Talent Show
   On the short video platform, cooperate with content creators to promote products and leverage their highly sticky fan base to effectively increase brand exposure.

To sum up, in view of the characteristics of different national markets and the diversification of marketing methods, cross-border e-commerce sellers should fully consider various factors when carrying out Internet celebrity marketing to formulate targeted marketing strategies.