By Gerardo R. Partido
Variety News Staff

MARKETING consultants hired by the Guam Visitors Bureau want to build more buzz about the island in Japanese blogs.
Sachiyo Takaoka, an executive of Ogilvy & Mather Japan that markets GVB in Japan, spoke before members of the Guam Hotel and Restaurant Association yesterday, saying that Guam should strive to make Japanese tourists’ visits more personal and emotional.
One indicator that this is not happening is that few bloggers in Japan are commenting on Guam in contrast to Hawaii, which gets more attention, Takaoka said.
She said blogs in Japan are increasing, as tracked by the Nielsen company, and that many talk about their travel experiences, making them a strategic marketing target.
During her talk, Takaoka stressed that Guam should increase its online marketing because almost 70 percent of Japan’s population now use the Internet, with about 85.3 million Japanese having access to the Internet.
“More importantly, more than 90 percent of Japanese who are 13 to 49 years old use the Internet. Even the ‘silver’ market or those who are 50 to 64 years old are increasing their Internet use,” Takaoka said during yesterday’s GHRA monthly meeting.
She added that the Internet is now a key medium used by the Japanese in making purchasing decisions.
“The television is good for getting out initial information but the Internet is stronger in retaining interest and providing more thorough data that will ultimately sway the final decision of Japanese consumers. The Internet is also consumed throughout the day and offers more marketing hours than TV,” Takaoka said.
In line with this, Takaoka said GVB is launching an online marketing campaign starting this July that will build on the “Do You Know the True Guam?” marketing campaign launched over Japanese TV in 2007.
“We will expand on this initial campaign and offer more in-depth information. We will also add more emotional appeal,” she said.
Part of this online campaign is the introduction of a new Web site called Gohoubi (pronounced Go-Ho-Bee) in Japan.
Gohoubi, the Japanese word for “reward,” will simultaneously benefit both Japanese visitors with tons of local information and chances for prizes and participating local businesses with free publicity.
The Gohoubi Web site will feature a map of Guam with little markers on it, noting areas of cultural and historical interest on the island. Visitors click on the marker and a pop up window appears with pictures, a description of the site, and possible opportunities for prizes.
Takaoka said this new Web site will be launched in two months just in time for Guam’s summer campaign in Japan.