Hobonichi - A profitable web media with no advertisement or subscription revenue Presented at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan, October 2015 http://www.fccj.or.jp/events-calendar/calendar/icalrepeat.detail/2015/10/13/3449/-/asa-kai-fccj-monthly-tues-breakfast-meeting.html

1. Good morning!
I’m Makiko Shinoda.

2. Our business:
Hobo Nikkan Itoi Shimbun
• Run the website “Hobo Nikkan Itoi Shimbun” (Hobonichi)
• New content every single day for over 17 years, since
June 1998
• 1.3 million visits per month
• Generate revenue by developing and selling lifestyle
goods via e-commerce within own website
• Sales breakdown
merchandise 90%; publishing 5%; shipping&handling 5%
(no ad revenue)
2

3. Who is Shigesato Itoi?
• Copywriter
• Lyricist
• Essayist
• TV personality
• Game designer
• Editor in Chief,
Hobo Nikkan Itoi
Shimbun

4. WHAT WE DO

14. ほぼ日手帳
Hobonichi Techo
14
550
thousand
copies in
2015
#1 at Loft

16. Hobonichi Techo is going global.
Over 30 thousand copies, 82 countries.

17. International users on
Facebook, Instagram, and Weibo

22. HOW WE DO IT

23. 「まず銀座通りをつくる。
そうしたら、
自動販売機を置いても
稼げる」
First, create a Ginza.
Then we can make money
even with
a vending machine.

25. 読み物も商品もコンテンツ。
Content can be an article or a product.

26. High
willingness
to pay
Long-term
profitability
No
sponsors
Free content,
no sign-up
New posts
every day
Enjoyment
of
everyday
life
Flexibility in
content
theme and
format
Large,
diverse
readership
Three Rings
of Creativity
Trust
Internet

27. Three Rings of Creativity
Motivation
Articulation
Congregation
Society

28. WHAT WE BELIEVE

29. Our perspectives
Understand fundamental nature of
people that is constant throughout
history
Embrace both the goodness and
weaknesses of human nature, and
aspire to be good
『インターネット的』 “Internetty”
Flat, Link, Share
History
Human
nature
Society

30. うちの土鍋シリーズ 「ベア１号」
Clay pot

33. 『インターネット的』
“Internetty,” 2001
• Flat ⇆ Hierarchy
• Link ⇆ Compartmentalize
• Share ⇆ Monopolize

34. Our approach to marketing
Conventional approach
• What do they want?
– End users
– Channel
– Other departments, your boss…
• Most advanced, supreme, ultimate
• Who is the target segment?
• PR is an afterthought.
Our approach
• What do we, the consumer, really
want?
• Is this the best among the standard?
• Would someone from the 15th
century like this?
• Would people want to talk about
this? Is it fun?
Target “them” and improve the odds.
Manipulative – “they can’t tell”
Start from “me” and dig deep to
approach universality.
Respect and trust the average consumer.

35. Hierarchy… is toppled… and becomes a ship

37. Office seating arrangements by lottery

38. Other sharing mechanisms
• Share
philosophies and
decisions
• Wednesday
meetings
• Weekly planning
meeting
• Be open, be seen
• cc: All
• All customer e-
mail is forwarded
to everyone

39. 糸井事務所が目指すもの
「ほぼ日」がどうしていくかについては、いつも同じです。
「人（＝じぶん）がうれしいことって、どういうことか」
とにかくこればっかりを、しつこく考えることです。
逆の言い方でもいいんですよ、
「じぶん（＝人）がうれしいことって、どういうことか」
たぶん、これがぼくらの最大で、唯一の仕事ですから。
ー『今日のダーリン』より

40. Our aspiration
What Hobonichi should do stays the same.
“What is it that brings people (=me) joy?”
Just think through this, single-mindedly, persistently.
We can turn it the other way around, you know.
“What is it that brings me (=people) joy?”
This, I think, is the most important and only work to be done.
--Today’s Darling

41. Who we aspire to be
やさしく be good
つよく be strong
おもしろく be fun

42. Thank you!