The Pitch: Dealing with industry culture shock while working in Japan

By BRENT KENNEDY

Just over a year ago my office window looked out on Auckland's leafy Greys Avenue. In the distance you could make out the silhouettes of the crazy jumpers dangling from the Sky Tower.

Today, I gaze over a city that in an architectural sense resembles a child's up-turned Lego set.

One building does not dominate the skyline there are too many competing for attention. As Kiwis celebrate reaching the big four million population mark, I'm now among the 30 million that scuttle around frantic, funky, fascinating Tokyo.

This is not Sydney or London. Foreign residents, of any variety, make up only about 1 per cent of the Japanese population of 126 million. There are a lot of Japanese people in Japan.

So why am I here? It is a question I've asked myself a few times over the past year. Particularly when I'm reviewing three English translations of one Japanese ad headline. (It's like they have a different word for everything!)

The theory goes that what motivates people is essentially the same all round the globe, right?

We all hope, dream, create, laugh, and love. Sure, people also hate and fight, but let's stick to the positives.

Together we are all becoming the "global community". So why not take some of that world-beating "can-do" Kiwi thinking and apply it in a market 31 times the size? Last year I joined DDB north Asia chief executive Douglas Faudet to help build an idea-centric, rather than ad-centric, environment in Tokyo.

In western markets communications people place the priority on identifying the insight: "What is the big idea? Give it to me fast!"

There is a shared epiphany among the client and the agency as the solution is realised.

Implementation and execution are vitally important, but we plan this in the context of the agreed strategic and creative direction.

The Japanese seem to invert the process. Before a campaign idea is born, the preoccupation is on execution. How are we going to do it? Which relationships can we call upon to make it happen? Is it possible? The trouble is that no one knows what "it" is yet.

To avoid your brain becoming scrambled, I've found you need to move beyond the right or wrong mindset. It's better to focus on the outcome and recognise the path may be different to your version of normal.

It's like being a right-hand guitar player being asked to play left-handed. You know the music you want to produce, but you must train your brain to approach the task in another way.

You also need partners so you can share what you learn. We are finalising a partnership with Tokyu Agency, who have a billings turnover in excess of $3.5 billion and staff of over a thousand.

We're developing campaigns based on Japanese insights using the DDB planning tools and creative philosophy.

All delivered with Tokyu execution.

Listening is hard work in any language, but done well it is rewarding.

Also, new windows allow you to see a few different things.

* Brent Kennedy helped create Wow Rapp Collins (WRC). He is now vice-president of DDB Japan.

* The Pitch is a forum for those working in advertising, marketing, public relations and communications. We welcome lively and topical 500-word contributions.
Email Simon Hendery.