Readers tell designers what they want to wear, right now, and what they want to wear at the office or university, tomorrow - in other words, what they consider are real clothes for real living. CanCam also uses readers' suggestions when partnering with apparel manufacturers right from the design stage, to create a line of clothes featured only on its pages.
One obvious way to do this, he says, is to have readers fill out questionnaires, and their opinions often lead to improvements. Published by Shogakukan Inc., it sells about 650,000 copies of each issue. "Communication with our readers is a two-way street - we work with them to make our magazine what it is," says Onishi. CanCam is Japans most widely read fashion magazine for young women. The other secret behind the magazine's success? It maintains open lines of communication with readers. When an exclusive model leaves the magazine, fans remain faithful followers, many attending her "graduation from CanCam event." The typical magazine buyer identifies with them because they represent an ideal she herself could perhaps attain. They exhibit ideal proportions, of course, but their beauty would not make people stand back in awe. To succeed, a model has to appeal to both sexes."Īll of CanCam's exclusive models have that girl-next-door look. Bringing Japanese Technologies to the World Through Cross Border Open Innovation.
Farm and Fishery Producers in Tohoku Winning Back Consumers’ Trust. Clothes worn by Ebi-chan for CanCam enjoy a run on sales as soon as the magazine hits the newsstands, and often sell out soon after (the "Ebi sellout phenomenon").ĬanCam's editor-in-chief, Onishi Yutaka, explains Ebi-chan's quick rise to fame: "Everyone who sees her says she's lovely to look at, charming - in a word, kawaii. Transforming Food Systems for a Sustainable Planet and People.
Ebi-chan (her nickname) has been one of CanCam's exclusive models since 2003, and is now branching out into TV commercials and dramas. Especially Ebihara Yuri, who appears on the cover of each issue. The secret behind CanCam's success is, first of all, its star models. Readers' passion for style creates a stylish magazine