Do you know about “advertisement comics”? This is an advertisement that incorporates manga techniques, and is often used to introduce and promote companies and products. Recently, I get the impression that I see it a lot on various SNS etc.
Advertising comics can be made more interesting by giving them a story, and by using unique illustrations and speech bubbles, they can be more easily read. Manga is something that people of all ages are likely to be interested in, and it can be said to be one of the most effective methods in Japan, where it is widely popular.
In this article, we will explain the overview of advertising comics, their advantages and disadvantages, and the steps involved in producing them. If you are thinking of applying something to your company, please read this article and use it as a reference.
What is advertising manga?
An advertising manga is a manga that has the function of an advertisement for the purpose of advertising. First, let me explain what it is.
Advertisements that explain products in manga format
Advertising manga is an advertising method that uses manga to introduce and explain companies and products. Unique illustrations, effective speech bubbles, and effects can be used to explain the content, making it easier to understand the content compared to text-based content.
Additionally, there are many people who generally find reading text for long periods of time tiresome, and text-based content often makes them feel uncomfortable. Advertising comics have the advantage that users can enjoy reading them visually and in an easy-to-understand manner.
Backgrounds that are often used
The popularization of the web and SNS is thought to be one of the reasons behind the use of advertising comics.
Traditionally, advertisements were mainly printed in magazines, flyers, etc., but with the spread of the Web and television, this method has become less mainstream. Nowadays, advertisements in the form of animations and videos are widely distributed around the world, and advertisements in print are in decline. People’s interest has shifted from text-based content that requires them to read deeply into text, to animations and videos that are easier to visualize. Meanwhile, with the advent of “advertisement manga,” which uses unique illustrations, effective speech bubbles, and effects, and can also be combined with printed text, it has come to be used in many businesses as an innovative method. It has become.
Also, the importance of “time performance” due to changes in the times may also be related. Time performance is the time version of “cospa” (cost performance), and refers to the ratio of effectiveness obtained to the amount of time spent. If you get a high effect in a short amount of time, you have “high time performance,” and if you get little effect even after a long time, you have “low time performance.” In modern times, the development of digital technology and the web has made it possible to efficiently collect a variety of information. For this reason, more and more people want to use their time wisely and get information efficiently, and more and more people are trying to get better information quickly. Advertising comics can be said to be an effective method for people who want to obtain good information because they provide easy-to-understand information.
Advertising comics are increasingly being seen on many social networking sites. In today’s world, it is rare to find people who do not use SNS, and the dissemination of information through SNS has a very large impact, so various companies are using SNS to publish advertisements. Content that is of interest tends to be easily spread by many people, so companies use it as an advertising method with high virality.
5 benefits of using advertising comics
Advertising comics are used in a variety of situations, and the reason they are used is because they bring great benefits. The advantages include the following:
Easy to stand out and attract interest
Expressions using manga have the effect of being impactful and easily attracting people’s attention. Therefore, they are more noticeable and more interesting than text-based ones, so they can be seen by many people.
While many advertisements use text, a surprisingly large number of people will take a closer look at those that use illustrations or speech bubbles. Therefore, it has the effect of being able to differentiate itself from competitors who distribute general advertisements. Even if you have little interest in reading manga, you can expect it to have the effect of attracting your attention by drawing your attention to the impactful expressions and stories.
Can convey information in an easy-to-understand manner
It also has the effect of conveying information in an easy-to-understand manner to the viewer. When advertising, it may be difficult to provide a clear explanation using only text. Even in such cases, you can explain the product’s form and usability through design and text, making it easy for viewers to understand.
It is also possible to use stories to provide attractive explanations. By conveying information visually, you can make difficult content easier to understand.
Can convey information efficiently
Advertising comics that are easy to understand can convey a lot of information efficiently. It is said that the amount of information that humans can process per minute is about 1,000 characters when reading text, but about 2,000 characters when reading manga. This means that the data can be transmitted at approximately twice the speed.
There are many things you want to convey to the viewers, such as the appeal of your products, but it is difficult to do so through text alone. By using manga, you can fully convey the appeal and other aspects.
Has a simulated experience effect
Manga readers often tend to get into the feelings of the characters as they read. Therefore, you can put yourself in the shoes of the characters and have a simulated experience of the effects and benefits of the product through the manga.
For example, when you want to promote a diet product, you can not only show before and after photos, but also use stories to show specific situations such as what changes occurred before and after using the diet product. It would be good to express it. The image of how the product is used is easy to understand, and the user can get closer to experiencing the effects in real life, which can lead to increased purchase intent.
Easy to watch until the end
Advertising comics tend to keep people reading them even after they have captured their initial interest. Once you become interested in a manga and start reading it, you will want to continue reading it because you are curious about what happens next. If you find ways to maintain interest, you’ll be more likely to watch until the end.
Another major factor is that users are less likely to feel uncomfortable compared to something full of text. Some advertisements have a strong desire to convey the characteristics of a company or product, but it has become too much information, and it seems that the “strong advertising feel” is often making people feel uncomfortable. In advertising comics, this “advertising-like intensity” is minimized to make it less unpleasant, which is thought to make it easier for people to watch until the end.
Disadvantages of advertising comics
Although advertising comics have many advantages, there are also some disadvantages. After understanding this, you can decide whether to use it for your own products.
Not suitable for advertisements that require detailed explanations
Although it has the advantage of being able to convey a lot of information efficiently, it is not suitable for things that need to convey detailed information because much of the space is taken up by designs and speech bubbles. Even if you try to make it easier to read, if there are too many characters in a manga, it becomes difficult to read, which can cause users to feel uncomfortable. This makes it impossible to take advantage of the benefits of advertising comics. Please be aware that there is a limit to the space you can post, and make the most of it by keeping in mind the points you want to promote.
Depending on the structure and content, it may make you feel uncomfortable.
Comic advertisements are easy to imagine when read, and have the effect of creating a simulated experience for users, but it is necessary to pay close attention to the impression they give. This is because while the impact is strong, depending on the structure and content, it may make you feel uncomfortable.
Recently, there has been an increase in advertisements that provoke users with slightly sexual or extreme expressions, and such advertisements tend not to have a good image. Not only will you feel uncomfortable with the advertisement, but you may also feel uncomfortable with the company placing the advertisement. It would be putting the cart before the horse if it damaged the company’s brand image.
When using advertising comics, elements such as sincerity and reliability are necessary, so it is important to be careful not to create too much of a biased, pop-like expression.
the process is complicated
One of the disadvantages is that the process to place an ad tends to be more time-consuming and complicated than regular ad placement. Because the process is more complex than other types of advertising, the hurdles to implementation are higher. When advertising in manga format, you need to decide on the following points.
The ones listed above are just a few examples, and they require many more steps than regular advertisements. In addition to this, work such as meeting and coordinating with the production company, checking and correcting, and measuring the effectiveness of advertising is also required. This results in increased time and cost costs.
Cost price for producing advertising comics
Advertising comics have both advantages and disadvantages, but I think there are many companies that would like to use advertising comics that can provide easy-to-understand explanations for users. However, if you cannot produce it yourself, you will need to outsource it to an outside company.
From here, we will explain the cost and points to understand when outsourcing production to an outside company.
production company
When you request an advertising manga production company, there is a high possibility that they will produce high quality work. In addition, there is a strong tendency to actively participate in coordination and various processes, and to work together with the client to ensure that there are no discrepancies in the images.
The average cost is approximately 100,000 yen. In some cases, costs can be reduced slightly by having the client pay for the direction. However, if this is your first time, we recommend leaving the direction to a professional. If you leave it to a professional, you will be able to produce a better quality product.
professional manga artist
Hiring a professional manga artist is likely to produce something of very high quality, but it may be difficult to do so. If the manga artist is popular, it may be difficult to contact them directly. If you make a request through a major advertising agency, you may be able to request a popular manga artist, but the cost may be higher.
The cost is 100,000 yen or more, and if the artist is a popular manga artist, it may be the amount specified by the artist.
a person who produces products individually
There are two methods when requesting work from someone who does the work individually:
Since the request is made to an individual, selection and consultation are very important, but since there are many people with high production skills, it is possible to request a good deal.
The average cost is around 30,000 to 50,000 yen. If you make a request directly from an individual’s homepage, there are no intermediary fees, so it is easy to do so, but problems may occur because there is no third party. Outsourcing sites such as Lancers and Coconara will incur fees, but the advantage of having a third party involved is that problems are less likely to occur. Either method is fine when requesting an individual, but if it is your first time and you are unsure, it is better to use an outsourcing site.
6 steps to use advertising comics
Advertising comics tend to be a more complicated process than regular advertisements, but if you understand the steps carefully, you can use them effectively. Let’s proceed by following the steps below.
1. Decide on the purpose of use
2. Decide on a plan
3. Have a meeting with the client
4. Create an advertising comic
5. Post an ad
6. Check and improve the effects from time to time
Decide on the purpose of use
First, let’s clarify the purpose of using advertising. If you do not decide what purpose you will implement the measures, the effectiveness of the measures may be halved.
Set a goal, such as “Improve your company’s image and increase the number of people you hire,” or “Increase the number of buyers by conveying the appeal of your products,” and create a story structure that aligns with that goal. It would be even better if you could think of specific numerical goals as well.
decide on a plan
Once you have determined your purpose, let’s create a plan that fits it. We will decide on the following:
If you clearly define your purpose, you can increase the appeal of your advertisement by creating a character based on a persona that matches that purpose, or creating a scenario based on something that persona might be concerned about.
First, decide on a rough flow of the story, and then decide on specific scenarios such as character appearance scenes, panel layout, and dialogue.
Related materials:
Have a meeting with the client
When requesting the production of advertising comics, be sure to hold a meeting and receive a quote. If there are no problems with the estimate, you will need to continue meeting and share your plans. This is because if information is not shared properly, there may be differences in the images of each other. It would be a good idea to thoroughly coordinate with the client and have them create a rough draft. Check the overall image and taste of the illustration in the rough draft, and if you are satisfied with it, start the actual production.
Create an advertising cartoon
After meeting with the client, finalizing the plan and completing the rough draft, let’s start production. Please let us know in advance if there are any differences in the image or areas you would like to correct in the rough sketch. Modifications that are made after the process has progressed will cause the client to take more time and effort, and there is a risk that completion will be delayed. Even if you are able to produce the work, delays in completion may prevent the publication from proceeding according to the planned schedule.
Placing an advertisement
Once completed, it’s time to actually publish. We distribute advertisements according to each advertising medium, but in many cases there is a screening process for posting advertisements. You can decide whether to publish the ad by checking whether the ad is appropriate for the users viewing it and whether it is offensive. Media outlets have regulations and guidelines for publishing, so be sure to check them in advance.
Check and improve the effects at any time
It doesn’t end once you place an ad; you need to check the effectiveness from time to time. Let’s check various data such as click rate, viewing time, exit rate, etc., as well as how much it is connected to the purpose and goal set at the beginning. By discovering issues, you can decide what kind of corrections to make and what type of ads to post next time, leading to more effective advertising.
PDCA is very important when it comes to attracting customers. Just because you have implemented a measure doesn’t mean it’s a good thing; instead, measure the effect and use it for the next step.
4 points to use
Advertising comics can be extremely effective if implemented, but of course, implementing them alone does not mean that great effects can be achieved. To use it effectively, you need to keep a few points in mind. Please keep the following points in mind.
Be conscious of cost effectiveness
This is something to be aware of with all measures, but always be aware of cost-effectiveness.
Advertising comics have a strong impact, so they are easy to attract interest and are likely to increase click-through rates. However, even if the click-through rate is high, it cannot be said to be sufficiently effective if it does not lead to the final purchase of the product. If you continue advertising even though you are not seeing the desired effect, you are wasting money.
Always be aware of cost-effectiveness, and if you are not seeing the desired effect, think about improvements such as changing the appeal points.
Check if the design matches the product
Be sure to check carefully whether the design matches the product being advertised. This is because in some cases, the value of a company or product may be sufficiently increased, but in other cases, the value of the company or product may be lowered through design.
For example, if a company wants to express its serious atmosphere and uses a pop design, the result is a different image than the one originally intended. Design is easy to express and effectively convey information to users, so even if you express it incorrectly, it will leave a strong impression on users. Make sure to check carefully whether the design matches the product.
Try to find ways to attract interest in a short amount of time
Too much information can make it difficult for users to view. Therefore, try to find ways to attract interest in a short amount of time. If you don’t see an improvement in your click-through rate or your exit rate is high, you may be able to do something to attract more interest. Consider the balance between text, design, and speech bubbles, and make improvements to attract interest in a short amount of time.
If you want to include more text, comics may not be the right choice for you. Please review your measures and consider appropriate measures.
Do not leave everything to the client
Advertising is a highly specialized field, so when it is outsourced, it is often left up to the client. However, if you throw everything away just because you don’t understand, you may end up with a manga that is different from what you had in mind, or you may not get the results you expected. Therefore, it is important to communicate thoroughly and move forward, rather than just throwing everything at each other. By sharing information and having close discussions, you can maximize the effectiveness of your advertising comics. Think of it as one of your company’s jobs and be careful not to leave it to others.
Good and bad products that are compatible with advertising comics
Advertising comics are compatible with a variety of products, and can be used for a wide range of purposes, from tangible items to intangible items such as services. The following products would be a good match.
On the other hand, the following products are considered to be incompatible.
If used effectively, it brings many benefits, but if it is used for something that is not compatible with it, its effects will not be maximized. Let’s think about whether advertising comics are suitable for the product and whether there are better measures.
summary
In this article, we have explained the overview of advertising comics, their advantages and disadvantages, and the steps involved in producing them. In today’s world where the web and SNS are widespread, many businesses are using advertising comics that utilize unique illustrations, speech bubbles, and effects as an innovative method. You can use illustrations and comic-specific speech bubbles to provide explanations, making it easier for people to understand the content compared to text-based content.
Since it can be used in a wide range of genres, it is thought that the range of applications will continue to expand in the future. By using it according to your purpose, you may be able to further accelerate your business. If you want to further accelerate and expand your business, please consider using advertising comics.