A new social media Google+ needed to boost the numbers of users in Japan. However, with Facebook, Twitter, and Mixi already dominating the market, Google+ was facing a huge competition. A strategy to win the unique Japanese audience was a key.

243 members of AKB48 registered for the Google+ service, and simultaneously began uploading posts. We also acquired 243 smartphones so they can share their joys, sadness, ideas, and problems whenever and wherever they feel like. On the Google+ stream, fans got to know the members more intimately in comparison to the stage or TV. Using unique functions of Google+, members were able to express themselves in various ways and receive feedback from fans at unparalleled speed. This activity instantly created quite a buzz, and the AKB48’s Google+ followers increased rapidly.

The campaign drew unprecedented interest and became the most talked about topic not only on Google+, but also on many websites, SNSs, and BBSs. It has been featured on TV, magazines, and newspapers. More than 500,000 posts have been uploaded on the biggest BBS in Japan, ‘2ch’. 72,600 posts have been uploaded by AKB48 members; 4,290,000 comments and 15,000,000 +1s from fans have been received. They have more than 10m followers on Google+, which is more than any celebrity around the world. Google+ became widely recognised across Japan very rapidly. The number of Google+ users in Japan has and continues to increase at unparalleled speed.