Osaka Expo Leader Governor Yoshimura Breaks Down to Build Momentum - PR Mindset Needed
In April, Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura's remarks on the TV program "Morning Show" against Toru Tamagawa about the "ban on the World Expo" have become a hot topic. This statement shows that the behavior of the organizers' leaders may undermine support for the Expo and amplify public opinion. Regarding the current situation and prospects of the Osaka Expo, we will consider the importance of building momentum and PR, in which 4 billion yen was invested.
Organizers of the Osaka Expo
First of all, in order to better understand this article and the past and future Osaka Expos, we will summarize the main stakeholders of the Expo. The Expo is currently Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) Proceeding as a national project under the 2025 Japan Association for World Expositions (World Expo Association) will be the organizer of the event. The Expo Association is staffed by secondees from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Osaka Prefecture City, and private companies. And Osaka Prefectural Expo Promotion Bureau As the host city's municipality, it is mainly responsible for fostering momentum to attract support for the event.
The Board of Directors of the Expo Association consists of Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura of Osaka Prefecture and Mayor Hideyuki Yokoyama of Osaka, who serves as Vice Chairman, and Chairman Masakazu Tokura of Keidanren (Chairman of Sumitomo Chemical). In addition, Takeshi Niinami, president of the Japan Association of Corporate Executives (President of Suntory), also serves as vice chairman.
Flow of holding the Osaka Expo
In August 2014, the Osaka Restoration Association (then Osaka Prefectural Councilor Ichiro Matsui, then the mayor of Osaka Prefecture) submitted a proposal to attract the World Expo, and the party participated in the bidding activities, and in November 2018, it was held in Paris. International Bureau of Expositions (BIE) It was decided to hold the 2025 Osaka World Expo. After that, the Osaka Restoration Association had made a campaign promise to make the Expo a success in the unified local elections in April 2023, but at the party executive committee meeting in August, Baba Representative of the Japan Restoration Association said, "The Expo is a national event, so it is not Osaka's responsibility, but the whole country is doing it." Around this time, opposition to the holding of the World Expo became even more widespread on the Internet.
Osaka Restoration Event Says "Ban on Expo"
Governor Yoshimura's "ban on the Expo" remark to Tamagawa on the Morning Show was uttered during a cross-talk between the governor and Mayor Yokoyama at a rally organized by the Osaka Restoration Association held in Ibaraki City, Osaka Prefecture on March 30, 2024. At that time, Governor Yoshimura expressed his dissatisfaction with Mr. Tamagawa, and the neighboring mayor Yokoyama seemed to be smiling with an expression that recognized it as a gaffe.
"(Many people) come to the Expo just to see the 35 billion yen ring," he said, adding, "Criticizing the ring #玉川徹 is banned" and attacks critics #吉村洋文
— Shoji Koru 💙💛 (@షోజీ_కోరు) March 29, 2024
"The rings are made of wood from Fukushima" (in fact, most of them are cheap laminated wood from overseas) to deceive the public #横山ひでゆき
It's like an investment scam seminar #大阪維新の会 … pic.twitter.com/8xfwWQwX5L
For many years, since the decision was made to hold the Osaka Expo, there has been a conflict between the organizers and the public opinion that opposes the Expo. The confrontational structure of the past is not something that can be dismissed as "there is no choice because both sides have opinions." This is because more than 4 billion yen of public budget has been spent on the organizers' momentum-building activities for the Expo, so we cannot afford to fail in momentum-building activities.
Problems with building momentum and banning remarks from the World Expo
The purpose of the Osaka Expo's momentum-building activities is to widely convey the significance and appeal of the Expo, gain social support, and encourage visitors. In the context of this important mission, it can be said that the organizers who make statements such as "ban on the Expo" that incite dissenting opinions are not fulfilling their responsibilities.
If we aim to build momentum, we need not to take an aggressive stance, but to carefully engage in dialogue until those who have opposing opinions are satisfied, no matter how much opposition is made. This is the responsibility of the organizers, and as long as public money is invested in momentum-building activities, it is essential to gain widespread support from society for the opening of the Expo and to achieve consensus building that will lead to a majority of people who intend to visit.
Responsibilities of Expo Leader Governor Yoshimura
Hirofumi Yoshimura, the current leader of the Osaka Restoration Party, is deeply involved in the Expo as the governor of the city hosting the Osaka Expo and as a deputy director of the Expo Association. In other words, Mr. Yoshimura bears a heavy responsibility in the position of three organizations related to the holding of the Expo. This will not change just because the Expo has become a national project.
Whether you agree or disagree, society will regard Governor Yoshimura as the most important person among the organizers and leaders of the Expo. In this process, Governor Yoshimura is required to increase the number of people who agree with him from the public opinion that opposes him, and the only thing that matters is how to persuade those who oppose it.
A leader who builds momentum and breaks the back of staff efforts
Today, the staff working at the Expo Promotion Bureau and the Expo Association are working hard every day to make the Expo a success. However, the evaluation of the Expo by society as a whole is not necessarily high. If you are exposed to opposition in the mainstream media or on social media, you will have mixed feelings.
One of the reasons for this situation is that the statements of the organizers, Governor Yoshimura and Keidanren Chairman Tokura, have further strengthened public opinion, which may have undermined the daily efforts of the staff working in the field.
Explanation of the ban on the World Expo and the response of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
At a press conference the week after he made his statement that he would be banned from the Expo, Governor Yoshimura said, "The premise is that I don't have the authority to ban the Expo, and I hear from people on the ground that there is a lot of criticism from the media despite the fact that they are working hard. It was an argument for impartial reporting," he said, explaining that "political speech is free." At this time, he brought up the word "on-site" to explain it, which may be due to a lack of awareness of the criticism of the organizer leader.
At the April 3 session of the Diet, a member of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan asked the Deputy Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) whether the director of the Expo Association has the authority to prohibit specific people or media from entering or leaving. The deputy-deputy replied, "It is possible to make a proposal for the agenda," and it became clear that it was theoretically possible to ban him.
Comments from Staff of Expo-related organizations
When I asked a staff member of the Expo Promotion Bureau about Governor Yoshimura's remark about the ban on the Expo, he replied, "During this time, we received many scolding calls, but it was a statement from his political standpoint (Osaka Restoration rally), and we cannot comment on it as a promotion bureau." On the other hand, about the one-year event to be held in Yumeshima on April 17 propaganda Was. By the way, they want you to apply from the dedicated site if you wish to participate. Next, a staff member of the Expo Association said, "We are working on our work while making improvements every day, and we would like to refrain from giving personal opinions about his remarks."
The person in charge of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's Exposition Promotion Office, which is the actual organizer of the Expo, explained, "The government humbly accepts various opinions regarding the Expo and wants to improve the points that need improvement, and we share this policy with the minister. I said.
Finally, when asked about the Osaka Restoration Party's spokesperson, he commented, "Although the party is not directly involved in the operation of the Expo, there was a 'yoki' that caused complaints." "Yochi" can be seen as both room and foresight, but the party seemed to recognize that both were undesirable remarks.
Fostering Momentum for the Expo and the Effects of Advertising
Efforts to build momentum for the Osaka Expo so far include the use of characters, poster display, online and outdoor advertising, and the holding of events. In addition, Governor Yoshimura has appeared on TV programs and events, and his opinions have been developed. However, it can be pointed out that such one-sided advertising activities, even if information is disseminated, miss the opportunity to persuade the opposing public opinion and draw them into the side that is in favor.
In late December 2023, the Mitsubishi Research Institute, a major think tank, announced that the World Expo Awareness Survey It reveals that "while awareness is increasing nationwide, interest and intention to visit are declining."
Some people prefer an aggressive approach to society, while others prefer a polite approach. Therefore, it is important to understand the other person's preferences and boundaries and find the right balance. This is a very difficult task, but given the budget at stake, success is an absolute must-have for Expo leaders.
PR Mindset Required
Currently, what is needed to build momentum for the Osaka Expo is a "PR mindset" of the Expo leaders. PR is different from one-sided advertising, and it is about having a delicate communication mind that considers the other party. In addition, while advertising expands awareness according to the budget amount, PR does not require a large budget, but it is possible to expand support widely. But only if you understand its true meaning correctly and execute it properly...
What is < PR (Public Relations)? >
PR was introduced to Japan from the United States around 1945. Recently, there have been cases of abuse for propaganda, etc., but the original meaning is as follows. Interpretation of PR varies from one expert to another, but the outcome depends on whether or not you were able to attract the favor of the other party.
"It is a continuous dialogue in which an individual or organization communicates and persuades itself through all means of communication to convey its direction and sincerity in order to gain the understanding and cooperation of the public concerned. Introduction to PR Strategy" (Diamond, 1969)
One year to go until the World Expo
In the wake of the issue of "banned remarks," the leaders of the organizers of the World Expo need to learn the basics of PR, deeply understand its importance, and put it into practice in order to be close to the opposing public opinion, rather than intensifying attacks on the opposing public opinion.
As it stands, even if their presence undermines the voices of those in favor of the Expo and the efforts of the staff of the relevant organizations, and even if they are finally brought to the Expo, it will not be possible to achieve true success of the Expo without consensus building. Depending on the outcome of the Expo, there will be further headwinds in the construction of casinos that follow.
After Governor Yoshimura's statement that he would be banned from the World Expo, Toru Hashimoto, a former member of the Osaka Restoration Party, complained, "This time is bad," and Ichiro Matsui said, "We should have a broader mind." In response to these two bitter remarks, Governor Yoshimura is likely to retract his remarks and apologize to Tamagawa. But this cannot be called PR.
True PR is not based on calculations such as strategy or tactics, but rather the effect of deep belief ingrained in the body and becoming one with the self. Even if you retract your statement in order to calm the uproar, society will see through your true intentions and take a more scrupulous look at your subsequent actions.
In fact, many PR efforts have been nominal successes and have not been truly successful. This is because PR is not trying to deceive, but rather a mindset that emanates from deep within the mind and body.
On April 7, 2024, the day before this article was distributed, Kyodo News released the results of a survey of companies participating in and exhibiting at the Osaka Expo. announcement Have. As a result, 82% of respondents said that there were challenges in building momentum.
afterword
At the time of the Tokyo Olympics, the health risks of the coronavirus pandemic were at the center of the debate over whether or not to hold the Games, but that is no longer the case. There were calls for the cancellation of the Expo over the reconstruction resources of the Noto Peninsula Earthquake, but Governor Yoshimura made it clear that "reconstruction and the Expo are not a matter of choice, but can be carried out together."
In addition, the issue of the Osaka Expo being held without the construction of a casino has not been reported at this time along with the "ban on the Expo" statement. In addition, the allegations of corruption that accompany the holding of major events, if they occur, will be in the post-event sorting phase.
If we objectively compare the Osaka Expo and the Tokyo Olympics at that time from a physical aspect, it seems that the hurdles for holding the Expo are lower. However, looking at the current state of leadership, it is very difficult to change public opinion from opposition to favor.
There is only one year left until the Osaka Expo. If the leaders of the organizers are aware of the PR mindset and take seriously the opinions of the staff working in the field and the opposing public, they may be able to find a way in the time that is left. First of all, we can't move forward without apologizing for the "ban on the expo" statement. Even if it is a statement from a political standpoint, it cannot be balanced with the 4 billion yen in momentum-building costs.
