Public Relations Contractor Begins to Hold Opening Ceremony in Osaka -- Dentsu Takes Charge of Opening Ceremony Amid Continued Decline in Public Momentum (Mitsubishi Research Institute Survey)
On January 23, 2025, the Expo Association began recruiting businesses to provide public relations support for the Osaka Expo, which will open on Sunday, April 13 this year (opening ceremony on April 12). The recruitment process is conducted using an open call for proposals, and you will be in charge of initial preparations for public relations activities, building relationships with the media, and disseminating information about the event.
Application Guidelines According to the report, the selected operators will play a role in increasing ticket sales and fostering the momentum of visitors by promoting the dissemination of Expo information through the media, raising awareness and arousing interest.
The deadline for submission of proposals is February 13, and the selection committee will meet immediately afterwards to decide on the commissioned projects. The contract was signed in late February, and the work is scheduled to be completed on April 30, and the work is scheduled to last for about two months, from the period immediately before the start of the season in March to about two weeks after the start of the season.
The maximum consignment amount is 18.2 million yen (tax included) for a contract of about 2 months. In addition, compared to the PR activity fee (500,000 yen ~ 5 million yen per month*) when a major PR company makes a contract with a listed company or a foreign-affiliated company, a large budget is prepared.
| * The amount is mainly for contract activity expenses (personnel costs) related to media correspondence, and does not include advertising costs and other purchasing costs. The breakdown of the budget required to be included in the application documents for this public relations support service is "planning and implementation of crisis management public relations system," "planning and implementation of media training," and "planning and implementation of media kits," and is not included in the budget breakdown that involves large-scale purchases such as advertising space. |
In the open call, the "specifications" that describe the direction of the project sought by the Expo Association are not available to the public, and are sent only to businesses that have applied for participation under certain conditions, such as having experience in public relations related to large-scale international events such as the Olympics in the past 20 years. The delivery of the specification includes a confidentiality agreement.
In addition, the planning and management of the opening ceremony of the Osaka Expo and the events sponsored by the Expo Association will be announced in May 2024. Electricity and Dentsu Live 」、 NHK Enterprises It has been decided that a consortium (JV) will be in charge. The specifics will only be revealed at the time of the event.
The Dentsu Group has Dentsu PR Consulting, which specializes in public relations work, and considering the advantages of information sharing and collaboration within the group before the start of the season, there is a high possibility that Dentsu and Dentsu PR Consulting will be entrusted with this public relations support work.
Latest Survey of the Osaka Expo (for the general public and companies)
Mitsubishi Research Institute, "Consumer Survey" (October 2024)
Nationwide "interest" in the Osaka Expo decreased from 25.6% in the previous survey (April 2024) to 24%. In the Keihanshin area, the rate also dropped from 40.5% to 39%. The national average of respondents who intend to visit the event also decreased from 27% to 24%. In the Keihanshin area, there was a significant decline from 43.5% in the previous survey to 36.3%, while in the Tokyo metropolitan area, it was unchanged from 22.3% to 22%.
As consumers' interest and intention to visit the Osaka Expo declined in the run-up to the event, the percentage of prospective visitors, especially among young people aged 20~29, who answered that they would go twice, increased from 15.2% to 29.4%.
Sankei Shimbun "111 major companies" (mid-November ~ early December 2024)
Seventy percent of the companies surveyed said they had high hopes for the Osaka Expo. "Economic boost" (60.7%), "contribution to technological development" (56%), and "improvement of Japan's presence in the international community" (56%) are expected points. On the other hand, 64% cited "fostering public momentum," "promoting ticket sales" (34.2%), and "securing a surplus of income and expenses" (29.7%).
■Momentum-building budget of 4 billion yen and its challenges
A total budget of more than 4 billion yen has been set aside to build momentum for the Osaka Expo. However, with the event just around the corner, the expected effect has not appeared, and the situation continues to be that a huge budget is being scattered in the desert.
In the public relations support business, which is set at a maximum of 18.2 million yen for a contract of about two months, the contractor is required to significantly increase the interest of the public and sharply increase the intention to visit. Therefore, it will be interesting to see what kind of strategy will effectively increase the momentum.
Dentsu, which will be a leading public relations support company, will return in February 2024 from its ban on bidding due to fraud at the Tokyo Olympics. Subsequently, in the Osaka Expo business, I was involved in PR-related work related to fostering momentum for the opening ceremony, promoting admission ticket sales, holding events six months in advance, operating a media center, formulating a media plan, and holding an opening reception, and the total amount of confirmed commissions has reached more than 4 billion yen. In addition, a commission based on the volume of sponsorship recruitment is expected to be added.
