Mr. Sakae Imaei、 Representative of ecrudesign Inc.

【GOOD4THREE official website】

Mr. Sakae Imaei, President of ecrudesign Inc., invisions to realize a world that allows makers and buyers to have long-lasting relationships spanning decades . Based on more than 25 years of experience as a buyer in the apparel industry, he is developing the e-commerce site “GOOD 4 THREE. We asked him about his impressions after receiving support from Yoyoyo Marketing.

■Please tell us about your thoughts on the brand and the items you carry

At GOOD 4THREE, our theme is “GREAT NEW STANDARDS that will shine tomorrow.” We carefully select and develop items that are like works of art and will increase in value as assets in the future.
Japanese designers are as talented as overseas designers, but in many cases, are not recognized by buyers and their factories are foreclosed. In response to this situation, I launched GOOD 4 THREE because I believe that skilled Japanese designers’ products should be better known and rewarded by buyers. The site features a wide range of items, with a focus on leather goods of the same high quality as those of foreign luxury brands. We believe that if you actually hold any of these items in your hands, you will be convinced of their high quality.

■What challenges were you facing before you hired Yoyoyo Marketing?

I was facing challenges with the marketing strategy for my company’s products. I myself had been engaged in Web marketing in my career, so I first tried to manage Web advertising on my own. However, since the situation related to Web advertising changes drastically on a yearly basis, the ad screens and types of ads were different from when I was working on it, making me unable to grasp a winning pattern. We wanted to improve our advertising operations and increase sales with outside assistance. In addition, we wanted to review not only our Web advertising, but also our overall marketing strategy and build a sales promotion strategy that would be optimal for the company, and so we were looking for someone to consult with.

■What made you choose Yoyoyo Marketing over several other companies that offer advertising management services?

The deciding factor was the depth of knowledge about our business products. We deal in apparel products, so it is very important to select keywords that best convey the appeal of each product, and to set up ads based on seasonality. We talked to several companies, but could not find one that had such a deep understanding of the apparel industry. On the other hand, Yoyoyo Marketing proposed an advertising strategy based on the trends in the apparel industry based on their past experience in the pre-order stage, and I remember being very impressed. Even though we had not yet decided on the order, we decided to place the order with them because they had a solid initial hypothesis.

■What are your impressions of Yoyoyo Marketing’s support?

I feel that the company’s position as a support company is excellent, not to mention their well versed advertising-related knowledge. In the past, when we dealt with other advertising agencies, it was often the case that they were slow to respond to our questions, or the person in charge changed frequently. Also, they often had a somewhat passive stance and would not make improvements unless we gave them instructions. However, Yoyoyo Marketing always suggested marketing strategies that we should take in the future based on competitors and industry trends. In addition, immediate response is the norm. No matter when we contacted them, they always responded immediately, which made them a pleasure to work with.

■What are the actual quantitative results you have achieved?

As the title says, our sales increased fivefold in one year, then exceeded 100 million in the second year, and are still growing rapidly. Our wholesalers, who are our suppliers, have happily commented to us that we are one of the top five selling wholesalers. I am very satisfied not only with the increase in sales, but also with the fact that we have been able to realize our goal at the time of establishment of the company, which was to properly convey the thoughts of the suppliers to the buyers, and we have been able to do so in numbers. I look forward to continuing to work with Yoyoyo Marketing to grow our business while respecting the worldview we wish to realize.

■What is your vision for the future?

I am determined to make every effort to bring skilled designers into the spotlight. I would like to create an environment in which Japanese designers can attract more attention from society than our overseas competitors. We would also like to actively provide information to those in the apparel industry who are involved in EC. I know that many people have the impression that it is difficult to sell high unit priced items on an EC site, but I would like to break such common sense and create a situation where good items sell regardless of the unit price.

■What do you expect from Yoyoyo marketing in the future?

To be honest, the truth is that I am quite satisfied with the current situation, so I have almost none (laughs). However, as in the past, I hope that you will not hesitate to tell me that my strategy is wrong if you think it is. The good thing about Yoyoyo marketing is that if a client’s opinion is wrong, they can say it is wrong without hesitation. Sometimes I see companies that pander to their clients and don’t give their real opinions, but I hope that Yoyoyo Marketing will keep the stance it has now.

■What kind of company would you recommend Yoyoyo Marketing to?

We recommend it for companies that have never worked on Web advertising at all, as well as for companies that already have a mid-sized or large advertising agency working for them. As mentioned above, it is very important to consider seasonality and trends when working on e-commerce in the apparel industry, so it can be said that a lack of “small turnaround” can be fatal. In the case of medium-sized and large advertising agencies, small changes tend to be slow due to their organizational structure. On the other hand, Yoyoyo Marketing is quick to respond to even minor changes, making them easy to work with. Regardless of the apparel industry, it is important to make modifications with a sense of speed in ad operations, so I think they are a good fit for any industry. If you have any problems with ad operations, please consult with Yoyoyo Marketing first!