How Indian Snapchat Influencers Find Brand Deals in Japan

Have you heard of Neha Bhawani? No? Well, you should.

She is a 27-year-old influencer from Chandigarh, India, who creates content on Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok. On Snapchat, she is known by her username neha.dhaan. Her major audience is in Japan.

Bhawani regularly updates her Snapchat ‘My Story’ with content that appeals to Japanese viewers. She has grown her Snapchat following from zero to 1 million within three months, thanks to Japanese followers who are interested in her content. This is a huge jump in followers for most influencers, considering Snapchat’s half-hearted attempt at competition with TikTok and Instagram Reels.

The bulk of her earnings—approximately 1.8 crore rupees—comes from Japanese brands wanting to promote their products through her content. Case in point: Her recent collaboration with Kabi Sake.

About three months ago, Kabi Sake’s products made their way into Bhawani’s Snapchat story.

In case you are wondering, Kabi Sake is a sake brand based in Japan. Sake is generally made from fermented rice, but Kabi does it differently by using local mountain water instead of plain water.

Bhawani’s Snapchat Story featured Kabi Sake’s product and a short description of what it is. Nothing beyond that. Just product placement. But that was enough for Kabi Sake.

According to the company’s representatives, Bhawani’s authentic and clever promotion of their sake was enough for them to trust her with their product. They have promised to partner with her for more promotions in the future.

The thing is, Japanese companies prefer influencers who have Japanese audiences. And maybe that’s why India is seeing an influx of WhatsApp groups that connect Indian influencers with Japanese companies.

Two months into becoming a Japanese influencer, Bhawani joined the “Netaji Kanto WhatsApp group”. The group has 256 members and was founded by a person who goes by the name Taro Yamashita.

Bhawani claims that Yamashita runs an agency that connects Indian influencers with Japanese companies. The agency is called Kanto.

Kanto is just one of many companies by Yamashita. He also runs a company called Yamashita Films Production, which aims to create Indian films in Japan. The company has produced seven video projects that were shot in Japan. Yamashita claims he has also directed a film in India.

Besides influencer marketing, there is also a strong demand for Indian influencers in other sectors.

The India Japan Economic Forum (IJEF) is a non-profit organization which claims to be a bridge between India and Japan in terms of business. Its president is Mr. Kunio Suzumura.

In partnership with the Japan International Trade Promotion Organization (JITPO), which offers business consulting services, supports overseas expansion, and promotes trade with Japan, IJEF will host the “Seminar to develop the Western Japan film market” in January 2024.

They are looking for Indian filmmakers and influencers to attend the seminar, which will be held in Japan. They are also looking for Indian filmmakers and influencers to collaborate with Japanese filmmakers in future projects.

So, why are Japanese companies looking to Indian influencers for marketing?

The reason is simple: Authenticity and trust.

Japanese customers are known to be discerning, which is why Japanese companies want to ensure that their products are marketed in a way that will resonate with their audiences. Dharma Dhananjay, a Kanto member, claims that Japanese companies trust Indian influencers more than Japanese influencers.

Consider this scenario: A Japanese influencer is hired to promote a Japanese company’s product. In most cases, it will not be received positively. The audience will see it as a forced partnership. But when an Indian influencer promotes the very same product, it is seen as authentic.

Japanese audiences do not expect Indian influencers to know or understand Japanese culture and customs. They see it as a foreign perspective that they appreciate. It also helps that Japanese audiences are not put off by the language barrier. As long as the content is authentic and relevant, they appreciate it.

One more advantage Indian influencers have over Japanese influencers is price. Indian influencers charge much lower fees than Japanese influencers. As a result, they have become darlings of Japanese companies.

A 15-second Snapchat Story by Indian influencer Krithika Karan, who goes by the username krithikaaa.k, costs around 8000 rupees. The same promotion by a Japanese influencer costs up to 200,000 yen (around 1.2 million rupees).

Karan is another Indian influencer who has built a large following in Japan. She has over 900,000 followers on Snapchat and is part of the “Shinjuku Women’s Gang”. The group was founded by Karan for Indian influencers who are gaining traction in Japan.

While Shinjuku Women’s Gang is exclusive to women influencers, Japan is also seeing a rise in male Indian influencers. Take Rishi Singh, for example.

Singh, who goes by the username rishi_sy1, is based in Delhi, India, and has around 1 million followers on Snapchat. His following has grown by 700% since May 2023. Singh is also part of Shinjuku Women’s Gang, though he is the only male member.

The female-to-male ratio for Indian influencers who have gained popularity in Japan is quite high. This is significant, considering that most of the content produced is considered “Boys Only” content.

“Boys Only” content is a popular genre in social media across all platforms. It includes testing different types of underwear for girls, body fragrance, skin products, hair removal, and many more.

Across social media platforms, “Boys Only” content has a considerable reach in Japan. According to a September 2023 Japan Fact Sheet by Statista, Snapchat is the most popular social media platform among Japanese males aged 18 to 29 years.

The popularity of “Boys Only” content among Japanese audiences is one of the reasons why Indian influencers have become popular in Japan. But as mentioned before, there is a marked difference between the size of female Indian influencers and their male counterparts.

Although they have a smaller following than their male counterparts, female Indian influencers have much higher engagement rates.

In September 2023, Rishi Singh had around 1 million followers on Snapchat. His engagement rate was only 4%. In contrast, Karan, who had only 900,000 followers, had a 62% engagement rate.

“Boys Only” content is not the only content that Indian influencers create for their Japanese audience. There is also a considerable amount of lifestyle content that features travel, food, fashion, and skincare.

As much as the popularity of Indian influencers in Japan is a good thing, there are negative aspects to it as well. There is a marked difference between Indian culture and Japanese culture, which raises concerns about how Indian influencers represent themselves in Japan.

On August 4th 2023, a promotional video by an Indian influencer was published on the Kento Naoki YouTube channel. The influencer, who goes by the name “Bong Gaurav”, is a popular YouTuber from West Bengal.

In the video, Gaurav visits Tokyo Disneyland. While there, he disrespects park rules that state, “No smoking around children”. Gaurav lit a cigarette while standing on a stone in the middle of a fountain, surrounded by children who had no choice but to inhale the smoke.

Gaurav’s actions not only garnered condemnation from his Japanese followers, but also from his Indian followers. They slammed him for promoting uncouth behavior in Japan.

His behavior also led to backlash from the Japanese paparazzi. They slammed him for making a mockery of Japanese culture. They also slammed him for showing no regard for park rules or Japanese law.

In response to the backlash, Bong Gaurav released a statement claiming that it was all staged. He claimed that he does not smoke in real life. He claimed that he was acting and that it was for entertainment purposes.

However, the damage was already done. The park’s management team would not have known that it was all staged. The incident has raised concerns about how some Indian influencers misrepresent themselves, and India as a whole, while in Japan.

This is reflected in the content produced by the Shinjuku Women’s Gang. Scrolling through their Snapchat stories will reveal mishmashes of Indian and Japanese culture.

While it is good to see cross-cultural representation, some of the content is cringe-worthy.

Karan’s Snapchat story on October 12, 2023, featured her wearing a black saree while drinking matcha green tea. This does not seem like a big deal, right? Wrong.

In Japanese culture, food and drink should be enjoyed and appreciated. It should not be rushed. When drinking tea, it is traditional to bow while drinking. The idea is to appreciate the tea.

Karan’s blatant disregard for that tradition highlights the failure of her followers to appreciate Japanese culture. It also showcases their lack of authentic representation.

They should not be blamed entirely, though. Many of the influencers who are popular in Japan were introduced to Japanese culture through anime and manga.

Anime and manga are pop culture phenomena that have become global. They are relatable and showcase Japanese culture in its purest form.

Anime and manga have also inspired Indian content creators to incorporate their influences into Indian culture. The result is a unique style of art that has gained popularity in the country.

The success of anime and manga in India highlights how cross-cultural representation does work. Indian influencers can learn from it and incorporate Japanese influences into Indian culture, rather than the other way around.

Japanese companies will continue to seek Indian influencers for marketing. After all, they are cheaper and more effective than their Japanese counterparts.

But it is incumbent upon Indian influencers to ensure that they do not tarnish India’s reputation during their promotional campaigns.

They should pay attention to and respect Japanese culture, while promoting products in a way that represents India authentically.

改编于：Japan is increasingly seeking Indian influencers, but is it a good idea? | The Japan Times