[Division Director Interview] Delivering the Voices of International Fandom: A “Fan-Culture Marketer” Spearheads the Front Line of J-POP’s Global Expansion

This time, we present an interview with Aida Nur Ariza, the Division Director of the Cross-Border E-Commerce and Fandom Marketing Department.

She majored in marketing at Kobe University and has pursued a diverse marketing career, including inbound tourism to Japan and cross-border e-commerce.

Her interest in Gridge stems from concerns she had about the Japanese music industry, dating back to her university days spent doing “oshi-katsu” (fan activities supporting their favorite artists).

Leveraging both her perspective as a fan and her skills as a marketer, she currently works as a “fan advocate,” connecting J-POP with overseas fans and driving its international expansion.

Anyone who has ever thought, “J-POP has the potential to reach the world,” or “Unfortunately, our artists’ talents aren’t recognized internationally,” will connect with this story.

This interview is for anyone interested in Japanese music, entertainment, and global marketing, as well as those looking to turn their “oshi-katsu” or otaku passions into a strength. Please enjoy the full interview.

Contents:

• A Marketing Specialist Since College: Working on Major Japanese Corporate Strategies, Inbound Tourism, and Overseas E-Commerce Launches

• Cross-Border E-Commerce Goes Beyond Merchandise Sales — It Establishes the Foundation for Expanding International Fandom Communities

• Through Her Own “Oshi-Katsu,” She Acquired Direct Insight into the Obstacles and Potential of Japan’s Music Industry

• Role as a “Fan Advocate,” Bridging Japanese Artists with International Fans

• Applying Fan-Centered Marketing Strategies to Elevate J-POP to Stand with K-POP on the Global Stage

• “Otaku” are the Best Key Marketers — Grasping Fan Behavior is Her Greatest Weapon

A Marketing Specialist Since College: Working on Major Japanese Corporate Strategies, Inbound Tourism, and Overseas E-Commerce Launches

▍Aida-san, you came to Japan in April 2011 to start at Kobe University, right? Have you ever visited Japan before that?

Actually, not at all. I wasn’t even interested in Japan before I entered university. (laughs)

▍Oh, I see. (laughs) Why did you decide to study abroad in Japan?

I was studying abroad on a government-funded scholarship, but I couldn’t choose the country myself.

You explain what you want to study in the interview, and those who are accepted receive an offer from the government saying, “Please go to this country.”

I wasn’t particularly interested in Japan, but because it was a scholarship I didn’t have to repay, I thought, “Why not study abroad for free?” That’s what led me to the decision to go. (laughs)

Then I attended a Japanese language school for a year and a half, took the entrance exams, and enrolled at Kobe University.

▍What did you want to study at that time?

I wanted to study management in general, and I was especially interested in marketing.

▍Did you mainly study marketing after enrolling at Kobe University?

Yes.  There was a renowned marketing seminar within the Department of Business Administration, and the professor there was highly respected in Japan. So I’ve had opportunities to present marketing strategies to CEOs and strategy department heads at major companies.

▍What kind of company did you join as a new graduate?

I joined a company that focused on inbound tourism to Japan. I also managed an app similar to Tabelog for Muslim tourists and took on a variety of marketing responsibilities, including launching media.

The company’s headquarters was in Japan, but there was also a branch in Malaysia. Since all the inbound business team members were based in Malaysia, I started working at the Malaysia branch around December of the year I joined.

▍Around three years after returning to Malaysia, you joined the Malaysian branch of a major Japanese travel company, but after about eight months, you returned to the company where you had your start, is that right?

Yes. As the company I initially joined had more of a startup spirit, I felt that I didn’t fit in a big corporation. 

Also, my former boss kept asking me every month, “When are you coming back?” so I chose to go back.

▍What parts made you think that it wasn’t a good match?

At my first company as a new graduate, I worked directly under the CEO and had considerable decision-making power, which made the gap especially striking.

Even to implement any initiative, I always had to get approval from the headquarters in Japan and consider internal dynamics. I couldn’t work as efficiently as I wanted, and I realized that wasn’t a good fit for me

▍After returning to the company, what kind of role did you take?

The CEO gave me significant autonomy, so I was able to suggest many ideas and work on different kinds of projects.

For example, I worked on launching media, and when the inbound tourism business was suspended due to COVID, I started an e-commerce business selling ready-made curry. I was also allowed to work on side businesses, so I started my own e-commerce shop and sold cosmetics too.

 ▍But after that, you worked as a government employee in Japan, right?

Yes, I did. At that time, the inbound tourism business was suspended, and I felt it was challenging to learn new things within the same company, so I began thinking about switching jobs.

There weren’t many companies I wanted to work for in terms of business scope or benefits in Malaysia, so I decided to go to Japan.

During that period, it was hard to obtain a visa because of COVID, but I thought that maybe a government-related job would allow me to get one, so I applied, received an offer, and chose to work as a government employee in Japan.

▍You were working in Kagoshima prefecture?

Yes, Hioki City in Kagoshima Prefecture has a sister city connection with Malaysia, so I found work there.

I worked as an ambassador for the sister city, mainly facilitating cultural exchanges with the local community. 

It was a supporting role, but I was also involved in launching a cross-border e-commerce project selling regional products.

▍ So after working in Kagoshima for about a year and a half, you moved to a company that does cross-border e-commerce, right?

My experience had mainly been in inbound tourism, but I entered the new field of cross-border e-commerce to gain skills and made that switch.

I already had experience in inbound tourism and domestic e-commerce, but when inbound work stopped due to COVID, it made me think about a career change. I wanted to switch industries and learn the know-how of cross-border businesses.

I worked there for about a year as a full-time employee, and even after that, I continued to be involved as a contractor while also working full-time at a different startup.

At that startup, the business concept hadn’t been fully developed yet, so I was responsible for launching a new business model — creating business plans, managing sales, and handling all the other tasks needed to get the business started.

▍ This experience seems connected to your current work. Do please tell us more about it.

Cross-Border E-Commerce Goes Beyond Merchandise Sales — It Establishes the Foundation for Expanding International Fandom Communities

▍ At the company where they do cross-border e-commerce, what were your main tasks?

Using Shopify, I handled end-to-end growth of cross-border e-commerce. 

I worked on improving UI/UX, content management, CRM design and operation, SEO optimization, and A/B testing, all with clear KPIs.

▍ You are currently the Division Director for fandom and cross-border e-commerce. Are there any experiences or lessons you learned that you find particularly helpful in your current role?

At my previous job, I was responsible for the international expansion of high-end, niche ‘Made in Japan’ brands, focusing on brand recognition and revenue. There are three main things I learned from that.

1. Identify the target and understand customers accurately by analyzing user behavior and context across all social networks, both quantitatively and qualitatively, to find key insights.

2. Designing the full funnel from recognition, purchasing, to recommendation: Optimized user flow using content, KOLs, and offer strategies, as well as planned retention.

3. Community development after the purchase: Promote user-generated content and plan the circulation of a word-of-mouth system.

   
   

I apply the same methods in my current fandom and cross-border e-commerce work, adapting them specifically to music.

I plan out how overseas core J-POP fans find content, spread their recognition through local-language content and KOL marketing, and maintain engagement through e-commerce and CRM to develop loyalty. Even if the product shifts to ‘music and artists,’ the principle is the same; the only difference is the accuracy of cultural translation.

I think honing these skills strongly led to my current progress.

▍ So when it comes to expanding J-POP, how does cross-border e-commerce come into play? While merchandise sales are imaginable, could you explain why it’s an important part of global expansion?

Cross-border e-commerce is not just about selling goods, but also a vital connection point to connect with international fans.

While Japanese artists use e-commerce mainly to sell goods, overseas artists use their own e-commerce to share information and enhance their brand presence, optimizing SEO and the fan connection path.

Especially, fans who buy goods often have high engagement, so we can communicate with them directly using newsletters and email marketing.

This kind of long-term fandom building helps enhance customer lifetime value (LTV), which means cross-border e-commerce is more than just a place to buy merchandise — it’s a vital foundation for global fandom growth.

Through Her Own “Oshi-Katsu,” She Acquired Direct Insight into the Obstacles and Potential of Japan’s Music Industry

▍ You encountered Gridge after switching from a cross-border e-commerce company to a startup, right?

Right.  I found the J-POP international marketing business really interesting, so I applied and began as a contractor.

▍ I heard you have also done oshi-katsu. Did that experience lead you to be interested in Gridge’s business?

I liked J-POP from when I was attending Japanese language school.

I really liked Johnny’s groups, and I especially loved Kanjani∞

I thought, “They are so funny and the Kansai dialect is so cute,” and I chose Kobe University, which is in the Kansai region. I imagined, “Maybe I can meet Kanjani∞ if I go to Kansai” (laughs)

I started listening to J-POP other than Johnny’s, including J-ROCK, and I really started to like Japanese music.

So I wanted to join the Japanese music industry when I was job hunting, but it didn’t feel like they accepted foreigners, so I didn’t even apply. 

Even after that, I’ve always had a feeling of “I want to work in the music industry someday,” but since I had no experience in the music industry, I had half given up.

And at that time, I encountered Gridge, saw the business operations, and thought, “If I can spread Japanese music overseas, then I want to try it!”

▍So you’ve wanted to work in the music industry since your college days?

Having been born and raised abroad, I can see a lot of challenges.

While I was doing oshi-katsu, I was always thinking, “They can do more things, but why aren’t they doing it?” “There are amazing artists, so they should expand more internationally,” and also thought, “I want more people to hear them globally.”Especially before I joined Gridge, I was really into K-POP artists, and so I was able to compare K-POP and J-POP and felt the challenges more firmly: “Why is it so difficult for J-POP to expand globally?” and “What’s missing?”

Particularly, in the area of “Accessibility,” while K-POP is actively sharing its information with fans around the world, J-POP doesn’t really release its information to the outside world, and I strongly felt that gap.

Recently, it finally started going public, but there are times the songs are not on the streaming sites, and a lot of content remains Japan-only. However, when people try to see content with subtitles, a lot of the time, the only way to access that content is through illegal uploads.

Additionally, depending on the fan clubs, you can’t join unless you have a Japanese phone number, address, or credit card, so some people can’t even apply or sign up for concert tickets.

Which means you can’t buy goods at the concert, so people can’t do any oshi activities. There were so many fans, but nothing was well-coordinated, which I felt was a significant problem.

▍So you experienced first-hand the problems that Gridge is trying to solve.

Role as a “Fan Advocate,” Bridging Japanese Artists with International Fans

▍ Could you tell us what your tasks were when you were working as a contractor?

I mainly handled artists’ overseas social media strategies and fandom marketing, which I continue today. For fandom marketing, I was able to join when nothing had been set up yet, so I helped establish the reporting system and supported the launch phase.

At the time, the workflow itself wasn’t fully established, so I highlighted areas that would be difficult with the current approach and worked to improve the process structure.

There was no fandom marketing team back then, and it was a small setup.

Once more people joined, the divisions grew more segmented, and I felt the foundation was starting to come together.

That being said, it is still a fast-growing venture, with areas that aren’t yet fully developed and need constant adaptation, so my work continues in a rapidly changing environment every day.

 ▍ Why did you decide to join as a full-time employee while working as a contractor?

As I was involved as a contractor, I had a strong feeling, “We’re doing something interesting.”

I’m doing oshi-katsu, but I enjoy it from a marketer’s perspective rather than just as a hobby. For example, when I go to a concert, I find myself thinking, “Oh, this strategy must have this kind of intention,” or “Fans react this way to this tactic — this is how they feel.” In a way, I end up observing everything.

I felt that Gridge was the ideal place for me to contribute by combining my oshi-katsu experience with my marketing background, which is why I wanted to work here as a full-time employee.

▍ When do you find your work the most rewarding or enjoyable?

The most rewarding times are delivering overseas fans’ voices to clients. 

I’m currently in charge of and mainly work on fandom marketing as the head of the Fandom Marketing Division, with a primary goal of understanding core fandoms while helping our clients understand them too.

Overseas fans’ voices often don’t reach the artists directly, so we step in to share the emotional side, saying things like, “Fans in this country are this passionate,” or “This part of your work is particularly loved.” Experiencing the fans’ feelings like this often leaves me deeply moved. 

Artists and management often get surprised and are themselves moved, and new conversations take place: “If there are this many fans, we want to value them even more.” “Then maybe if we deliver this kind of content, they will be happy.”

Then it will be a win-win. Overseas fans that the artists didn’t know existed get recognition; hearing those voices, artist motivation goes up, and they can deliver content geared to overseas fans.

I, myself, am one of the fans, so I am extremely proud to be a “Fan Advocate.”

▍ What kind of work do you do specifically in fandom research?

We do social listening and analysis in up to nine languages, examining fans’ demographics, where they come from, and what attracts them to an artist.

Even for artists in the same genre, fans' needs vary greatly by country, region, and demographics, so this information is the key foundation for developing market-specific strategies.

It’s not easy to fully understand overseas fans because of language barriers and the differences in the social media platforms they use, but hearing their feedback sometimes lets us adjust our strategies.

▍ So there are insights to be gained by visualizing the real, raw voices of fans?

Exactly so. First, people get surprised by how many overseas fans there are.

For instance, it’s unexpected, but there are many cases where overseas fans who speak different languages say, “The lyrics supported me when I was going through tough times.”

By receiving this feedback, it can lead to strategies like “Let’s post more videos with lyrics.”

Japanese fans’ voices are easier to capture on social media, but overseas fans’ voices are harder to see because of language barriers. We see it as our role to deliver these “unseen voices” through reports.

▍ It is actually unexpected that the lyrics would touch them. 

We get a lot of feedback saying, “This lyric in the song saved my life,” or “It helped me get through a tough time.” 

When I share this with artists or managers, they are often moved, saying, “Overseas fans feel this way too.”

We can see quantitative data like streams and followers to a certain degree, but it’s difficult to capture qualitative data such as fans’ raw voices and emotions. 

By visualizing this, artists often feel motivated to push themselves further.

Applying Fan-Centered Marketing Strategies to Elevate J-POP to Stand with K-POP on the Global Stage

▍ Will you tell us what kind of challenges you want to take on in the future? 

I feel that in the Japanese music industry, they still mainly center on domestic fans and quantitative metrics such as streaming numbers and CD or album sales.

On the other hand, in overseas music scenes, marketing strategies are built with fans at the center. For example, artists might act as ambassadors for world-renowned brands or expand their activities outside of music.

I want the Japanese music industry to also spread this fan-centered approach and have more activities that enhance artists’ value, so I want to contribute to bringing about that change.

▍ Could you tell us more about how artists expand their activities beyond music?

Certain artists in Japan take on the role of ambassadors for domestic brands, but it’s still rare for them to represent global brands the way K-POP artists do.

To carry out these efforts, it’s essential to have passionate fans around the world. 

Even for brand collaboration products, it’s the fans who actually buy them, so having a strong fan base is the most important.

That’s why we strengthen fan-centered marketing and expand the areas where artists can thrive beyond music. I hope to embed this kind of model in the J-POP industry as well.

In that way, there is a lot we can learn from K-POP trends.

I’m confident that J-POP still has ample room to grow, and I want to keep working on efforts to tap into that potential.

“Otaku” are the Best Key Marketers — Grasping Fan Behavior is Her Greatest Weapon

▍ Finally, please tell me what kind of person is a good fit for Gridge.

It has to be someone who likes music. I think Gridge is a company where those people can shine. Especially, it is a perfect fit for someone who wants to use their oshi-katsu experience. 

You’d have to expand J-POP into new global markets, which also comes with many challenging tasks. There’ll be a lot of times when you need to come up with ideas that haven’t happened in Japan before.

It’s a company where you can propose promotional strategies that aren’t commonly seen in Japan to clients and actually implement them.

This would be an exciting role for someone passionate about oshi-katsu who often thinks, “There should be more promotions like this.”

It’s a space where you can bring ideas to life, and there are also chances to work directly with artists, which is one of the real highlights of this job.

▍ There are so many people doing oshi-katsu, aren’t there?

Recently, I’ve really noticed the difference when talking with someone who does oshi-katsu and someone who doesn’t.

When I look at overseas members, everyone has their own kind of oshi-katsu experience, like running fan accounts, being in fan clubs, or attending fan events. Each person engages in oshi-katsu in a variety of ways.

Those members deeply understand fans' feelings, so things get decided quickly on the job as well.

For example, while researching Chinese fandom, you can make accurate insights like, “There’s a cultural or psychological reason behind this type of post.” Being able to understand the meaning from context really depends on whether you have real experience with oshi-katsu.

Many overseas members at Gridge have experience with oshi-katsu, so when consulted, specific examples quickly come to mind. For instance: “For Chinese fans, they might feel this way, so we should approach things in a certain way.”

It’s not limited to artists — you could also be into anime or games. If there’s even one thing you love passionately, the so-called ‘otaku-type’ people, this company would be a great fit for them.

▍ Even within oshi-katsu, there are different levels of passion. How much do the people at Gridge love it?

It’s hard to explain, but the sparkle in their eyes is different when they talk about what they love. (laughs)

They want to know everything their oshi is doing, so they follow all the social media accounts, check every news update, and have a strong feeling of “I want to know it all!”  Also, as I mentioned earlier, some even create fan accounts and post on social media. 

And they can talk about their oshi’s charm points in their own words. In that, you can feel the love, and it really comes across: “They truly love their oshi.”

In Japan, not everyone openly shows that they are otaku, but at Gridge, it’s an environment where you can turn that into a strength. In fact, ours is a culture that welcomes and celebrates you for being an otaku.

Anyone who wants to bring out all their passion for what they love and how they feel about their oshi and make it part of their work — we’d love for you to apply.

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How did you enjoy this?

She noticed challenges in Japan’s music industry through oshi-katsu and uses her marketing skills as her strength to tackle them.

From Aida-san’s interview, where she combines her perspectives as a fan with her insights as a marketer, you can see that there are probably more overseas fans waiting for J-POP than we might imagine.

As she says, because there are people who truly understand fans’ feelings through their own otaku and oshi-katsu experiences, they can come up with initiatives that resonate with overseas fans — and that is a major strength at Gridge.

And now, at Gridge, we are working to further grow our global team to deliver Japanese music to even more people.

Through Aida-san’s interview:

If you have ever felt,  “I’ve been wanting to deliver J-POP charm to more overseas fans,” or “I want to leverage what I’ve felt as a fan and spread Japanese music to the rest of the world with a global team,” please feel free to apply.We are looking for team members in various roles — contractors, full-time, or interns. 

We are also seeking Japanese applicants, so please apply if you want to join Gridge’s global team and work internationally.

Thank you for reading until the end.