Elucidating the positive influence that “Oshi” has on individual fans

Cheering AD, a support advertising office run by JR East Japan Planning Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, President and CEO: Akihiko Ishikawa), conducted a ``Survey of Support Advertising and Promotion'' targeting 22,009 men and women aged 15 to 79 nationwide, this year for the fourth consecutive year.

This survey revealed that oshikatsu, which has traditionally focused on aspects of ``entertainment'' and ``consumption,'' supports fans' own ``new challenges'' and becomes a driving force that positively moves their daily lives.

As a result of the survey, 58.9% of people with a supporter have tried something new in the past three years, which is about 2.2 times the number of people without a supporter. Whether it's learning languages, acquiring qualifications, or acquiring creative skills, the thoughts of "I want to know more about my pushers" and "I want to do my best because my pushers do their best" are the driving forces behind my personal growth.

In addition, the potential market for "support advertisements" (advertisements posted by fans to celebrate their favorites), which embody the passion of fans, has expanded to a scale of 128.3 billion yen, indicating that the vitality of individuals is creating a new virtuous cycle that drives the economy.

1. Approximately 60% of people enjoy “multiple favorites” in their own way

This survey found that 28.4% (approximately 1 in 4 people) of people have a "favorite".
Also, about 60% of people who have a favorite person answered that they have two or more favorite people. People between the ages of 15 and 29 support an average of 3.2 items, while those in their 30s to 60s support an average of 2 items, indicating that a style with multiple preferences is spreading.
Furthermore, regarding how to deal with pushing, 76.0% of the respondents answered, ``I want to enjoy pushing as a hobby without overdoing it.'' Based on these results, it is thought that the style of ``enjoying multiple Oshis at one's own pace and gaining daily energy'' is now widespread.
It is presumed that the image of people not only being deeply absorbed in a specific subject but also enriching their daily lives through a variety of ways of enjoying it is becoming commonplace among people of all generations.

2. People who are encouraged are 2.2 times more likely to actively try new things

When we compared the percentage of people who started a new activity within the past three years, those who had no support were 26.6%, while those with support were 58.9%, about 2.2 times as many. The average number of items attempted was 2.7 (compared to 1.7 for those who did not), and it became clear that thoughts such as ``I want to know more about Oshi'' and ``Because Oshi is working hard'' are powerful ``driving forces'' for self-growth and positive changes in daily life.

The challenges range from familiar lifestyle habits such as saving money and tidying up to learning creative skills such as design and video editing. This is directly connected to the step-up of support such as ``self-investment'' to improve one's skills and ``missionary work and creation'' to spread the appeal of one's favorites.
The pure desire to support others becomes the energy to improve themselves, creating a positive cycle that makes each day more active.

3. Life happiness increases through challenges triggered by pushing

Taking on new challenges also brings about changes in our mindset. 73.3% of fans who experienced the challenge responded that they "loved themselves even more." Furthermore, when comparing the level of happiness in life (on a scale of 10 to 10), those who have no pushers score 5.2 points, while those who take on new challenges due to pushers tend to rise to 6.4 points. It can be seen that having a ``pusher'' not only improves one's skills, but also increases self-confidence and the ability to enjoy daily life more positively.

VOICE:Oshikatsu is actually related to motivation and happiness.
May be related to brain function

The human brain is thought to have neural mechanisms for social cognition that allow us to empathize with the actions and emotions of others. Furthermore, the experience of supporting the same cause as your peers increases your sense of belonging,
It is also known to be related to a person's sense of happiness and life satisfaction.
Even when I'm having a hard time at work, when I go to see a 2.5D stage performance with a friend,
It makes me want to try harder. From this neuroscience perspective,
At first glance, pushing may seem like just a fun hobby, but it may actually be connected to brain functions related to a person's motivation and sense of happiness.

4. Fans' areas of activity and skills expand through "support"

People who want to be more active every day are not only enjoying content, but are also starting to incorporate more variety of support into their entertainment than ever before. In addition to daily activities such as purchasing goods and attending concerts, a new method of support, ``support advertising,'' is spreading, in which ``fan volunteers pool the cost and put up congratulatory advertisements at stations and other places.''
In fact, 97.9% of fans started something new after seeing a support advertisement, and 44.9% of fans went on a "road trip" for the first time to see an advertisement. In addition, the pure motive of ``wanting to support'' fans, such as producing goods, studying advertising, and managing SNS, has become a rich opportunity to expand the range of experiences and skills of fans.

5. The potential market for support advertising will reach 128.3 billion yen

The recognition rate of support advertisements in the Tokyo metropolitan area (Tokyo and three prefectures) will increase from 26.1% in 2022 to 32.3% in 2025. The amount that each fan is willing to spend for support purposes per year has also increased from 27,000 yen in the previous year to 34,000 yen (126.3% compared to the previous year).
Based on these estimates, the potential market size for support advertising is estimated to be 128.3 billion yen, approximately 1.6 times the size of the previous year. This is equivalent to 26.9% of the domestic transportation and outdoor advertising market (477.8 billion yen in 2025*), and suggests that fans' desire to support them may form an unprecedented new economic zone in the future. (*Source: Dentsu “Japanese Advertising Expenditure in 2025”)

VOICE:Even looking at OOH as a whole,
This is a category that has grown to a scale that cannot be ignored.

6. Supporting advertisements support content consumption and increase the enthusiasm for promotion.

The implementation of supportive advertising is driving direct spending on content. 83.5% of participants answered that ``expenses for promotion activities other than support advertisements have increased,'' and the specific breakdown is wide-ranging, including purchasing goods (60.2%), donating money (48.1%), and participating in events and live performances (47.6%). Additionally, 75.8% of those who implemented the campaign and 74.4% of those who saw the support advertisements felt the connection between fans through support advertisements. The common contact point of support advertisements increases the enthusiasm between fans and functions as a hub that energizes the fan community.

VOICE: The birth of “co-creating fans”.
The symbol of this change can be said to be the spread of "support advertising."

VOICE: Through support advertisements, we can not only expand the range of your activities, but also
I feel that the connections between our customers have further expanded.

We have wonderful advertisements posted all over the city, such as live performances and idol birthdays.
I realized once again the passion of all the producers (*general term for fans),
Everyone involved is very happy.
We often collaborate with our customers to plan their projects.
Through support advertisements, we can not only expand the range of your activities, but also
I feel that the connections between our customers have expanded further. 

▼“THE IDOLM@STER” series support advertisement posting

The “THE IDOLM@STER” series will be accepting support advertisements through Cheering AD starting August 2024.

Fans' "challenges" foster content.
A positive cycle created by the “Oshi Cycle”

In 2023, we have named the positive cycle "Oshi Cycle" in which empathy is created between fans through "support advertising," which is active fan-based promotion, and that enthusiasm further energizes the content.

The ``pusher cycle'' is active as fans themselves take action, using the energy gained from pushing as the driving force. This research reveals that this cycle has a positive impact not only on content, but also on society and the economy.

1. Get energized: A source of daily vitality
The existence of a pusher is the vitality of daily life, and the people who have a pusher are more likely to have one than those who don't.
They were found to be 2.2 times more active in response to new challenges.

2. Engine of action: Challenge and self-growth
It can be seen that the existence of supporters, such as saving money, learning languages, and acquiring production skills, supports individual fan's self-growth as a ``driving force'' for their actions, and also leads to an improvement in life happiness.

3. Turning thoughts into reality: Supporting advertising as a “starting point” to accelerate the cycle
Support advertisements that convey the desire to support people are a powerful starting point for accelerating the cycle.

4.Co-creation and circulation: Content economy and its impact on the community
Support advertising not only increases individual happiness, but also strengthens connections between fans (75.8%) and drives consumption expansion (83.5%). This accumulation of energy has created an economic zone with a potential market of 128.3 billion yen, creating a form of "co-creation" where fans and content grow together.

This virtuous cycle of ``from promoters to fans, and from fans to society'' not only enriches the daily lives of individuals, but the actions and thoughts of fans are the driving force that expands the possibilities of content. Cheering AD will continue to contribute to the further development of content together with our fans.

This survey examines the current status of the ``Oshi Cycle'' (a cycle in which the vitality gained from support generates fan behavior and revitalizes content), which was proposed in 2023.
How does fan support become the driving force for fans, and how does this increased vitality spread to society and the economy? We hope that the results of this survey will help us understand the current state of oshikatsu culture.
We at "Cheering AD" will continue to contribute to the further development of the Oshikatsu/content market and the support advertising culture where fans advertise through continued research. If you are interested in detailed data or joint research, please feel free to contact us.
We will continue to provide you with various data related to Oshikatsu on the Cheering AD site.

“Support/Support Advertising Survey 2022”

“Support/Support Advertising Survey 2023” 

“Supporting/Supporting Advertising Survey 2024”

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