Word of mouth, which has always been essential, influences decision-making in everyday life. For example, when purchasing a product or service online, people often refer to other people's reviews and experiences. Word of mouth on social media in particular continues to attract attention due to its spreading power and influence, and "real voices" from people who have actually experienced the product or service are perceived as more real experiences than advertisements, influencing communication in real places and everyday life beyond the online world.

The relationship between UGC and social media

Content created by users themselves is called User Generated Content (UGC) and includes social media posts, word of mouth, reviews, etc. UGC acts as a real voice for brands, products, services, events, etc., and influences decisions and behavior. Social media in particular has become a platform for spreading word of mouth, and users easily share information with each other on a daily basis.

Many people take photos of casual moments and experiences in their daily lives with their smartphones and upload them to social media with stories about them. This behavior also creates new opportunities for communication by sharing information with colleagues and friends. UGC and social media interact with each other to enhance their effectiveness. Real experiences gained from word of mouth are shared, influencing daily life behavior and leading to increased engagement between users and the services and events of companies and brands.

Word of mouth generated by CIC

UGC is also generated through the activities of Content Integration Center (CIC), and there are many opportunities to see SNS posts from users who have come into contact with our activities. Many events were held in 2024, and word of mouth on SNS has become active, leading to an increase in visitors and the end of advance registrations based on comments from the previous event. The same phenomenon occurs not only with events, but also with space creation, with word of mouth from those who have experienced it spreading. I am excited every day to continue to see how CIC's activities will continue to generate word of mouth and generate UGC all over Japan.

Word of mouth, which has become more active through UGC on social media since the latter half of the 2010s, is expected to continue to evolve. I often think about what makes good content, and I would be happy if our activities, which create content from content, can become part of everyone's daily lives, become content that generates new communication through word of mouth, and become an opportunity to move the sensibilities of someone I don't know.