The Current State of the Comic Market in France
Japanese manga and anime culture is widespread in France, and popular works such as Dragon Ball and Naruto are popular among a wide age range.
France has its own domestic version of manga culture called bande dessinée, and France and Belgium have also produced their own unique European manga.
Due in part to the influence of bandes dessinées, France is considered the second most interested country in the world in manga and comics.
Manga is attracting a lot of attention, as many Japanese manga have been translated into French and specialized schools have sprung up.
Comics market size and growth rate
The size of the French comics market has quadrupled in the past decade and will be worth 3.81 billion euros (about 56 billion yen) in 2022, second only to the United States and Japan.
See: https://gendai.media/articles/-/106200
In 2021, comic books accounted for 24% of the market, making it the second largest genre after literary works (25%).
See: https://hon.jp/news/1.0/0/36603
These figures clearly show that the French comic and BD market has grown significantly in recent years.
class of readers
French manga readers are wide-ranging, with both men and women of all ages reading a variety of manga genres.
Not only popular works, but also minor shoujo manga are often read.
There is a growing number of French cartoonists who excel in Japanese-style cartoons, such as Elsa Blanz, a cartoonist influenced by Japanese animation.
France is the center of European manga culture, and although more and more people are using smartphones and apps to read manga, comics are still very popular and libraries have manga sections.
Difference between bande dessinée and cartoon
There are three major differences between manga and bande dessinée in terms of style, story, and production methods.
Manga is based on black and white, has unique elements such as character expressions and sound effects, and features a fast-paced storyline. In addition, a variety of genres exist. In terms of production methods, it is common for cartoonists to hire assistants to work efficiently.
Bandes dessinées, on the other hand, are often color works and are characterized by detailed depictions and realistic narratives. The artist and illustrator play different roles, and high-quality work is usually produced by specialists.
The Current State of the Japanese Manga Market
See: https://www.nippon.com/ja/japan-data/h01625/
The Japanese manga market is very active worldwide, with sales reaching 677 billion yen in 2022.
Japan is the cradle of manga and offers a very large number of manga compared to other countries. It has recorded the highest sales in the past three years.
In addition, the amount of sales of electronic media as well as paper media is increasing rapidly. With the spread of smartphones, the e-comics market has become as large as the paper comics market, and demand for e-comics is expected to increase further in the future.
Similarly, demand for e-comics is increasing overseas, and if we take into account the demand for rental and manga cafes, we can expect to see further growth in the domestic and international manga market.
Cartoon market size and growth rate
The size of the Japanese manga market will be 670 billion yen in 2021 and 675.9 billion yen in 2022, a growth rate of 0.2%.
In addition, the market is expected to reach 800 billion yen by 2026, and the market is becoming more active every year.
The proliferation of e-comics has also led to an increase in the number of users of media-based manga applications, with services such as LINE Manga, KINDLE, Rakuten Kobo, and Book Live becoming more active.
In particular, vertically scrolling color cartoons optimized for smartphones can be easily enjoyed, and are likely to attract even more attention in the future.
See: https://research.impress.co.jp/topics/list/ebook/655
Comparison with other countries
Manga is in demand not only in Japan, the birthplace of French and American comics, but also in the Philippines and Indonesia.
By comparison, the North American comics market was worth approximately 119.3 billion yen in 2016, making it the second largest market after Japan.
The U.S. market has a diverse range of genres, from comics for adults to superheroes, crime, and action, and comic book sales are strong, partly due to the influence of movies.
On the other hand, the comics market in Indonesia is still small, and printing graphic novels in particular is costly, especially since color printers are used.
The Case of Cartoon Marketing in France
In France, as in Japan, there are many examples of the use of manga in marketing.
Below are three examples of its use.
Examples of use in the medical industry
Reference URL: https://your-comics.com/fr/reference/bande-dessinee-medicale-158.html
In France, marketing using cartoons is common in the medical industry.
The program conveys information and campaigns on science and medicine by disseminating specialized fields and difficult-to-understand content in the form of cartoons and comics.
Communicating specific information through cartoons can facilitate communication with patients and clients and convey important information.
The cartoons are also used to educate medical students by teaching them clinical examples.
Uses in the legal industry
Reference URL: https://your-comics.com/fr/reference/newsletter-bande-dessinee-zlawyer-7.html
The legal industry also uses cartoons for marketing.
The contents of the business, which are difficult to understand, are published as a cartoon to explain the business contents more clearly to customers.
Comics can also be used to build relationships with customers and increase customer loyalty.
Original newsletters in the form of comic strips are created to attract new customers and provide information to existing customers.
Examples in internal communication
Reference URL: https://your-comics.com/fr/reference/communication-cyber-securite-162.html
Cartoons are also used for internal communication.
For example, a cartoon about the importance of cybersecurity was created and shared internally.
Cartoon commentary is more concrete and emotive than text alone, and conveys the disease in a way that is easier to understand.
The use of cartoons in the form of in-house newsletters and newsletters can also provide an opportunity for employees to read information and create a sense of familiarity.
summary
At approximately 56 billion yen, the French comics market is the third largest after the United States and Japan. A unique manga style known as “bande dessinée” exists and is popular with a wide range of readers.
In France, there are many examples of the use of cartoons in marketing, and cartoons are used effectively in the medical and legal industries, as well as in internal communications.
The French cartoon marketing market is expected to continue to show great promise and demand is expected to grow even more in the future.
