What is Animeta?
Animeta is a social media app dedicated to fans of anime and manga. This app is meant to bring together the anime fanbase via a social media platform. Our target audience consists of young and older anime fans. Animeta provides users with the ability to have discussions, meet new people, and connect with one another.
My name is Brandon. I've had a love for anime ever since I was a child. Shows such as Jujutsu Kaisen, Dragon Ball, Bleach, and My Hero Academia are some all-time favorites of mine. In 2020, anime took a noticeable leap in terms of mainstream attention, however, anime was already on its way to becoming mainstream status. During this time, I remember envisioning a platform where anime fans can socialize and connect. Originally, I came up with different ideas on how it would work such as being social media based, in-person experience, or even discussion forums, but I didn’t think much of it and it basically became a tucked away idea in my notes. Soon after, Animeta became a social media app that can help with connecting the anime community.
The Problem
Anime has become a lot more mainstream these days and discussions within the community is an important aspect of connecting and further building the fandom. Many people within the anime community rely on platforms such as X or Facebook that are not necessarily catered to the anime community or they simply are not aware of any platforms. In fact, some users claim they do not want to receive negative backlash from users on these social media platforms as it can sometimes be overwhelming. Animeta is meant to serve as the go-to comfortable platform for anime and manga fans in which anyone can discuss their passion.
unique value
Animeta has its own unique value compared to the competitors. An example of this is a system in which users can buy, sell, or trade their own collectable items with other people. Users can list the items they own and list the condition of their items along with photographs. Within anime fandom, collectibles and memorabilia are very prevalent. These items include collectible figures, statues, posters, clothing, accessories, and so on. This service would be ideal for collectors and casual fans alike simply because it builds on the community aspect while also serving as a useful tool to receive products that might not be available elsewhere. Similar to this, Animeta will also have its own merchandise shop. This would include products such as mugs, clothing, accessories, etc.
Other key features include discussion forums for many different anime communities, rate and review anime, cosplay showcases, and a tracker that keeps track of the anime that users watch. All of these features are catered to the interests of the anime community. These feautures further emphasize the goal to connect the anime community and serve as a go-to spot for all things anime related. This would help users in terms of addressing the situation of needing a platform that is catered to the specific community.
Cultural relevance
The interview process helped with gathering a lot of new insight and information for this project. Several users claimed to have come across a lot of negativity on social media from people who do not like anime. Users also claimed that it can be hard to find people online who have similar interests. After the interviews, it was noted that many users either use social media to talk about anime online or they recognize that social media/social media aspects are good ways to reach other fans. This helped further refine the idea of including several social media aspects that would be intriguing to the potential users.
Two personas were gathered and both personas reflect the research that was accumulated. Zayan, the primary persona, is someone who has a good amount of experience within the anime community. Kevin, the secondary persona, is considered more of a casual fan of anime. Both personas reflect the different levels of passion with being an anime fan, giving outlooks from different perspectives.
the product
Introducing Animeta. Animeta is a social media-based app specifically made for anime and manga enthusiasts. This application’s main purpose is to serve as a platform for the enthusiasts to discuss their passion with other people in the same community. Community and feeling part of one is a huge aspect of anime fandom. One of the main features of Animeta is the BST feature in which users can buy, sell, or trade collectible items with other users. Some other features include posting reviews, cosplay showcases, community discussion forums, anime tracker, sharing posts, and more.
Marketing Strategies
Animeta’s goal in terms of marketing is to reach as many fans of anime and manga as possible in order to bring together the anime community and leave a memorable impression. The primary audience for Animeta is a younger audience who enjoys anime. This would be kids, teens, and young adults. Anime and manga have a large fan base with many different age groups. This app is catered to all ages, however, since most of the anime fan base is younger, they are the target audience who is more likely to come across this service. Animeta’s marketing and advertising consists of social media ads, business cards, outdoor ads, posters, and advertising at anime conventions. Animeta will also be collaborating with anime conventions such as Anime Expo, Anime NYC, and Dream Con.