1.  The rising popularity of social media Web 2.0 technologies is changing the way messages about products and brands are delivered and received  Most Tweeters are from the United States, seconded by Japan  Japan users of Twitter will grow from 5 million users that was announced in February of this year to a goal of 10 million users by the end of the year  The way we choose to use technology to market the brand can significantly increase consumer reception of our new product. 1 http://gulati.info/2009/01/statistics-web-2/ http://windmillnetworking.com/2010/04/07/twitter-in-japan- update-2010-statistics-video-and-duck-mouth/#axzz0lkluGIbb

2.  Japan is an Internet giant. The country has 96 million Internet users—the second- most in Asia behind China—for a penetration rate of 71.4%. By 2012 the country will have close to 100 million users, for a penetration rate of over 75%.

3.  Gulati, A. (2009, January 19). Statistics of Web 2.0. Message posted to http://gulati.info/2009/01/statistics-web-2/  Internet World Stats. (2010). Internet Usage Statistics. Retrieved from http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm#links  Schaffer, N. (April, 2010). Twitter in Japan Update 2010 – Statistics, Video and Duck Mouth? Retrieved from http://windmillnetworking.com/2010/04/07/twitter- in-japan- update-2010-statistics-video-and-duck-mouth/#axzz010nM0qrO 3