Nagahama City and POTETO Design Initiate First Public Relations DX Experiment

Transforming Local Public Relations in Nagahama

Nagahama City, located in Shiga Prefecture, has recently embarked on an innovative public relations initiative in collaboration with POTETO Design. This project marks a significant step toward the digital transformation (DX) of local government communications. Announced during a press conference on August 28, 2025, the project aims to enhance the accessibility and effectiveness of public information dissemination in the region.

The Challenge of Traditional Public Relations

Nagahama City’s traditional public relations newsletter, "Kouhou Nagahama," has been widely distributed in paper format to residents. It is also available as a PDF on the city’s official website and shared via its LINE official account. However, concerns have been raised regarding the readability of PDF documents on smartphones, which often display small text that is difficult to read. This limitation underlines the need for a modern approach that considers the digital habits of residents. The new initiative aims to address this issue while ensuring that information is accessible to all age groups and enhancing the overall public satisfaction.

A New Direction for Public Relations

The public relations DX experiment is part of the "FY2025 Second Phase DX Experiment Project" and utilizes two innovative services: "Smart PR" and the banner production service "POTETO Design." This collaboration is a first of its kind in Japan, seeking not only to improve the readability of public newsletters but also to broaden their reach to audiences less engaged with paper media.

The "Smart PR" service automatically transforms paper-based newsletters into web articles optimized for smartphone viewing. It leverages Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology to analyze the PDF data of the public relations documents, producing a web article that is user-friendly and accessible. Meanwhile, POTETO Design employs artificial intelligence and designer expertise to create visually appealing summary banners from the article information in as little as 20 minutes, allowing these banners to be incorporated directly into the web articles.

Measuring Impact and Effectiveness

Throughout the trial period, surveys will be conducted both before and after the experiment to gauge public satisfaction, articles’ readability, and the impact on staff workload. Additionally, the experiment will investigate increases in the number of friends on LINE accounts, which will serve as a gauge for how effectively information is disseminated through digital means.

Leadership Perspectives

Nagahama City Mayor, Nobuyoshi Asami, expressed his enthusiasm for this pioneering project, stating that it opens up new possibilities for public relations in the digital age. The city aims to evolve its communication methods to deliver information comfortably and efficiently to its citizens.

Imai Denken, head of the Public Relations Division at the Nagahama City Future Creation Department, echoed these sentiments, highlighting that the traditional public relations model has faced challenges, particularly regarding mobile access. The aspiration is that the experiment will lead to a more accessible and engaging public relations format.

POTETO Design's CEO, Kento Fujita, shared his pride in collaborating with Nagahama City on this groundbreaking project. He emphasized that the synergy between "Smart PR" and "POTETO Design" aims not only to facilitate clearer communication for residents but also to enhance the efficiency of the city's operations.

Goals of the DX Experiment Project

The overarching goal of this public relations DX experiment is to implement viable digital technologies and services in Nagahama City. The project promotes public-private collaboration aimed at improving municipal services and addressing regional issues. Detailed information about the initiative is available on the official Nagahama City website.

About POTETO Design

POTETO Design is dedicated to assisting governmental bodies with AI-driven graphic production services. Administrative staff can create high-quality banners in record time, streamlining the design process and making public information more accessible. This initiative has successfully been implemented in over 30 governmental organizations, underlining the industry's trust in POTETO Design’s capabilities to transform how public information is shared.

In conclusion, the Nagahama City and POTETO Design partnership represents a forward-thinking approach to public relations and communication, setting a new standard for how local governments can engage with their constituents in an increasingly digital world.