NTT DOCOMO, INC. and CyberAgent, Inc. have announced that they have agreed to establish a new company, Prism Partner Inc., to utilize DOCOMO and CyberAgent’s business resources for advertising.
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1. Background
In 2021, online ad spending in Japan totaled nearly 2.71 trillion yen, up 21.4% from the previous year and the first time that online ad spending exceeded that in the four traditional media of television, radio, newspapers, and magazines.*1 Furthermore, Japan’s market for digital sales promotions is forecast to grow to 250 billion yen by 2024. *2 In response, DOCOMO, with a membership base of over 89 million people, and CyberAgent, with a proven digital advertising track record in Japan, have decided to support advertisers by providing them with advertising products incorporating the two companies’ knowledge and assets.
2. New company’s business
Provide solutions covering everything from digital promotions to CRM
Prism Partner will sell DOCOMO’s targeted ad products based on DOCOMO’s service usage information and other member data as well as other online and offline data.*3 Prism Partner will support development and sell DOCOMO’s digital promotions and advertising products that continuously use d POINTs to encourage purchases and perform purchase-effect analyses. Through the integration of CRM tools, such as DOCOMO’s Super Sales Program*4 marketing platform and ad-delivery data, Prism Partner will go beyond simply serving customer ads by providing operational support for action that increases loyalty and trust for products and brands.
Provide new targeted-ad avenues for developers of games and other apps
For app developers who utilize DOCOMO membership information and app-usage data*5, Prism Partner will support development and sales of DOCOMO’s advertising products. DOCOMO data will be integrated with Dynalyst, CyberAgent’s dynamic retargeting ads designed specifically for smartphone apps,*6 enabling customers to benefit from advanced ad technology and customization.
3. Each company’s roles
DOCOMO
Deliver targeted ads effectively by using purchase behavior data based on d POINTs and d-BaraiTM usage histories from some 89 million d POINTs members and other media touchpoints (used anonymously and within the scope of the Privacy Policy) to estimate customers’ online and offline interests.
Contribute to manufacturers’ and retailers’ sales promotions by revitalizing the d POINTs and d-Barai ecosystem and encourage customer purchases.
Help advertisers expand their marketing activities by analyzing ad targets and customer preferences with AI,*7 using location information obtained with customer consent,*8 DOCOMO data on how services are being used by customers, and d POINTs and d-Barai purchase information.
CyberAgent
Leverage Japan’s top-level digital-advertising sales, operational and advertising development capabilities to provide advertisers with comprehensive assistance, from ad-serving system development to ad-operating system construction and sales.
Apply knowledge from developing Japan’s top-class DSP and from the AI Lab, an AI R&D organization involved in digital marketing, to develop ad-serving systems for maximized and measurable ad impact.
Leverage partnerships with retailers by supporting digital transformation to formulate sales-promotion plans and measure sales-promotion impact, both online and offline.
4. Outlook
DOCOMO and CyberAgent, working through their new company Prism Partner, will develop advertising products and drive sales to advertisers while also utilizing DOCOMO’s proprietary data, points, media, and other marketing assets, as well as CyberAgent’s AI and digital marketing knowledge, ultimately to identify and maximize the impact of advertisements integrated both online and offline.
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