Takashi Kawaguchi, Deputy General Manager of the UX Boost Department, Marketing Division, Game Business Division, DeNA Co., Ltd.

Maximizing advertising effectiveness through technology and creativity

■ Profile

He joined DeNA Co., Ltd. as a new graduate in 2009. He has been working in the marketing field since 2012, launching app marketing and being in charge of digital marketing for various game and entertainment apps, before becoming head of digital marketing for the games field in 2016. He has been in his current position since 2020.

DeNA operates in two areas: entertainment, including games and video streaming, and businesses that solve social issues, such as healthcare and automotive. We spoke to Kawaguchi, marketing manager for the games area, about digital marketing, to find out how they communicate and spread their messages to their target audience.

　DeNA's digital marketing mainly involves placing smartphone advertisements to attract customers. Specifically, we utilize programmatic advertising on large-scale media such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube with the goal of new app downloads. Programmatic advertising allows us to track figures such as the number of downloads via advertising and the sales generated from them in real time, so we can maximize effectiveness by adjusting targeting and advertising creative as needed while monitoring the results.
　I think the appeal of working in digital marketing is that the PDCA (plan-do-check-act) cycle is short, allowing for a large number of hypothesis tests to be repeated, and that advertising itself evolves very quickly thanks to the technological capabilities of large-scale media. Another attractive aspect is that I often speak with people outside the company, such as media companies and advertising agencies, and can work while discussing with a variety of people outside the company.

■Use advertising according to your purpose

　Digital marketing and mass marketing such as television commercials each have different characteristics, so DeNA places importance on both. For example, television commercials can reach a wide range of targets, so they are often deployed during large-scale advertising such as one-year anniversary projects, while digital marketing allows for more detailed targeting and can be distributed even with small amounts, so it is used as a regular measure. We use digital and mass marketing appropriately according to our marketing strategy. 　
　However, in digital marketing, we also place great importance on the emotional aspects of what kind of advertising creative we put out and how we move the user's heart, as these factors have a major impact on effectiveness.

■ Carefully explore ways to "communicate"

　In addition to advertising, we also put a lot of effort into things like LINE accounts and push notifications. We try and error to find the best way to communicate what we want to say using small images and short sentences, and we also discuss the timing of sending notifications. For example, we create images and text while keeping in mind the image area and number of characters that will be displayed on a smartphone screen, and we compare the effectiveness of multiple candidates to continually refine them.
　Regarding the timing of notifications, there's no point if the notification isn't seen, so we imagine the user's lifestyle and try various things, such as "They're at work during the day, so we should do it after 10:00, but that's the golden time that each company is targeting, so notifications will be concentrated and they won't see it, right? So, how about 6:59 p.m."

■DeNAQuality Lives On

　During my job hunting days, I decided to join DeNA because it gave young people discretion and many employees with diverse backgrounds, and I felt that I would enjoy working there and be able to grow. I believe the reason it's an organization that gives young people discretion is because it has a code of conduct called DeNA Quality that is deeply ingrained in the company. One aspect of DeNA Quality is the "responsibility to speak up," which means clearly expressing your own opinions, regardless of position. Even as a new employee, it's not acceptable to refrain from speaking up just because the person you're talking to is a senior or superior, and you're expected to express your own opinions.
　I believe that the fact that this DeNA Quality has been maintained even as the organization has grown in size has led to young people actually having discretion.

■Message

　During your student years, I would like you to do things that you can only do as a student, such as working part-time at a restaurant or traveling to various places. I think that these experiences will often come in handy in the context of understanding users after you enter the workforce.
　Once you enter the workforce, I would recommend that you try your hardest at any job. Even if it's not the job you want to do now, there are always skills you can gain from it. I also think that by working hard, you will be able to get a better idea of ​​the type of job that suits you and the type of job you want to do, so I hope that you will enter the workforce with that mindset.

Student Newspaper Special Edition April 2021 Yokohama City University 3rd Year Student Yuina Oguma