■Opinion24
“Tie-ups with Academia”
● Into The Research Society’s Third Year
In April, the JMA (Japan Marketing Association) convened its mobile marketing research society. This marked the second year, held in Osaka thanks to the cooperation we received from a great many people.
The research society is attended by advertising companies, advertising sponsors, media agencies and research agencies, which get together to seriously discuss the year’s developments in mobile marketing. There is so much potential, and I intend to publish details of projects once they crystallize. The research society itself is in great shape, and the decision was taken to reconvene at the end of the year
● University Classes from Autumn
From October, I am very lucky to have been asked to run a course called “IT Marketing” at The Graduate School of Commerce at Waseda University (GSC).
I have previously given lectures at various Universities, but they were all limited to one-off one-hour classes. This time however, it will consist of 13 slots over half a term that will earn students credits. What’s more, as it’s an MBA program the students will be working adults brimming with enthusiasm.
I intend to imbue the course with all of my experience, from being involved in starting on-line adverts with a newspaper company back in 1995, to setting up cco in 1996 and implementing market expansion in my role as executive director, and starting up mobile adverts in my current position since the millennium.
● Visits from Universities Around the World
D2C is currently a company that is enjoying a lot of links to Academia.
D2C is visited frequently not just by corporations, but also by Universities. These visits are not just limited to domestic academic institutions, but Universities from all around the world. It is with not doubt a phenomenon as yet unseen in other IT venture companies.
Among readers, I imagine there are people who question the rationale behind actively reaching out to Universities that offer no business potential.
There are two important protagonists in this, namely Professor Onzo of Waseda, and Shintaro Okazaki, Associate Professor of Marketing in the College of Economics and Business Administration at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain). In order to develop mobile marketing, which is actually still in its infancy, these two Professors analyze and then “generalize “ the essence of successful precedents. They rely on behavioral psychology to ascertain and clarify “why” something was effective, following up with academic verification. The findings are then widely transmitted in the form of written theses, and it is from these two academics that I learned the importance of having many people all around the world understand the value you have created.
I am cooperating in their research by providing data, amongst other things. Several theses have already been completed and are being transmitted to people both abroad and at home.
● The Challenge Continues
History has clearly taught us that the assistance of researchers is absolutely indispensible if a new industry is to develop significantly, as with marketing “GRP “ and “AIDMA”.
D2C will continue to meet the challenge head on with researchers to cultivate a new groundwork for marketing.
You can read all back numbers of DD News in Japanese from here.
