Declaring our presence for the future market

Continuing from last time, we present a report from the perspective of employees of Dentsu Inc. who observed CES Asia.

DAN China Booth

I'm Naito from the Global Business Center. I'm reporting from my role supporting the exhibition of DAN China, part of Dentsu Inc. Aegis Network (DAN), which was exhibiting for the second time this year.

While CES began as an electronics trade show, it was particularly noticeable this year that exhibits like drones, automobiles, and VR stood out. This demonstrated how CES is being utilized as a venue to gauge the market potential of "next-generation industries." While major Chinese tech companies like Alibaba and Huawei, and European automotive giants like Mercedes-Benz and BMW showcased large-scale exhibits, the vast majority of participating companies were actually startups unfamiliar to most in Japan. For example, there were dozens of drone companies alone, and I could hardly tell them apart. Some were still in the conceptual phase, with demonstrations not yet fully developed.

After circling the halls, a thought crossed my mind: in the Chinese market, isn't "raising your hand" the most important thing? While next-generation technologies like VR and drones are becoming mainstream, the market remains largely untapped in most countries, including China. However, China, with its massive population and rapid economic growth, could see the market open up instantly with just one trigger. Missing that moment makes entering later practically impossible. China, in particular, is one of the countries with many successful examples of "time machine management," where overseas adoption models are immediately implemented. It's no wonder companies actively show interest in areas that garnered attention at the original CES. And for advertising agencies, isn't "raising your hand" equally crucial?

At the DAN China booth on the first day. From left: Nobuaki Hisashima, COO; Phil Teeman, Group Managing Director; KF Lee, Chairwoman; Norihiro Yamagishi, CEO (all from DAN China); Arvind Sethumadhavan, DAN Chief Innovation Officer

CES Asia felt like the perfect venue for DAN China to declare its presence in future markets. At the opening ceremony, DAN China CEO Norihiro Yamagishi explained the purpose of exhibiting: "To lead our clients' businesses to success, it's vital to understand consumers, and pursuing innovation is indispensable for that." Building on last year's success, the booth tripled in size. It showcased a total of 12 products, including four from Dentsu Inc. headquarters. Over the three days, 7,800 visitors came to the booth, reaffirming the high level of interest in China's innovation sector.

Below is an introduction to the exhibits, focusing on those from Japan. (Exhibitor in parentheses)

RoBoHoN (Sharp, Dentsu Inc.)
A mobile robot phone announced domestically by Sharp in April 2016. With an eye on future expansion into China, it was also unveiled at CES Asia. Beyond hinting at a new evolution for phones through its robotic learning capabilities and diverse communication methods, its adorable appearance captivated many visitors.

Pace Sync (Dentsu Inc., Asahi Kasei)
This app, based on non-contact pulse wave detection technology developed by Asahi Kasei, measures heart rate simply by capturing a face via a smartphone camera, enabling relaxation anytime, anywhere. Interest was high not only in the app's utility but also in the technology's high versatility across many industries.

Smile Explorer (Dentsu Inc.)
Following its debut at SXSW (South by Southwest), the world's largest creative business festival, Smile Explorer is a next-generation communication stroller that automatically captures your baby's smile during daily outings and records it along with location data. Particularly in China, where family bonds are strong, numerous baby-focused products were exhibited, and the Smile Explorer booth saw a flurry of questions.

TABO (dmLab, touch.plus)
TABO, a robot that moves across an iPad touchscreen. It syncs with the iPad and moves independently. Visitors challenged it to games at the booth, and despite its small size, it made a big impression. It hinted at the future diversification of robots. dmLab is an innovation lab launched in October 2015 by Dentsu Inc.'s overseas media network Dentsu Media.

Beyond the above, other exhibits included: UMOOD (Isobar Australia), which uses brainwaves to identify T-shirts customers want (used in a UNIQLO campaign), showcasing strong initiatives in the neuro field. Other exhibits included ICPAPER (Carat), which prints electronic circuits on paper; CAVE (Carat・D2C Inc. China), where motion gestures control a screen projected across an entire 180-degree wall; Smart Arena (Amplifi・Smart Arena・Zepp), which records diverse sports data and footage; Flip Dots (Dentsu Inc.・IMG SRC), combining image recognition with analog displays; Happy Hours Rewind (Dentsu Webchutney), which rewinds a bar clock to "happy hour" when users post with specific hashtags on Twitter, and other exhibits targeting new advertising expressions. Furthermore, the virtual sister idol group 8911 (Dentsu Inc. Tech・Beetle) was also featured. I believe these were exhibits uniquely representative of Dentsu Inc., based in Japan.

BVRAIN, the world's first VR device to visualize human brain activity. Integrates brainwave-sensing technology with VR.

Smart Arena. Supports performance enhancement for athletes across various sports, such as capturing a golf swing at 1000 frames per second and analyzing it with 3D imaging.

ICPAPER. Digital paper with printed electronic circuits. It allows light and sound expressions to be reflected in interior design without requiring complex hardware equipment.

Happy Hours Rewind. When customers visiting bars during happy hour tweet with #HappyHoursRewind, the clock hands rewind, extending the happy hour experience. Some stores saw a 40% increase in sales.

Next time, Mr. Yima Makai of Dentsu Inc., who developed Smile Explorer, will report from the exhibitor's perspective.