Can digital technology make people happy?

Dentsu Inc. and Dentsu Digital Inc. have developed " People Driven Marketing" (PDM), an integrated framework that consolidates and advances all marketing methodologies within the Dentsu Group around a "people-centric" approach.

People Driven Marketing is

Next-generation marketing that focuses on human awareness and behavior, realized by linking diverse data through cutting-edge technology. It aims to achieve communication like this:

・Delivering truly needed content to the right people,
・At the right time and in the right place,
・Tailored to each individual,
・And continuously optimized based on their response.

Why is PDM necessary in the coming era?

"Isn't people-centric marketing what we've always done?"
"How is this different from previous digital marketing?"

We'll answer these questions.

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<Table of Contents>
▼An email offering 10% off hiking gear delivered to Hanako
▼When data "connects," people become clearer
▼Toward people-centric marketing that's "thoughtful" and "anticipates needs"
▼Dentsu Group professionals clearly explain the seven phases

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The 10% Off Hiking Gear Email Sent to Hanako

Hanako, 30, has a newborn baby just three months old.

Today, she received another email from the outdoor gear specialty shop she registered with earlier.

"Weekend Fair Now On! 10% Off Climbing Gear"

From the store's perspective, everyone who registers as a member is a "promising prospect interested in hiking." So they calculate that if they keep sending emails every week, a certain percentage will eventually visit the store.

But Hanako, who just had a baby, has no plans to go hiking anytime soon, let alone buy any climbing gear—.
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What do you think? Of course, some people will visit the store even with this "shotgun approach." But for many others, like Hanako, it might just leave them feeling, "Well, this information coming right now isn't exactly timely..."

If we define the ideal form of marketing as "creating products and services customers truly want, delivering that information appropriately, and maximizing customer satisfaction," then this shop's approach to information dissemination cannot be considered good marketing.

Digital, which should enable a more nuanced approach, is actually being used for one-way communication that only serves the sender's convenience. Can we really say digital is making people happy like this?

When data "connects," people become clearer

Merely collecting fragmented user data, as was done traditionally, makes it difficult to accurately capture a vivid picture of the user. This often leads to situations like Hanako's case, where "information that might have been wanted before is no longer needed now."

We believe the true purpose of leveraging digital technology lies in marketing that anticipates "what information should be sent, when, to whom, and in what form," while considering people's feelings.

Against the backdrop of smartphone proliferation, the rise of services like SNS, e-commerce sites, and video streaming, and technological advancements, we now collect and interconnect far more user data (especially behavioral data like purchase history and online usage patterns) than ever before (*1).

Furthermore, it is anticipated that data such as location information, electronic payment details, recent search history, and even facial expression data will become increasingly accessible. The conditions are now ripe to paint a far more detailed portrait of a person's "true self" than ever before.

However, it's not simply about collecting more data; it's also crucial to connect diverse data points and apply imagination. For example, linking data from multiple angles—such as "a person who registered as a member but hasn't gone hiking recently" and "has been searching online for baby products lately"—should allow us to infer that "this person doesn't need information about 10% off hiking gear right now."

Abundant data and the imagination to envision the living user profiles beyond it. Add to this the relentless verification after communication to continuously increase the resolution of these user profiles. This is the essence of marketing that truly understands people: People Driven Marketing.

※1 Needless to say, data acquisition requires user permission and anonymization/statistical processing.

Toward People-Driven Marketing that is "Thoughtful" and "Anticipates Needs"

As mentioned earlier, PDM essentially means realizing interactive digital marketing tailored to each individual. From the recipient's perspective, it can be described as marketing that feels "thoughtful" and "anticipates needs."

Furthermore, PDM doesn't end with selling a product or service; it aims to maximize the customer's LTV (Lifetime Value). By constantly designing communication that aligns with the recipient's feelings and building the marketing systems to support this, it becomes possible to foster lasting relationships beyond a temporary buyer-seller dynamic.

Many companies now manage customer data using their own private DMP (Data Management Platform) and leverage it for marketing. For example, combining this with data from the People Driven DMP (※2), a public DMP provided by the Dentsu Group, enables the creation of a more multidimensional customer profile.

※2 People Driven DMP is a next-generation platform realized through partnerships with companies across diverse industries.
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What kind of approach could a PDM take with Hanako-san from the beginning?

Instead of immediately sending her a "10% off mountaineering gear" offer based solely on the sender's convenience, waiting a bit and then sending "parenting information to help raise a child who loves the mountains" might be more effective. Or, proposing "family-friendly camping gear suitable for enjoying with children" several years later could be appreciated. This approach fosters a lasting, mutually beneficial relationship for both the shop and Hanako.

However, sending information that feels intrusive or fails to read the room, even if it understands the recipient's feelings, is not truly considerate. To achieve genuinely thoughtful communication that anticipates needs, it's not just about user data; the know-how to analyze that data and design appropriate communication is also essential.

At PDM, we analyze and plan using acquired data, incorporating Dentsu Group's long-accumulated research findings and communication expertise. This enables more precise target setting and goal achievement.

Another crucial element is ensuring all marketing sections work in unison toward the same goal (i.e., the person). PDM integrates phases that traditionally operated independently around a "person-centric" approach, enabling more consistent marketing.

Finally, to address the initial question, here's a summary of PDM.

Q.
"Isn't people-centric marketing what we've always done?"
"How is this different from previous digital marketing?"

A.
PDM clearly aims to deliver communication optimized for each individual user—something previously difficult due to technical and environmental constraints. It does this by leveraging Dentsu Inc.'s traditional communication expertise, combined with "multifaceted user data obtained from abundant contact points, including partner companies," and "digital technology."

It delivers information at the exact moment the user wants it, with creative content that resonates with them.

This is the difference from conventional digital marketing.

Dentsu Group professionals clearly explain the seven phases

The PDM running process consists of the following seven phases:

・Objective: Setting goals and challenges. Re-examining challenges through the lens of people
・Deep Dive: Insight into people. Utilizing behavioral data to understand people
・Person: Segmenting with precision to identify individuals most likely to change their awareness or behavior
・Journey: Unraveling brand touchpoints for each segment to discover opportunity points
・Media & Promotion Design: Plan design to maximize impact within budget
・Creative & Activation: Ideas and content to shift awareness and behavior for each segment
・Execution & PDCA: Assessing the effectiveness of initiatives and identifying next challenges

While these individual concepts existed before, the difference lies in integrating them to drive results and accumulate practical knowledge. This framework isn't about using every phase in the diagram; it's designed to be incorporated into existing marketing efforts as needed.

Starting next time, professionals from the Dentsu Group will explain these seven phases.

Digital can bring happiness to people. Stay tuned.