A New Form of Client Co-Creation

I am Kinoshita, who has been serving concurrently as a Visiting Senior Researcher at Dentsu Lab Tokyo since July 2018. My primary role is as a Principal Researcher and Research Department Manager at NTT Laboratories, where I lead projects aiming to utilize cutting-edge technology for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. These projects focus on creating new ways to watch sports, supporting people with disabilities, and alleviating congestion. Beyond sports, I have also promoted ICT application projects for Kabuki [ 1, 2 ], live music [ 3 ], and art [ 4 ].

Dentsu Lab Tokyo and NTT Laboratories have collaborated on various projects as part of joint initiatives [ 5 ]. My involvement has taken many forms—sometimes as a client, sometimes as a partner, and sometimes in an intermediate role. This article introduces this new form of co-creation.

First, to aid understanding of the main text, I will introduce the organizational structure of the NTT Group.
The NTT Group consists of the holding company Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT), its five major operating companies (NTT East, NTT West, DOCOMO, NTT Communications, and NTT Data), and over 900 subsidiary companies under them. The research institute I belong to is part of the holding company. We conduct R&D using funds entrusted by the five major operating companies and contribute to the group by returning the results. In other words, for NTT Laboratories, the operating companies are also "clients." From Dentsu Inc.'s perspective, the entire NTT Group, including the research laboratories, is a client. However, it can also be viewed as a partner sharing the same client.

Now, as an example of new client co-creation, let me introduce "NTT DOCOMO FUTURE-EXPERIMENT."

Beyond the client framework, as a "partner"

This project challenges entertainment with unprecedented high immersion and new experiences, utilizing NTT Group's cutting-edge communication technologies envisioned for the 2020s. Its defining feature is that, unlike conventional promotions, it is a one-shot live project that realistically utilizes advanced technology and delivers it live. This allows not only the audience but also the performers and producers to experience true immersion and reality.

Achieving this involved overcoming various challenges.
First, how could we leverage not just Docomo's 5G but the entire NTT Group's cutting-edge communication technologies to revolutionize the concept of sports and live experiences? Furthermore, to convey this not just as an image but as a tangible reality, we needed to actually utilize the advanced technology and deliver it live without failure. Dentsu Lab Tokyo's commitment to utilizing this real technology live is precisely the aspect I, as a researcher at a telecommunications company, resonate with most deeply. It became my greatest motivation for wanting to work with them.

NTT Laboratories approached these challenges by collaborating with Dentsu Lab Tokyo from the earliest planning stages, transcending the typical client-contractor relationship. It was a major collaborative experimental project that went beyond simple promotional planning. We explored what communication technologies could be used, how they would transform the experience, what implementation was needed for proof-of-concept, what backups were required for a live, failure-free event, and whether it would be effective as an NTT promotion. Furthermore, we sometimes acted as agents, such as when we proposed the plan to DOCOMO together with Dentsu Inc.

Furthermore, we collaborated not only on planning but also on the implementation aspects, including actual system construction and operation. For FUTURE-EXPERIMENT Phase 1 "Vol.1 Eliminate Distance." [ 6 ], Perfume members were split across three global cities to perform a synchronized live show. The construction and operation of the research-use international network GEMnet2 [ 7 ] connecting Tokyo-London-New York, the venue access networks, and the Advanced MMT system [ 8 ] enabling perfect synchronization across all three locations were tackled by NTT Laboratories members themselves, working side-by-side with Dentsu Lab Tokyo members.

Particularly challenging was building the international network and venue access networks. While such projects typically take at least six months, ours needed to be completed in less than half that time. Coordinating with research network organizations in the US and Europe, as well as access network providers, proved extremely difficult. Furthermore, the testing period was short, and network quality was sometimes unstable. Adjustments to communication parameters continued right up until the last minute before the live event.

At the time, we received feedback from fans asking, "We get how amazing Perfume's synchronization and communication technology is, but why did they need to separate the three members?" However, in this pandemic era where we keenly feel the importance of physical distance and connection, it has become a work that embodies the essence of communication and carries multiple meanings.

Next, for FUTURE-EXPERIMENT Vol.4 "Share That Moment."[ 9 ], we conducted a fan survey during Perfume's New Year's Eve concert, utilizing simultaneous Wi-Fi connections from 12,000 audience members.

Achieving stable Wi-Fi communication for such a large number of people connecting simultaneously requires installing numerous Wi-Fi access points. However, simply increasing the number of access points isn't the solution. Installing too many points increases signal interference between them, leading to unstable connections and slower speeds. The technology solving this challenge is NTT Laboratories' high-efficiency Wi-Fi technology. This technology optimizes the signal output from each access point and minimizes interference, thereby optimizing both the number of Wi-Fi connections and communication speeds.

Beyond applying high-efficiency Wi-Fi technology, various other challenges existed.
First, to ensure participation from people without smartphones or those with only older Wi-Fi-enabled models, compatible smartphones needed to be loaned out. Additionally, participants needed to be instructed on the Wi-Fi connection process and the steps to access the survey website, requiring prior confirmation.

NTT Laboratories simulated the optimal number and placement of Wi-Fi access points using venue maps and other data beforehand. Over the few days before the concert, they installed and adjusted over a hundred access points. Dentsu Inc. thoroughly managed the loan of 1,000 compatible smartphones and ensured notification and confirmation of the Wi-Fi connection procedure and access steps to the survey site. As a result, prior to the concert start, pre-connection was confirmed for nearly all 12,000 attendees. During the actual event, simultaneous connection was achieved for most attendees, but some individuals were unable to connect, revealing areas for further technical and operational improvement.

To the best of our knowledge, the number of simultaneous Wi-Fi connections achieved in this project is the world's largest.
This co-creation was only possible through the combination of NTT's high-efficiency Wi‑Fi technology and Dentsu Inc.'s thorough preparation of compatible smartphones and connection methods.

Typically, NTT Laboratories might have remained behind the scenes for client NTT Docomo, merely commenting on and advising Dentsu Inc.'s proposals. This time, however, we jointly planned the project, took responsibility for its implementation and operation, and saw it through to the end on-site. The sense of accomplishment upon its successful completion was not solely that of the client, nor solely that of the partner, but a unique fulfillment born from both perspectives. This, I believe, represents true client satisfaction and a new form of client co-creation.

The keyword is "Seed Creative."

Beyond "NTT DOCOMO FUTURE-EXPERIMENT," there are various other co-creation examples.

First, at the ICC Special Exhibition OPEN STUDIO Research Complex NTT R&D @ICC "Infrastructure You Can Feel: Toward a Society of Empathy and Diversity" [ 10 ] held in October 2018, members from both organizations collaboratively created and exhibited a work. This joint production provided an excellent opportunity to consider the essence and limitations of communication in the current era from their respective perspectives and express these ideas through a concrete work.

Next, for the "Recreating the Sports Spectator Experience" exhibition [ 11 ] hosted by NTT Laboratories in July 2019, Dentsu Lab Tokyo provided planning support, including vision development, title/statement copywriting, and poster/website design. Through discussions, they helped concretize NTT's envisioned vision and story into specific words and visuals. This process served as a valuable opportunity to reaffirm the exhibition's core message and value.

Finally, for the New National Stadium Opening Event ONE RACE [ 12 ] held in December 2019, we also collaborated on the international communication network connecting Tokyo-Paris-LA and the synchronized communication technology. NTT Laboratories collaborated with Dentsu Lab Tokyo from the planning stage to jointly examine the feasibility of communication technologies. Additionally, acting as the overall producer for the NTT Group, we coordinated roles with NTT Communications, which handled network services, and organized the group-wide structure, including sponsorship methods. The fact that this large-scale project was executed efficiently and as planned is, I believe, the result of the "co-creation" we have built through various projects. Both organizations had already established the foundation for co-creation—a sense of unity and mutual trust—through past collaborations. Building on this, their respective visions, values, strengths, weaknesses, and challenges were already shared, which is why it worked so well.

Dentsu Inc. advocates "Seed Creative"[ 13 ], a methodology for nurturing business alongside clients through creation, and is beginning to demonstrate results with Toyota Motor Corporation's "OPEN ROAD PROJECT".

"Seed Creative" is a methodology where the agency participates not only in the final stage of advertising expression but also collaboratively with the client from various initial stages, such as problem definition, product planning, and manufacturing. While the co-creation I introduced this time focused on the final stage of advertising expression, our next step is to co-create with Dentsu Lab Tokyo using "Seed Creative" from the planning stage of research and development, through development and commercialization, all the way to promotion.

This time, we have evolved beyond "textbook co-creation" through repeated practical application, achieving "effective co-creation." We firmly believe this experience will lead directly to the seed creative co-creation we aim for—a new form of client co-creation.

　
【References】

 

[1] Kinoshita, Minami, Okazaki, Noma, Yokozawa, Iwaki, "Evolution of Entertainment through Kabuki × ICT," IEICE Transactions on Electronics, Vol.100 No.11 pp.1169-1175 Nov 2017.

 

[2] NTT News Release "August Minamiza Super Kabuki Held to Commemorate Minamiza Theater's Reopening"
2019.3.25

 

[3] NTT News Release "Music Live Showcase 'CYBER TELEPORTATION TOKYO at SXSW' Using Immersive Telepresence Technology Kirari!® Held at SXSW 2017" 2017.3.7

 

[4] NTT News Release "NTT and Ars Electronica Future Lab, a Global Media Art Research Institution, Begin Joint Research on Enhancing User Experiences Through the Fusion of ICT and Art" 2016.9.8

 

[5] Dentsu Inc. News Release "Dentsu Lab Tokyo and NTT Laboratories Launch Joint Project to Create New Emotional Experiences Through the Fusion of Creativity and Technology" October 11, 2018

 

[6] NTT DOCOMO FUTURE EXPERIMENT vol.1 Eliminate Distance.

 

[7] Shimomura, Handa, Masuda, Uose, Inoue, Nakayama, "GEMnet2: A Testbed Network for Research and Development," NTT Technical Journal, Aug. 2012

 

[8] Tomura, Imanaka, Tanaka, Morizumi, Suzuki, "Standardization Activities for Immersive Live Experience (ILE)," ITU Journal, Vol.47, No.5, pp.14-17, 2017.

 

[9] NTT DOCOMO FUTURE EXPERIMENT vol.4 Share That Moment.

 

[10] ICC Special Exhibition OPEN STUDIO Research Complex NTT R&D @ICC "Infrastructure You Can Feel: Toward a Society of Empathy and Diversity"

 

[11] NTT Laboratories: The Reinvention of Sports Viewing Exhibition

 

[12] ONE RACE – National Stadium Opening Event
 

[13] Shimura, Sasaki, "What is 'Seed Creativity' that was presented to the world at Cannes?" Dentsu Inc., July 21, 2017