DX (Digital Transformation) is now an unavoidable theme for every company and every business. The relationship between "creative" and "data" is no exception.
Our previous article explored the importance of "data" in creative work. So conversely, what is the importance of "creative" in digital marketing?
This is a discussion between Susumu Namikawa, a digital creative specialist at Dentsu Inc., and Kento Horiuchi, Senior Marketing Director at Treasure Data.
The Rise of Video Drives Marketing DX
──What are the recent trends in marketing DX?
Namikawa: I believe video, above all else, accelerated the DX trend in marketing. Back when infrastructure was lacking and digital video hadn't yet spread, it was like two separate worlds: "TV commercials for awareness-stage targets, and search ads for consideration-stage targets." Clients also had separate departments like Digital Marketing and Advertising.
But now that the infrastructure is in place, watching videos on smartphones is commonplace. A single video creative can cover all stages—awareness, interest, and consideration. This has led to the need to view the entire funnel holistically through data. Data utilization has advanced tremendously over the past three to four years. In that sense, video's impact has been enormous.
Horiuchi: In digital, we can capture everything in raw logs—down to who watched which video and for how long—so we can verify if the creative is actually reaching the target audience. Of course, when acquiring and analyzing data, viewer permission and processes like anonymizing and aggregating viewing data are essential.
Namikawa: That's what initially captures clients' interest.
They want to know: How long did the target audience interested in the product watch this video? Where did they drop off?
and how many viewers of this video are then visiting the website.
That's the kind of data we can get. With Dentsu Inc.'s STADIA tool, we can go even further and cross-reference TV commercial viewer data with digital viewer data.
──So, data from mass media and digital media becomes connected. How does that change the experience for consumers receiving the creative?
Namikawa: For example, in the past, when creative content was completely separate for TV and the internet, it worked even with fragmented data. However, as the creative across both channels becomes connected, data analysis must also be considered in an integrated way. Following this trend, I feel we're moving towards "enriching the experience," including in the CRM domain.
Rather than handling mass media and digital separately, we'll ultimately move toward a world where we create shared creative assets and dynamically serve all creative based on data, from the top to the bottom of the funnel.
In other words, the primary focus until now has been on leveraging data for creative assets close to the "purchase" stage. Going forward, we're entering an era where digital connects all stages, including "awareness." The significant shift is that leveraging data across all creative assets throughout the entire funnel has become crucial— .
The Middle Funnel Demands the Power of "Data × Creative"
Horiuchi: Technology has evolved first—video platforms, smartphone camera capabilities, and so on. Over time, creative providers have become accustomed to this and are now consciously leveraging it. We're entering an era where creative is conceived with the premise that data can be utilized across the entire funnel.
However, I believe data is only "based on human behavior and analyzable as a result." Analyzing media viewing data, for example, can reveal things like "this person likes this brand of car" or "they like RVs." But to actually move someone to think "I'm going to buy an RV," you need the power of creative. I think the key is gathering data, analyzing it, and then applying those insights to the creative.
Namikawa: On the creative side, I think the key point is that "video-based communication" now influences every stage of the purchasing process. The "top funnel," the earliest stage of the purchase process, has traditionally been handled by TV commercials, an area where Dentsu Inc. excels. Beyond that, how we create context and initiate communication for the "bottom funnel" (the final purchase decision stage) and the "middle funnel" (stages preceding it) is truly an area that will become increasingly important going forward.
Horiuchi: Personally, I find video-based creative the simplest and most understandable. But some people prefer reading text, while others listen to audio during their commute. In other words, how people receive creative varies, and what resonates with them differs too.
This makes me think: whereas traditional TV and mass media focused on creating "one piece of creative likely to appeal broadly," today we have vastly more varied means and timing for delivery. From a creator's perspective, there's a dilemma—doesn't it mean you have to increase the volume of creative output to make an impact? What do you think?
Namikawa: Yeah, if you just think of it as increasing the sheer number of things you create, it's tough (laughs). People who are "pre-middle funnel" – meaning they haven't reached the point of interest in your product or service – might recognize your brand, but they don't see it as relevant to them, so they won't buy. To connect with them and make them feel it's "something that relates to me," you have to think about expressions tailored to the target audience.
That said, if you do detailed data analysis and create an overwhelming number of target segments, it becomes confusing and unmanageable as a strategy. For the middle funnel, I believe it's appropriate to divide into about 3 to 5 segments, based on data. For the bottom funnel, you might segment into dozens.
However, the core essence of what the brand itself wants to be in the world, or how it is perceived, is fundamentally one thing. Therefore, how to change consumers' perceptions is something that should be considered as a broad strategy, rather than setting it finely for each specific target.
On the other hand, even if the brand's core is singular, the creative requirements differ depending on where the target is in the funnel. To deliver that final push—that decisive moment when someone thinks, "I'm going to buy this brand's RV"—you need to develop various creative patterns through the PDCA cycle.
In other words, we must first develop a broad strategy rooted in the brand's core, and every approach to each segment must align with that strategy.
Especially in the middle funnel area, we need to leverage data and multiply it to figure out, "What kind of message will move the hearts of the customers we see in this data?" Right now, the whole creative team is having fun tackling this (laughs).
By getting hands-on ourselves, we can move customers' hearts
──While DX is being heavily promoted now, the concept of "linking data and creative to enhance marketing communications" isn't yet commonplace, right?
Horiuchi: Frankly, even before data × creative, I believe the fundamental understanding of how data alone or creative alone contributes to business is still not widespread. So, we want to start by spreading that understanding.
Namikawa: Understanding the mechanisms behind both data and creative is crucial. It's about having that gut feeling of "I really get this," and I think getting your hands dirty is essential for that. I think everyone, including executives, should try being more "digitally self-sufficient."
For example, launching your own media site, measuring user reactions with data management tools, or running ads to see what creative resonates and iterating through PDCA cycles.
Horiuchi: Digital self-sufficiency is a great idea. For instance, people who've built their own bookshelves often find it easier to visualize building structures, but that's less common in IT, right?
Namikawa: Top-tier marketers, even when discussing digital or data, can articulate cause and effect just like a greengrocer saying, "It was sunny today, so this vegetable sold well." That kind of intuition is incredibly important.
Horiuchi: If you try to be self-sufficient in farming, you can only afford to fail once a year. One mistake could mean struggling to eat until next year. But with digital, you can fix today's failure by tonight, right? I want people to feel that sense of agility through digital self-sufficiency. By becoming self-sufficient and understanding the mechanisms, I hope they grasp why customer data foundations are crucial and how important it is to test things quickly.
Namikawa: Just trying things out builds experience and gives you a tangible sense of how things work. That's useful even for roles not directly involved in creative work or data analysis. That's why I want everyone to try digital self-sufficiency at least once. Actually, I even tried building my own ad network for a while – I really enjoy getting my hands dirty.
Horiuchi: That's amazing!
Namikawa: When you use Treasure Data's "Treasure Data CDP (Customer Data Platform)"(※) to review reports weekly, you gradually start to intuitively understand consumers, right? That's actually very similar to the age-old saying, "Business means standing at the storefront and listening to customer voices."
Treasure Data CDP = A "customer data platform" provided by Treasure Data that collects, integrates, and analyzes all data scattered throughout an organization.
Horiuchi: Exactly the same.
Namikawa: Actually, it's just that "listening to customer voices at the storefront" has become "analyzing customer data."
Horiuchi: It's only by personally engaging with data and creative work that you can truly connect with customers on an emotional level. If more people within companies come to understand that "data × creative moves customers," I believe Japanese corporate marketing will shift in a positive direction going forward.
If you're interested in the solutions provided through the collaboration between Treasure Data and Dentsu Inc./Dentsu Digital Inc., please feel free to contact us.
The DX Engine Driven by Treasure Data and Dentsu Inc. [3]
