Seeing People and Society Through Data (Part 1) | Data Analyst Roundtable vol.1

Digital marketing is undergoing a major transformation, driven by factors like increasing data volumes and revisions to personal information protection laws. Amidst this, the "data clean room" is gaining attention as a data infrastructure that balances individual privacy protection with corporate marketing needs. A data clean room is an environment provided by platform operators, such as major portal sites and SNS, enabling data analysis and operation without identifying individuals.

Data & digital marketing, leveraging various data platforms including these clean rooms, is becoming a major driving force for corporate and product/service growth. One key role propelling this movement is the "Data Analyst." As the importance of data analysts grows, many companies are actively working to secure talent. Simultaneously, there appears to be an increasing number of people, particularly younger individuals, who aspire to become data analysts.

Therefore, Transformation SHOWCASE will deliver a series of articles revealing the reality of the now highly sought-after role of "Data Analyst." Within the Dentsu Group, numerous professionals are already active as data analysts. They practice cutting-edge data and digital marketing by integrating client companies' first-party data into platforms developed jointly with platform providers, such as the Data Clean Room, and the Dentsu Group's original DMP (Data Management Platform). We held a roundtable discussion with these data analysts over three sessions.

The first installment of the 'Data Analyst Roundtable' featured five participants involved in data clean room development and data analysis: Yuki Horikoshi, Mayuka Adachi, and Moeko Abe from Dentsu Inc., and Monoka Kubomura and Kazuko Kuriyama from Dentsu Digital Inc. We listened to their real-life experiences—the events that occur in their daily work and their feelings about them—while they shared insights into the depth of data analysis and their passion for their work. In this first part, we hear about their backgrounds and the work they are currently involved in.

Yuki Horikoshi: Joined Dentsu Inc. in 2014. Assigned to the Out-of-Home Media Bureau handling transportation and outdoor advertising as a new graduate. Transferred to the DTC (Data & Technology Center) in June 2021. Since then, as a data analyst, has been responsible for data clean rooms utilizing mobile data and engaged in promoting data business.

Mayuka Adachi: Joined Dentsu Digital Inc. in 2020 and seconded to Dentsu Inc. in April 2023. Engaged in developing and utilizing portal-based data clean rooms, as well as the global expansion of solutions.

Moeko Abe: Joined Dentsu Inc. in 2022. Assigned to DTC as a new graduate, engaged in analyzing SNS data clean rooms and developing solutions utilizing IoT home appliance data.

Monoka Kubomura: Joined Dentsu Inc. in 2019. Assigned to the Publishing Business Production Bureau as a new graduate, seconded to Dentsu Digital Inc. in 2020. Since then, has worked as a data analyst, engaged in digital advertising effectiveness verification and solution proposals using distribution data clean rooms.

Kazuko Kuriyama: Joined CARTA COMMUNICATIONS Inc. (CCI) in 2016, handling performance advertising. Seconded to Dentsu DTC in 2017. Moved to a pharmaceutical company in 2021, involved in DX promotion. Joined Dentsu in April 2022 and seconded to Dentsu Digital Inc. in October of the same year. Currently engaged in utilizing data clean rooms from multiple platform providers.

Data analysis increases the world's resolution

Q. What paths led you to become data analysts? Could you share your respective backgrounds?

Horikoshi: I majored in Japanese linguistics in university. Because I loved the Japanese language, I became interested in advertising agencies that handle catchy slogans and ads packed with clever wordplay. However, I didn't necessarily aspire to be a copywriter myself; what I wanted to be at the time was a media planner. At the core of this was a desire to "create a society where people's feelings are properly conveyed." Even as a student, I often felt uneasy seeing banner ads for services I had zero interest in pop up online. I believed that services and products crafted with such care deserved to reach the people who truly needed them—and I wanted to make that happen. That's why I joined the company.

Having almost no experience handling data, I felt both excitement and anxiety when transferred to the Data & Technology Center (DTC). Initially, I struggled, feeling like I'd entered a different world, unfamiliar with the terminology flying around. But I believe data is one of the most critical areas in today's world. I'm embracing the challenge of this new field positively and tackling my daily tasks with the support of those around me. I'm surrounded by many professionals with specialized skills, and knowing they're on my side is incredibly reassuring.

Kuriyama: I also graduated from a literature department and joined CCI wanting to work in media communications. I certainly never imagined I'd end up handling data myself.

Amidst this, I was seconded to DTC in 2017 and became involved in a project handling animal biometric data. Data utilization in advertising can sometimes give users a negative impression, as if their actions are being tracked. However, data in the healthcare field, such as from wearable devices, which relates to people's lives and health, is used to positively impact people. This project sparked my desire to "utilize data in ways that bring people happiness." My move to a pharmaceutical company was also sparked by this experience.

Ultimately, it all comes down to how data is used. Excessive tracking might make users feel uneasy or uncomfortable. But if the right information is displayed at just the right time for each individual, they should actually be pleased. I feel we've entered an era where we need a mindset that doesn't pit protecting privacy against enhancing advertising effectiveness, but rather achieves both. By using data in ways that delight users, we ultimately boost advertising impact. I too aim for this kind of win-win approach, consciously engaging with data daily while considering, "What can we deliver that benefits both our clients and their customers?"

Kubomura: I was also in the liberal arts during university. When job hunting, I hadn't settled on what I wanted to do, which is precisely why I applied to Dentsu Inc., a company offering exposure to a wide range of industries. Fortunately, I'm the type who can enjoy most things, so even after being assigned to a department handling publishing-related work, I found it enjoyable.

After about a year and a half, I was seconded to Dentsu Digital Inc. I was surprised to hear I'd be moving to a data-related department with no prior experience, but I felt digital knowledge was essential for working in advertising. As I studied various things during my secondment, I experienced a sense of my horizons opening up, thinking, "So this is another world."

Horikoshi: I know exactly what you mean. Understanding how digital advertising works, seeing people's faces emerge from the data—it feels like the world's resolution increases, doesn't it?

Appropriate marketing leads to people's happiness

Q. Mr. Horikoshi, Mr. Kuriyama, and Mr. Kubomura, you all come from liberal arts backgrounds, right? What about Mr. Abe and Mr. Adachi? Did you have any exposure to data analysis or related fields?

Abe: I studied architecture in university and graduate school, so I eventually wanted to work in city branding. During my job search, I considered companies like developers, but ultimately chose Dentsu Inc. because I wanted to engage in a wide range of work, not just be confined to that specific field.

However, upon joining the company, I was assigned to DTC as a new graduate. Starting from "What even is a database?" made things very challenging at first. That said, I felt the research and insights from architecture—quantitatively scoring qualitative things like spaces and cities—resonated with evaluating the effectiveness of advertising communication. I approach my daily work thinking about how I can uncover more of these commonalities.

Adachi: In my case, I majored in the medical field during university, but I was considering jobs outside the medical industry. That's when I saw Dentsu Digital Inc.'s slogan: "Toward Exciting Digital." Seeing that, I thought, "I want to do work that makes people happy," and decided to join.

However, even though I joined 'Dentsu Digital Inc.', I never imagined I'd end up doing data analysis (laughs). I was surprised when I was assigned to this role. In a medical setting, patients are right in front of you, and you naturally see their words and expressions. But I believe working in data requires the imagination to picture users' or consumers' reactions and expressions from the data itself. At first, it was hard to feel that reality about user reactions. I sometimes felt anxious, wondering, "Through this work, what kind of people are seeing the ads I planned? What reactions are they having? Are they truly leading to good experiences?" But as I consulted with various clients and solved problems using data, I began to find fulfillment in hearing clients' voices of satisfaction and supporting how their products and services reach the world. While I still don't often get that direct, tangible feeling of "Ah, I'm making people happy," I believe that more advanced data analysis and more appropriate marketing ultimately lead to people's happiness. That's the mindset I bring to my work.

While the term "data analyst" might evoke an image of a career path pursued by science majors, at the Dentsu Group, people with diverse backgrounds—literature, architecture, medicine, and more—work with data. Each member shared how they acquire skills through study while also incorporating perspectives cultivated by their varied backgrounds, tackling data analysis and solution development from multiple angles. In the second part, we delve deeper into the rewards of working with data and what they aim to achieve through their work.