Apple, Dentsu to Bring iAds to Japan

November 10, 2010

Apple and Tokyo-based advertising group Dentsu have teamed up to bring the iAd mobile advertising network to the Japanese market in early 2011.

Under the relationship, Apple will outsource its iAd-related sales and creative functions to Dentsu’s digital arm, Cyber Communications Inc. (CCI), while it provides technology to host, target, and deliver ads to its devices there. Application developers will retain 60 percent of the revenue generated from the sale of inventory in their software, with Apple and Dentsu divvying up the remainder.

In a news release, Apple VP of iAd Andy Miller described Dentsu as “an ideal partner for iAds in Japan,” and Dentsu’s senior EVP Ryuichi Mori said he expects the product to gain traction in the Japanese market.

The fact that Apple has chosen a partnership to bring the iAd product to Japan is an interesting development, given its choice to operate internal sales teams for the network in the United States following its acquisition of Quattro Wireless in January. Historically Apple has sought to retain close control of all aspects of its products, rarely choosing partnerships over building out its own resources or platforms.

An advantage of working with an agency such as Dentsu is its creative capabilities. Apple has faced criticism in the U.S. for insisting on handling the creative process for all iAds, frustrating agencies and advertisers and reportedly leading some brands to cancel their campaigns completely.

Worth noting, though, is the fact that neither Apple nor Dentsu have given details on the nature or length of the agreement, suggesting the former could use the relationship to test the Japanese appetite for the product with a minimal short-term investment, before deciding whether to build or acquire its own sales operation there.

The approach also suggests Apple might choose to do similar in other global markets, perhaps elsewhere in Asia, or in regions such as South America.

Elsewhere, Dentsu’s Cyber Communications Inc CCI recently entered into a partnership with U.S.-based OpenX, with plans to launch a Japanese ad exchange by January next year.

Tags: Apple, Dentsu, iAd

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Apple, Dentsu to Bring iAds to Japan

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