Takashi Takeda: Expanding DV’s Footprint into Japan

DoubleVerify recently opened an office in Tokyo and appointed seasoned digital media industry executive, Takashi Takeda, to launch and lead the business in Japan. Formerly a director at Google in Japan, Takeda hopes to build relationships with brands, agencies and media platforms by providing our sophisticated ad verification tools to the Japanese market.

We recently had the opportunity to chat with Takeda about his 30-year experience in the media industry and discuss ways in which Japanese brands and agencies can power through some of the challenges in 2020.

Could you tell us a bit about your background and what motivated you to join DoubleVerify?

I have been in the marketing business my entire career — creative agencies, Google, and now DV — and have always been motivated to build and grow brands from various angles. Online advertising has surpassed TV, and the marketing industry urgently needs to upgrade its strategy to adapt to these changes. I have always respected DV’s commitment to building a better industry. I’ve met many people at DV who share a genuine passion for that, and I was inspired by their culture. This is collectively in line with my personal passion to help the Japanese ad industry become more sophisticated.

How do you see the Japanese media and publishing market; what is unique about it?

As I mentioned previously, online advertising has recently overtaken TV, which was the most premium and trusted platform for advertisers. Now, advertisers are in search of the same quality, transparency and return from online advertising. Programmatic advertising technology is under-deployed in Japan; brands are still building up their approach to data-driven marketing. The marketing funnel continues to be highly complex, and what the industry needs is transparency and a more defined standard of ad effectiveness.

Can you tell us some of the challenges brands and agencies are dealing with in today’s environment?

Across the globe, the coronavirus pandemic has had a big impact on people’s daily lives — the way we work, spend our free time and how companies operate. Brands are looking for guidance on where and how they should advertise, including how to balance brand suitability and reach of their campaigns.

DV has a comprehensive toolkit that is designed to help brands achieve that balance. Our role is to educate and support brands as they realign their strategies and position themselves to successfully adapt to the new normal.

What goals are you trying to achieve by the end of 2020?

Japan is a unique market with great potential. First and foremost, my goal is to help brands operating in Japan to achieve clarity and confidence in their digital advertising, and for the advertising industry to apply the same level of transparency and tools that are available around the globe. We’ve recently joined industry bodies such as JIAA and JAA, which is one of our first steps towards building a better industry here in Japan..

We are very excited about the new office in Japan! Tell us a little about the DV Tokyo office. 

Our Japanese office sits in the district of Roppongi, in Tokyo, surrounded by established investment firms, foreign embassies and art museums. Roppongi is a vibrant district also known for its work hard, play hard spirit, with many popular bars and upscale restaurants. Getting to the DV office is easy, as it’s right by the central Roppongi-Itchome Station. At the office, we have access to a shared rooftop, an exclusive games space and a host of great amenities for our growing team to enjoy. We think our employees and colleagues are going to love the space!

What is the ‘new normal’ like for the Japanese advertising industry? What are some of the changes you’ve seen that will stick around beyond this crisis? 

Japan’s business culture has long been built on a face-to-face basis. Business  never starts without face-to-face engagement to build rapport. But now the virtual relationship wins citizenship, and video conferencing totally makes sense for many of our business functions.

The Japanese ad industry also realizes many roles can be done remotely — planners, creatives, and many back-office functions. The new normal requires social distancing within the office layouts and more overall space, which is not realistic.

I believe this pandemic is a good wake-up call for the Japanese ad industry to reconsider the work style and culture.

After 30 years in the ad industry, what keeps you interested and inspired to work? 

I will definitely stay interested in advertising as it continues to play a vital role in creating relationships between brands and consumers. Brands need to be responsible to ensure the truth is well told, and the media must be accountable for the content they deliver.

Secondly, creativity must continue to play the most important role to build a brand for advertisers. A great creative idea can build and grow the brand far more efficiently than a decent creative, but a bad creative experience will kill the brand overnight — which should annoy any CMO. It is where DV should play an important role now and in the future.

Outside of advertising, what is your biggest passion? 

I love playing sports, especially surfing! I currently own six boards (obviously way too many but I always fall in love with new boards). I also enjoy biking, golf, exercising at the gym. My favorite place to do all of these things is in Hawaii, so I am  sad that we are not allowed to visit the island now.