Dentsu


Dentsu Inc. is a Japanese international advertising and public relations joint stock company headquartered in Tokyo. Dentsu is currently the largest advertising agency and the fifth largest advertising agency network in the world in terms of worldwide revenues. Dentsu bought Aegis in 2012 and formed Dentsu Aegis Network, which is headquartered in London and operates in 145 countries worldwide with around 45,000 employees. Dentsu Aegis Network is made up of 10 global network brands—Carat, Dentsu, Dentsu media, iProspect, Isobar, Accordant, mcgarrybowen, Merkle, Fountainhead MKTG, Posterscope and Vizeum and supported by its specialist/multi-market brands.

History

Dentsu was originally established as Japan Advertising Ltd. and Telegraphic Service Co. by Hoshiro Mitsunaga. In 1906, Telegraphic Service Co. became Japan Telegraphic Communication Co., Ltd.. The next year, Japan Advertising Ltd. merged with Japan Telegraphic Communication Co., Ltd. to create advertising and communications operations. Japan Telegraphic Communication Co., Ltd. sold off its news division to Doumei News Agency in 1936 to change the company's focus to specialized advertising. In 1943, 16 companies were acquired in order to supplement Japan Telegraphic's advertising business. That same year, operational bases were established in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and Kyūshū. With the 1951 arrival of commercial radio broadcasting in Japan, the Radio Division was established at Japan Telegraphic's head and local offices.
In 1955, Japan Telegraphic Communication Co., Ltd. changed its name to Dentsu Inc. 1995 saw Dentsu creating five domestic regional subsidiaries.
In January 2020, Dentsu acquired Digital Pi, an agency focused on B2B.

Initial public offering

Dentsu was listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in 2001. During the initial public offering of Dentsu, in December 2001, a trader at UBS Warburg, the Swiss investment bank, sent an order to sell 610,000 shares in this company at ¥6 each, while he intended to sell 16 shares at ¥600,000. The bank lost £71 million.
Dentsu's sales are more than double its nearest competitor, Hakuhodo or ADK, in the Japanese market, thanks to the company's origins as a media representative during the early part of the 20th century, producing the first newspaper advertisements as well as the first television commercials in Japan.

Geneon Entertainment

In July 2003, Dentsu acquired Pioneer LDC from Pioneer Corporation and renamed it to Geneon Entertainment, while its North American division, Pioneer Entertainment, was renamed to Geneon USA.
On November 12, 2008, Dentsu announced that it was selling 80.1% of its ownership in Geneon to NBCUniversal's Universal Pictures International Entertainment, who planned to merge the company with its Universal Pictures Japan division to form a new company. The merger closed on February 1, 2009.

Aegis Group

On 12 July 2012 Dentsu agreed to acquire British-based Aegis Group plc in a cash deal worth $4.9 billion. The deal was completed in March 2013. Dentsu announced that it would launch Dentsu Aegis Network, which would manage all Aegis Media work and non-Japanese Dentsu operations worldwide.

Corporate affairs

Project categorization

Dentsu Inc. categorises project markets in four different parts: National advertisement market; Advertisement-related market; New market; Foreign market. National advertisement market consists of media projects. Advertisement related projects consist of marketing services. New market consists of sport events advertisement. Foreign market contains above mentioned three categories in the foreign market.

Dentsu Building

The Dentsu Building is a high-rise building in Shiodome, Minato, Tokyo, which houses Dentsu's corporate offices. With 48 floors that rise to 213.34 m, it is the eleventh-tallest building in Tokyo. It was designed by Jean Nouvel, the French architect, and completed in 2002. It was built over the site of Tokyo's first train station, and sits aside the Hamarikyu Gardens, formerly the site of a shōgun's vacation home.

Mount Fuji climbing tradition

Since 1925 Dentsu employees have had a company tradition of climbing Mount Fuji. Every July all new staff and newly promoted executives climb Mt Fuji. Employees who are not physically able to do so are exempt. A former employee gave the reasoning behind this as: "The message is: 'We are going to conquer the one symbol that represents Japan more than anything else. And, once we do that, it will signify that we can do anything.

Overworking controversy

On December 25, 2015, Matsuri Takahashi, a University of Tokyo graduate and 24-year-old female employee of Dentsu, committed suicide. The Japanese government officially recognized her suicide as karoshi. In August 2015, Dentsu was caught exceeding its own 70-hour monthly maximum overtime limit.
Mr. Tadashi Ishii, Representative Director and President & CEO, notified Dentsu on December 28, 2016 that he will resign as Representative Director and President & CEO. His papers were sent to the prosecutors office because of the violation of the Labor Standards Act. Over a half century of ongoing overworking was documented by The New York Times, including training materials supporting a Dentsu president urging working "even if it kills you."
In July 2017, the company, Dentsu, was officially charged by Japanese authorities for the death of Takahashi. No individuals were charged, only the corporation. A 2017 attempt to encourage letting workers "leave the office at 3 p.m. on the last Friday of the month" did not get much participation.
In 2017 a former executive creative director of Dentsu Japan has resigned from his own company following allegations he sexually harassed a woman during his tenure at the advertising giant.

Dentsu Group companies

Affiliates and shareholdings