How ANA X and CyberAgent Tripled Sales with ANA Moment Ads

─ Of all the companies out there, why did ANA X choose CyberAgent?

Sumiyoshi (ANA X): During the pandemic, we identified digital advertising as a potential new business, but we were starting from absolute zero. We had no internal expertise within the ANA Group. Naturally, we spoke with several other companies.

Among them, only CyberAgent said, "Let's build this business from scratch; let's take on this challenge together." This willingness to engage in the actual creation process from the ground up was incredibly attractive to us.

─ Have there been any particularly memorable events or turning points ?

Sumiyoshi (ANA X): From my perspective, our joint press conference in November 2023 to launch the ANA Moment Ads was a major milestone and our real starting point. After spending a year and a half preparing the product and conducting numerous customer interviews, it was the day we finally introduced it to the world. It was a powerful moment to stand there and explain that this wasn't just another ad pliming for is a Triple-Win: making the ANA Mileage Club members, the advertisers, and our team all happy. Being able to share the philosophy which is the very core of the product, was unforgettable. This remains the foundation we return to even today.。

Miura: I've been involved in many product press releases, but the response this time was completely different. Usually, most reactions came from the advertising industry, but this time, the travel and aviation industries were excited about it.

I believe we gained attention because we didn't just talk about DX as a slogan; we actually built a business that utilizes data. Our collaborations to support other companies in creating advertising businesses began primarily in the retail sector, but have now expanded to ANA X and various other industries, including telecommunications, finance, and healthcare. I think this was the result of "established companies launching ad businesses" being recognized as a major topic.

Another thing that hit me on the sales side is how "real" this business feels, despite being digital. It's not just numbers on a screen; you can feel the physical impact. Behind those ads are actual people traveling. That mix of digital and the real world is what makes this so interesting.

─ What are the specific results of this collaboration?

Sumiyoshi (ANA X): We're almost two years into ANA Moment Ads, and sales have already tripled compared to last year. The performance is still on the rise, but we're looking beyond ad revenue. We seek to create synergy with ANA X's travel business.
In fact, our partners, such as accommodation providers, have begun using ANA Moment Ads and are seeing results where users who see an ad actually visit the facility.

This signifies the emergence of our Triple-Win model, where not only our ad business but also advertisers and users find new travel inspirations. The fact that people find our service valuable is a significant achievement that goes beyond mere numbers.

─ Regarding the handling of personal information, which is a major concern for many companies and customers, what precautions are being taken in this collaboration?

Sumiyoshi (ANA X): Part of the reason our launch was delayed was that we were so careful with the legal coordination. We had lawyers check everything and revised our terms multiple times. We have implemented a system that technically avoids handling personal information and designed the service to be fully compliant with the law.

Miura: Regarding ad delivery to inbound visitors, which requires compliance with the legal systems of various countries, we deliberately decided not to proceed until we were fully prepared. This was a result of prioritizing safety.

─ What differentiates CyberAgent from others when it comes to technology?

Mori (ANA X): It was one surprise after another. First, they run a very large-scale system at an incredibly low cost by leveraging their adtech expertise. That was simply impressive.

And above all, the development speed. I came from a startup and was confident in my speed, but this was on a different level. What's especially different is the frequency of releases. I used to think two or three releases a month were considered fast, but here there are 30 a month. It's truly unparalleled. Since many issues only become apparent in a live environment, I find this style of frequent, incremental releases highly logical and superior.

─ How did you get two very different companies to work as one?

Miura: The first thing we did was set up a physical project room in our office. We started this in April 2022, and I knew a couple of Zoom calls a week wouldn't cut it. I insisted that all team members physically be in the same room. That turned out to be the bedrock of the team, just having everyone in the same room talking and working together naturally.

We were very intentional about mixing our cultures. We did our regular goal-setting sessions in person with the ANA X members. Since I joined CA by mid-career hire and had learn the culture myself, I knew how important this was. We're about to do our fourth session now. This session includes a poster production to disseminate your goals to other people in the company. We even put up posters in the ANA X office so their other departments know what we're up to and where we’re headed.

Furthermore, we created merchandise like hoodies and stickers with the product logo and organized social activities like visiting a shrine for the New Year. I feel these rather casual, but intentional efforts played a crucial role in forming a one team where members from different companies are united.

─ I heard this partnership is also helping ANA X hire and train tech talent.

Sumiyoshi (ANA X): That's correct. Honestly, we had nothing. No systems, which means no engineers. When Mori (Yuki)-san joined as our first engineer, I even asked him to "build a 'Mori Empire' from scratch."

We’re business folks, so we don't know how to evaluate an engineer's skills. CyberAgent's engineers helped us out with everything from evaluation criteria to what questions to ask in interviews. We built our own hiring standards based on their advice.
I vividly remember their advice: "Skills can be learned later. What matters most is the motivation to absorb and learn new things." Being able to share a commitment to prioritizing culture fit as much as technical ability allowed us to welcome great new colleagues, which is a major achievement.

Mori (Yuki): I am personally learning recruitment expertise every day. Thanks to this support, a new colleague is scheduled to join in November. I'm very excited about the tangible experience of building rules and frameworks from the ground up.

─ What’s the ultimate goal for this partnership?

Sumiyoshi (ANA X): Our first priority is to train our people so we can eventually manage this in-house. And of course, we’re going to keep pushing that sales growth even further.

However, our vision goes beyond that. We want to spread this Triple-Win spirit to every part of ANA X. And in the long run, we want to go beyond ads and actually transform the travel industry as a whole.
Currently, Online Travel Agents (OTAs) have a significant presence in the industry. But we truly believe our product can bring something fresh to the table and drive positive change for everyone in the travel industry.

Miura: We want to become the local platform* of choice for companies and local governments in the travel industry. We’ve already got new features in the works.I believe this partnership is a huge asset for CyberAgent as well. Working so closely with an amazing company like ANA X gave us insights we could never have gained on our own. We want to take what we learned here and apply it to other industries, becoming an even better partner for more companies.

Mori (Keisuke): In the States, companies like Walmart and United Airlines are already making big moves in the ad business using their own data. We’re starting to see that trend in Japan, too. We aim for this project to be a leading success story of an enterprise with a massive customer base, establishing a digital advertising business.

Mori (Yuki): As an engineer, I hope this becomes a model for how traditional Japanese companies can move toward in-house development. When a company with powerful assets and a company with cutting-edge tech join forces, the value you create is incredible. If proving this model works can help overcome the stagnation of the Japanese economy, I’ll be more than happy.