Digital Garage and Kodansha have jointly developed a digital media platform by combining content for women’s magazines with AI technology

Digital Garage, Inc. (TSE first section: 4819, HQ: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director, President Executive Officer and Group CEO: Kaoru Hayashi; DG) and Kodansha Ltd. (HQ: Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Yoshinobu Noma; Kodansha) have started development of a new content aggregation platform (*) that seamlessly combines quality content from women’s magazines with social media. The launch is planned for the first half of 2017. With the aim of advancing the industry, on August 8, 2016, the two companies set up a joint venture called DK Media and have been in the preparation stage since last year. ^{(*) A content aggregation platform compiles content from a variety of magazine sources to offer digitally optimized content in a single location.}

Because this new platform is optimized for the individual, there is no need to specify an age group for the target user, and it will offer content tailored to each user’s interests and purposes when it comes to the latest trends in fashion, beauty, lifestyle, home design, and entertainment. This venture will add value to content published by various magazines, by putting to use the remarkable advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) technology such as deep machine learning.

The development of this new platform leverages the content to which Kodansha holds publication rights, in addition to the articles they have worked on up to now, plus the company’s rich knowledge in the area of publishing. Kodansha will also take charge of promoting participation in this platform to other publishing companies.
DG Group offers experience and knowledge gained through its Consumer Generated Media (CGM) sites such as Kakaku.com and Tabelog, and expertise on using social media to distribute information, which they have cultivated through Twitter’s expansion in Japan, as well as building websites that attract customers.

DG and Kodansha agreed to form a business alliance in February 2015, and have been collaborating through the joint venture to market Japanese content globally and nurture new content businesses through investment in promising startups. This project to develop a new platform is a direct result of this collaboration. Going forward, both companies are working toward making use of high-quality content created in Japan in order to advance the media industry within Japan.

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