Digital Garage and Tencent to Co-develop “QQ Odekake Japan”, Mobile QQ’s Contents for Japan-bound Chinese Tourists

Digital Garage, Inc. (TSE first section: 4819; HQ: Tokyo; Representative Director, President Executive Officer and Group CEO: Kaoru Hayashi, DG), along with the Chinese Internet company Tencent Holdings Ltd. (HQ: China; CEO: Ma Huateng, Tencent), will use Tencent’s multi-function chat application “Mobile QQ” to co-develop contents for Chinese users visiting Japan. The contents will be released as “QQ Odekake Japan” in October 2017. As part of this effort, DG will provide an advertising service within the contents.

Aimed at the approximately 662,000,000 active monthly users of the “Mobile QQ” chat application, the “QQ Odekake Japan” contents co-developed by DG and Tencent will provide Chinese users visiting Japan with useful tourist information. The “QQ Odekake” account operated by Tencent will recruit users through messaging tools, while DG will operate contents and provide advertising services geared toward companies inside Japan. DG has worked in tandem with EDOCODE Inc. (HQ: Tokyo; Representative Director: Takamasa Tamura) in its development of the “QQ Odekake Japan” system.

“QQ Odekake Japan” will contain information on dining, shopping, and sightseeing in Japan, organized by cities and prefectures. Visiting Chinese users will have access to map functions that enable them to search for routes to their desired location, as well as further information about the surrounding area. In addition, domestic Japanese retailers and manufacturers looking to expand their business to inbound consumers will be given the opportunity to target visiting Chinese users with direct advertising. Coupled with information on a wide range of services, products, and stores, as well as coupon offers, the contents promise to provide effective promotion to Chinese tourists.

“QQ Odekake” will use the smartphone’s GPS positioning and IP address to prompt visitors for use upon their arrival to Japan, providing them high level targeting with a broad reach. Based on earlier trial campaigns, it is expected that more than 20 percent of Chinese users visiting Japan will use “QQ Odekake Japan”, making it one of the largest media in existence to target this specific market. DG will continue to support inbound marketing activities for Japanese companies by expanding brand recognition and encouraging access to stores and restaurants from visiting Chinese consumers.

*This press release does not include links to any content pages because “QQ Odekake Japan” will be released only on the “QQ mobile” application for Chinese users.

[Contact details]
Digital Garage, Inc., Marketing Technology Segment
Attn: Tanaka and Tsuboi, Public Relations
TEL: 03-6371-1849 / 03-6367-1296
E-mail: dgmt-pr@garage.co.jp