Sumitomo expands its footprint in digital advertising into Southeast and South Asia region through ada

Sumitomo Corporation (Head Office: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director, President and Chief Executive Officer: Masayuki Hyodo) has invested in Axiata Digital Advertising Sdn. Bhd. also known as ada (analytics. data. advertising) (Head Office: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Chief Executive Officer: Gattamneni Srinivas; hereinafter, “ada”). ada, an Axiata Digital Services Sdn. Bhd. (hereinafter, “Axiata Digital”) company, is the largest integrated digital advertising business across South and South East Asia. Axiata Digital is a wholly-owned subsidiary and digital business arm of Axiata Group Berhad (hereinafter, “Axiata”), one of Asia’s largest telecommunications groups. The capital injection of USD20 million will support ada’s business expansion and growth.

Southeast Asia’s personal mobile telephone ownership and social networking services (SNS) usage time is said to be more than triple Japan’s, and its digital advertising market is expected to expand from USD2.7 billion in 2017 to USD5.3 billion in 2021.

With a balanced portfolio of mobile and fixed telecom operations, communications infrastructure and digital services, Axiata is one of the leading telecommunications groups in Asia with approximately 350 million customers and with a presence in 13 countries. Established in 2014 as the digital business arm of Axiata, Axiata Digital’s portfolio consist of three strong-growth operational units focused in Digital Advertising, Digital Financial Services and Digital Platform Business. Targeting the multi-billion segment of digital advertising, ada unlocks the full potential in digital by combining data science, content/ creative and technology, for brands. 

ada’s unique strength and market advantage is its ability to optimise consumer journey by combining the use of data science, planning, customer profiling and intent targeting across various media channels using its own proprietary data management platform (DMP), Xact. Currently operating in 8 countries with over 200 digital advertising specialists and with its first mover advantage, ada aims to grow the business within the region.

Sumitomo Corporation will also utilize cutting-edge technology such as AI/Big Data analytics to enhance ada’s data management platform, and drive product innovations. Sumitomo will also help ada to drive growth for its business by leveraging prior experience in affiliate marketing and digital advertising, and by developing go-to-market collaborations to serve Japanese advertisers or partner with Japanese agencies.

Sumitomo Corporation and ada will use the enhanced platform to serve Axiata’s other business including FinTech, microfinance, and IoT businesses.

 
■ About Sumitomo Corporation
Sumitomo Corporation (“SC”) is a leading Fortune 500 global trading and business investment company with 108 locations in 65 countries and 22 locations in Japan. The entire SC Group consists of more than 900 companies. SC conducts commodity transactions in all industries utilizing worldwide networks, provides related customers with various financing, serves as an organizer and a coordinator for various projects, and invests in companies to promote greater growth potential. SC’s core business areas include Metal Products, Transportation and Construction Systems, Infrastructure, Media and ICT, Living Related and Real Estate, Mineral Resources, Energy, and Chemical and Electronics.

■ Sumitomo Corporation’s Material Issues
The Sumitomo Corporation Group will seek our further growth by positioning its “Six Material Issues to Achieve Sustainable Growth with Society” as important elements in the formulation of business strategies and the decision-making processes of its individual businesses. The business discussed above will contribute in particular to “Contributing to the Development of Local Communities and Industries” and “Establishing a Foundation for Comfortable and Enriching Lifestyles.”

■About ada (analytics. data. advertising)

ada (analytics, data, advertising) is an integrated digital marketing business. We unlock the potential in digital by combining data science, creative and technology, for brands and businesses across Asia. Comprised of a team of 200+ in 8 markets across the region, ada is powered by proprietary technologies with deep consumer analytics from the data management platform, XAct.

■About Axiata
Axiata is one of the leading telecommunications groups in Asia with approximately 350 million customers and with a presence in 13 countries. In pursuit of its vision to be the New Generation Digital Champion by 2021, the Group has transformed itself from a holding entity with a portfolio of pure-play mobile assets into a Triple Core Strategy driven business with the focus on Digital Telco, Digital Businesses and Infrastructure.

Within ASEAN and South Asia, Axiata has controlling stakes in market-leading mobile and fixed operators in the cusp of becoming Digital Telcos through digitisation and convergence. ‘edotco’, the Group’s infrastructure company, presently the 12th largest independent tower company globally, operates in six countries to deliver telecommunications infrastructure services amassing approximately 27,500 towers. Axiata Digital and Axiata Business Services are the digital businesses arms of the Group. Together, these businesses are focused on capturing the rapid growth in digital financial services (‘Boost’), digital advertising (‘ada’), enterprise solutions/IoT (‘Xpand’) and platform services (‘APIgate’) with user access to global markets.