Tokyo, August 31, 2021 – D.A.Consortium Inc. (DAC) and Grid Data Bank Lab. LLP (Grid Data Bank Lab), a company that strives to utilize electricity consumption data to resolve societal issues and promote industrial development, are pleased to announce that they will begin linking DAC’s DMP AudienceOne^®(*1) with smart meter(*2) statistical data from Grid Data Bank Lab. Through AudienceOne^® Data Exchange Service(*3), highly current and precise smart meter statistical data that is processed by area will be used to deliver effective area targeted ads, enabling for the first time marketing activities based on a particular area’s characteristics. This initiative is part of the DAC’s response to the Amended Act on the Protection of Personal Information, which will be put into effect in April 2022(*4).

To deliver area-targeted ads, companies must first determine the number of households and household composition for each area, usually using the Population Census or other disclosed information. However, national census information may not be current or precise because censuses are conducted only once every five years and the response rate is declining steadily. Smart meter statistical data from Grid Data Bank Lab, under the Strategic Energy Plan　in Japan, provides up-to-date, precise information based on actual energy consumption tallied every 30 minutes using smart meters, which are steadily being installed in households and businesses.

DAC’s AudienceOne^® is one of Japan’s largest data management platforms (DMP) with over 100 million device IDs and a huge volume of data, which is analyzed to generate and provide high-precision third-party data for a more advanced marketing environment. DAC is involved in many initiatives for ad deliveries that match user attributes, hobbies and interests while taking into consideration the privacy of sei-katsu-sha (a term used to denote people with lives, aspirations and dreams, not simply “consumers”). Linking AudienceOne^® with area-based smart meter statistical data, which is statistically processed to remove any personally identifiable information, is one of DAC’s responses to the Amended Act on the Protection of Personal Information, to be put into effect in April 2022.

In preparation for this data linkage, DAC conducted verification tests in March 2020(*5) and established the effectiveness of smart meter statistical data for area-targeted ad deliveries.

Because smart meter statistical data offers hints about user lifestyles, it can help support the creation of segments that reflect the living conditions of a specific area, something that was not possible in the past. Using the characteristics of the area, such as areas with many single or family households or areas with many single-unit or multiple-unit dwellings, DAC will first offer area-targeted ad delivery for selected clusters in Tokyo’s 23 wards(*6) to support more finely tuned, effective marketing initiatives.

For example, for notifications of a new store opening, sale, housing exhibit or condominium sale, DAC will be able to refer to the latest information from smart meters to select areas with many family households and more effectively expand reach.

DAC and Grid Data Bank Lab will continue to actively develop and enhance data-based solutions and initiatives to realize smooth communication between companies and sei-katsu-sha.

(*1) AudienceOne^® links, integrates and analyzes both offline and online purchase history and location data with CRM, ad delivery results, panel research results and a variety of other forms of data to aid in visualization. Using patented technology, it also features a cross-device, cross-channel estimate function. Utilizing a wealth of linked channels, AudienceOne^® offers a full-funnel, high-precision marketing environment to provide a wide range of measurements, from new customer acquisition to improvements in LTV among existing customers. AudienceOne^® data include demographic data such as gender, age and income, approximately 1,400 types of psychographic data (hobbies, interests, etc), as well as specialized data provided by AudienceOne^® partner companies (Data Exchange). https://solutions.dac.co.jp/audienceone　(Japanese)
(*2) Electricity meters with telecommunication functions that gather electricity consumption data every 30 minutes. Installation of smart meters is being promoted by 10 Power Transmission and Distribution Companies under the Strategic Energy Plan　in Japan. With plans to install them in all households and business operations by the end of fiscal 2024, smart meters hold the promise of providing valuable big data in the future.
(*3) Data owned by data providing companies is processed as segments without any personally identifiable information and linked to data delivery platforms.
News release of September 11, 2018：DAC begins offering Data Exchange on AudienceOne’s management screen, enabling data sales between companies
https://www.dac.co.jp/english/press/2018/20180911_exchange
(*4) News release of April 19, 2021：DAC partners with Sourcepoint to improve transparency of sei-katsu-sha data used by advertisers and media companies
https://www.dac.co.jp/english/press/2019/20190419_1_sourcepoint
News release of May 18, 2021：DAC and a company conduct a privacy-protected data analysis verification tests using secure computing
https://www.dac.co.jp/english/press/2021/20210518_dac_acompany
(*5) News release of September 7, 2020: DAC and Grid Data Bank Lab conduct verification tests using electricity consumption data
https://www.dac.co.jp/press/2020/20200907_gdbl (Japanese)
(*6) Because the use of smart meter statistical data is still in the verification stages, the type of data being used is limited. Plans to expand its usage to areas beyond Tokyo’s 23 wards are underway.

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＜Corporate Information＞
■ D.A.Consortium Inc. 　　　　　　　 https://www.dac.co.jp/english/
Since its establishment in 1996 during the early days of online advertising, DAC is leading the industry in market formation and growth as it steadily expands its operations with the digital transformation of information and lifestyles.
Currently, DAC operates advertising and marketing businesses centered on digital technology both in Japan and overseas. The company provides comprehensive support, from consulting and planning to ad space purchasing, selling, management and results analysis. With a firm understanding of the characteristics of different media, DAC also produces creative, develops and provides solutions that bridge its wealth of data with advanced technologies, and supports global promotional initiatives.
With the mission, “Empowering the digital future,” DAC will continue to be at the forefront in creating new forms of advertising and marketing and providing new value to society.

Representative	：Masaya Shimada, President & CEO
Head Office	：Yebisu Garden Place Tower, 4-20-3, Ebisu, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Established	：December 1996
Business	：Online media transaction related business, Solution business, 　Ad Operations Business

■ Grid Data Bank Lab. LLP　　　　　https://www.gdb-lab.jp/
Grid Data Bank Lab. LLP (established in November 2018) is an organization that conducts use case testing and makes policy proposals based on electricity consumption data gathered from smart meters installed by Power Transmission and Distribution Companies nationwide in order to- resolve social issues and contribute to industrial development.
The organization is co-managed by TEPCO Power Grid, Inc., Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc., Kansai Transmission and Distribution, Inc., and NTT Data Corporation as association members and over 160 members (companies, organizations) participate in the LLP.
Electricity consumption data is gathered every 30 minutes from smart meters and combined with data provided by other companies to study and share a wide variety of case studies.

Representative	：Haruki Mino, Executive Officer
Head Office	：Shin Hanzomon Bldg.1F, 13-1, Ichiban-cyo, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Established	：November 2018

For inquiries regarding this News Release
D.A.Consortium Inc.
Corporate Strategy Group Public Relations / E-mail：ir_inf@dac.co.jp
Grid Data Bank Lab. LLP
E-mail：support@gdb-lab.jp