SoftBank Corp.

From the right:

• Makoto Tajima, Deputy General Manager, Corporate Marketing Headquarters, Marketing Communication Division, Marketing Operations Department
• Rei Akao, Team 1, Marketing Operations Department
• Sana Hirakawa, Team 1, Marketing Operations Department
  (*Titles and affiliations are as of the interview date.)

SoftBank Corporation, a leading technology company in Japan, has been driving a wide range of businesses and services in the information and technology sector, with its core telecommunications business at the center. Committed to addressing social and individual challenges, the company began focusing on Marketing Operations (MOps) in 2021 and has since advanced data management and operational model sophistication to enhance AI utilization.

Together with 01GROWTH Inc., SoftBank has worked on building a campaign management process. This article explores the background, key initiatives, and the impact of this collaboration.

SoftBank’s Recent Initiatives and Key Focus Areas

Current Roles and Responsibilities

Mr. Tajima: SoftBank operates both consumer and enterprise businesses. Our team is responsible for marketing within the enterprise segment, which includes approximately 6,000 employees. Given our limited resources, leveraging digital and marketing capabilities is essential for delivering value to the market and our customers. In 2017, we established the Corporate Marketing Division, initiating our Marketing Operations (MOps) efforts in response to accelerating digitalization. The Marketing Operations department itself was officially formed in 2022, and I currently serve as its director.

Ms. Akao: My primary role involves managing and optimizing the use of Adobe Marketo Engage and Salesforce Sales Cloud. I focus on enhancing and streamlining processes, particularly in marketing operations and campaign process management.

Ms. Hirakawa: Previously, I worked on data visualization using the BI tool, DOMO. In April 2023, I transitioned to the Marketing Operations team, where I now oversee the visualization and analysis of marketing activities. For this project, I was responsible for structuring Adobe Marketo Engage and leveraging DOMO to generate insights for marketing campaign management.

Project Background

Mr. Tajima: SoftBank began implementing elements of Marketing Operations (MOps) around 2021, and by 2022, we officially established a dedicated MOps department. Initially, we conducted single-touch attribution analysis to track customer behavior across online and offline interactions leading up to MQLs. However, as we strive to provide more valuable customer experiences and generate better sales opportunities, we are evolving toward a more advanced multi-touch attribution analysis.

The decision to build a campaign management process was driven by three key factors:

1. Data Accumulation – Establishing a system to track and store cost-effectiveness data for each campaign.
2. Strategic Planning & Alignment – Taking a comprehensive view of marketing initiatives to plan more value-driven campaigns for customers.
3. Insight-Driven Optimization – Analyzing data to refine and enhance future marketing strategies.

While various departments executed a wide range of marketing initiatives, there was no standardized data management process in place. By consolidating and leveraging insights, we aim to enhance the effectiveness of our campaigns and maximize customer value. Looking ahead, our goal is to incorporate AI into the decision-making process, allowing it to assess the effectiveness of campaign strategies and recommend optimal actions based on target audience data. This initiative lays the groundwork for AI-driven marketing decision-making, ensuring a more efficient and cost-effective approach to campaign planning.

Reason to choose 01GROWTH

Mr. Tajima: I was already familiar with Mr. Marui through his participation in SoftBank World 2023, and I found his insights highly structured and actionable. When discussing our challenges, he provided clear and logical guidance on what needed to be done, which gave me a strong sense of trust.

Many marketing consulting firms tend to focus on technical tactics, but 01GROWTH took a fundamental approach to transforming our operational structure. This perspective resonated with me, as I realized that isolated optimizations wouldn't be enough—we needed systemic change to better leverage technology and data effectively.

Ms. Hirakawa: When I read "マーケティングオペレーション（Mops）の教科書" written by Mr. Marui and Ms. Hirosaki, I realized how much we still had to improve. At the same time, I struggled with where to start. When we began discussing campaign management, I revisited the book and found it provided clear, step-by-step guidance—it truly serves as a "textbook" for execution.

Ms. Akao: For me, "マーケティングオペレーション（Mops）の教科書" was essential reading when I transitioned to this department. As Ms Hirakawa mentioned, it became a go-to reference—whenever we faced challenges, we would revisit it to reassess our current position and align our team on the right direction.

Key Insights and Outcomes from Building the Campaign Management Process

Ms. Hirakawa: Previously, there was no standardized way to track and manage initiatives across the entire department. However, by implementing campaign management, we have significantly improved data visibility.

While we are still in the early stages of visualizing cost-effectiveness, the new framework has already allowed us to understand our actions within a broader context. This ability to see how each initiative fits into the bigger picture is a major step forward.

Ms. Hirakawa: At SoftBank, different groups manage different types of initiatives, each varying in objectives, scale, and execution volume. Previously, these activities were siloed within individual groups. However, with greater data visibility, we can now monitor cross-group activities and outcomes, leading to valuable insights. This has fostered an environment where data-driven discussions can take place, ultimately contributing to campaign optimization.

Ms. Akao: With support from 01GROWTH Inc. in February 2024, the campaign management process officially launched in July. Considering SoftBank’s scale, this is a relatively fast implementation, but it was not without challenges.

Each group had its own established processes, and introducing a standardized application and approval framework naturally led to some initial resistance and confusion. However, by addressing concerns step by step, making adjustments, and ensuring a smooth integration process, we gained valuable insights on change management.

Ms. Akao: When striving for overall optimization, it is inevitable that some individual teams’ preferences cannot be fully accommodated. However, excessive individual optimization can negatively impact the organization as a whole. Striking this balance was challenging, particularly in terms of internal communication. That said, through this process, we deepened mutual understanding, improved communication efficiency, and made collaboration easier.

Additionally, the 01GROWTH Inc. workshop provided valuable insights that allowed me to confidently explain the significance of this initiative, which was highly reassuring.

Ms. Hirakawa: This project also helped strengthen internal communication and provided a clearer view of other groups' workflows. By fostering constructive discussions, we were able to review and refine the data flow and output formats in Adobe Marketo Engage and DOMO, ensuring a more structured approach.

Ms. Akao: "マーケティングオペレーション（Mops）の教科書"  emphasizes the importance of communication skills in this field, and through this project, I experienced this firsthand. Navigating internal alignment challenges reinforced this understanding. More importantly, I now see this initiative as a critical foundation for future AI-driven marketing operations, ensuring effective data accumulation for advanced AI utilization.

Evolving the Campaign Request Process and Future Roadmap

Ms. Hirakawa: The next challenge lies in effectively utilizing the accumulated data. While we have successfully structured the campaign request process—an essential step for enhancing productivity—we are still in the early stages of achieving the ideal outlined in The Marketing Operations (MOps) Handbook. Moving forward, we aim to leverage data to drive behavioral change in marketing initiatives.

Ms. Akao: So far, we have evaluated campaigns using last-touch attribution, but by adopting multi-touch evaluation, we will gain a more holistic view of campaign contributions. By analyzing the accumulated data, identifying successful campaign timing and characteristics, and applying these insights to future strategies, we can refine our marketing effectiveness.

Mr. Tajima: With further automation of work breakdown structures (WBS) and resource allocation, we will be able to optimize human resource distribution based on ROI insights. Because we now have clear visibility into effective processes, we see great potential for AI-driven enhancements, enabling more data-driven marketing advancements in the future.

Future Outlook for SoftBank’s MOps Team

Mr. Tajima: It may be ambitious, but we aspire to be the most sophisticated B2B marketing organization in Japan. Currently, we are focused on structuring our organization, optimizing personnel allocation, and enhancing data management. However, as a company deeply involved in AI, we believe we must also lead in AI-driven marketing. Our immediate plan is to leverage both deep learning and generative AI, starting with segmentation and content optimization. In the long term, we aim to shift toward workflow automation through AI agents, driving further efficiency and innovation.