WPP Group, the world's second-largest advertising group, on Thursday launched a new media planning company in Tokyo to offer consulting services on strategic investments in advertisement.
MindShare Japan K.K. was established with a staff of 40 through the merger of media planning divisions of J. Walter Thompson Japan Ltd. and Ogilvy & Mather Japan K.K. Both WPP Group companies, the two each provided a 50 percent equity stake in MindShare, the company announced.
Claiming to be Japan's first independent media planning firm, MindShare will help its clients find the most efficient ways to advertise by determining the right targets and right media, explained Janet Fitzpatrick, chief executive officer of MindShare Japan.
"The choice of media directly impacts the success of a brand," she said, adding that specializing in media planning and research will be a new big business in Japan as media is rapidly diversifying and clients are increasingly looking for a "good return on investment."
On media buying, MindShare will work in partnership with Asatsu-DK Inc., also in the WPP Group and the third-biggest media buyer in Japan.
Among MindShare Japan's clients are such big global firms as IBM, Kodak, Merrill Lynch and Kellogg's. Fitzpatrick said the company hopes to develop Japanese firms as clients in the future.
MindShare was first launched in the Asia-Pacific region in November 1997 and now has offices across Asia, Europe and Latin America. MindShare Japan's revenue in the initial year is projected at around 50 billion yen.