Rakuten Data Marketing will begin operating in October this year and Rakuten’s group executive vice-president and chief revenue officer, Makoto Arima, will be the new company’s president and director.

Arima (pictured) has just joined Rakuten to take up the newly created position of group EVP and CRO and to head expansion of the data marketing business. He has also held leadership roles at Google, Yahoo, Recruit and, most recently, at Adroll, where he was vice-president in Japan.

Rakuten Data Marketing will combine Rakuten broad membership base and big data, with the Dentsu Group’s data and insights in mass media and consumers, to give digital marketing solutions that will increase marketing effectiveness. 

The new company will also offer brand partnership opportunities on its online shopping platform Rakuten Ichiba, and use its data to develop more personalised advertising products based on customer analysis.