Announcement of Blabo becoming a group company of CCC

2018.08.07 Press Releases
Culture Convenience Club Co., Ltd. / Blabo Co., Ltd.

- CCC and Blabo launch co-creation marketing service leveraging a consumer database of 67 million people -

Culture Convenience Club Co., Ltd. (Head office: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Muneaki Masuda; hereinafter referred to as "CCC") has acquired 100% of the shares issued by Blabo Inc. (Head office: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Naoki Sakata; hereinafter referred to as "Blabo"), the operator of Japan's largest co-creation community, "Blabo!", making it a group company. We are pleased to announce the launch of a new co-creation marketing service that combines CCC's lifestyle database of 67 million consumers with Blabo's strength in providing insight-discovery product development support methods that utilize consumer communities.

Since 2011, Blabo Inc. has been running Blabo!, a co-creation community that helps companies develop products by utilizing consumer ideas and turning them into reality. 25,000 consumers who are registered with "Blabo!" participate in companies' product development as planners and provide ideas. To date, over 200 companies, from major corporations such as Coca-Cola Japan, Kirin Brewery, House Foods, and Morinaga Milk Industry to government agencies such as the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Kanagawa Prefecture, and Tottori Prefecture, have used the system, and over 150 products and services have been realized based on consumer ideas.

As consumer lifestyles continue to diversify, society is changing to one where manufacturers and retailers are looking for products and services that offer value from the customer's perspective. In this environment, Blabo will combine its "consumer insight discovery system utilizing a co-creation community" with database marketing utilizing CCC's "lifestyle database of 67 million people" to provide services that enable customer-centric product development.

Blabo received the "Excellence Award" in the fourth round of the "T-VENTURE PROGRAM," a collaborative program for venture companies hosted by the CCC Group. To make this initiative more effective, CCC has decided to welcome Blabo into the CCC Group. CCC and Blabo will continue to work together with all stakeholders to create various social values across Japan and propose new lifestyles to the world.

Blabo's CEO, Naoki Sakata, will continue to lead the company's management as Representative Director and CEO, contributing to its growth.

Japan's largest co-creation community, with over 25,000 consumers participating and working as planners in corporate product development. More than 200 companies, from major corporations to government agencies, are using the service, and more than 150 products and services have been realized based on consumer ideas.

■Blabo Inc. Company Profile
Company name: Blabo Inc.
Head office address: Hiroo Nishikawa Building 5F, 5-22-3 Hiroo, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Representative: CEO Naoki Sakata
Representative profile: After graduating from university, he worked in the marketing department of Unilever Japan, where he was involved in brand strategy planning and new product development. Blabo Inc. was founded in 2011. It has received numerous awards, including the 2015 Good Design Award. He has also appeared frequently in the media, including on "Close-up Gendai" (NHK) and "News Japan" (Fuji TV). His books include "Problem Solving Drills: The World's Simplest Thinking Training" (Diamond Inc.).
Business: Operation of Blabo!, Japan's largest co-creation marketing platform, co-creation product development, concept making, and other marketing support

Materials related to this matter

Announcement of Blabo becoming a group company of CCC

Inquiries regarding this matter
Culture Convenience Club Co., Ltd.
Public Relations Officer: Ando
TEL: 03-6800-4464