Strengthening of CX Consulting Structure to Enhance Customer Experience Value in the Generative AI Era

ITOCHU Corporation (Headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; Keita Ishii, President & COO; hereinafter “ITOCHU”) and ITOCHU Techno-Solutions Corporation (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; Tatsushi Shingu, President & CEO; hereinafter “CTC”) announced today that it has reached an agreement with AKQA (Headquartered in London, UK; Baiju Shah, Global CEO; hereinafter “AKQA”), a leading digital agency in the customer experience (CX) domain and a subsidiary of the UK-based advertising giant WPP, to integrate the operations of AKQA in Japan. By January 2026, AKQA UKA, Inc. (Headquartered in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Anthony Charles Vella, Teppei Tsuchikawa, Co-Representative Directors; hereinafter “AKQA uka”), in which ITOCHU and CTC have invested, and AKQA GK (Headquartered in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo;　John David Rees, Representative Member; hereinafter “AKQA Tokyo”), AKQA’s Japanese subsidiary, will integrate their businesses to establish a new structure that supports companies’ growth strategies and enhances CX value.

In recent years, major Japanese companies have accelerated their efforts to improve their CX by establishing specialist organizations, integrating marketing and digital-related departments, and developing management systems led by executive officers. As generative AI advances and both internal and external communications transform significantly, it is becoming increasingly important to utilize digital technologies and increase the sophistication of business processes at customer and employee touchpoints. There is growing demand for the transformation of the CX leveraging advanced technologies, including generative AI.

AKQA is a top-rated global digital agency that operates 30 studios in 19 countries, supporting the transformation of the CX for leading companies in various industries through innovation in the fields of design and digital technologies. In recent years, AKQA has proactively incorporated advanced technologies such as generative AI, enhanced its own services and strengthened its support for the implementation of technology to transform clients’ CX. AKQA Tokyo leads brand strategy and communications for global brands such as Nike. Since establishing AKQA uka together with AKQA in 2022,^*1 ITOCHU and CTC, working together with the Digital Business Group, with CTC as its core company,^*2 have promoted projects with ITOCHU Group companies as well as leading Japanese companies in the transportation, manufacturing, and ICT industries. Additionally, in collaboration with AKQA Tokyo, the companies have supported to enhance the CX of global brands originating from Japan, and the initial goal of executing 100 projects has already been achieved.

To flexibly and rapidly respond to the diverse needs of clients in Japan and overseas, AKQA uka and AKQA Tokyo will integrate their talent, expertise, and networks to build a unified structure in Japan. This integration will enable the seamless provision of explanations to ensure customer understanding, creative services, service design, and system implementation utilizing digital technologies and data, including generative AI, and provide medium- to long-term support for the transformation of CX.

Looking ahead, AKQA will continue uka’s founding mission in Japan, “Sharing with the world the excellence of experiences rooted in Japan’s proud sense of beauty,” combining its approach rooted in Japan with world-class digital technologies and creativity to support corporate growth strategies.