The less bumpy way to ride e-commerce = Rakuten (Seite 188)

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Rakuten is the biggest owner of Cabify with between 40% and 50%

Madrid-based ride-sharing company Cabify bags €40M EIB loan; aims to deploy 1400 EVs in Spain

December 20, 2022

Cabify has more than 42 million registered users and 1.2 million collaborating drivers and taxi drivers. The company spread, within a few months, to Latin America and is currently operational in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Spain, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay.

https://siliconcanals.com/crowdfunding/cabify-bags-40m/

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Outthinking to Outperform: Rakuten Advertising Takes Home 7 Wins at the GPMA’s

By Rakuten Advertising | October 18, 2022

Twenty-five years ago, Rakuten Advertising were the pioneers leading the way in a new landscape of digital advertising. We broke new ground with affiliate. We outperformed in programmatic and influencer marketing. And we did it globally.

Today, we’re proud to share that our team’s dedication and strategic expertise were recognised at the Global Performance Marketing Awards (GPMAs). Our entries wooed the judges, resulting in Rakuten Advertising taking home a staggering seven awards – the most awards won all evening.

Here is what the judges had to say:



Winner: Best Innovation – Powerful testing and insights empower 140% KPI growth for Tory Birch & Rakuten Advertising
“This is one of the most innovative entries I’ve seen. The robust and iterative testing across channels really impressed me, as well as the level of detail, planning, and innovative thinking.”

Winner: Best Partnership – Rakuten Advertising, Lowkey Discord: A tale of a tech giant & Discord
“A very cool and innovative publisher that was smart to partner with Microsoft to take its service to the next level. I love the creativity and originality displayed in this entry.”

Winner: Best Influencer Marketing Campaign: Saks, ShopStyle Collective, and Rakuten unlock influencers to build awareness and 2x sales
“Clear, astounding, and holistic objectives around influencer marketing with a full-funnel approach through Saks, Shopstyle and Rakuten with amazing results. Great use of high-reach and micro-influencers to target different audiences and expand the chances of reaching good results.”

Winner: Best Social Commerce Campaign – Rakuten Advertising, Student Beans & Weekday: Authentically engaging students with TikTok
“A great campaign that aligned with its true audience in an authentic manner. Great insights to understand the Gen Z market in terms of what they do and don’t like based on advertorials and influencers. Overall, an outstanding collaboration between network, brand, and publisher.

Winner: Best Loyalty Partnership – Rakuten Advertising, PerformID, AMEX: Loyalty meets loyal K-pop fans
“The discount psychology has shown a great understanding of the strategic use of affiliate partnerships and in-depth knowledge of the target audience and demographics. An outstanding and brilliant collaboration between five different parties, forming a strong super partnership: brands, banks, and boy bands!”

Winner: Best Affiliate & Partnership Strategy (APAC) – Rakuten Advertising, PerformID, AMEX: Superstars & Super Partnerships
“An incredible multifaceted partnership that led to success for all involved. The key standouts are the carefully orchestrated campaign timings, as well as the full buy-in from all parties. I especially love the creative and out-of-the-box thinking!”

Winner: Most Effective use of Programmatic Ad Buying – Rakuten Advertising & CampChef tapping the inner caveperson to drive sales and loyalty
“It’s refreshing to see this level of creativity in a programmatic campaign, and the fact that the highest ever average ROAS for new customer campaigns was achieved is something to be proud of.”

We’d like to extend a huge congratulations to our clients and publisher partners who supported us with these awards and all those who were winners on the night. Performance marketing, including the affiliate channel, has grown to become one of the most influential marketing strategies due to its flexibility, innovation and low-cost strategies. We’re proud to partner with the world’s leading brands and publishers and work with you to drive our industry forward.

https://blog.rakutenadvertising.com/en-uk/news/rakuten-adver…

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Rakuten Europe celebrates the Group’s 25th anniversary with an eventful year

Luxembourg, December 21, 2022 – 2022 marks Rakuten’s 25th anniversary – and the entire group has been celebrating a quarter of a century of innovation and tremendous growth across e-commerce, fintech, mobile, digital content, sports and many other industries.

Continuing its path of connecting the many dots in the region, Rakuten Europe joined the celebration with many milestones – ranging from major partnerships and the expansion of its mobile technology footprint to the launch of cashback services in Germany, Spain and the U.K.

In line with its mission to empower people, businesses and society as a whole, Rakuten also shared insightful details on the next generation’s consumer behavior, took significant steps to fight counterfeits and supported many good causes along the way.

Some of Rakuten’s key achievements across the EMEA region in 2022 include:

Rakuten Europe enhances consumer experience:



Rakuten celebrates the launch of an all-new cashback program in the U.K., Spain and Germany, bringing Rakuten Group services and hundreds of brands to members in a more relevant, dynamic and rewarding way. Read More.

Rakuten Europe becomes a new partner of Japan Expo in Paris, presenting a new, exclusive service and offering Japan Expo visitors an authentic experience that dives into Japanese culture. Read More.

Rakuten Europe introduces its cashless payment system “Rakuten Pay” to the French Market for the first time at Japan Expo, one of Rakuten‘s strategic partners. Read More.

Rakuten Symphony transforms mobile network operations in Europe:



Rakuten Symphony expands its operations across the U.K., France and Germany to strengthen the company’s local presence and its ability to serve customers in the region. Read More.

Rakuten Symphony launches Symworld, a platform to help telecom operators scale at the speed of cloud. Read More.

Rakuten Symphony challenges the traditional industry approach to “what’s new” at MWC 2022, the largest gathering of the mobile networking industry worldwide. Read More.

Rakuten brings people together at major sports events



Rakuten has long valued the unique and impactful role sports play in society, and the ATP Mallorca Championships in 2022 were yet another successful example of empowering people and communities through innovation and connecting fans and players across the globe. Read More.

One of the only major tennis events to be played in teams, the Davis Cup is an important presence on the men’s tennis calendar. Rakuten brought back the Davis Cup Fan World Cup Presented by Rakuten in 2022, this year focusing on a theme of resilience and optimism**.** Read More.

As the partnership draws to a close after an unforgettable five years, Rakuten is expressing its gratitude to the Club and the fans by saying “Arigato” — thank you! Read More.

Rakuten takes empowerment seriously



Rakuten Group has made another important stride toward further strengthening its commitment to privacy and data protection globally. In May, the U.K.’s Data Protection Authority granted their approval to the definitive text of Rakuten’s U.K. Binding Corporate Rules. Read More.

One of the original signers of the European Commission’s path-breaking Memorandum of Understanding on the sale of counterfeit goods, Rakuten France, takes the fight against fake products to the next level. Read More.

In collaboration with Rakuten Insight Global, Rakuten Europe holds an online survey for Gen Z in France, Germany, Spain, Japan, the U.K., and the U.S. to find out about this generation’s consumer preferences and trends. Read More.

About Rakuten

Rakuten Group, Inc. (TSE: 4755) is a global leader in internet services that empower individuals, communities, businesses and society. Founded in Tokyo in 1997 as an online marketplace, Rakuten has expanded to offer services in e-commerce, fintech, digital content and communications to approximately 1.6 billion members around the world. The Rakuten Group has over 31,000 employees, and operations in 30 countries and regions. For more information visit https://global.rakuten.com/corp/.

In Europe, Rakuten has been active for more than a decade and is constantly growing its footprint. The network of business units consists of more than 14 services, available in almost every European country. With Rakuten Europe’s head office in Luxembourg and offices in London, Dublin, Paris, Berlin, Barcelona and other major European cities, Rakuten Europe is more than just a company, it’s a vision of a true Ecosystem.

https://corp.rakuten.eu/pressrelease/rakuten-europe-2022/

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Viki Has Fun with K-Drama Tropes to Boost its Brand

December 22, 2022

Rakuten Viki, the globally popular streaming platform dedicated to K-drama and entertainment, has seen its usership growing, and in the hope of further raising its profile it launched a fun marketing campaign in partnership with digital production company Wong Fu Productions. We examine the motives behind the partnership and the success of the campaign, which was comprised of four short online videos featuring a host of influential online talents. Plus, we also share a few clips of this hilarious content!

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Rakuten Mobile confident costs will fall

On an earnings call, CEO Tareq Amin said profitability will improve with all subscribers shifting off free plans to paid and costs to drop dramatically after network capex peaks at the end of the year.

“The major build of our network is done,” he said, noting base station construction and opex will fall significantly.

Rakuten Mobile targets adding 10,000 in the current quarter to bring the total to 60,000 sites, providing 99 per cent population coverage.

Amin insisted Rakuten Mobile is not satisfied to remain the fourth-ranked player in Japan, saying it is “on the way to becoming number one” with a focus on lowering costs through automation.

The optimism stems from a link found between wide network coverage and customer acquisition, with more new users joining in areas where Rakuten Mobile has 100 per cent reach.

Amin said its bottom-line will also benefit from a reduction in roaming costs, noting 95 per cent of traffic runs on its own infrastructure.

ARPU increased to JPY2,588 with the transition to new pricing plans, Amin said. The figure includes an undefined ecosystem contribution.

Data usage rose 35 per cent.

Rakuten Symphony had bookings from 14 customers valued at $3.1 billion.

https://www.reddit.com/r/RakutenUndervalued/comments/ztl4hh/…

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Japan's best bank for digital solutions 2022: Rakuten Bank

December 15, 2022

Digitalization in Japanese banking took a big leap during the pandemic. As customers had no choice but to go virtual for their banking needs, digital solutions were crucial. With its strategic goal of helping to solve social issues digitally, Rakuten Bank stands out from the pack.

In January 2022, the first online bank in Japan had more than 12 million accounts. Because of its digital set-up, Rakuten can cap costs and offer preferential deposit interest of up to 0.1%, 100 times higher than the megabanks. In a country with ultra-low or zero interest rates, this helped Rakuten to attract customers and deposits.

Its deposits exceeded ¥6 trillion ($44 billion) in June 2021, then added another ¥1.5 trillion in just six months to surpass ¥7.5 trillion in December 2021.

In the year to the end of March 2022, the Japanese firm continued its unique legacy of providing reverse mortgages. Despite a fast-ageing society, only a limited number of banks offer reverse mortgages, a product that gives much more by way of desired liquidity to retired people.

https://www.asiamoney.com/article/27y52lce53ygn1nldou80/awar…

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Rakuten Card 14 Jahre in Folge mit erstem Platz in der Kundenzufriedenheit

Rakuten Card belegt in der Umfrage zum japanischen Kundenzufriedenheitsindex 2022 14 Jahre in Folge den ersten Platz in der Kreditkartenbranche

2022/12/22

Rakuten Card, Inc. (im Folgenden als "das Unternehmen" bezeichnet) gibt bekannt, dass seine Kreditkarte "Rakuten Card" in der Umfrage "2022 JCSI (Japan Customer Satisfaction Index(*1)", die vom Service Industry Productivity Council des Japan Productivity Headquarters angekündigt wurde, 14 Jahre in Folge seit Beginn der Umfrage den ersten Platz bei der Kundenzufriedenheit in der Kreditkartenbranche belegt hat. Zum Zeitpunkt der Ankündigung haben vier Unternehmen, darunter unser Unternehmen, 14 Jahre in Folge den ersten Platz belegt.

Diese Umfrage ist eine der größten Umfragen zur Kundenzufriedenheit in Japan mit dem Ziel, die "Kundenzufriedenheit", die für die Messung der Produktivität in der Dienstleistungsbranche wichtig ist, zu quantifizieren und zu visualisieren und als Informationen zu verwenden, die zum Wachstum von Unternehmen und Branchen beitragen. "Rakuten Card" belegte nicht nur den ersten Platz in der "Kundenzufriedenheit", sondern auch in den drei Punkten "wahrgenommener Wert" und "Loyalität" in der Kreditkartenbranche.

Seit der Ausgabe der Rakuten Card im Juli 2005 arbeiten wir aktiv daran, die Cross-Use in jedem Service der Rakuten-Gruppe zu fördern und bargeldlose Zahlungen innerhalb und außerhalb der Rakuten-Gruppe zu popularisieren. Infolgedessen wurde es von vielen Kunden genutzt, und die Anzahl der ausgegebenen Karten betrug 27,51 Millionen (Stand September 2022), und das jährliche Krediteinkaufstransaktionsvolumen im Geschäftsjahr 2021 überstieg 14 Billionen Yen. Als einer der Top-Dienstleister in der japanischen Kreditkartenbranche wächst das Unternehmen weiterhin ohne Stillstand.

In Zukunft werden wir unsere Kreditkartendienste und -funktionen weiter ausbauen, um Finanzdienstleistungen komfortabler, benutzerfreundlicher und zugänglicher zu machen, mit dem Ziel, die Kundenzufriedenheit weiter zu verbessern.

Die JCSI-Umfrage (Japanese Customer Satisfaction Japan Index) ist eine der größten Kundenzufriedenheitsumfragen in Japan, die der Dienstleistungsbranche offen steht. Wir führen Umfragen mit dem Ziel durch, die für die Messung der Produktivität in der Dienstleistungsbranche wichtige "Kundenzufriedenheit" zu quantifizieren, zu visualisieren und als Information für das Wachstum von Unternehmen und Branchen zu nutzen. Die Umfrage richtet sich viermal jährlich an rund 400 Unternehmen aus mehr als 30 Branchen und Geschäftskategorien, und die Ergebnisse der Umfrage unter Top-Unternehmen werden veröffentlicht, um die Produktivität der gesamten Dienstleistungsbranche durch das Benchmarking exzellenter Unternehmen zu steigern.

Japanischer Kundenzufriedenheitsindex: Japanischer Kundenzufriedenheitsindex

Bewertet basierend auf den sechs Indikatoren von JCSI

Kundenerwartungen: Zeigen Sie bei der Nutzung des Dienstes den Eindruck, die Erwartungen und Erwartungen des Unternehmens oder der Marke, die der Benutzer im Voraus hat.

Wahrnehmungsqualität: Gibt die Bewertung der Qualität an, die bei der tatsächlichen Nutzung des Dienstes empfunden wird.

Wahrgenommener Wert: Kontrastiert die Qualität und den Preis des erhaltenen Dienstes, um das Gefühl der Zufriedenheit und des Kosten-Leistungs-Verhältnisses des Benutzers zu zeigen.

Kundenzufriedenheit: Gibt den Grad der Zufriedenheit an, der nach der Nutzung des Dienstes empfunden wird.

Empfehlung: Gibt an, ob Sie Personen positiv über die Inhalte des von Ihnen verwendeten Dienstes informieren möchten.

Loyalität: Gibt die Bereitschaft an, den Dienst wiederzuverwenden, z. B. ob Sie ihn in Zukunft oder häufiger verwenden möchten.

https://www.rakuten-card.co.jp/corporate/press_release/20221…

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Nonetheless, we are excited about the prospects of Rakuten Mobile through

the success of Rakuten Symphony as the business is close to signing 12 new corporate customers.

https://www.reddit.com/r/RakutenUndervalued/comments/zsq0z2/…

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Coffee Talk with Tareq: Next Steps for Mobile

DECEMBER 21, 2022 by RNN

https://www.reddit.com/r/RakutenUndervalued/comments/zsnj1u/…

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One reason for single month profit 2023

Rakuten Mobile had now a quite good cost structure in phase 2

Yusuke Okumara from Okasan Security: He asked after the way, how in 2023 the suppoded single month profit will be reached.

Hiroashi Takasawa: Rakuten Mobile is now in phase 2 with a very different cost structure against phase 2, were the growth of the base stations must be forced. He added that Rakuten Mobile had now a quite good cost structure. And he added second, that the costs can be internalized trough the activites of Rakuten Symphony.

Source: Own transcipt of the last earnings call

global.rakuten.com/corp/investors/