FICC

What FICC does

FICC Inc. (株式会社エフアイシーシー) is a Tokyo-headquartered brand marketing agency founded in February 2004 that sells an integrated "brand marketing" practice — explicitly treating branding and marketing as a single discipline rather than separate functions. The firm serves primarily Japanese enterprise clients across consumer goods, food and beverage, pet care, cosmetics, real estate/hospitality, dairy, agribusiness, and pharmaceuticals, with named engagements including Godiva Japan, SHISEIDO, Panasonic, Meiji (Bulgaria Yogurt), LION PET, Saishunkan Pharmaceutical, Premium Water, Tokyu Vacations, Glico, mizkan, BANDAI NAMCO, UCC, Coleman (Newell Brands Japan), and Asuene. It also serves mid-market and SMB clients (Takii & Co., Marion Crepes, Makuake, Lanway, Ogura, Yamabiko Nosan) and regional/community clients through its newer Regional Branding line. The firm's revenue model is project-based professional services scoped per engagement through consultation; pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Five service lines — Brand Strategy/Branding Support, Brand Experience Design/Content Production, Marketing Strategy/Research, Innovation/Transformation Training (JUMPMASTER and DIGITAL Re:MASTER), and Regional Branding — are delivered by approximately 50 employees across a Tokyo HQ (Minato-ku Akasaka) and a Kyoto office (opened January 2013), with full-remote delivery available.

FICC's underlying "technology" is a proprietary methodology stack rather than a software product. This stack includes two Japan-registered trademarks — Vision Ladder® (Reg. No. 6645643) and Strategy Quadrant® (Reg. No. 6645664) — plus internally developed frameworks such as the 3S Co-imagination™ Model, the 9-Box Vision Action Matrix, the Organization Penetration Ladder, the Equity Map™, Meaning Innovation™, and a CROSS-THINK dialogue culture supported by a "Sparkjoy" practice. These methodologies codify a brand-purpose-led approach that connects corporate purpose, internal branding, brand identity, communication guidelines, and market-creating marketing. FICC also operates co-creation projects outside its core consulting work — COLOR Again (with Moongata, cosmetics upcycling, since 2020), Matsuri Engine (with Ashita-suki, festival preservation, since 2021), the "Rain Day Park You'd Want to Visit Even on Rainy Days™" concept (with Nikken Sekkei via PYNT, since 2024), and a Communication Lab knowledge media site. Go-to-market is primarily sales-led through consultation-driven direct sales, supplemented by thought leadership via the FICC Knowledge Blog, the inside FICC publication, social media, industry conference participation (ad:tech tokyo, UTCP), and recurring "Knowledge Sharing Meetings." The company is privately held with no disclosed outside investors or public listing.

Name

FICC

Legal name

株式会社エフアイシーシー (FICC Inc.)

Website

https://ficc.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

FICC Inc. is a Tokyo-headquartered brand marketing agency founded in 2004 that delivers integrated branding and marketing services — strategy, identity, internal branding, content, and training — to Japanese enterprises, mid-market firms, and regional/community clients using proprietary frameworks such as Vision Ladder® and Strategy Quadrant®.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Brand Marketing Services

NAICS

Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418), Advertising Agencies (541810), Advertising Agencies (54181)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Brand Campaign & Integrated Communications Agencies (MPAAAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Customer Communications Management (CCM) & Transactional Messaging (MPAAAIAL), Content Studio & Creative Resourcing (In-house/Embedded Teams) (BPAFAIAJ)

Keywords

• Brand marketing services
• Corporate branding consulting
• Internal branding support
• Brand identity development
• Marketing strategy consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Brand Strategy & Consulting Engagements: Project-based professional services for brand strategy, corporate branding, product/service rebranding, brand identity development, and brand communication guideline development. Engagements are tailored per client and delivered by FICC's brand marketing specialists.
2. Brand Experience & Content Production: Project-based professional services for brand storytelling / experience design, branded content development, and promotion planning & execution.
3. Marketing Strategy & Research: Project-based professional services for brand marketing strategy, brand tracking research, and target cluster research.
4. Innovation, Transformation & Training Programs: New business / innovation support, JUMPMASTER training program (new business development), and DIGITAL Re:MASTER training program (DX promotion).
5. Regional Branding / Regional Revitalization Support: Professional services supporting regional branding and regional revitalization initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

FICC is a brand marketing agency that delivers integrated consulting and creative services under five service lines: brand strategy and branding support (corporate, internal, product/service rebranding, brand identity, brand communication guidelines), brand experience design and content production, marketing strategy and research, new business development and transformation training (JUMPMASTER, DIGITAL Re:MASTER), and regional branding/regional revitalization. Engagements are scoped per client through consultation and delivered by in-house brand marketing specialists from its Tokyo and Kyoto offices, with full-remote service delivery supported across Japan.

Product overview

FICC (株式会社エフアイシーシー) is a Tokyo-based brand marketing agency (founded 2004) that delivers an integrated suite of brand marketing services rather than a single software product. Its offering is organized into five service lines: Brand Strategy/Branding Support (including Corporate Branding Support, Internal Branding Support, Brand Identity Development, and Brand Communication Guidelines Development); Brand Experience Design/Content Produce; Marketing Strategy/Research Support; New Business Development/Transformation Training Programs (including the JUMPMASTER new business program and DIGITAL Re:MASTER DX program); and Regional Branding/Regional Revitalization Support. Underpinning these services is FICC's proprietary methodology stack — including the registered Vision Ladder® framework, the registered Strategy Quadrant® framework, the 3S Co-imagination™ Model, the Equity Map™, Meaning Innovation™, the 9-Box Vision Action Matrix, and the CROSS-THINK dialogue culture with Sparkjoy — which together guide clients from purpose formulation to experience design. Alongside consulting engagements, FICC operates co-creation projects such as COLOR Again (with Mohn Gata on cosmetic upcycling), Matsuri Engine (with Ashiatsuki on festival preservation), the "Park You'd Want to Visit Even on Rainy Days™" concept (with Nikken Sekkei), and the Communication Lab knowledge media.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 祭エンジン (Matsuri Engine): A co-creation project with Ashitasuki that supports the preservation of regional Japanese festivals through a mechanism where purchases of regional products contribute a portion of sales to local shrines.
• COLOR Again
• Communication Lab
• JUMPMASTER
• DIGITAL Re:MASTER

Products and services

• Brand Strategy / Branding Support (ブランド戦略 / ブランディング支援) Core branding service line for Japanese enterprises covering product/service rebranding, corporate branding, internal branding, brand identity development, and brand communication guideline development.
• Brand Experience Design / Content Produce (ブランド体験設計 / コンテンツプロデュース) Service line covering brand storytelling and experience design, branded content development, and brand promotion planning and execution for Japanese consumer-facing brands.
• Marketing Strategy / Research Support (マーケティング戦略 / 調査支援) Service line covering brand marketing strategy and ongoing support, brand marketing research and brand tracking, and brand target cluster research.
• New Business Development / Transformation Training Programs (新規事業開発 / 変革支援 研修プログラム) Service line covering new business and innovation support, the JUMPMASTER training program (new business development), and the DIGITAL Re:MASTER training program (DX promotion).
• Regional Branding / Regional Revitalization Support (地域ブランディング / 地域活性化支援) Service line supporting regional branding and regional revitalization through co-creation workshops, vision mapping, and target journey analysis to drive community-led new business for Japanese municipalities and regional organizations.
• JUMPMASTER Training Program (JUMPMASTER 研修プログラム — 新規事業開発) Standalone training program for new business development offered to client organizations as part of FICC's innovation and transformation support.
• DIGITAL Re:MASTER Training Program (DIGITAL Re:MASTER 研修プログラム — DX推進) Standalone training program for DX (digital transformation) promotion offered to client organizations as part of FICC's innovation and transformation support.
• COLOR Again Co-creation project with Mohn Gata Co., Ltd. focused on upcycling discarded cosmetics into color materials while addressing conformity pressure and fixed concepts about beauty through sensitivity-based workshops.
• Matsuri Engine (祭エンジン) Co-creation project with Ashiatsuki supporting regional Japanese festivals through an online platform where 10% of regional product sales is donated to shrines for festival preservation; FICC provides the digital platform, marketing, and storytelling.

Quantifiable outcome

• 94% retention rate (継続率94%) at Saishunkan Pharmaceutical achieved over many years of direct marketing relationship
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, moderate and minor.

• Moongata (株式会社モーンガータ)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Co-creation partner for the COLOR Again project, launched in 2020 by FICC member Ito Manami and Moongata representative Tanaka Toshinori. The project turns unused cosmetics into 'SminkArt' color material, addressing both cosmetics waste and social conformity around beauty. As of 2024, the collaboration expanded into the 'Rain Day Park' (雨の日にも行きたくなる公園™) initiative, also developed jointly with Nikken Sekkei through the PYNT platform.
• Nikken Sekkei (日建設計)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-creation partner via Nikken Sekkei's open-innovation platform PYNT (ピント) — a co-creation platform for creating 'new choices for the future of towns.' FICC and Moongata joined PYNT's Meeths Collective event in 2024, leading to the 'Rain Day Park' co-creation. FICC designed and facilitated a workshop in January 2025 at PYNT and continues the joint initiative toward a 2027 GREEN EXPO implementation.
• Ashita-suki (一般社団法人明日襷)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-creation partner for the Matsuri Engine (祭エンジン) project, led by Miyata Nobuya of Ashita-suki and FICC Kyoto's Muramatsu Yuki and Ito Rikako. The platform supports local festivals by selling regional products and donating 10% of revenue to shrines; FICC provides the digital platform, marketing, and storytelling. As of 2021, four festivals were featured.
• Innovation-Hub Hiroshima Camps (イノベーション・ハブ・ひろしまCamps)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-creation partner for the 'Hiroshima Branding Future Creation Lab' — an 8-month practical program to nurture the visioning capability of regional companies, combining regional branding, brand marketing strategy, and new business / innovation support.
• TORO (株式会社TORO)moderateImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerClient and co-creation partner for new business development in Sakoshi, Ako City, Hyogo Prefecture. FICC serves as the co-creation partner supporting TORO's vacant-house accommodation / migration support project, including workshop design and facilitation, brand marketing strategy, vision map development, migration success-journey analysis, and brand name 'TOROYA' development, in collaboration with Ako City Hall.
• CONCON Co-creation Autonomous Zone (共創自治区CONCON)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFICC Kyoto is a member of the CONCON co-creation autonomous zone in Kyoto, participating in tenant association activities and co-creation projects beyond FICC's company boundaries, including a community summer festival and cross-company collaborations.
• Communication Lab (コミュニケーションラボ)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedia site run by FICC members Morita Yu and others, dedicated to researching the value of 'transmitting / storytelling' (communicating) and used as a research platform that feeds back into FICC's creative practice.
• ad:tech tokyomoderateGTM or Marketing PartnerFICC's CEO Mori Keiko is a recurring panelist/speaker at ad:tech tokyo, Asia's largest marketing conference (15,000+ attendees). FICC contributed to 2023, 2024, and 2025 sessions on well-being, sustainable marketing, and DE&I topics.
• UTCP (International Center for Philosophy of Coexistence, University of Tokyo)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFICC member Yuda Kai appeared as a guest at the UTCP Symposium to discuss 'philosophical dialogue' practices within organizations, alongside UTCP Center Director Kajitani Shinji and other practitioners.
• Ministry of Tribal Affairs (India) & NGMAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndia's Ministry of Tribal Affairs, in collaboration with FICCI and the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), organized the Tribes Art Fest 2026 at Travancore Palace featuring 75+ tribal artists and 1,000+ artworks across 30 tribal traditions.
• Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of IndiamoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry body FICCI signed a memorandum of understanding with the office of India's Principal Scientific Adviser (Ajay Kumar Sood) to drive deep tech and innovation in India, including R&D ecosystem support, research translation, and policy dialogue.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Hakuhodo Inc. Japan's second-largest advertising agency and a long-established leader in brand strategy, creative, and integrated marketing. Directly comparable as a brand-marketing services provider to Japanese enterprises, but at vastly greater scale and broader service scope than FICC.
• Dentsu Inc. Japan's largest advertising agency group with global operations and deep brand consulting capabilities through Dentsu Creative and related brands. Competes with FICC for large Japanese enterprise branding mandates but operates at global scale across media, creative, and CX.
• ADK Holdings (Asatsu-DK): Japanese advertising agency group offering brand strategy, creative, digital, and content services. Overlaps with FICC on corporate and consumer branding engagements for Japanese enterprises, but at much larger scale and broader service breadth.

Direct peers

• Interbrand: Global brand strategy consultancy with a Japan presence, specializing in corporate branding, brand valuation, and brand identity development. Most directly comparable to FICC in methodology and target buyer (large enterprise brand teams), though with global reach and much larger headcount.
• Landor & Fitch: Global branding consultancy (WPP) covering brand strategy, identity design, and brand experience. Highly comparable to FICC's branding support service line, particularly for multinational Japanese enterprise clients; operates at significantly larger scale.
• Lippincott: Brand strategy and design consultancy known for corporate identity and purpose-led branding work for global enterprises. Comparable to FICC in its emphasis on purpose-driven brand positioning and integrated brand strategy, though serving a more international client roster.
• Garage Inc. Japanese design and branding firm founded in 2000, offering brand strategy, corporate identity, and creative production. Most comparable as a Japan-domestic boutique brand-strategy peer of similar size and vintage to FICC.
• PARTY: Japanese creative agency focused on branding, communication design, and experience design for Japanese and global brands. Comparable as a Japan-based boutique offering integrated brand-and-creative services similar to FICC's brand marketing proposition.
• Siegel+Gale: Global brand strategy, naming, and design consultancy (part of Omnicom). Comparable to FICC's methodology-heavy, simplicity-and-purpose-oriented brand strategy work, with significant overlap in corporate branding and internal brand engagement services.
• Wolff Olins: Global brand consultancy (Omnicom) known for purpose-driven, culture-led brand transformation engagements. Closely comparable to FICC's emphasis on purpose, internal branding, and brand-as-organizational-change-agent methodology.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ficc
• Facebookfacebook.com/ficc.jp
• LinkedInjp.linkedin.com/company/ficc-inc

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about FICC