What Flag does

Flag (株式会社フラッグ) is a Tokyo-based digital marketing company specializing in entertainment industry marketing, founded in 2001 by CEO Kubo Hiroaki and incorporated in 2004. The company serves major entertainment and consumer clients including Netflix Japan, Toei Animation, Shochiku, Toei, Warner Bros. Japan, Square Enix, WOWOW, KADOKAWA, Pokemon Company/Bandai Namco, Sony Music, HYBE Japan, Paramount+, and brands such as Suntory, Asahi, and Sapporo. It operates from a Shibuya headquarters with eight domestic offices and a US subsidiary in El Segundo, California, and employs between 251 and 500 people.

The company runs four proprietary product lines. featuring is an AI-powered influencer marketing SaaS platform, co-developed with Korean partner Featuring Korea, priced at ¥50K-¥200K/month tiers and covering 1.6M-1.8M+ registered influencers with 65B+ monthly data points. Camtopi is an internal cross-platform social media campaign management tool. TATEPA is a fixed-rate subscription service for vertical short-form video production. Doramaka is a drama-marketing service launched in 2024. Beyond these products, Flag provides digital advertising operations, social media marketing retainers, creative production, web production, and IP content production including co-production arrangements such as its work with Prodigium Pictures.

Revenue is generated through a mix of enterprise retainer fees, project-based creative production, SaaS subscriptions (featuring, TATEPA), IP/licensing royalties, and ecosystem partnerships including the Cinema DX Project with Shochiku and Toei (each ~7% equity, July 2024), the Radio DX Alliance with TOKYO FM (October 2024), and an X Corp. Japan X Amplify package arrangement. The company reports managing 1,200+ social media accounts across 150+ enterprise clients and 4,000+ clients in the featuring ecosystem, with 80% enterprise client retention. Strategic equity from Shochiku and Toei plus ongoing product launches and geographic expansion indicate an active growth posture oriented around the entertainment vertical.

Name

Flag

Legal name

株式会社フラッグ

Website

https://flag-pictures.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Flag is a Tokyo-based digital marketing company specializing in entertainment industry marketing, serving enterprise clients including Netflix Japan, Toei, Shochiku, Square Enix, and Warner Bros. Japan with proprietary products spanning influencer SaaS, social media, and IP production.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Digital Advertising Operations: Digital ad planning, media buying, and campaign execution across social and display platforms for entertainment and other clients.
2. Social Media Marketing Services: Social media account strategy, content creation, community management, and campaign execution for branded accounts. Supports over 1,200 social media accounts.
3. Creative Production: Video production, web production, and creative content creation including IP promotion, campaign creative, and theatrical promotion materials.
4. featuring SaaS Platform: Subscription-based SaaS for influencer marketing. Three tiers: Standard (¥50,000/month), Premium (¥200,000/month), and Enterprise (custom). Also includes full-service PR campaign management.
5. IP Content Production: Film/animation co-production, theatrical distribution support, and IP content marketing as production committee member. Services include online publicity, social media management, digital advertising, and video production.
6. TATEPA Subscription Video Production: Fixed-rate monthly subscription for ongoing vertical short-form video production across social platforms.
7. Web Production: Website design, development, and maintenance services including CMS implementation, inherited from Muse.com operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Flag (株式会社フラッグ) is a Tokyo-based entertainment-focused digital marketing company that provides end-to-end digital marketing services—including social media management, digital advertising, PR, video and web production, and influencer marketing—centered on four proprietary platforms: featuring (AI-powered influencer marketing SaaS), Camtopi (social media campaign tool), TATEPA (flat-rate vertical short video production), and Doramaka (drama marketing). The company also invests in and produces IP content (films, anime) as a production committee member and operates NCW film school. Flag primarily serves large entertainment corporations, film studios, anime producers, and global game publishers across Japan and North America via its US subsidiary.

Product overview

Flag (株式会社フラッグ) is an entertainment-focused digital marketing company offering a portfolio of four core proprietary products: featuring (AI-powered influencer marketing platform covering ~2.5M influencers across X, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and NAVER blog), Camtopi (cross-platform social media campaign tool for X, Instagram, TikTok, and LINE), TATEPA (flat-rate vertical short video production service for TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and LINE VOOM), and Doramaka (drama marketing service combining TV/streaming drama production with social media promotion). These platforms are complemented by social media marketing, digital advertising, and PR services managing 1,200+ social media accounts, IP content production (as production committee member for films and anime), a film school (New Cinema Workshop / NCW), and two joint ventures: Radio DX Alliance (with TOKYO FM) and the Cinema DX Project (with Shochiku and Toei). Flag America, Inc. (renamed July 2025) handles North American marketing. The company operates from a Tokyo headquarters and eight domestic offices (Sapporo, Nagoya, Osaka, Hiroshima, Matsuyama, Fukuoka, Okinawa, and Tokyo).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• キャントピ (Camtopi): X（旧Twitter）canaign tool for social media campaigns with features like generator campaigns, step diagnosis campaigns, and instant win campaigns
• featuring（フィーチャリング）
• TATEPA（タテパ）
• DoramaKa（ドラマカ）
• NCW（ニューシネマワークショップ）
• FLAG Z Lab.

Products and services

• featuring AI-powered all-in-one influencer marketing SaaS enabling influencer discovery, AI-based influence scoring across approximately 2.5 million Japanese influencers, campaign management, DM broadcast (up to 200 recipients on Premium tier), KPI analysis, predictive analytics, competitive account analysis, and results reporting. Supports X, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Naver blog and is sold to brands, agencies, and in-house marketing teams.
• Camtopi (キャントピ) Social media campaign management tool and execution service supporting X, Instagram, TikTok, and LINE, offering step diagnosis campaigns, generator campaigns, instant win campaigns, hashtag collection campaigns, and reply auto-response campaigns for brands. Achieves 11%+ engagement rate on diagnosis campaigns versus X average of 5% and approximately 80% repeat customer rate. Sold per campaign from ¥150,000.
• TATEPA (タテパ) Flat-rate subscription-based short-form vertical video production service covering TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and LINE VOOM. Includes planning, production, editing, advertising delivery, and monthly reporting with PDCA optimization for brands targeting Z-generation and other demographics.
• Doramaka (ドラマカ) Drama marketing service leveraging emotional storytelling for brand promotion, providing terrestrial TV drama production (as fast as 6 months delivery), SVOD drama production, and SNS short drama formats with integrated advertising. Targets brands seeking emotional engagement through narrative content.
• Digital Marketing Services End-to-end digital marketing services covering social media account strategy, content creation, community management, digital advertising operations, PR, and online publicity for entertainment and cross-industry clients across X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, LINE, and other platforms. Sold as enterprise engagements to large entertainment corporations and consumer brands.
• IP Content Production Investment and co-production of IP content including films, anime, and original animations as a production committee member, providing promotion and marketing support for invested titles. Includes online publicity, social media management, digital advertising, and video production tied to release campaigns.
• New Cinema Workshop (NCW) Film school operated by Flag for training filmmakers, actors, and industry professionals. Functions as a talent pipeline and industry community hub for film and entertainment production in Japan. Open enrollment for film production, direction, and acting training.
• BeReal Advertising Advertising service on the BeReal social platform offering takeover, takeover plus, and balanced reach ad formats targeted at Z-generation users in Japan. Sold to brands seeking next-generation SNS reach.
• FLAFLU (フラフル) Influencer casting service that matches brands with suitable influencers for marketing campaigns. Sold to brands and agencies seeking outsourced influencer sourcing.
• Flag America, Inc. — Overseas Marketing Services Flags US subsidiary in El Segundo, California (formerly Flag Pictures, Inc.) providing overseas marketing, promotion strategy, influencer marketing, social media marketing, PR, digital advertising, and creative production services for North America and overseas markets, focused on supporting Japanese entertainment companies.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% client retention rate for Camtopi campaign tool
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability7 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• X Corp. Japan K.K.coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 June 2026Joint seminar at Content Tokyo 2026: 'Community Strategy Learned from Tamagotchi Puchi Puchi Omise-chan' with X Corp. Japan representatives discussing fan community building on X platform.
• 株式会社エフエム東京 / TOKYO FMcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024Jointly established Radio DX Alliance (RDA) in October 2024. Capital business partnership where TOKYO FM invested in FLAG. RDA develops digital advertising products combining radio content with internet/outdoor/taxi advertising, creates Podcast content, and develops new digital ads using radiko listening data (~9M monthly users).
• Prodigium PicturesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024Hollywood production partner for Flag Pictures, Inc. overseas video production, providing local production expertise and talent access.
• X Corp. JapancoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 September 2024Joint X Amplify package advertising product development and co-marketing. FLAG is a certified X advertising agency providing Amplify packages and co-hosting seminars with X Corp. Japan.
• 日本財団 (Nippon Foundation)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024FLAG participated in Japan Foundation-funded local railway AR education program for children, creating AR experiences on Hitachinaka Seaside Railway and Choshi Electric Railway.
• 松竹株式会社 (Shochiku)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2024Capital and business partnership through CinemaDX Project. Shochiku invested in FLAG via third-party allocation, holding ~7% equity. Joint development of digital advertising platform using Shochiku Group theater customer data (45 theaters, 426 screens) to optimize film marketing and audience targeting.
• 東映株式会社 (Toei)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2024Capital and business partnership through CinemaDX Project. Toei invested in FLAG via third-party allocation, holding ~7% equity. Joint development of digital advertising platform leveraging Toei theater network data to advance film marketing DX.
• Featuring Japan (フィーチャリング社)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 February 2024Exclusive sales partnership for featuring AI influencer marketing platform in Japan. FLAG co-developed the Japan version of featuring and handles domestic sales and customer service. Platform covers X, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Naver blog with ~250万 influencer database.
• Featuring Co. (フィーチャリング社) - KoreacoreTechnology or Integration · 1 February 2024Korean technology partner developing featuring AI engine. Founded 2019 by former Kakao employees. Serves ~12,000 Korean companies including LG Electronics, Kakao, Shinsegae, CJ Olive Young. FLAG is exclusive Japan partner for the platform.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Hakuhodo: One of Japan's largest advertising agencies with strong digital, creative and media capabilities. Competes for entertainment and cross-industry brand mandates that Flag also targets, but with a much broader portfolio and larger headcount.
• Dentsu Group: Japan's largest advertising agency group with global operations across creative, media, digital and content. Overlaps with Flag across digital advertising and entertainment client work, but operates at vastly larger scale across many industries beyond entertainment.
• ADK Holdings: Established Japanese advertising agency group offering creative, digital, media and content solutions. Competes with Flag in digital advertising and content marketing, particularly for entertainment and consumer brand clients.

Direct peers

• FreakOut Holdings: Digital advertising technology company providing programmatic ad buying, DSP and data-driven marketing solutions in Japan and APAC. Comparable to Flag in offering tech-enabled digital ad products and campaign execution services to enterprise clients.
• CyberAgent: Major Japanese internet media and digital marketing company with strong entertainment focus (owns AbemaTV, Cygames) and significant digital advertising operations. Directly competes with Flag in digital advertising, influencer marketing and entertainment IP marketing, and is similarly Japanese-domestic-led.
• Digital Holdings: Digital marketing holding company with subsidiaries spanning digital advertising, content marketing and influencer marketing. Direct competitor in the same Japanese digital agency space, with overlapping capabilities in performance marketing and social media campaigns.
• Septeni Holdings: Digital marketing holding company providing digital advertising, creative content and platform-based marketing services in Japan and APAC. Closely comparable to Flag in digital ad operations, creative production and SaaS-adjacent services for enterprise brands.
• Allied Architects (Allies): Digital marketing agency with strengths in creative, content and influencer marketing for Japanese brands. Directly competes in digital advertising, social campaign execution and creative production similar to Flag's core services.

Emerging players

• BitStar: Japan-focused influencer marketing platform and agency providing influencer casting, campaign management and analytics. Direct overlap with Flag's featuring platform and FLAFLU influencer casting service.

Others

• Macromill: Japanese digital marketing research and data analytics company. Adjacent rather than directly competitive, but related through its data-driven marketing services and overlap with the analytics underpinning platforms like Flag's featuring.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/flag_pictures
• Instagraminstagram.com/flagpictures

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries4 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 Flag