PEN

What PEN does

PEN Co., Ltd. (ペン株式会社) is a privately held Japanese advertising agency headquartered in Kyoto that specializes in direct response advertising for direct marketing companies. Founded more than 30 years ago and led by Representative Director 金　慶光, the company serves enterprise clients in health foods, cosmetics, and hair care who sell via catalog, e-commerce, and mail-order channels. PEN's service portfolio spans same-delivery advertising (同送広告 — catalog and product enclosure), TVCM production and media buying, print and insert advertising, customer cultivation/CRM, and exclusive "Ace" media channels. Its proprietary ResQ (レスQ) methodology combines sales strategy, media selection, and creative production through consumer-psychology-driven PDCA cycles, and is packaged with retention tools as "ResQ Plus One."

The company operates a sales-led go-to-market: consultants research potential clients via media monitoring and conduct phone-based outreach, then refine proposals through client visits. Underlying technology is process and methodology-driven rather than platform/software-driven — the asset is 30+ years of accumulated response data, case studies, and a 150+ media-partner ecosystem. Revenue is generated through professional services fees for custom direct response advertising campaigns; no public pricing tiers or rate cards exist. PEN maintains JIS Q15001 personal information protection compliance and operates a dedicated Privacy Protection Office, a critical credential for handling consumer data entrusted by direct marketing clients. The corporate group includes 金氏高麗人参株式会社 (Kinashi Korea Ginseng Corporation), established October 2006 as a wholly-owned subsidiary handling Korean ginseng mail-order sales, which provides PEN with an internal client and practical customer data for refining its methodology. Geographic scope is Japan-wide; no global footprint is claimed.

Name

PEN

Legal name

ペン株式会社

Website

https://pen-kk.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Kyoto

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct Response Advertising Services: Fees from providing comprehensive direct response advertising services including co-delivery advertising (catalog co-enclosure, product bundling, standalone DM), TVCM, print/insert advertising, customer cultivation/CRM, and exclusive media to direct marketing companies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

PEN is a direct response advertising agency that plans, produces, and places advertising for direct marketing companies in Japan. The firm's core services are same-delivery (co-enclosure) advertising, TVCM production and media buying, print and insert advertising, exclusive media placements, and customer cultivation/CRM. Engagements are built around the proprietary ResQ methodology, which matches advertising strategy, media channel, and creative expression to maximize measurable response and minimize customer acquisition cost.

Product overview

PEN Co., Ltd. is a direct marketing advertising agency specializing in response-driven advertising services. The company operates a multi-service portfolio centered on its ResQ methodology, which integrates sales strategy, media selection, and creative production for direct response advertising. Core services include same-delivery advertising (catalog and product enclosure), TVCM production and media buying, print/insert advertising, and exclusive media channels. The offering is complemented by customer cultivation/CRM tools and the ResQ Plus One package, which bundles new customer acquisition advertising with retention tools. The company has over 30 years of experience in the Japanese direct marketing industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Same-Delivery Advertising (同送広告) Catalog and product co-delivery advertising service where promotional materials are enclosed with shipped products or catalog magazines sent to consumers, with targeting based on detailed consumer demographics. Built for direct marketing companies seeking measurable new-customer response.
• TVCM (Television Commercial) Television commercial production and media buying service covering broadcast slot selection, creative production, and results analysis for direct response TV advertising, including terrestrial, BS, and CS stations. Aimed at direct marketing companies running short-form and long-form response TV.
• Print and Insert Advertising (掲載・折込広告) Print and inserted advertising in newspapers, magazines, and free papers, including creative production and distribution area selection for mass advertising campaigns. Designed for direct marketing clients seeking high response in traditional mass media.
• Customer Cultivation / CRM (顧客育成・CRM) Customer retention and CRM services including initial purchase follow-up DM, step DM for regular purchase induction, and customer-psychology-based communication strategies designed to maximize LTV for direct marketing clients.
• Ace / Exclusive Media (エース・独自媒体) Exclusive media channels only available through PEN, with limited advertising slots per delivery to ensure high visibility and response rates. Includes senior-focused (200万件 annual shipments) and 50代 female-focused (25万件 annual shipments) catalog placements.
• ResQ Plus One (レスQプラスワン) Integrated package combining the ResQ methodology with customer cultivation tools, including initial purchase enclosed flyers and follow-up DMs, designed to maximize customer LTV through combined new customer acquisition and repeat purchase strategies.

Quantifiable outcome

• CPO reduction from 30,000 yen to 2,000 yen for health supplement client through front product replacement strategy
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• 金氏高麗人参株式会社 (Kinashi Korea Ginseng Corporation)coreOthers · 1 October 2006Group company established in October 2006, specializing in Korean ginseng health products through mail-order. PEN serves as the exclusive advertising agency for the group, sharing advertising execution know-how and customer cultivation expertise. The group's in-house call center and customer data provide PEN with practical insights for client services.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Macromill Inc. Japanese market research company providing consumer insights and digital marketing solutions. Complementary to PEN's consumer psychology-based advertising approach, supplying market intelligence that could inform direct response campaign strategy and consumer targeting.
• INTAGE Inc. Japan's largest marketing research company providing consumer panels and market data. Adjacent to PEN's advertising services, with potential overlap in consumer research capabilities supporting direct response campaign targeting and effectiveness measurement.

Direct peers

• Septeni Holdings Co., Ltd. Japanese digital advertising agency group with full digital marketing services and performance capabilities. While more digital-focused than PEN, comparable in providing data-driven performance marketing for direct-to-consumer brands and e-commerce advertisers.
• Transcosmos Inc. Japanese BPO and digital marketing services company with direct marketing and customer support capabilities. Operates direct marketing services alongside contact center operations, comparable to PEN's integration of advertising acquisition and customer cultivation/CRM.

Emerging players

• Digital Garage Inc. Japanese digital marketing and payments company with advertising and digital commerce capabilities. Comparable to PEN in serving direct-to-consumer brands, but operates primarily in digital channels rather than traditional DM/TVCM where PEN specializes.

Broad incumbents

• Dentsu Inc. Japan's largest advertising agency with full-service capabilities including direct response, TVCM, and digital. Operates at much larger scale across all major advertising categories, but with less niche specialization in direct marketing/DM verticals like health foods and cosmetics mail-order.
• ADK Holdings Inc. Major Japanese advertising agency group providing creative, media, and direct response services. Comparable to PEN in offering direct response advertising but serves a much broader client portfolio at significantly larger scale, including major consumer brands.
• Hakuhodo Inc. Second-largest Japanese advertising agency with broad portfolio including direct response and integrated communications. Comparable in offering breadth but significantly larger scale than PEN, with less focus on DM-specific verticals like mail-order health/cosmetics.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 PEN