What Cross Marketing Group does

Cross Marketing Group Inc. (TSE: 3675) is a Tokyo-headquartered holding company that aggregates one of Japan's largest consumer panel networks with a portfolio of marketing research, digital marketing execution, AI-powered insights, and e-commerce logistics subsidiaries. Established as a holding company in June 2013 through a stock transfer, with the core operating subsidiary Cross Marketing Inc. originally founded in April 2003, the group operates across two reportable segments — Digital Marketing and Research & Insight — supported by more than 30 consolidated subsidiaries including Kadence International (global research across UK, US, Asia), Medilead (healthcare/medical research), Ex/Create (digital marketing and promotion), REECH (influencer marketing), Tokyogets (IP/character collaboration), Pathcrie (3PL logistics), and AlternaEx (HR/staffing).

The group's technology platform centers on a proprietary domestic panel network of 14.1 million registered consumers (as of June 2025) and a global online partner panel covering 85 countries. Core data-collection and analytics products include QiQUMO, a self-service online survey tool (with Global QiQUMO covering 10+ countries); ViewPers, an AI-powered ideation tool that combines social media post analysis with the survey panel for consumer insight generation; Light Depth, an AI chat-interview system that autonomously generates follow-up questions for qualitative research; Cross Finder 2, a free tabulation tool; BI Cross (Tableau-based analytics); and Social Cross (social listening). Specialized datasets include a disease information panel covering 300,000+ patients across 800+ disease categories, a 5.5 million-member sampling network (Moratame.net), and an 850,000+ member in-store sampling network (Ten-tame).

The business model blends professional services (custom market research, consulting, digital marketing execution, system development) with platform subscriptions (QiQUMO, ViewPers, REECH DATABASE), transaction-based services (LogiPath 3PL logistics at ¥580 per 60-size parcel, sampling programs), and project-based custom research engagements. The group serves 7,800+ client companies annually across consumer products, pharmaceuticals, financial services, e-commerce, government, and education. Distribution runs through direct enterprise sales (Tokyo headquarters and the consolidated Osaka office operational since January 2025), self-service digital platforms for mid-market and SMB clients, and academic/research partnerships (Meiji University, Nishogakusha University, Jissen Women's University). The company is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Standard Market; founder/CEO Igarashi Minoru is the largest shareholder with 25.9% ownership.

Name

Cross Marketing Group

Legal name

株式会社クロス・マーケティンググループ

Website

https://cm-group.co.jp

Company type

Public

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Cross Marketing Group (TSE: 3675) operates Japan's largest consumer panel network (14.1M panelists) and 30+ subsidiaries spanning marketing research, AI-powered insights, digital marketing, and 3PL logistics, serving 7,800+ enterprise and SMB clients annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marketing Research Services

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910), Advertising Agencies (541810), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Advertising (7310), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Customer, Marketing & Sales Consulting (BPAHACAG)

Keywords

• Marketing research services
• Consumer panel research
• Digital marketing solutions
• Online survey platforms
• Market intelligence 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, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Marketing Research Services: The company's historic core revenue stream, encompassing online/offline market research surveys, custom research projects, syndicated studies, and qualitative research (focus groups, interviews). Services are delivered to corporate clients across Japan and internationally through its Kadence International subsidiary. Revenue is project-based with recurring engagements from established client relationships.
2. Digital Marketing Services: Encompasses influencer marketing (via REECH), IP/character collaboration promotions (via Tokio Gets), social media marketing, online advertising operations, and digital campaign planning and execution. Delivered through group subsidiaries to manufacturers, agencies, and brands.
3. IT Solutions / System Development: Custom software development, app development, website production, BI tool implementation, and system integration services. Provided by subsidiaries including Cross Communication, with clients in financial services, e-commerce, and media sectors.
4. Sampling & Promotion Services: Online and offline product sampling services (Moratame.net, Tentame!), affiliate marketing, and promotional campaign execution. Generates revenue from manufacturers and brands seeking consumer trial and brand awareness campaigns.
5. HR / Talent Services: IT/Web industry staffing, recruitment, and SES (System Engineering Service) operations through subsidiary AlternaEx, providing contract and permanent placement of engineers, marketers, and creators to client companies.
6. 3PL / Logistics Services: EC logistics outsourcing and fulfillment services (LogiPath) through subsidiary PathCreate, supporting e-commerce operators with warehousing, picking, packing, and shipping operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cross Marketing Group is a Tokyo-listed holding company operating one of Japan's largest consumer panel networks (14.1 million panelists) to deliver marketing research, digital marketing execution, and promotional services. Through 30+ subsidiaries, the group provides end-to-end marketing support spanning online/offline research surveys, qualitative interviews, influencer marketing, IT system development, and e-commerce logistics. The company's offerings are organized into two business segments: Digital Marketing and Research/Insight, serving over 7,800 corporate clients annually.

Product overview

Cross Marketing Group is a holding company operating three core business segments: Digital Marketing, Data Marketing, and Insight (Research). The portfolio consists of a core online research panel network (1,410万+ panelists as of June 2025) powering proprietary survey tools, supplemented by a suite of specialized platforms and services. The flagship data collection tools are QiQUMO (self-service survey tool, also available as Global QiQUMO for international research) and ViewPers (AI-powered ideation platform combining SNS social listening with survey panel integration). Research and consulting services are delivered through Cross Marketing (domestic research), Kadence International (global research), and Medilead (healthcare/medical research). The digital marketing stack includes REECH (influencer marketing platform), Shopper's Eye (mystery shopping), and sampling platforms Moratame and Ten Tame. Analytics and innovation tools include Light Depth (AI chat interview), KAGAMI (concept/design validation with Meiji University), 4P-MRI (4P analytics), BI Cross (Tableau-based BI), Social Cross (social listening), Cross-UX (agile UX research), and Customer Journey Analysis. Logistics services are provided through LogiPath (EC 3PL). All offerings are powered by the group's proprietary panel network and shared infrastructure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• QiQUMO (キクモ): Self-service questionnaire tool enabling global panel surveys in 10 countries
• ViewPers (ビューパース)
• LogiPath (ロジパス)
• Cross Insights Hub
• KAGAMI
• Light Depth
• GEM
• T-Cube
• Mediall (メディアール)
• Moratame (モラタメ)
• Ten-tame (テンタメ)

Products and services

• QiQUMO (キクモ) Self-service DIY online survey tool enabling businesses to create and distribute surveys to domestic and international panels without professional support, with optional professional support add-ons.
• ViewPers (ビューパース) AI-powered ideation support tool that analyzes social media posts, auto-generates summaries, surfaces consumer insights and distinctive keywords, and combines SNS analysis with built-in survey panel integration for ideation-to-planning workflows.
• Light Depth AI-powered chat interview tool that autonomously generates follow-up 'why' questions to interviewees, efficiently collecting high-quality consumer insights through conversational AI.
• 4P-MRI (4P-Marketing Result Index) Analytics service that applies a 4P (Product, Price, Place, Promotion) framework to logically discover effective marketing strategy directions from structured marketing data.
• KAGAMI Scientifically grounded concept and design formulation and validation service co-developed with Meiji University, enabling evidence-based new product concept development and testing.
• LogiPath (ロジパス) EC logistics 3PL (third-party logistics) service offering zero initial cost, zero fixed cost, and per-unit pricing starting at 580 JPY per 60-size parcel, leveraging Pathcrie's 1M+ annual shipment track record.
• Social Cross Social media and online review text analysis service that monitors brand mentions, consumer sentiment, and UGC for social listening and voice-of-customer analytics.
• BI Cross Tableau-powered data integration and analysis support service that consolidates and visualizes data from multiple sources for cross-functional business intelligence.
• Cross-UX Agile UX research service jointly offered with PopInsight, providing rapid iterative user research for digital product and service CX improvement.
• Customer Journey Data Analysis (カスタマージャーニー型データ分析) CRM analytics service using customer journey mapping to visualize cross-channel consumer touchpoints and optimize multi-channel marketing interventions.
• Kadence International Global market research service operating across UK, US, and Asia-Pacific, providing international qualitative and quantitative research capabilities through a network of offices.
• Disease Information Panel (疾患情報パネル / MPP) Medical condition/disease panel dataset covering 300,000+ patients across 800+ disease categories, enabling pharmaceutical and healthcare market research with detailed patient background information.
• Moratame (モラタメ) Online sampling and product promotion platform enabling brands to reach consumers who trial products and share reviews digitally, described as Japan's largest sampling website.
• Ten-tame (テンタメ) In-store sampling promotion service linked to an 850,000-member online community, driving both physical product trials and digital survey feedback.
• REECH DATABASE Influencer marketing platform and database enabling brand discovery, campaign management, and performance analytics for influencer collaborations in Japan.
• Shopper's Eye (ショッパーズアイ) Mystery shopping and store audit service evaluating customer experience, service quality, and in-store execution across retail touchpoints.
• D2C GROWTH PARTNER Total support service for D2C brand growth, covering market entry strategy, digital marketing execution, and operational scaling.
• MMM Joint Service with XICA magellan Joint marketing mix modeling service combining Cross Marketing's consumer awareness surveys with XICA magellan MMM tool for cross-media attribution and ROAS improvement.

Quantifiable outcome

• Acquisition cost reduction: advertising cost-per-acquisition improved by 10%+ through MMM-based media mix optimization (joint service with XICA)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

AI capability8 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• DIGITALIO Inc.coreOthers · 2 April 2026DIGITALIO Inc. became a group company of Cross Marketing Group Inc. DIGITALIO operates media, digital gift, and retail DX (digital transformation) businesses. This addition expanded the group's portfolio in digital media and retail technology services.
• CAMPFIRE Inc. (キャンプファイヤー)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 May 2024Mediall (operated by gr.a.m, a Cross Marketing Group related company) partnered with CAMPFIRE, Japan's largest crowdfunding platform. The partnership enables regional government projects, local enterprises, and community organizations to combine crowdfunding with local content creation through Mediall's writer network, addressing regional revitalization goals.
• Northshore Co., Ltd. (ノースショア株式会社)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 January 2024Capital and business partnership to strengthen DX Action initiative. Northshore brings strategic planning, creative production (video, LP, banner ads), and full-service digital marketing capabilities. The partnership enables cross-selling across Excrie's promotion business, Tokio Gets' IP/character collaboration services, and Cross Marketing's consumer insights, while REECH's influencer services gain access to high-quality video creative production.
• XICA (サイカ) Inc.coreTechnology or Integration · 18 February 2020Three-party joint service combining Cross Marketing's consumer awareness data (brand lift surveys), XICA's MMM/ad analytics tool (XICA magellan), and D&M's advertising operations optimization. Enables weekly/daily granularity consumer sentiment analysis integrated with media mix modeling, and commits to improving cost-per-acquisition by 10%+ or full refund of agency fees.
• Nishogakusha University (二松学舎大学)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry-academia partnership including a donated course (lecture series) at the university taught by Cross Marketing Group founders and specialists, covering enterprise management and big data analytics. Collaboration involves joint research using ML/AI on consumer data, student internship programs, and lecturer exchanges. Professor Kokubo's lab provides analytical expertise.
• Jissen Women's University (実践女子大学)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPBL (Project-Based Learning) collaboration since 2022, engaging ~55-75 students per year in the Business Planning mandatory course. Students develop marketing proposals for real company challenges (e.g., Moratame beauty content, Pococha promotion, stationery product concepts). Group companies including Tokio Gets and REECH participate as client companies. Provides talent pipeline and research collaboration.
• Meiji University (明治大学)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint research with Associate Professor Takumi Kato of Meiji University on consumer behavior, including a co-developed service called 'KAGAMI' for concept and design formulation and verification. Research has been published in academic journals (Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics) and covers topics like label-less PET bottle consumer value.
• DeNA Co., Ltd. (ディー・エヌ・エー)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on a PBL project with Jissen Women's University where students developed marketing proposals to promote DeNA's live streaming app Pococha. DeNA provided the business challenge and participated in final presentations and feedback sessions alongside Cross Marketing Group.
• Do House Co., Ltd. (ドゥ・ハウス株式会社)coreOthersCross Marketing Group acquired Do House in December 2020 to strengthen digital marketing capabilities. Do House operates sampling/promotion services (Moratame.net, Tentame!) with a 5.5 million consumer network. In August 2023, Do House and D&M merged to form Xcrie, consolidating promotion and digital marketing operations.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Dentsu Group: Dentsu Group (TSE: 4324) is Japan's largest advertising and marketing services conglomerate with its own research, digital marketing and CX capabilities. As a broader incumbent it competes with Cross Marketing's digital marketing, promotion and research businesses at the enterprise client level.
• Ipsos: Ipsos is one of the world's largest market research firms operating in 90+ markets, offering comparable survey, social listening, and innovation/UX research services that overlap with Cross Marketing's quantitative research, ViewPers SNS analytics, and KAGAMI concept-testing practices.
• NielsenIQ: NielsenIQ is a global consumer intelligence leader covering retail measurement, consumer panel and CPG research across 90+ markets, an incumbent that competes with Cross Marketing's domestic panel and Kadence International's international research.
• Hakuhodo DY Holdings: Hakuhodo DY Holdings (TSE: 2433) is Japan's second-largest advertising agency group with integrated marketing, digital, content and research services. It competes with Cross Marketing's Ex/Create, REECH and Cross Communication digital marketing and IT solutions subsidiaries.
• Kantar: Kantar is the global insights and consulting arm (under Bain Capital) with broad consumer research, brand tracking and media effectiveness offerings. It competes with Cross Marketing's full-service research and MMM/analytics practice built around Kadence and XICA's magellan alliance.

Direct peers

• Video Research Ltd. Video Research is the dominant Japanese media and audience measurement firm and a Cross Marketing cross-shareholder (2.4% stake). It overlaps in consumer/market research and audience panel operations within Japan.
• Macromill: Macromill (TSE: 3978) is a Japanese online market research specialist operating its own consumer panel and online survey platforms, directly overlapping with Cross Marketing's QiQUMO self-service surveys and Japanese panel network.
• INTAGE Holdings: INTAGE (TSE: 4326) is Japan's largest dedicated market research firm with comparable full-service quantitative/qualitative research capabilities and consumer panel assets. It is the most direct domestic competitor to Cross Marketing's research and consulting business.
• Rakuten Insight: Rakuten Insight, the research arm of Rakuten Group, leverages Rakuten's massive first-party consumer data to run large-scale online surveys in Japan and Asia, competing head-to-head with Cross Marketing's QiQUMO/global panel offerings.
• GMO Research: GMO Research operates an Asia-wide online research panel (GMO Asia Cloud Panel) with self-service survey infrastructure, directly comparable to Cross Marketing's QiQUMO/Global QiQUMO self-service survey and international panel model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cmg_recruit

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries20 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A3 records

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about Cross Marketing Group