Dentsu Group Announces “AI For Growth 3.0”—AI-Driven Marketing Transformation Enters the “Implementation” Phase

Dentsu Japan (the domestic Dentsu Group) announced “AI for Growth 3.0” on May 25, 2026. This marks a transition to a phase in which a suite of specialized AI systems—incorporating the practical knowledge the group has cultivated—will be fully “implemented” into corporate marketing activities.

At the press conference held at Dentsu Inc. Hall in Shiodome, Tokyo, the company unveiled a new marketing framework called “PSDCA” and the “AI for Growth Suite”—a series of specialized AI products designed to bring it to life. This revealed the full scope of the company’s AI strategy as it evolves from the conceptual stage to concrete implementation.

The Evolution of the AI Strategy and One Year of Results

Satoru Sano, CEO of dentsu Japan, took the stage first and explained the fundamental philosophy behind the group-wide AI strategy “AI For Growth” as “combining human intelligence with AI to contribute to the growth of our clients, partners, and society at large.” He also emphasized that what clients seek is not advanced AI itself, but rather business growth and enhanced corporate value, and stressed the company’s commitment to serving as a true partner in achieving these goals.

In the year since the announcement of “AI For Growth 2.0” in May 2025, the group’s use of AI has made significant progress. The main achievements are as follows:

・Launch of a new organization: In July 2025, the “dentsu Japan AI Center,” a new organization with a staff of approximately 1,000, was launched. It is driving AI adoption and business development across the entire Dentsu Group in Japan.

・Talent Development: The company has been fostering AI-native talent, with the number of G-Certification passers reaching 1,619.

・Streamlining Internal Operations: More than 4,500 AI agents and over 1,300 AI applications are in constant operation within the company . In fiscal year 2026, the company expects to generate 200,000 hours of operational efficiency annually and has already achieved a reduction in man-hours of up to 95% in the digital advertising sector.

・Expanding Client Support: The company has already supported over 200 AI transformation projects and aims to reach 1,000 by fiscal year 2026.

Based on these achievements, the company has announced “AI For Growth 3.0.”

“PSDCA,” a New Marketing Framework Succeeding PDCA

Next to take the stage were Susumu Namikawa, Chief AI Officer at Dentsu Japan, and Yasuhito Kaizuka, Executive Officer of Dentsu Inc.’s Marketing Division. They explained that the phase of AI adoption is shifting from “company-wide implementation” to “qualitative improvement in specialized fields.” In this context, they discussed the importance of training general-purpose large language models (LLMs) with specialized marketing knowledge and practical experience.

They then introduced the two engines driving “AI For Growth 3.0” and the new marketing framework, “PSDCA.”

・Engine 1: People Model
A marketing simulation environment capable of reproducing the real-world reactions of consumers and markets—which vary by industry and product—before implementing initiatives. Using proprietary AI personas, it can simultaneously simulate diverse individual purchasing journeys (micro) and overall market reactions (macro).

・Engine 2: Creative Thinking Model
An engine that prevents the homogenization of thinking caused by AI and promotes differentiation from competitors and the generation of innovative ideas. Equipped with the know-how of Dentsu Inc. creators, it plays a role in generating “creative leaps.”

・Framework for Human-AI Co-creation: PSDCA (Plan-Simulate-Do-Check-Action)
PSDCA is a next-generation marketing framework designed on the premise that the two engines described above function in tandem.

A key feature is the ability to simulate (Simulate) market reactions—which traditionally could only be observed after executing a campaign (Do)—before implementation. This allows for thorough refinement of hypotheses during the planning stage, significantly increasing the likelihood of a campaign’s success. The company stated that by integrating the two engines—the “People Model,” which performs precise simulations, and the “Creative Thinking Model,” which drives creative leaps—and implementing the PSDCA framework, it will powerfully drive its clients’ business growth.

Core AI Product Suite: “AI For Growth Suite”

From the “Concept” phase to the “Implementation” phase of corporate marketing activities. At the core of this is the “AI For Growth Suite,” a series of specialized AI products delivered via SaaS. Its main components are as follows:

・Specialized AI Tools: Six types of specialized AI tools for product planning, quantitative research targeting virtual consumers, idea brainstorming, and planning support.

・AI Agent Platform: Equipped with 10 types of specialized AI agents, known as “AI For Growth Marketing Agents,” which provide cross-functional support for the entire marketing process—from research and planning to execution and optimization.

・Data Integration and Analysis Platform: “AI For Growth Decision Hub,” a data platform that supports data-driven decision-making cycles.

AI For Growth Suite Introduction Video

The briefing also featured a demonstration set in a fictional company. Using the suite of AI products, the presentation covered everything from product planning to strategy formulation and media planning, concretely illustrating how marketing operations can be advanced with unparalleled speed and accuracy by fusing human intuition and experience with AI’s analytical and generative capabilities.

It was also noted that many of the products are already available as SaaS solutions and are currently in the implementation phase at client companies.

Moving Beyond: A Future Where AI Connects with AI

Mr. Hisashi Matsunaga, President of Data & Technology at Dentsu Japan, presented a vision for the future—"a future where AI connects with AI"—as a concept looking even further ahead.

He explained that the use of AI agents will enable collaboration that transcends the boundaries between media companies, data firms, and clients, and noted that the company is currently developing the “Marketing Agent Protocol” to facilitate the creation of high-quality and secure agents.

The company has already begun proof-of-concept trials with multiple partners and is envisioning a future where agents autonomously interact with one another to maximize clients’ marketing ROI.

Reliability Supported by Development, Research, and Governance Structures

Finally, Motoki Ano, Head of the Cross Innovation Division at DENTSU SOKEN INC., and Satoru Yamamoto, Deputy Chief AI Officer at DENTSU Inc., explained the framework supporting these cutting-edge initiatives.

On the development front, DENTSU SOKEN INC.—which has a proven track record in large-scale system development—plays a central role, and the company strengthened its development framework by establishing an “AI Development Center” in February 2026. On the research front, the company is incorporating cutting-edge technologies and insights through collaborations with Dentsu Data Artist Mongol (which includes a Mathematics Olympiad medalist), its Indian office (which employs over 5,000 engineers), and joint research with the University of Tokyo.

Mr. Yamamoto also emphasized the importance of utilizing “responsible AI.” He explained that the group is thoroughly ensuring the safe and secure use of AI by establishing a cross-group AI governance framework and setting up a help desk that has handled over 1,100 inquiries.

This announcement can be seen as Dentsu Group presenting concrete solutions for the full-scale “implementation” of AI into marketing operations, demonstrating a strong commitment to leading industry transformation. It is expected that AI, which delivers tangible results in practical applications, will pioneer the future of marketing through co-creation with people.