ValueCommerce to Speak at 'Commerce NEXT 2026'

ValueCommerce Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Hitoshi Kagawa) will sponsor 'Commerce NEXT 2026 by Japan Net Keizai Shimbun' as a Platinum sponsor. The event will be held online on Wednesday, June 24 and Thursday, June 25, 2026. Additionally, on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, at 2:00 PM, Takeshi Amano, Executive Officer and Chief Strategy Officer of the company, will give a seminar titled 'How to Design Third-Party Voices in the AI Search Era: From Being 'Seen' to Being 'Talked About' – A New Strategy Called Narrative Marketing'.

This seminar will explain how companies should design the 'reason to be talked about' as the spread of AI search increases the influence of third-party information such as comparison articles, reviews, SNS, and word-of-mouth on consumer decision-making, beyond just official corporate information.

Based on the knowledge cultivated in affiliate advertising and social commerce, the company proposes the concept of 'Narrative Marketing', which strategically utilizes third-party voices as a new perspective for AI search optimization.

[Background of the Presentation]

It was once said that advertising is a 'love letter'. However, currently, many advertisements are becoming 'annoyances' (noise) for consumers due to dishonest designs symbolized by overlay displays and dark patterns, as well as data and targeting-centric operations that neglect user understanding.

At the same time, the search environment is also undergoing significant changes. In the SEO era, it was important to secure top rankings on official websites or sites with strong domain authority to accurately convey one's own information. However, as exemplified by zero-click searches in the AI search era, the AI that provides summaries to users refers to third-party information such as comparison articles, reviews, SNS, and word-of-mouth as its source material.

In this presentation, based on these structural changes in advertising and search, Narrative Marketing will be presented as a practical redesign philosophy for generating third-party voices, accumulating trust, and leading to purchases. Furthermore, it proposes a shift from (1) the distribution of company-managed messages to the 'distribution of trust and empathy', and (2) from optimizing 'whether it is seen' centered on SEO and RTB to emphasizing 'whether it is talked about in a believable way'.

[Seminar Overview]

Title: How to Design Third-Party Voices in the AI Search Era: From Being 'Seen' to Being 'Talked About' – A New Strategy Called Narrative Marketing

Date and Time: Wednesday, June 24, 2026, 2:00 PM - 2:40 PM

Speaker: Takeshi Amano, Executive Officer, Chief Strategy Officer, ValueCommerce Co., Ltd.

Main Content: ・How the perception of corporate information is changing in the AI search era ・A shift from SEO for being 'found' to design for being 'talked about in a trustworthy way' ・The concept of Narrative Marketing as an AI search strategy ・Key perspectives for BtoC companies to leverage third-party voices

[Recommended Audience]

・Marketing personnel at companies interested in AI search strategies ・Those who feel that SEO and advertising operations alone are not yielding results ・Those who want to strengthen contact points with comparison shoppers in BtoC marketing ・Those considering strategies using word-of-mouth through SNS, influencers, etc. ・Those who want to spread their company's strengths and reasons for being chosen in a trustworthy way

Event Overview

Event Name: Commerce NEXT 2026 by Japan Net Keizai Shimbun

Date and Time: DAY1: Wednesday, June 24, 2026, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM (ValueCommerce presentation: June 24 (Wed), 2:00 PM - 2:40 PM) DAY2: Thursday, June 25, 2026, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Organizer: Japan Ryutsu Sangyo Shimbunsha Co., Ltd.

Distribution Method: Online distribution (via Event Hub) Participation Fee: Free

Application Period: Until Thursday, June 25, 2026, 4:00 PM

Event Official Website: https://commercenext.jp/

Speaker Profile Takeshi Amano Executive Officer, Chief Strategy Officer, ValueCommerce Co., Ltd.

After working at Landscape Co., Ltd. (now Userlocal Co., Ltd.), he joined the advertising division of Yahoo Japan Corporation (now LINE Yahoo Japan Corporation) as a data analyst. As General Manager of the Research Analysis Department, he promoted the formulation of sales and product strategies using data and the visualization of advertising effectiveness. He also concurrently served as Vice President and Representative Director of Handy Marketing Co., Ltd., a joint venture between Hakuhodo DY Media Partners, Yahoo Japan Corporation, and DAC. Currently, he leads business strategy formulation and sales planning at ValueCommerce.

About ValueCommerce Co., Ltd.

ValueCommerce supports customer acquisition, sales promotion, and digital transformation (DX) in the commerce and travel business domains by leveraging technology and data. It provides a variety of marketing solutions to support the business growth of advertisers and partner companies. Furthermore, through its booking engine for accommodation and travel businesses, it contributes to the promotion of DX in the travel industry, including reservation management and direct sales enhancement. We are committed to realizing a sustainable future where companies, consumers, and society co-create value, based on advanced technology and abundant data. https://www.valuecommerce.co.jp/

<Contact for this Event>

ValueCommerce Co., Ltd. Sales Support

E-mail: [email protected]