Zender Co., Ltd. operates internet media and video channels providing strategy and guides across various fields. From gaming to technology and lifestyle, Zender offers a wide range of information in diverse domains. AnyMind Group’s FourM, supported Zender in boosting advertising revenue for their game strategy site, ‘Gamepedia’. We look at why Zender chose FourM and their strategies regarding ad management.
- Issues
- There were frequent fluctuations in network advertising revenue, leading to instability in earnings
- They were seeking a partner to support areas beyond network advertising
- Strategies
- Implementation of AnyManager
- Designing ad layouts to maximize Session RPM
- Collaborative design of advertising menus and creation of content
- Implementation of technical SEO strategies
- Results
- Ad revenue increased by 30% compared to pre-AnyManager implementation
Interviewer profile
Hirotoshi Maeda President/CEO of Zender inc.
After working as a systems engineer in a construction consulting firm and a portal site operating company, Maeda ventured into a startup where he was involved in the development and operation of social games as a product manager. In 2015, he launched ‘Gamepedia’ as a personal website and in 2017, he incorporated it as a business, founding Zender inc. he continues to be extensively involved in the overall management, operations, and monetization of the same site.
It all began by seeing FourM in the news
First, please tell us about how you came across FourM
I came across the press release of AnyManager GAMES, which prompted me to inquire. It happened to be a time when I was thinking about adding content similar to mini-games on our company’s website. So, I thought, ‘This is it!’ and reached out to FourM. Introducing gaming content usually involves contracts with various game production companies, which can significantly increase costs. However, what appealed to me about AnyManager GAMES was that it didn’t require upfront or monthly fees.
Could you please provide more details about the challenges you were facing at that time?
The challenges we faced were primarily twofold: Firstly, there were significant fluctuations in revenue from advertising, varying greatly depending on the period. Secondly, we lacked alternative revenue sources such as direct advertising or article-based advertisements to supplement the fluctuating income. Before seeking assistance from FourM for our ‘Gamepedia’ operations, we had outsourced the management of advertising to two different companies. This arrangement involved allocating specific ad spaces to these companies, leading to revenue volatility due to seasonal factors. As a solution, we wanted to focus on selling non-network ads like direct advertising and in-article ads to reduce our dependency on programmatic ad revenue. However, we hadn’t made much progress in this area. The companies we had previously outsourced claimed they could support areas beyond programmatic advertising. However, when we approached them for assistance, they responded with ‘we can’t’ to our requests. When we inquired about AnyManager GAMES, discussions about support for programmatic advertising were included. Consequently, we decided to add FourM as a third company alongside the two we were already working with, expanding our outsourcing to three companies in total.
Despite initially having low expectations, a remarkable 30% revenue increase was achieved even among the three competing companies.
What were your expectations when you initially outsourced to FourM?
To be honest, we didn’t have high expectations initially. While we were influenced by the promise of media growth across various domains, not just limited to programmatic advertising, similar assurances from other companies left us skeptical, especially when some couldn’t deliver on those promises. Considering the results, we thought it would be wise to contemplate the future. Consequently, we decided to compare the potential of earnings from the three companies, including FourM.
What were the results of the comparison among the three companies?
At the beginning of the verification process, the performance of the two companies we had been working with previously was better. However, gradually, earnings from FourM improved, and ultimately, FourM consistently delivered the highest performance. Now, compared to before the implementation, the profitability has increased by around 30%
Ultimately, the decision to consolidate partners to FourM was not solely based on profitability. Were there any other deciding factors?
There were two key factors: FourM presented specific sales support plans for pure advertising, article-based ads, and other concrete strategies. They offered beneficial proposals for strategies like SEO, push notifications, and other measures to expand our media presence. Their distinctiveness was in providing concrete proposals regarding support areas beyond programmatic advertising, unlike other companies. Currently, these projects are progressing. Additionally, through our ongoing collaboration, we’ve consistently felt a sense of coherence in their operational policies and support approach, which has built a strong sense of trust.
Lastly, please share your company’s future outlook and what kind of support you expect from FourM within that context.
We anticipate support from FourM that fosters the long-term growth of our media, focusing not just on immediate figures but on sustained growth.
Thank you very much!
About Gamepedia
Gamepedia is a web media platform that provides useful strategy information, handy tools, news, rankings, sale information, and more related to games, entertainment, lifestyle, and similar domains. It primarily focuses on indispensable strategy details during gameplay, tips to overcome challenges, and crucial information about new game releases. Emphasizing highly reliable information ensures accurate details based on gameplay experiences. It aims to guarantee the credibility of sources by utilizing information from official game makers, readers, third parties, and others while ensuring transparency about the information sources. In May 2020, it achieved a monthly visitor count of 10 million and 50 million page views.
