Dentsu Communications history

1906 Telegraphic Service Co. becomes Japan Telegraphic Communication Co., Ltd.

1907: Telegraphic Service Company and Japan Advertising Ltd. merge to form Nihon Denpo-Tsushin Sha (later shortened to Denstu).

Dentsu began collecting and publishing statistics on advertising volume in 1909, the first to do so in Japan.

The military government which came to power in Japan during the 1930’s brought all information services under its control and severely restricted the amount and types of advertising produced in Japan.

1936: Domei news service is formed.

1940 Shinzo Mitsunaga becomes the second President.

1943 The Company acquires 16 companies in a move to augment its advertising agency business.

Founder Mitsunaga died in 1945.

The agency submitted the first application for a commercial radio station in the country just months after the war ended, and Yoshida spoke before the Japanese Diet in 1950 on the importance of commercial broadcasting.

1951 Dentsu establishes the Radio Division at its Head Office and local offices.

1953 Dentsu creates the Radio and Television Division at its Head Office and local offices.

1955 Dentsu Advertising Ltd. becomes the new company name.

1967 Completion of Tsukiji Head Office Building.

The Japanese economy, which in the 1970’s expanded impressively, has been experiencing a slowdown recently.

Since the day it emerged as the largest worldwide advertising agency in 1973, Dentsu has been losing ground to the concerted efforts of American agencies to expand internationally.

1974 Advertising Age ranks Dentsu No.

Dentsu also opened a Shanghai office in 1981.

In 1983, 46 major Japanese companies purchased $1.3 billion worth of foreign advertising (mostly in the United States). And because Dentsu receives only 5% of its income from foreign advertising, it received a very small portion of this new business.

In 1984, for example, Dentsu paid more in bonuses to directors ($1.2 million) than it paid in dividends ($759,000) to its shareholders.

In 1985 Dentsu had billings of more than $3.2 billion.

A Japanese Fair Trade Commission issued guidelines in 1986 stating that comparative advertising was allowable, and Dentsu was the first to try it out.

Dentsu also opened another subsidiary in the United States in 1987, DCA Advertising, and established offices in Germany and the Netherlands.

Eurocom left the three-way joint venture HDM in 1990.

——, “Dentsu Opening United States Promo Shop,” Advertising Age, July 8, 1991, pp.3.

Only a week apart in September 1992, Dentsu acquired 100 percent of BLD Europe, a Brussels firm, and a minority stake in another firm called Publi-Graphics.

1993 Gohei Kogure becomes the first Chairman.

In 1994, Dentsu formed a joint-venture in China with two advertising firms there.

1995 Dentsu establishes five domestic regional subsidiaries.

1996 Japan-China Advertising Education Exchange Project commences.

Harney, Alexandra, “Dentsu Search Over for International Partner,” Financial Times (London), December 10, 1998.

2000 Dentsu makes an equity investment in the Bcom3 Group.

2001 Dentsu lists its shares on the First Section of Tokyo Stock Exchange.

2002 Yutaka Narita becomes the second Chairman.

All of Dentsu’s domestic branch offices receive ISO 14001:2004 certification.

2005 Dentsu Group obtains BS7799 certification and Information Security Management Systems (ISMS) certification.

2007 Dentsu Group achieves consolidated billings (net sales) of 2 trillion yen.

2008 Dentsu establishes an internal committee for the deliberation of environment-related strategies.

2009 Dentsu announces the new Dentsu Group corporate philosophy: “Good Innovation.”

2010 Dentsu establishes Dentsu Digital Holdings.

2011 Tatsuyoshi Takashima becomes the fourth Chairman.

2012 Dentsu establishes the Dentsu Network, an umbrella organization of the Company’s agencies outside Japan.

Dentsu Announces New Medium-Term Management Plan “Dentsu Innovation 2013”.