Consulting Report
17 Sep 2025

Online advertising in Japan – the SMB perspective

Japan is seeing a rapidly maturing online advertising sector. This presents significant opportunity for digital growth, and promises important benefits for small and medium-sized businesses and the broader Japanese economy.

A robust online advertising industry is maturing in Japan, the world’s third largest advertising market. Japan is uniquely positioned relative to other countries, with traditional forms of advertising still accounting for around half of all advertising spend, more than other significant markets. Japan has huge potential to grow its online advertising industry, with cascading economic benefits, particularly for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), a critical segment of the economy.

In partnership with Google, Oxford Economics surveyed 1,000 SMBs across nine industries in Japan to understand their online advertising strategies, growth plans, barriers to adoption, and returns on investment.

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The experts behind the research
  • John Reiners

    John Reiners

    Managing Editor, EMEA, Thought Leadership, Oxford Economics
    John Reiners

    Managing Editor, EMEA, Thought Leadership, Oxford Economics

    John oversees Thought Leadership projects with EMEA-based clients. He works across business sectors and disciplines, but specialises in issues relating to strategy and business operations, such as sustainability, digital transformation, employment and skills, finance, and performance management. He has directed the Thought Leadership contribution on some of Oxford Economics’ largest and most complex research programmes, for global consultancies and corporates, including Accenture, the Adecco Group, Cognizant, EY, Fujitsu and YouTube. Often this is in collaboration with his economist colleagues to blend qualitative and quantitative analysis, and to explore the impact of corporate actions at a business, industry and economy level.

    John joined Oxford Economics in 2014, after 25 years as a Financial Controller, financial management consultant and, most recently, a thought leadership expert for IBM’s Institute for Business Value, focused on global public sector issues. John then worked on the independent Digital Government Review as input to the UK General Election. He is an Economics graduate from Sussex University and a Chartered Management Accountant (ACMA).

  • Alice Pickthall

    Alice Pickthall

    Senior Research Manager, Thought Leadership
  • Sundus Alfi

    Sundus Alfi

    Senior Editor, Thought Leadership
    Sundus Alfi

    Senior Editor, Thought Leadership

    Sundus manages research programs for the Thought Leadership team, focusing on topics like generative AI, customer experiences, sustainability, and the future of work. She is involved in all aspects of research, from drafting hypotheses and designing global executive, employee, and consumer surveys to analyzing large datasets and reporting on the results in briefing papers and graphics. She also has experience conducting interviews, writing case studies, and presenting her research in webinars.

    Sundus graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2018 with degrees in Public Policy and Economics.

  • Daniel Filippi

    Daniel Filippi

    Research Manager, Thought Leadership
    Daniel Filippi

    Research Manager, Thought Leadership

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