THECOO

THECOO Inc. operates at the intersection of entertainment and technology, providing a dual-pronged business structure focused on the creator economy. The company was founded on January 20, 2014, by Masato Taira, who brought extensive experience from his tenures at Itochu Corporation, Sony, and Google. Initially established as Ruby Marketing Co., Ltd., its primary focus was on online advertising consulting. The venture was a collaborative effort with Hiroki Shimokawa, a former colleague of Taira's at Google.

The firm pivoted its strategy in 2015 to include influencer marketing and was subsequently rebranded as THECOO Inc. in 2016. A significant milestone was achieved in December 2021 when the company went public, listing on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's Mothers market (now Growth market). This strategic move followed a period of substantial growth, particularly for its flagship product, Fanicon, which gained traction during the COVID-19 pandemic. THECOO's business is segmented into two core areas: the Fan Business Platform and Digital Marketing. The Fan Business Platform is centered around "Fanicon," a membership-based fan community application launched in 2017. This platform enables creators, artists, and influencers (referred to as 'icons') to build and engage with their core fanbases through a subscription model, offering features like live streaming, group chats, and exclusive content. The model is designed to foster direct communication and a sense of community between icons and their supporters.

The Digital Marketing division provides comprehensive support for corporate clients. This includes influencer marketing campaign support, online advertising consulting, and the operation of "iCON Suite," a proprietary tool for analyzing and visualizing influencer data to inform marketing strategies. The company also manages "Studio Coup," an influencer agency specializing in gaming content creators, and operates dedicated studio spaces like BLACKBOX³ to support creator content production. Revenue is generated through client fees for marketing services and a share of the subscription revenue from the Fanicon platform. The company's vision, "to keep challenging the impossible," reflects its ambition to create new forms of entertainment by empowering individual creators through technology.

Keywords: fan community platform, influencer marketing, creator economy, digital marketing, Fanicon, iCON Suite, creator support, fan engagement, online advertising, subscription model, content monetization, Japanese startup, creator management, Studio Coup, entertainment technology, social media marketing, fan club app, Masato Taira, live streaming platform, digital content