Welcome to our dedicated page for Rakuten Group news (Ticker: RKUNY), a resource for investors and traders seeking the latest updates and insights on Rakuten Group stock.
Rakuten Group, Inc. (RKUNY) reports developments across its internet services businesses, including digital advertising, streaming media, online securities brokerage, sports marketing and ticketing. News about the company often centers on Rakuten Advertising, its global affiliate marketing network, with updates on AI-driven publisher discovery, campaign intelligence, creator marketing tools, brand-safety features and reporting for advertisers and publishers.
Other recurring themes include Rakuten Viki's Asian-content streaming initiatives, Rakuten Securities platform enhancements, and Rakuten Sports partnerships and ticketed events. Coverage also reflects how the group uses consumer, media, commerce and financial-service brands to expand engagement across Japan and international markets.
Rakuten Advertising has been recognized as the world's best affiliate network for the 12th consecutive year by mThink in its annual Blue Book rankings. Over 25,000 advertisers and publishers contributed to the survey that assesses cost-per-sale networks. Key factors for Rakuten's top ranking included exceptional customer service, advanced technology, and effective results. The CEO of Rakuten Advertising highlighted the importance of partnerships in achieving this accolade and announced plans for investment in advanced technology, data science, and new services for influencers and publishers to enhance performance and expand their global reach.
Rakuten Group and JUBF have launched the inaugural Sun Chlorella's World University Basketball Series (WUBS) in Tokyo from August 9-11, 2022. This tournament will feature top university teams from Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, and Taiwan, competing in a series of six round-robin games. The event aims to empower local talent and strengthen the basketball community.
Tickets are available on the WUBS official site. Future expansions are planned to include more teams and countries.
The Golden State Warriors have renewed their partnership with Rakuten, maintaining the latter as their official jersey badge partner. This renewal, effective from May 23, 2022, will enhance Rakuten's brand visibility across various media platforms and integrate further into Warriors' events. Rakuten members can gain exclusive cash-back offers on merchandise. The collaboration will also see a Rakuten executive join the Warriors Community Foundation to promote educational initiatives in the San Francisco Bay Area. This partnership, initiated in 2017, has significantly boosted Rakuten's brand recognition in the U.S.
On December 17, 2021, Rakuten announced its Personalized Rewards capability, enhancing affiliate and Cash Back marketing by allowing brands to tailor offers at a 1:1 level. Initial campaigns reported a 128% increase in new shoppers and a 125% rise in sales. This innovation utilizes proprietary customer data for optimized Cash Back offers, improving campaign performance. Notable clients include Saks Fifth Avenue and FitFlop, which achieved a 149% increase in new buyers. Rakuten aims to expand its advertising influence while prioritizing enhanced consumer engagement.
The Golden State Warriors and Rakuten Group have renewed their partnership, extending their historic collaboration that started in 2017. The Rakuten logo will continue to appear on Warriors uniforms, enhancing brand visibility. Both organizations emphasize shared values such as innovation and community support. Fans can earn Cash Back from Rakuten through purchases at the Warriors Shop, with special promotions linked to the team's Classic Edition uniform. Rakuten also remains the Warriors' Official E-Commerce and Affiliate Marketing Partner, with plans for joint charitable initiatives in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Xandr, a subsidiary of AT&T, has expanded its collaboration with Rakuten Advertising to enhance inventory access. This partnership enables Xandr to offer premium inventory from Rakuten's portfolio across CTV, digital video, and mobile platforms. The new agreement includes promotional support from Xandr’s Global Supply Evangelism Team and access to Rakuten Viki and Rakuten Viber for buyers in APAC and LATAM regions.
This strategic partnership aims to optimize advertising revenue for both companies while prioritizing transparency in the advertising ecosystem.
Age of Learning and Rakuten Group have announced a joint venture, Age of Learning Japan Co., Ltd., to expand the reach of ABCmouse English in location value="LC/jp"Japan. The venture aims to meet growing demand for children's English language learning, leveraging Rakuten's extensive family connections. ABCmouse English features over 260 lessons and 6,000 interactive resources, incorporating speech recognition technology and a user-friendly dashboard for parents. This initiative is key for Age of Learning's global expansion strategy, marking Japan as a critical market.
Rakuten Symphony, in collaboration with Intel and Juniper Networks, has launched Symware, a cutting-edge Open RAN solution aimed at modernizing mobile networks. This innovation enhances network flexibility and reduces costs by consolidating functionalities on a single server. Symware supports 4G and 5G technologies, enabling network slicing and automation through cloud-native architecture. The solution is expected to be available in the first half of 2022, positioning mobile operators for improved efficiency and innovative service delivery.
Marriott International (NASDAQ: MAR) and Rakuten Group (JASDAQ: 4755) announced a strategic partnership aimed at enhancing travel experiences for Japanese customers. This collaboration will merge Rakuten's digital expertise with Marriott Bonvoy's global reach, offering seamless travel benefits to Rakuten members. The initiative enables easy enrollment in Marriott Bonvoy and access to various exclusive experiences. Set to launch in late-November 2021, this alliance targets Japan's growing digital economy and aims to capture a larger share of the domestic travel market.
Rakuten Advertising has appointed Anthony Capano as North America Managing Director and Rakhee Jogia as International Managing Director. Both will focus on expanding global performance marketing and advertising through enhanced client strategies, technological innovation, and stronger brand partnerships. Capano, with nearly a decade of experience, will work on integrating Rakuten Americas properties and broadening the publisher network. Jogia, previously Vice President of Publisher Partnerships, aims to elevate service and strategy across EMEA, LATAM, and APAC markets.