• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, April 19, 2016

Dentsu, the Tokyo-based parent of Dentsu Aegis, 360i and a variety of agencies, marketing services and media companies, today announced plans for Dentsu Digital, a new division that will launch July 1.

Citing significant changes in consumer behavior and marketing wrought by digital technology, Dentsu said the new division will centralize digital capabilities and intelligence vs. what had been a piecemeal solutions approach.

“The Internet is now second only to television in terms of advertising spending in Japan, and digital market-related spending such as IT consulting, Big Data analytics and support for e-commerce, services that are not part of the traditional advertising market, has expanded greatly,” the company said in a statement announcing the new unit.

Dentsu said Dentsu Digital will work “in collaboration with other Dentsu Group companies to accelerate its share of digital marketing services.

Organizationally, the company said its pre-existing Integrated Digital Marketing Division will be absorbed into Dentsu Digital, along with wholly owned subsidiaries Dentsu e-marketing One Inc. and Nextage Dentsu Inc., both of which are headquartered in Tokyo.