AGC Chemicals Company Adopts uSonar to Drive Marketing Automation

The Chemicals Company at AGC faced challenges in responding to leads acquired at trade shows and other events. Although they had already implemented a Marketing Automation (MA) tool, actual operations were outsourced to an external vendor. As a result, it could take nearly a month for acquired leads to be organized and registered by the vendor before they were ready for email distribution via the MA tool.
Furthermore, with "lead organization" becoming a "black box" that the company could not track internally, they decided to implement uSonar to build a system where they could manage their own marketing PDCA cycle. By integrating MA with uSonar, they can significantly reduce the man-hours previously spent on manually linking leads with corporate information, enabling a more timely approach.
Additionally, by utilizing the "LBC" corporate database embedded in uSonar, detailed information such as industry and annual revenue can be linked, allowing for information dissemination tailored to the characteristics of each company. As a result, the company expects to achieve timely and effective email newsletter distribution.

The deciding factor for the implementation was the ability to move away from conventional operations that relied on "manual work involving guesswork" and gain "peace of mind and accuracy" through Japan's largest corporate database. Another major point was the high cost-effectiveness achieved through improved operational efficiency and speed compared to outsourcing costs.

• Reduced the time from lead acquisition to newsletter distribution from one month to just a few days
• Enabled pinpoint delivery of appropriate information to the right companies and individuals
• Significantly improved the accuracy of newsletter distribution and target list creation
• Eliminated the "black box" in MA operations and improved reliability
• Reduced external outsourcing costs

For companies struggling with issues like "having implemented MA but not utilizing it fully" or "relying too much on outsourcing," AGC's initiative serves as a model case.

Moving forward, the company will review its marketing operations, which were previously dependent on individual skills and external vendors, and proceed with building a system that allows for continuous improvement and execution in-house. By integrating uSonar and MA, the company aims to move beyond simple mass distribution and instead deliver "meaningful information" at the optimal time to "companies and individuals who need it," which is expected to elevate the overall quality of their marketing initiatives.
As a short-term goal, the company plans to improve the accuracy of email distribution and optimize timing based on lead interest, steadily advancing the establishment of marketing operations that do not rely on individual intuition or manual labor.

Previously, it could take nearly a month for acquired lead information to become available for use in MA, which meant we often missed opportunities to build relationships. Since implementing uSonar, the accuracy of "who we should contact" has improved, and our data-driven decision-making and operations have leveled up.
Tasks that were previously managed through manual effort can now be automated, making them "effortless and standard." uSonar has become an indispensable presence in our newsletter and event invitation operations.

AGC is a comprehensive materials manufacturer with numerous products holding the top global market share. Founded in 1907, the company began with its core business of flat glass production and has since provided materials and solutions needed by society in response to changing times.
Today, the group operates in over 30 countries and regions, expanding its business in a wide range of fields including glass, electronics, chemicals, life sciences, and ceramics. In 2018, the company changed its name from Asahi Glass and, under the mission "AGC, Your Dreams, Our Challenge," continues to support people's lives around the world.

Website URL: https://www.agc.com

Contact for Inquiries
Public Relations, uSonar Co., Ltd. (Hiyama/Sawada)
Email: ir@usonar.co.jp