ADK Holdings and Stagwell have formalised a three-year strategic partnership to help Japanese brands and intellectual property (IP) reach international audiences while creating new growth opportunities for global brands seeking to strengthen their presence in Japan.

Under the agreement, the companies will combine ADK’s local market expertise and intellectual property capabilities with Stagwell’s international agency network, marketing technology, data and analytics resources to support cross-border business expansion.

The deal builds on a memorandum of understanding signed in July 2025, which enabled both organisations to test their collaboration through joint assignments. During the subsequent year, they worked on projects designed to help Japanese corporate clients enter overseas markets and extend the international reach of Japan-originated intellectual property.

With that initial cooperation providing a foundation, the new master agreement establishes a longer-term framework for coordinated business development, resource sharing and closer operational collaboration.

A major priority will be taking Japanese intellectual property into international markets, with North America serving as the initial focus. To advance this objective, ADK will contribute its understanding of Japan’s IP ecosystem and marketing operations, while Stagwell will deploy its US agency network, data capabilities and analytical tools to support international expansion.

Beyond intellectual property, the partnership will target multinational and global brands seeking to enter or expand their operations in Japan. By combining their respective strengths, the companies intend to develop market-specific marketing strategies and provide support for businesses navigating the Japanese market.

Additionally, both organisations plan to continue assisting Japanese companies pursuing international growth while exploring opportunities to share data, technology tools and marketing solutions across their networks. The three-year arrangement also provides for resource allocation and personnel exchanges, enabling teams from both sides to work more closely on joint initiatives.

Masato Suematsu, executive officer, global marketing at ADK Marketing Solutions, said the experience gained through the past year of cooperation had strengthened the case for a deeper relationship. According to Suematsu, the companies have already established a working track record across Japan and international markets, giving them a practical basis for expanding their joint activities.

He explained that combining Stagwell’s global reach, technology and data analytics with ADK’s local expertise would improve their capacity to help Japanese businesses and intellectual property expand overseas. The arrangement would also strengthen their support for international brands seeking growth opportunities in Japan.

For Stagwell, the agreement reflects a partnership built on practical experience rather than an alliance formed solely around future ambitions. Randy Duax, managing director, Stagwell Asia Pacific, said the companies had spent the preceding year testing their ability to work together before committing to a broader strategic framework.

Duax pointed to ADK’s knowledge of Japanese consumers and the country’s intellectual property ecosystem as a complement to Stagwell’s international network, which connects marketing talent with artificial intelligence, data, technology and specialist agency capabilities.

He said the combined strengths positioned the two companies to help Japanese brands and IP gain wider global recognition while enabling international businesses to compete more effectively in Japan. Having established the basis for collaboration, Duax added, both organisations were now prepared to expand their joint efforts.

The agreement also comes as Stagwell continues to reorganise and strengthen its global marketing services around technology-enabled solutions. Earlier in October, the network introduced Stagwell Media, a global media agency designed around an integrated operating model supported by its agentic technology platform, Machine OS. The launch builds on Assembly’s existing capabilities in performance marketing and the broader marketing ecosystem, adding artificial intelligence to the agency’s service offering.

At the time, Stagwell chairman and chief executive officer Mark Penn said the new operation would help brands respond more quickly to market changes, connect with audiences more effectively and pursue business growth as agentic systems increasingly shape how consumers discover, evaluate and act on recommendations.

Against this backdrop, the ADK partnership extends Stagwell’s wider effort to connect its international network, data resources and technology capabilities with market-specific expertise. For ADK, the arrangement creates a broader platform for taking Japanese intellectual property and corporate brands into new territories while supporting overseas businesses seeking to establish or expand their position in Japan.

The three-year collaboration therefore places cross-border growth at the centre of both companies’ plans, with joint execution, shared capabilities and deeper market access forming the basis of their expanded relationship.