Episode 90: LinkedIn Advertising in Japan with Ignacio Davalos

Nov 21, 2025

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In this episode of the Scaling Japan Podcast, we welcome Ignacio Davalos, Content Strategy Director at AIM B2B (a Custom Media company) and an experienced marketer who has led full-funnel B2B and B2C programs for brands like L’Oréal, Gengo, and Lionbridge.

Ignacio breaks down how LinkedIn is actually used in Japan, who the real users are, what types of campaigns perform well, and why Western lead-generation playbooks often fail when applied to the Japanese market. He shares practical insights on localization, targeting, tool integrations, and campaign structure, backed by multiple real case studies.

If you're a marketer, consultant, or B2B advertiser looking to run LinkedIn campaigns in Japan, this episode gives you a tactical, Japan-specific guide to what works and what doesn’t.

This episode is sponsored by Custom Media, Tokyo’s leading integrated marketing and PR agency since 2008, helping global brands expand across Japan and APAC.

They can help you with:

Localized storytelling to build trust in Asian markets
Strategic performance marketing (including LinkedIn Ads)
Account-based marketing (ABM), paid media, GEO, and SEO
HubSpot-certified CRM and marketing automation
Data-driven implementation with cultural expertise

Learn more about AIM B2B here: https://hi.switchy.io/h7TM

00:29 – Introduction

00:56 – Guest Introduction

03:03 – LinkedIn user numbers & growth

07:09 – User demographics in Japan

11:41 – Competitors to LinkedIn

14:10 – How Western companies use LinkedIn

15:50 – How Japan uses LinkedIn differently

18:34 – Japanese vs Western tool integrations

26:30 – French newspaper case study

28:50 – Strengths of LinkedIn as an ad platform

34:39 – Cybersecurity case study

37:29 – How to build a successful awareness-phase campaign

40:10 – Localization of messaging & targeting

48:23 – Japanese vs English ads

49:50 – Pitfall: MBA campaign with low results

51:16 – Common mistakes in follow-up and nurturing

Connect with Ignacio Davalos on LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/ignaciodavalos

Link to GEO Strategy Online Webinar from AIM B2B: https://aim-b2b.com/lp/the-master-generative-engine-optimization-strategy/

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