<Event Report> SmartNews Hosts 'SmartNews Ads Conference 2026'
Key facts
- <Event Report> SmartNews Hosts 'SmartNews Ads Conference 2026'
- SmartNews held the 'SmartNews Ads Conference 2026' in Toranomon Hills on May 21, 2026. CEO Kaie Hamamoto emphasized the importance of reliable primary information in the age of generative AI. Taku Nishide, Executive Officer, argued that advertising evaluation is shifting from impressions to 'Quality of Attention,' highlighting SmartNews as a medium that captures high levels of active attention.
- Source: PR Times
- Date: June 8, 2026
Direct answer
SmartNews held the 'SmartNews Ads Conference 2026' in Toranomon Hills on May 21, 2026. CEO Kaie Hamamoto emphasized the importance of reliable primary information in the age of generative AI. Taku Nishide, Executive Officer, argued that advertising evaluation is shifting from impressions to 'Quality of Attention,' highlighting SmartNews as a medium that captures high levels of active attention.
- Citation
- <Event Report> SmartNews Hosts 'SmartNews Ads Conference 2026' (June 8, 2026), PR Times
- Source
- PR Times
- Date
- June 8, 2026
SmartNews held the 'SmartNews Ads Conference 2026' in Toranomon Hills on May 21, 2026. CEO Kaie Hamamoto emphasized the importance of reliable primary information in the age of generative AI. Taku Nishide, Executive Officer, argued that advertising evaluation is shifting from impressions to 'Quality of Attention,' highlighting SmartNews as a medium that captures high levels of active attention.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: June 8, 2026 at 20:00
- 🔍 Collected: June 8, 2026 at 11:21
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: June 8, 2026 at 12:12 (50 min after Collected)
Date: May 21, 2026 (Thursday), 16:30 - 20:00
Location: Toranomon Hills TOKYO NODE Hall
SmartNews, Inc. held a business conference for advertising agencies and advertisers, the 'SmartNews Ads Conference 2026,' on May 21, 2026.
At the conference, under the brand advertising solution concept 'Deep Attention & Deep Moments' offered by 'SmartNews Ads,' the latest trends in the advertising environment surrounding the news app 'SmartNews,' the company's future business vision, and recent co-creation cases with advertisers were introduced.
What SmartNews Can and Should Do in the Generative AI Era
The conference opened with a greeting from Kaie Hamamoto, President and CEO. Hamamoto pointed out that as generative AI permeates society, how information is created, delivered, and received is changing significantly. On the other hand, he noted that the evolution of generative AI is creating new challenges regarding trust in information, such as the increased spread of misinformation and disinformation.
"We believe that in such an era, the mission of SmartNews to 'deliver quality information from around the world to those who need it' becomes more important than ever. We will continue to deliver reliable primary information provided by over 3,000 media partners daily."
Kaie Hamamoto, President and CEO, SmartNews, Inc.
Hamamoto also touched upon the perspective of whether information that can be obtained efficiently is the only quality information in modern times, where time performance, or 'Taipa,' is emphasized.
"We believe that the essence of quality information lies in information that brings satisfaction, such as excitement that moves the heart or unexpected encounters that make life a little richer."
He then introduced that SmartNews is working on creating new information experiences that go beyond conventional frameworks while utilizing AI. He stated, "We want our evolution to be an evolution that expands the possibilities of your business," demonstrating his stance of contributing to the businesses of advertisers.
Advertising Evaluation Axis: From 'Volume of Impressions' to 'Quality of Attention'
In the following session, Taku Nishide, Executive Officer, Head of Japan Advertising Business and Head of President's Office, titled 'Deep Attention & Deep Moments Opened by AI,' explained the changes in the environment surrounding advertising and the unique value offered by SmartNews.
Nishide first mentioned the current media environment where the amount of information consumers touch is greatly increasing, while the time to face information is limited. He explained that information gathering is changing significantly, citing the normalization of 'watching while doing' (using a smartphone while watching TV), the spread of 'zero-click searches' where users are satisfied with AI summaries at the top of search results and do not transition to the next page, and the penetration of obtaining information by asking questions to LLMs.
Taku Nishide, Executive Officer, Head of Japan Advertising Business
On the other hand, new challenges are emerging in the advertising market while responding to these environmental changes. It is said that the time a person can concentrate on one task on a screen has decreased by about 69% in 20 years, from about 2.5 minutes in 2004 to 47 seconds in 2024. Also, research results show that when Active Attention exceeds 2.5 seconds, ads begin to remain in memory and have a positive impact on brand selection rates.
Nishide explained that many companies and ad platforms have made various efforts to acquire attention, which has become rarer in the last 20 years. On the other hand, he mentioned the challenges currently facing the advertising market, stating that excessive efforts have led to the spread of ads that hinder user experience and become a factor that damages trust from consumers.
Based on this situation, Nishide explained that 'Quality of Attention' will become more important in future advertising evaluation. He introduced that SmartNews is a 'focused viewing medium' that is difficult to use while 'watching while doing' and to which users direct active attention. As proof, he showed that in a survey that scored the degree of focused viewing, SmartNews obtained a result of 79%, exceeding TV (48%), major SNS (61%), and major portals (68%).
Location: Toranomon Hills TOKYO NODE Hall
SmartNews, Inc. held a business conference for advertising agencies and advertisers, the 'SmartNews Ads Conference 2026,' on May 21, 2026.
At the conference, under the brand advertising solution concept 'Deep Attention & Deep Moments' offered by 'SmartNews Ads,' the latest trends in the advertising environment surrounding the news app 'SmartNews,' the company's future business vision, and recent co-creation cases with advertisers were introduced.
What SmartNews Can and Should Do in the Generative AI Era
The conference opened with a greeting from Kaie Hamamoto, President and CEO. Hamamoto pointed out that as generative AI permeates society, how information is created, delivered, and received is changing significantly. On the other hand, he noted that the evolution of generative AI is creating new challenges regarding trust in information, such as the increased spread of misinformation and disinformation.
"We believe that in such an era, the mission of SmartNews to 'deliver quality information from around the world to those who need it' becomes more important than ever. We will continue to deliver reliable primary information provided by over 3,000 media partners daily."
Kaie Hamamoto, President and CEO, SmartNews, Inc.
Hamamoto also touched upon the perspective of whether information that can be obtained efficiently is the only quality information in modern times, where time performance, or 'Taipa,' is emphasized.
"We believe that the essence of quality information lies in information that brings satisfaction, such as excitement that moves the heart or unexpected encounters that make life a little richer."
He then introduced that SmartNews is working on creating new information experiences that go beyond conventional frameworks while utilizing AI. He stated, "We want our evolution to be an evolution that expands the possibilities of your business," demonstrating his stance of contributing to the businesses of advertisers.
Advertising Evaluation Axis: From 'Volume of Impressions' to 'Quality of Attention'
In the following session, Taku Nishide, Executive Officer, Head of Japan Advertising Business and Head of President's Office, titled 'Deep Attention & Deep Moments Opened by AI,' explained the changes in the environment surrounding advertising and the unique value offered by SmartNews.
Nishide first mentioned the current media environment where the amount of information consumers touch is greatly increasing, while the time to face information is limited. He explained that information gathering is changing significantly, citing the normalization of 'watching while doing' (using a smartphone while watching TV), the spread of 'zero-click searches' where users are satisfied with AI summaries at the top of search results and do not transition to the next page, and the penetration of obtaining information by asking questions to LLMs.
Taku Nishide, Executive Officer, Head of Japan Advertising Business
On the other hand, new challenges are emerging in the advertising market while responding to these environmental changes. It is said that the time a person can concentrate on one task on a screen has decreased by about 69% in 20 years, from about 2.5 minutes in 2004 to 47 seconds in 2024. Also, research results show that when Active Attention exceeds 2.5 seconds, ads begin to remain in memory and have a positive impact on brand selection rates.
Nishide explained that many companies and ad platforms have made various efforts to acquire attention, which has become rarer in the last 20 years. On the other hand, he mentioned the challenges currently facing the advertising market, stating that excessive efforts have led to the spread of ads that hinder user experience and become a factor that damages trust from consumers.
Based on this situation, Nishide explained that 'Quality of Attention' will become more important in future advertising evaluation. He introduced that SmartNews is a 'focused viewing medium' that is difficult to use while 'watching while doing' and to which users direct active attention. As proof, he showed that in a survey that scored the degree of focused viewing, SmartNews obtained a result of 79%, exceeding TV (48%), major SNS (61%), and major portals (68%).
FAQ
When and where was the SmartNews Ads Conference 2026 held?
It was held on Thursday, May 21, 2026, at the TOKYO NODE Hall in Toranomon Hills.
What is the concept of the brand advertising solution proposed by SmartNews?
The concept is 'Deep Attention & Deep Moments'.
What challenges in the modern media environment were pointed out by Takashi Nishide?
He pointed out that while the amount of information is increasing, the time to engage with it is limited, and phenomena such as multitasking, zero-click search, and changes in information gathering behavior due to LLMs are becoming common.
What was explained to be important in future advertising evaluation?
It was explained that the focus will shift from the 'quantity of impressions' to the 'quality of attention' that contributes to brand selection.
What is SmartNews's dedicated viewing score?
SmartNews achieved a dedicated viewing score of 79%, surpassing TV (48%), major SNS (61%), and major portals (68%).