1st Party Ads Development for Media Platforms

Introduction

This project aimed to extend the existing 1st Party Ads system from the Japanese market to the US market.

During development, we faced challenges such as supporting multiple currencies and time zones, managing different feature flags, and more. This article explains these challenges, how we solved them, and the resulting business impact.

• SITUATION: Challenges and Background
• TASK: Goals and Role
• ACTION: Approach and Execution
  • 1️⃣ Extending the Japanese System for the US Market
  • 2️⃣ Feature Flag Management Optimization
  • 3️⃣ A/B Testing and Data Analysis
• RESULT: Business Impact
• Conclusion

SITUATION: Challenges and Background

Our company already had a 1st Party Ads system for the Japanese market, but strategic decisions required expansion to the US market.

• Strengthen advertising operations in the US without relying on 3rd Party Ads
• Adapt the existing system to a new market while maintaining compatibility
• Technical challenges: multiple currencies, time zones, and feature flag management

TASK: Goals and Role

Project objectives:

• Deploy 1st Party Ads in the US
• Optimize feature flag management across different markets
• Develop new features for Japan while minimizing impact on US deployment
• KPIs: initial user adoption 120%, ad revenue 200%

As Frontend Lead, I oversaw technical design and implementation, coordinating feature development with up to 10 engineers.

ACTION: Approach and Execution

1️⃣ Extending the Japanese System for the US Market

We designed the system to adapt the existing Japanese platform to the US market, considering different currencies, time zones, and US-specific ad requirements.

• Designed a system to flexibly switch features between JP/US markets
• Managed parallel development of new features across markets

2️⃣ Feature Flag Management Optimization

Managing feature flags was crucial for a phased US launch.

• Independently manage JP feature development and US deployment
• Control release impact to ensure safe rollout

3️⃣ A/B Testing and Data Analysis

We used internal dashboards, Google Analytics, and user interviews to measure effectiveness and implement continuous improvements.

RESULT: Business Impact

Outcomes of the project:

✅ Initial user adoption 120% (exceeding target) ✅ Ad revenue 200% (well above forecast) ✅ Successfully deployed to US market while continuing JP feature development

Conclusion

The project delivered:

• Market expansion through system extension
• Flexible handling of currencies and time zones
• Reduced release risk via feature flag management
• Continuous optimization via A/B testing

It significantly contributed to business growth.