Our Professional Series dives deep into the lives of the outstanding pros who power the PayPay Group. In this edition, we chat with Hiroyuki Sato, the head of the Product Marketing Team within the Marketing Planning Department. He opens up about what got him on board, memorable projects, and true enjoyment of his work.
Hiroyuki Sato
Leader, Product Marketing Team, Marketing Planning Department, Marketing Planning Division
After cutting his teeth at a printing company, he made the jump to SoftBank, where he spent several years crafting promotional tools. He took the leap to join PayPay in October 2018, throwing himself into promotion duties. From April 2022, when the Product Marketing Team was born, he’s been full-throttle on driving marketing across a slew of services.
Tapping Into Years of Promo Know-How to Drive Marketing
Can you tell us what led you to join PayPay?
I’ve always loved brainstorming design concepts, especially with how tangible they become in catalogues and other promotional formats. After college, I started with a printing company where I handled both sales and planning. But I found myself longing to shift from just following client directives to promoting our own services, which is what nudged me toward SoftBank. There, I was deeply involved in creating catalogs and in-store tools for many years.
My paths crossed with PayPay during a department shuffle that had me working on new projects. It was PayPay’s early days, but I was captivated by its momentum and eager to dive back into promotional work. Fast forward to October 2018—I was knee-deep in promo duties once more in the Promotion Division. Now, since April 2022, I’ve been jamming with the Identity Verification Promotions Team, driving marketing initiatives.
What’s your team all about? What’s its mission?
The Product Marketing Team is the engine driving marketing for PayPay’s eclectic mix of functions and services. We’re talking P2P (peer-to-peer payments), bill payments, “Go to Market (GTM)” strategies for partner point-up merchants, campaigns for PayPay goods and local premium vouchers, eKYC (electronic Know Your Customer), donations, and way more. New services pop up all the time at PayPay, and our job is to craft and execute novel strategies to highlight these offerings and boost user engagement.
As the team lead, I oversee the entire team, but there are times when I also take on the role of an individual contributor to drive marketing efforts. We hold daily online meetings to see each other face-to-face and collaboratively exchange ideas, working together with the team members to move our tasks forward.
Cracking the Essence of Marketing with 30 Million Verified Users
Any projects that really left a mark on you?
The push to ramp up “eKYC”—that was a standout project for me.
“Identity Verification” checks if a PayPay app registrant is indeed who they say they are. With the global spotlight on terrorism and criminal activities, tightening money laundering and terrorism financing defenses is more important than ever. FATF—the Financial Action Task Force, which sets and enforces global anti-money laundering standards—has Japan’s financial institutions under its watchful eye. For PayPay, this meant ensuring user safety by boosting identity verification efforts.
Before this push, although we were nudging users to verify their identity, actual uptake was low. Our promos were mainly all about the benefit of verifying, with not enough framing on the core necessity.
Switching up our strategy meant first getting everyone at PayPay clued up on why identity verification matters. I pitched the idea that beyond safety, it lets users unlock richer possibilities within PayPay. We whipped up campaigns where perks hinged on verification, driving home its core benefits. By June 2024, verified users hit the 30 million mark—proof of success as users has embraced the rewards and necessity of verification.
Since February 2024, getting verified on PayPay has streamlined parts of opening accounts with PayPay Bank and PayPay Securities. This initiative doesn’t just strengthen security—it taps into the wider synergy across PayPay Group.
What were the toughest parts?
For users to actually verify their identity, they need to get what’s in it for them—in plain language. When tasking the web team with creating the landing page (LP) for these campaigns, I first had to nail down and demystify the relevance of verification myself.
It was a process—figuring out how to convey the essence of verification without getting bogged down in jargon or losing the important message. With the top brass breathing down our necks about boosting verified users, the pressure was real.
Eventually, we opted for simplicity—cutting through with clear messages. We ditched technical terms like “money laundering” and instead showcased tangible benefits: complete refunds even if something goes wrong, more services and stores like Amazon accepting PayPay, and enhanced transaction options directly from bank accounts. We made sure to articulate PayPay’s data protection efforts clearly and concisely, dispelling personal data concerns.
That LP we crafted has evolved over time, but it remains a pivotal tool for ingraining the importance of identity verification. The challenges faced made the final product resonate all the more intensely with users.
Helping Users Feel that Life’s a Little Richer with PayPay
What’s the best part of your job?
PayPay’s all about rolling out features that shake up our ways of living. Picture this—you used to have to meet up to split dinner tabs or wire money via ATM for family help. With PayPay, it’s just a matter of whipping out your smartphone anytime, anywhere.
I relish helping users experience these conveniences and feel an enriched lifestyle. Since there’s no rulebook dictating campaigns, I get to dream up and sculpt promotional strategies and messages. Feeling the pulse of user reactions drives job satisfaction. Even when messaging stumps me, having a team at hand for brainstorming smooths things out—something that future team members will, I’m sure, find reassuring.
What’s on the horizon for you? Any personal challenges?
Pushing more users to verify remains a major goal. Previously, our messaging was a blanket approach, but we’re going to start slicing and dicing user segments. We’ll investigate why folks opt to verify and what changes it triggers for them—tailoring strategies for different segments accordingly.
From a marketing angle, harnessing verification data offers exciting prospects. Imagine utilizing matched name and address details to promote family P2P payments or rolling out age-specific campaigns through merchants. Such ideas could take marketing strategies to new heights. Internally, too, using verification data during projects is a frequent buzzword. Increasing verified users is more than just generating security benefits—it’s tapping into wider business potential. I’m keen to continue down this path.
Any final thoughts for our readers?
PayPay keeps pushing boundaries and conjuring up new services. If you love a challenge and thrive in dynamic environments, you’ll find endless opportunities here. We’re eager to welcome fresh ideas and talent aboard. Hope to see you soon!
Current job openings
*Job openings and employee affiliations are current as of the time of the interview.