Company Overview

TECROWD is a real estate crowdfunding platform operated by TECRA Inc., allowing individuals to invest in real estate from ¥100,000 (approximately $650) per unit. By managing everything from property selection to contract execution in-house, the company makes real estate investing accessible even to first-time investors.

Trust and brand credibility are fundamental to the business. “As an investment service, trust with users is the most important thing,” says Ms. Sugino. “We work constantly to eliminate concerns such as, ‘Is TECROWD really safe?’ so users can engage with confidence

The Problem

In early 2025, the team began experiencing a rapid increase in suspicious inquiries. Around the same time, they were running a high-volume, cross-channel digital advertising campaign designed to expand reach and acquisition.

While delivery volume increased, several critical challenges emerged:

• Ads appeared on placements that could not be fully monitored or controlled
• Suspicious traffic and inquiries increased, creating operational strain
• Fraudulent clicks and conversions risked distorting ad platform learning
• Advertising performance did not consistently translate into meaningful business results

To mitigate risk, the marketing team manually excluded problematic placements. However, this approach was reactive, labor-intensive, and ultimately unsustainable. Over-excluding placements also carried the risk of reducing impressions and negatively impacting performance.

For a brand operating in the financial and investment space, potential damage to trust and brand image was a serious concern.

“Advertising only has value when it reaches the people who truly need it,” explains Ms. Sugino. “That’s precisely why we could not allow improper ad delivery to damage our brand.”

A scalable way to protect ad quality without sacrificing growth was clearly needed.

The Solution

After evaluating expected impact and cost, the company decided to implement Spider AF, an ad fraud prevention and ad quality control solution.

The decision was driven by several key factors, according to Ms. Sugino:

• Clear cost effectiveness, with projected fraud reduction exceeding tool costs
• Automated control of fraudulent clicks, conversions, and placements
• Improved visibility into where ads were being served
• Reduced reliance on manual, reactive operations

Before full deployment, the team conducted a trial. The results immediately revealed the true extent of wasted ad spend and fraudulent activity.

During the trial, Ms. Sugino and her team confirmed:

• A higher-than-expected volume of fraudulent clicks
• A meaningful percentage of total conversions classified as fraudulent
• Ads appearing on sites that posed both brand and operational risk

By removing fraudulent data from the equation, the solution enabled optimization and decision-making based on accurate performance signals.

The Results

Following implementation, the company saw measurable improvements across both marketing efficiency and business outcomes.

Most notably, Ms. Sugino reports:

• The conversion rate from member registration to investor registration improved by approximately 1.8×
• Suspicious traffic and inquiries were dramatically reduced
• Ad quality improved as delivery was limited to appropriate, brand-safe placements
• Marketing decisions became more reliable due to the removal of fraudulent clicks and conversions

“Once fraudulent traffic was removed, our ads began reaching users with genuine investment intent,” says Ms. Sugino. “That directly contributed to the improvement in investor conversion.”

These outcomes aligned closely with the team’s core marketing philosophy: advertising only creates value when it reaches the right people.

Why Spider AF

The solution proved particularly effective for cross-channel campaigns, where manual placement control is inherently difficult.

“Our campaigns span multiple channels, and manually controlling placements has clear limits,” notes Ms. Sugino. “Having that process automated made a significant difference.”

In industries such as finance, where customer trust is a critical asset, ad quality assurance is viewed as non-negotiable.

Looking Ahead

Future marketing efforts will focus on delivering high-quality, relevant advertising to users with strong intent, while continuing to protect brand credibility.

“Our goal is to deliver advertising efficiently and carefully to people who truly need TECROWD,” says Ms. Sugino. “At the same time, we want to remain a brand that people can invest in with confidence.”

Summary

By implementing Spider AF, the company moved beyond reactive fraud countermeasures and established a scalable framework for ad quality control. The result was not only reduced waste and risk, but a direct improvement in investor conversion.

This case demonstrates how protecting ad quality can directly support business growth, especially in trust-driven industries where brand reputation and customer confidence are essential.

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