How XM Built Nearly 80 Localised CRM Journeys for Japan
Fixing no-deposit bonus eligibility data in Solitics enabled dynamic segmentation and a trust-driven content model for the Japanese market.
The Strategic Shift to Japanese Lifecycle Marketing
XM aimed to overhaul its Japanese lifecycle conversion through a large-scale marketing automation programme. The goal was to guide users smoothly from registration to their first-time deposit (FTD) and beyond. However, the project revealed that successful CRM localisation depends on two critical foundations: accurate data signals that support real segmentation and communication that reflects how the local market builds trust.
The Data Gap and Cultural Mismatch
The project faced two major constraints that hindered the scaling of automated journeys. Firstly, the most powerful conversion lever—the no-deposit bonus—was not correctly mapped into the Solitics CRM. Without this signal, the system could not distinguish between eligible and ineligible users, leading to inaccurate messaging.
Secondly, the existing European content style, characterized by short and punchy emails, failed to resonate with Japanese traders who equate detail with credibility.
"The automation problem was really a data problem. If bonus eligibility is not mapped correctly, every journey built on top of it becomes unreliable."
Establishing a Reliable Data and Content Foundation
The team conducted cross-department discovery sessions to identify the source of truth for bonus eligibility and mapped this field into Solitics to create a usable decision variable.
Nearly 80 stage-based journeys were developed, covering registration, KYC approval, bonus activation, and trading reminders, all triggered by real-time user behavior.
Messaging was completely rebuilt for the Japanese market, moving away from brevity toward high-density, explanatory content that provides the insurance and precision local users expect.
In Japan, detail is not friction; it is reassurance. Messages were made longer, more explicit, and more operational to remove uncertainty before asking the user to act.
Precision Automation in Action
The value of the new system came from deep separation of user states. Two users registering on the same day would receive entirely different communication based on their specific eligibility status and KYC progress.
- Registration to KYC guidance with detailed documentation requirements
- Dynamic no-deposit bonus eligibility explanations
- KYC-to-FTD journeys focused on funding options and platform access
- Automatic exclusion of ineligible users from promotional flows
- Strict native-language review for linguistic precision
"Localisation was not translation. It was trust engineering."
A Scalable CRM Framework for Japan
XM can now move beyond broad demographic targeting to dynamic filtering based on actual eligibility, lifecycle stage, and behavior.
The deployment of approximately 80 localized journeys creates a coherent and precise user experience across the entire funnel.
By providing detailed answers to operational questions within the CRM flow, XM reduces the need for users to contact support during onboarding.
Total number of stage-based, personalized lifecycle journeys deployed.
The Lessons of Market-Specific Localisation
The XM project proves that CRM performance depends on data fidelity and cultural alignment. By fixing the decision variables and respecting local trust mechanics, XM transformed its Japanese operation from a broad communication model into a highly precise conversion engine.