Shirofune Moves Beyond Clicks and Conversions with Launch of Upper-Funnel Metrics

Shirofune, the leading platform for digital advertising automation, announced new reporting and automatic optimization features that strengthen its capabilities for brand awareness, moving beyond lower funnel metrics to higher funnel metrics.

Traditionally, the digital advertising sector has prioritized short-to medium-term performance indicators or lower funnel metrics, such as clicks, conversions, focusing primarily on outcomes that drive direct sales or leads.

With this update, Shirofune extends its optimization capabilities to include upper-funnel performance indicators such as Reach and Frequency for Display and Video ad campaigns. This advancement allows advertisers to assess both immediate performance and long-term brand-building impact across the entire marketing funnel.

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“In recent years, as digital advertising media and formats have become richer, such as with video, the proportion of upper funnel advertising in digital advertising has grown significantly. Therefore, advertisers are increasingly seeking solutions that can manage the full customer journey that span the funnel,” says Mitsunaga Kikuchi, founder and CEO of Shirofune. “This update reflects our commitment to providing a truly comprehensive automation platform that supports both performance and brand marketing goals. The aim is to build mental availability, ensuring your brand comes to mind when a relevant need arises.”

Upper-funnel marketing focuses on building brand awareness and reaching new audiences who may not yet need the product. The acronym, TOFU, generally forms the first stage of the marketing funnel and targets people who are not actively looking to buy. This group makes up the majority of your audience.

TOFU activity often differs from bottom-of-funnel (BoFu), which focuses on converting people who are already showing intent. TOFU creates demand by increasing visibility and building credibility over time. Common TOFU channels include brand advertising, thought leadership, and educational content. These help people understand who you are and where you fit, but don’t usually lead to immediate sales. By integrating these new metrics into its automated optimization and reporting tools, Shirofune empowers advertisers to balance direct response performance with sustainable brand growth.

Likewise, mid-funnel marketing is about nurturing interest and encouraging consideration, such as through blog content or educational resources that highlight what makes a product unique. Lower-funnel marketing targets consumers who are ready to buy, using tactics like remarketing ads or direct calls-to-action such as “Buy now.” Its value tends to show up over time through improved mental recall and stronger performance further down the funnel, making TOFU efforts essential for long-term growth. For example, TV commercials often aim to introduce a brand and create familiarity.

“A full-funnel marketing strategy integrates all three stages—awareness, consideration, and purchase—ensuring consistent messaging and engagement throughout the customer journey,” says Kikuchi.

Founded in 2014, Shirofune is an automated advertising management tool that maximizes the efficiency and productivity of major digital advertising platforms. The Shirofune platform is designed to enhance advertising effectiveness by automating day-to-day digital ad campaigns through a single, easy-to-use interface. Over 10,000 accounts have been automated using Shirofune, including 300,000 active ad campaigns. Shirofune has been selected as the only Yahoo! Ads API-certified partner tool in Japan.

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