Leading Generative AI Brands in Japan: Q1 2025 Insights

In the rapidly evolving landscape of Generative AI, three brands have emerged as leaders in Japan: ChatGPT, Adobe Acrobat & Document Cloud, and Google Gemini. This article delves into their performance from Q4 2024 to Q1 2025, highlighting their digital presence, audience trends, app engagement, and advertising strategies. Sensor Tower's unparalleled data insights make it possible to cross-reference web, app, and advertising data for a comprehensive view of these brands' trajectories.

ChatGPT

ChatGPT's digital presence is substantial, featuring its websites, chatgpt.com and openai.com, along with the ChatGPT app.

• Audience Trends: Between Q4 2024 and Q1 2025, chatgpt.com saw a consistent increase in visits, starting at 577M and reaching over 1B by March. Similarly, openai.com visits grew from just under 5.9M to over 12.5M. The monthly deduplicated audience remained stable above 12M across both platforms.

• App Engagement: The ChatGPT app's monthly active user base grew steadily from 4.3M to over 6M by March, underscoring a strong mobile market presence.

• Ad Spend & Channels: Notably, ChatGPT began investing in advertising in Q1 2025, with a modest monthly spend on Facebook and Instagram, peaking at $241K in March, primarily targeting social media platforms.

Adobe Acrobat & Document Cloud

Adobe's presence spans acrobat.adobe.com and the Adobe Acrobat Reader: Edit PDF app.

• Audience Trends: The website experienced fluctuations, peaking in January with 11.7M visits before settling at 5.5M in March. The monthly deduplicated audience remained robust, exceeding 10M.

• App Engagement: The app maintained a stable monthly active user base, hovering around 2.7M active users throughout the quarter.

• Ad Spend & Channels: Adobe's monthly ad spend was substantial, consistently over $900K, with significant impressions across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, indicating a strong multi-channel strategy.

Google Gemini

Google Gemini's digital ecosystem includes gemini.google.com and the Google Gemini app.

• Audience Trends: From October to March, the website visits peaked at over 64M in January, with a stable monthly deduplicated audience just above 1M by the end of Q1 2025.

• App Engagement: The app saw significant growth, starting at 591K monthly active users and reaching nearly 1.8M by March, reflecting an increasing mobile user base.

• Ad Spend & Channels: Ad spend varied, with a significant monthly investment in TikTok during December, totaling over $750K, while other months saw minimal spend, highlighting a targeted campaign approach.

Conclusion

The Q1 2025 data reveal that all three brands have maintained strong digital footprints and user engagement in Japan's Generative AI sector. ChatGPT, Adobe Acrobat & Document Cloud, and Google Gemini each exhibit unique strategies and growth patterns, driven by insights from Sensor Tower's comprehensive data. This analysis underscores the importance of cross-referencing web, app, and advertising data to fully understand the competitive landscape.

Sensor Tower's suite of tools, including Web Insights, App Performance Insights, and Pathmatics, continues to provide unparalleled insights into cross-platform user behavior, offering unique advantages for decision-makers seeking to navigate the evolving digital ecosystem.