EQWEL strengthens customer acquisition as it targets 500 centres, with AI support for franchisees in development

EQWEL Co., Ltd., the company behind EQWEL Child Academy, is strengthening its digital infrastructure for customer acquisition and head office support as it expands its network of education centres. Salesforce announced the initiative on 4 November 2026. Alongside a system that allows staff to run marketing campaigns using written instructions, EQWEL is developing AI to handle enquiries from franchise centre owners.

From around 200 centres in Japan to a target of 500 by the end of 2028

EQWEL offers neuroscience-based early childhood education programmes for children from birth through primary school age. Its network comprises around 200 centres across Japan, predominantly operated as franchises, with company-owned centres accounting for roughly 10% of the total.

The company marked its 40th anniversary in 2026. In August that year, Yasumasa Kamiguchi became president and representative director, with Eiko Hasegawa serving as chair and representative director. EQWEL describes this period under its new leadership as a ‘second founding phase’. The leadership team aims to expand the network to 500 centres across Japan by the end of December 2028.

Alongside the need to raise brand awareness and attract more customers, the company faced the challenge of handling a sharp rise in online enquiries and telephone calls. It also said it had not accumulated sufficient customer interaction records or feedback data, making stronger infrastructure necessary to improve the precision of its marketing activities.

The initiative therefore focuses not just on centre numbers, but also on the head office operations needed to support expansion. For the franchise network, the delivery of customer acquisition campaigns and the handling of enquiries will be important areas to watch as the business grows.

Running campaigns through written instructions to Slackbot

EQWEL uses Slack as its company-wide platform for day-to-day work. It has now connected Slackbot to Marketing Cloud Engagement, underpinned by Data 360, enabling marketing staff to operate the system using natural language.

Staff can give Slackbot written instructions to carry out tasks such as setting up campaigns and selecting customer segments to receive communications. The aim is to let staff run campaigns without specialist knowledge of marketing automation systems.

According to the announcement, staff without expertise in SQL or data management can now use the system, reducing the work involved in selecting audiences and configuring communications. The company also reports shorter campaign launch times. However, no specific figures were provided for time saved or increases in customer acquisition.

EQWEL is also using Data 360 to bring together data on whether users open direct marketing messages and how they behave on its website. This links campaign execution with customer data, with the aim of providing information tailored to each user’s interests.

Next steps for online customer engagement and franchisee support

EQWEL plans to proceed with the introduction and implementation of Adaptive Websites. Using a system that includes Agentforce and Personalization, it aims to automate online customer engagement and tailor information to individual visitors.

Specifically, the company plans to use integrated website behaviour data to display relevant course information and routes for making enquiries for each visitor. It intends to strengthen customer acquisition and improve enquiry-handling efficiency on the same data platform.

For franchise centre owners, EQWEL is also developing an Agentforce system to respond autonomously to enquiries through the LINE messaging app, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The aim is to contain head office operating costs while reducing owners’ workloads and the time spent dealing with enquiries, ultimately improving satisfaction among the families using its services.

This franchisee support initiative should be distinguished from the marketing system already in operation. The announcement describes it as being under development and does not specify a launch date, the types of questions it will answer or any results from its use.

Prospective franchisees should distinguish between live systems and those still in development

The announcement confirms that EQWEL has established a system allowing marketing staff to manage campaigns through written instructions, with reported efficiency improvements in tasks such as campaign set-up. By contrast, the 500-centre network remains a future target, while enhanced online customer engagement and AI support for franchisees are still forthcoming initiatives.

At the end of its announcement, Salesforce also cautions that unreleased services and features may not become available as planned, and advises customers to base purchasing decisions on functionality currently available. It is therefore important to distinguish future plans from the support offered today.

Anyone considering joining the franchise should check not only what customer acquisition support is currently available, but also when AI support is expected to launch, which questions it will be able to answer and how owners can contact head office staff for advice. Alongside the network’s expansion target, the practical issue is how far the systems supporting day-to-day operations have actually been implemented.