IJBA 2025 SME of the Year: Custom Media
The Ireland Japan Chamber of Commerce (IJCC) was honoured to host the 2025 Ireland Japan Business Awards (IJBA) in the Conrad Tokyo on Friday, 21st November.
Each year the Chamber celebrates key companies and individuals for their outstanding contributions to Ireland-Japan business relations.
The SME of the Year Award was one of four award categories this year.
The SME of the Year Award recognizes a small or medium-sized enterprise that has demonstrated exceptional growth, innovation, or commitment to Ireland-Japan business relations. SMEs are a core part of our community, and make up many of the Irish-Japanese businesses that are most familiar to us - including everything from Irish pubs and bands to startups and small-scale importers.
Custom Media is a creative agency providing B2B marketing services with 17 years of experience in the Japanese market. Over the course of 2024-2025, they implemented a successful and wide-reaching integrated PR and social media campaign to raise the profile of one of their largest Irish clients in Japan and encourage greater inward investment to Ireland. Through this, they have actively supported the growth of Ireland-Japan business relations over the last fiscal year, which is why we are delighted to award the 2025 SME of the Year Award to Custom Media.
SME of the Year Award – Custom Media
Mr. Robert Heldt, CEO and Co-founder of Custom Media, and Mr. Simon Farrell, Publisher at Custom Media, were welcomed onstage to receive the award and deliver their comments.
“We’re deeply grateful to the IJCC for recognizing Custom Media as the 2025 SME of the Year. This honor means a lot to us.
Over the past 17 years, our journey has been one of constant reinvention — from print to digital, to becoming a full-service B2B agency, and now navigating the fast-evolving world of AI. Through all that change, one thing has always stayed the same — our people. Simon and I feel incredibly fortunate to work alongside such a talented and dedicated team who show up every day with creativity, resilience, and passion.
We’re also lucky to collaborate with amazing clients like IDA Ireland and global B2B brands across manufacturing, technology, healthcare, and clean energy — organizations that inspire us with their innovation and purpose. Their trust keeps us focused on our mission to help drive meaningful, sustainable change.
We’re truly honored and look forward to continuing to work closely with the IJCC community in the years ahead.” – Robert Heldt, CEO & Co-founder, Custom Media KK
“This award is testament to the incredible dedication, innovation and leadership of CEO Robert Heldt who is the real driving force behind Custom Media.
Since we established Custom Media in 2008, we have endured a major earthquake, global financial crises and a pandemic in the highly competitive media industry that has shifted dramatically due to technology, economics and consumer behaviour.
We pulled through mainly thanks to Robert’s unique brand of humane but tenacious problem solving.
I am sure I speak for all Custom Media colleagues, clients and partners when I acknowledge Robert for creating our highly professional team and we are excited to celebrate the outstanding achievement of the IJCC SME Award together. Thank you Robert and the IJCC!” – Simon Farrell, Publisher, Custom Media KK
Simon Farrell (centre left) and Robert Heldt (centre right) of Custom Media, pictured with Ambassador of Ireland to Japan, H.E. Damien Cole (left), and IJCC President Sarah Hickey (right).
The Ireland Japan Chamber of Commerce extends a sincere congratulations again to all the award recipients.
We were delighted to honour the incredible achievements of the Ireland-Japan business community on our stage. The bonds between Ireland and Japan continue to grow from strength to strength, thanks to the unwavering commitment of the leaders in business, community and culture across both countries.
Míle buíochas (many thanks) to everyone who attended this year's Ireland Japan Business Awards. We were honoured to bring the community together for this annual tradition and we sincerely look forward to welcoming you all again next year.
