Video Research Ltd. Holds "ACR/ex" Seminar

Video Research Ltd. held its "VR Solution Seminar" on November 14 at Marunouchi Building Hall in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo. Under the theme "Considering New Life Logs Required for Branding and Media Planning," the seminar introduced solution services utilizing the company's consumer data "ACR/ex," launched in fiscal 2014. Approximately 500 attendees participated, primarily media planners and marketing personnel from advertisers, advertising agencies, and media companies.

ACR/ex is an evolution of the company's "ACR" single-source data, collected over approximately 40 years, which tracks consumers' media exposure and consumption/purchasing habits. The "ex" in the name embodies multiple meanings – "expand," "extension," "express," "exact" – signifying a service capable of delivering value across numerous new domains. With approximately 10,000 respondents across seven major regions and up to 10,000 questions, it is Japan's largest-scale questionnaire survey. By capturing the relationships between consumers' "people, goods, and media," it supports both brand PDCA cycles and media planning.

At the seminar, statistician Kei Nishinai delivered the keynote address titled "The Usefulness of Statistics and Expectations for ACR/ex." He outlined the characteristics of statistical data, emphasized the significance of "having good sampling data available from a single source," and expressed his expectations for ACR/ex.

Next, in the presentation "The Value Demonstrable with ACR/ex," Yasuhiro Iwaki, Deputy General Manager of the Media & Communication Business Promotion Department within the company's Solution Promotion Bureau, highlighted four key values of the data: ① Enables deep psychological analysis due to being a single source; ② Ensures representativeness through area random sampling; ③ Allows time-series analysis by panelizing subjects; ④ Can be integrated with external data. He emphasized that ACR/ex supports PDCA management in branding and media planning amid the diversification of consumers, media, devices, and touchpoints between consumers and brands.

In the special lecture "How to Utilize ACR/ex for User-First Approaches," Daisuke Tomizawa, Head of the Marketing Innovation Office at Yahoo! Marketing Solutions Company, took the stage. He outlined the current state and challenges of online advertising in Japan, mentioning the potential for significant impact by linking ACR/ex with big data.

Finally, a panel discussion titled "Discussing Challenges and Necessary Knowledge for Future Branding and Media Planning" took place. Moderated by Eiji Nunokawa, Deputy Director of the Solution Promotion Bureau at Video Research Ltd., the panel featured Koichi Hanyu, Head of the Communication Strategy Office, Business Planning Department, Shiseido; Tomoyuki Nomura, Advisor, Communication Group Planning Team, Panasonic Consumer Marketing Japan Headquarters; Jun Tanaka, Acting Center Director, Integrated Communication Production Center, Hakuhodo DY Media Partners; and Kazuya Kusumoto, Director, Media & Marketing Division, MC Planning Bureau, Dentsu Inc. Expectations were expressed that ACR/ex would enable "seeing things previously unseen" and that "combining data could lead to unexpected discoveries, which, when traced, could reveal consumer insights."

For its implementation, ACR/ex shifted the survey device from traditional paper questionnaires to electronic survey forms via tablet devices. By distributing NTT DOCOMO tablets with communication functions to approximately 10,000 respondents for questionnaire completion, the volume of data and the speed of its delivery were significantly enhanced. Personal information protection is a top priority when conducting consumer surveys. The company stated that through close collaboration with NTT Docomo, it "implemented comprehensive security measures." The seminar featured displays of the actual tablets used in the surveys and included a hands-on experience corner for the questionnaire interface. Many participants took the opportunity to try the tablets during breaks, demonstrating high interest.

Details about ACR/ex → http://www.videor.co.jp/solution/new-technology/acrex.htm