2024 Marketing Symposium
The Future of Marketing Science and Models

Exploring An Unbeaten Niche of Marketing Science
A Model of Structured User Narratives

July, 2024
Hotaka Katahira
Marunouchi Brand Forum MBF

1

Thanks
Prof. Kumakura
And other professors of CHUO University
Prof. Russell Winer
Prof. Makoto Abe
All the professors at this symposium
2Hotaka Katahira
Personal Intro【Likes】
Anything off the main stream
Drinking every night since ・・・
Rugby: Played till 2016
【Dislikes】
Arrogance
Hot weather

3

Hotaka Katahira
Academic/ Professional History：54 years with Marketing

2004-Today Chairman, MBF

20 yrs

1983-2004 University of Tokyo

21 yrs1975-1983 Osaka University

8 yrs

1970-1975 Graduate Student

5 yrs

4

Hotaka Katahira
Academic/ Professional History

2004-Today MBF：

Brand Studies / Applications

1983-2004 Univ. of Tokyo：Marketing Science→ Brand Studies (1996-)

1975-1983

Osaka Univ. Marketing Science

1970-1975

Student

Marketing Science5

Thanks：Zeami Miyazawa Mogi

Dream or die

6Outline of Today’s Talk

1. For Whom do you study Marketing Science?：My Biased
View
2. Stories of Marketing Successes

3. Ethnography and Marketing Science: UGC might be akey
4. From UGC to Structured User Narratives
5. Brand Forest：An illustration of SUN
6. Final Remarks
71For Whom Do You Study

Marketing Science?
My Biased View

8

On October 8, 1966, the inaugural meeting was held, marking
the official launch of

the Japan Marketing Science Society.

58 years

9

The society's mission was stated as follows:
1. advance the study and development of marketing theories,
2. organize and analyze foundational concepts such as
information, decision-making, behavior, and systems
3. develop analytical methodologies,
4. thereby promoting the evolution of marketing science.

It looks like“Marketing Science for the sake of Marketing Science”
10

We should note that the world is changing today
FromFocus on
Market share; Profit; Competition; Models

To
Bigger Picture ofWellbeing of people; Wellbeing of companies;
Wellbeing of the earth
11Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff Says

“The Business Of Business Is
Improving The State Of The World”
https://www.forbes.com/sites/danpontefract/2017/01/07/salesforce-ceo-marc-benioff-says-thebusiness-of-business-is-improving-the-state-of-the-world/?sh=455c8c6f7eb0“１・１・１ Rule”• 1% of Salesforce’s equity is set aside todeliver grants in the communities whereSalesforce employees live and work;• 1% of Salesforce’s product is donated tonon-profits and educational institutions;• 1% of Salesforce employees’ time is donatedto communities around the world.

12

The happiness of anindividual cannot exist,
unless the world as awhole becomes happy

Kenji Miyazawa(1896-1933; writerand poet)

13Dr. Kenichiro Mogi
Brain Scientist

14

15

Marketing Science : (informs.org)

Editorial Statement

・・・・・
However, in evaluating individual manuscripts, we will consider theultimate audience for the article (e.g.,marketing managers; general managers; public policy makers
regulators; consumers; consultants; market research professionals

The best manuscripts provide significant newknowledge or fundamental understanding that has thepotential to allow their target audience to makesuperior decisions or take superior actions.
16

The role of “Marketing Science” today
should be to help the players

improve the state of the worldin other words

make people in the street happier17

Just a piece of knowledge 1
The professional journal Marketing Science (Japan) waslaunched in October 1967 in Japan
While

Marketing Science (US) Vol 1 wasPublished in February 1982

18

Just a piece of knowledge 2
Professor Russell S. Winer’s article in (Japanese) Marketing Science Vol.2 1993

19

2
Stories of Marketing Successes

20

Story 1

KAO invented A STANDING TUBE in 1994

21

Before 1994,

Tube was NOT STANDING

22

What Happened?
1. A team of KAO visited homes of people to watch their
kitchens and bathrooms
2. Returning to KAO headquarter, they had discussion
3. A member of the team pointed to the fact that atoothpaste tube and a tooth brush were thrown into acup in a messy way
4. ・・・
5. What about designing the tube that could stand on itsown?
23

24

NY in 2019https://pake-tra.com/package/2721/
25

Contributes to a tidy washroom
All over the world26

Story 2 ：Gillett Guard by P&G
Introduction of Single-blade Razor in India

27

Setting aside its global strategy helped Gillette inIndia - BusinessToday Apr 13, 2014

Number 1 in• Water consumption• Safety• Ease of use

28

29

Points
1. Marketers have firsthand info of users’ lives; e.g.
living together with the user family for 2 weeks in India

2. Finding out the unnoticed problems of users, thedevelopment team discuss and look for the possible
solutions
3. Tens of trials and errors
4. Success could make many people happier

5. No models nor statistical analyses
30Ethnography is“the study and systematic recording of human cultures”

Ethnographic research for marketers

is observing consumers in their natural habitat – usually their home.
This is where they tend to be more open and honest and where brandmarketers, product developers, engineers, and designers can directly
observe people using products.
https://insightsinmarketing.com/ethnographiesthe-pros-cons-and-modern-solutions/31

3Ethnography and Marketing Science

UGC might be a key

32

MarketingScience33

EthnographyMarketingScience34

Only 4 papers

EthnographyMarketingScience35

■I Hear You: Does Quality Improve with Customer Voice?
Uttara Ananthakrishnan, Davide Proserpio, Siddhartha Sharma(November-December 2023)■Offering Online Recommendations with Minimum Customer Input
Through Conjoint-Based Decision Aids
Arnaud De Bruyn, John C. Liechty, Eelko K. R. E. Huizingh, Gary L.
Lilien (May-June 2008)■Identifying Customer Needs from User-Generated Content
Artem Timoshenko, John R. Hauser (January-February 2019)■Influencers: The Power of Comments
Cristina Nistor, Matthew Selove (-Not available-)36

“Customer voice”

EthnographyMarketingScience37

【Observation 1】
Ethnographic approach ishugely underdevelopedin Marketing Science
Emerging key is “customer voice”
38

【Observation２】
Ethnographic approach islikely to contribute tosuccessful marketing innovations：e.g. Standing tube & Single blade razor

39

【Observation? ３】

Marketing Scienceaspires to contribute to

wellbeing of people
through successful innovations

According to HK
40

Wellbeing of people
Contributing

Ethnography

Aspiring

Marketing Science41

Wellbeing of people
Contributing

Ethnography

Aspiring

Marketing Science42

Wellbeing of people
Aspiring

Contributing

EthnographyMarketing Science
Customer voice / UGC
43Marketing Science would have to deal

with the firsthand info
in one way or another
Customer voice = UGC, might be a key

44

“UGC” in Marketing Science

Special Issue of Marketing Science on User-Generated
Content (UGC)
Special Issue Co-Editors
Peter S. Fader (The Wharton School of the University ofPennsylvania)
Russell S. Winer (Stern School of Business, New York University
Deadline: January 15, 2010
Identifying Customer Needs from User-Generated Content
Artem Timoshenko , John R. Hauser
Published Online:30 Jan 2019https://doi.org/10.1287/mksc.2018.1123
45

4
From UGC

To Structured User Narratives

46

UGC (User Generated Contents)
Online, often SNS, comments and stories
on the products, shops or companies
PROS• Raw opinion by the user him/herself• Available at low/ no cost
• Timely; real time47

UGC (User Generated Contents)
CONS• User identity often missing: use of nick names• User profile rarely known• Not representing the total user opinions• Might be even by non-users• Could be “fake”

48Structured User Narratives (SUN)

Online survey using structured sample design withfree answer format• User identity confirmed• User profile known• Almost representing the total user population• Non-users included but identified as such
• Positive synergies with generative AI49

UGC

SUN

User identity often missing

User identified as registeredmember of reliable survey panel
User profile rarely known

Data re age, sex, income,・・・arecollected

Not representing the population

Large, though not random, sample

Might be even by non-users

Non-users are asked to declare

as suchRaw voiceRaw voice50

5Brand Forest：
An Illustration of SUN
Collaboration withTsunehiro Fukushima
Yoshiyuki Saito
Kaori Endo51

5.1
What is it ?

52

Brand Forest
History

1.

Brand Ecosystem Study 2019

January, 2019

2. Brand Ecosystem Study 2020

January, 2020

3. Brand Ecosystem Study 2021

November, 2020

4. Brand Ecosystem Study 2022

November, 2021

5. Brand Forest 2023

November, 2022

6. Brand Forest 2024

October, 2023

53

Methodologies:
the distinctive features
1. Unassisted recall of favorable brands and thestatements of their reasons：letting people talkfreely
2. The coverage is multiple product/service
categories covering the total everyday life fromfood to fashion to information, etc.
3. Data are designed to reflect the distribution of

the population in terms of age and sex. Various
profile data are collected54

Survey question: an example【Home Appliances: Household appliances such as washing machines,

refrigerators, rice cookers; Information appliances like TVs and audio
devices; Beauty appliances; Digital cameras; PCs; Smartphones &mobile phones, etc.】■Please provide up to three names of things (products, companies,services, etc.) that you have a favorable impression of.
■Please provide reasons why you have a favorable impression of thethings you mentioned in the previous question.
If you can't think of any reasons, feel free to proceed.
55

Brand Forest 2023
■ Survey Period
Early November 2022
■ TargetTotal:
9,000 people
Tokyo Metropolitan Area: 5,000 people
Osaka Area:
4,000 people
Allocation based on gender and age demographics■ Survey Items
Survey categories: Clothing, Food, Housing, Information, and9 other categories (total of 13)
For each category, respondents are asked to:
1. list up to three favorite brands based on unassisted recall
2. provide for each brand the reason for the engagementwith the brand (Self-written)
56

What we got

Total number of brands listed:

6,6262

Total number of characters in “reasons”
726,490
Average # of characters per brand
10.96

57

An Illustrative Example
Real Data from Brand Forest 2023
36 years old, female
Company employee, Married
Living in Tokyo, with her husband and kids

58

Fashion & Apparel[Tiffany] - Gifts from my husband[Uniqlo] offers affordable anddurable fashion choices.

Shopping[Amazon] - offer fast delivery and theadded benefit of accumulating points.

Transportation[Toyota]- Toyota stands as Japan's Leadingcompany[Mercedes-Benz ] owned by my parents
Electric appliances[Apple]- Being an iPhone user, Apple
products are a preference[Panasonic] serves as the go-to choice forhousehold appliances[Sony] the go-to choice for personalcomputers.
Food & Beverages[Coca-Cola]- with a love for daily
consumption of Coca-Cola

Media & Information[SmartNews]- favored forproviding articles on financialmatters, real-time stockinformation[Twitter or X] meets everyday
communication needs.

The photo is fakeTowns & Streets[Ginza] - provides a diverse
shopping experience, ranging fromaffordable to high-end options
with eateries and department
stores conveniently located near
the stations
59

Media & Information[SmartNews]- favored for providing
articles on financial matters, real-timestock information[Twitter or X] meets everydaycommunication needs.
Transportation[Toyota]- Toyota stands as Japan'sLeading company[Mercedes-Benz ] owned by my parents

60Comments from the respondents
I would be delighted if this response proves useful for the research.
Through this survey, I realized how often I do not pay attention to orremember product names, store names, or manufacturer names.
There were intriguing questions that made me feel the need to reconsider myown thoughts.

The questionnaire was very easy to respond to, and it mademe appreciate the proficiency of the person who designed
it. I am curious about how the analysis will be conducted,
and I would love to read the report if it becomes available.
Even though I was told I could pass the question if I like to, I made the effort
to input my answers diligently.
61Unique Features

1.

Correlation of brand engagement across product/service categories•

Disney（entertainment） with House Foods（packaged foods）•

Instagram（information） with CanMake（cosmetics）•SONY（electrics）

with Suntory Hall（concert Hall）

2. Unveiling Brand-Keyword associations•MUJI“Simple”•Panasonic“Reliable”•YouTube

“Fun”

•ANA

“Warm-hearted”

62

5.2
Brand Scores

63

Output1. Counting the Votes

The Scores = (Votes/Total Samples)x10000
Brand

1. Panasonic
2. McDonald
3. Uniqlo
4. SONY
5. TOYOTA
6. MUJI
7. Amazon
8. Nitori
9. AEON
10.Rakuten

Scores (2022 scores:ranking)

2434
2064
1839
1656（1087：12 th）
1485
1351（1079：13th）
1298
1217（1206；11th）
1214
1207
64

Counting the votes：Under 24 years old vs Over 25
Under24# of votes

Over25

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
111213
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

206
172
161
142
134
126
123
118
112
111
109
105
96
81
797775757470

1234567891011121314151617181920

McDonald
Twitter
InstagramNitori
UniqloMUJI
Saizeriya
Panasonic
AmazonAEON
TOYOTASONYGUiPhone
YouTubeRakuten
IKEA
Apple
7-11
Gusto

# of votes
Panasonic
McDonald
UniqloSONYTOYOTA
MUJI
AmazonNitoriAEON
Rakuten
TOTO
Twitter
Yahoo！
Kao
Instagram
Honda
Saizeriya
YouTube
SHARP
iPhone

1223
1037
924
832
746
679
652
612
610
607
576
516

508
460
425
402
383
367
362
347

65

5.3
Case：Attitudes to SDGｓ

66

SDGs question

Please provide up to three companies that you
have a favorable impression of, which areengaged in SDGs (such as environmental andsocial issues) and their reasons.

67

SDGs：Under 24 years old vs All
Under24# of votes

All# of votes

1Starbucks Coffee

151Suntory

409

1

TOYOTA

15

2

TOYOTA

298

3

Suntory143

Panasonic

89

4Uniqlo124

Uniqlo54

5Panasonic

95

Aeon

49

6Aeon

86

KAO

46

7

McDonald

77

Starbucks Coffee

41

8

7-11

68

Honda

39

9ENEOS

59Kirin

34

9McDonald

3468

You couldn’t draw this graph with UGC!
Engaged with SUNTORY in SDGs activities
12099100

8280604240302058261335

1880

18-24

25-29

30-39
女性

40-49

50-59

60-男性

69

ChatGPT summary of the “reasons”

Suntory, a prominent Japanese company, has been a leading example inenvironmental conservation and social responsibility. Suntory iscommitted to preserving water sources and forests. Visiting theirfactory in Hakushu, near the Southern Alps, reveals theirdedication to maintaining pristine water quality through humanintervention.The company has long been involved in protecting naturalresources, including engaging in biodiversity conservation and charitableactivities. Suntory's commitment to environmental issues predates thepopularization of the term "SDGs".
Suntory's philosophy, "Living with Water," reflects their dedication tosustainable practices. They actively engage in environmental
conservation, educational outreach, and various innovative projects tosupport a circular economy. This steadfast commitment to both theenvironment and society has earned them widespread respect and trust,illustrating their unwavering dedication to sustainability and community
70welfare.

Suntory “Sustained by Nature and Water”

環境広告のキャッチフレーズとして誕生“Sustained by Nature and Water”
企業メッセージに育つ
As a Corporate Message←・・・・・18 years・・・・・→

2003年

2005年

2023年

71

Comment by a SUNTRY executive
Surprised!

This result is very encouraging to us.
Very rewarding all the more because these ecorelated activities cost a lot of money and theirmonetary return is difficult to measure.

73

5.4
Brand Networks

74Network analysis algorithm on {CBP(i;j)}↓Network Map

75

Brand Network Map
1. Input data: Degree of overlap of fans between brandi and j {CBP(i;j)} : N×N matrix
2. Network analysis algorithm
3. 2 dimensional map• The brands with a larger number of hi-CBP
counterparts are centrally located• The brands with no or very few hi-CBP counterparts
are located peripherally• The magnitude of CBP(i:j) is represented by thethickness of the line linking i and j76

Map of LEXUS

Ginza

CBP＞250

ToyotaStarbucks Coffee

77

5.5Keyword Mining

78You might go back and forth

Brand↑ ↓Keywords

79Brand (SONY)→ Keywords

The tables are available for all brands and keywords

Excellent
I use it
Quality

Excellent
DesignProductFavoriteHigh80

Keywords (Design) → Brands

The tables are available for all brands and keywords

UniqloMUJI

Nitori(furniture)(Sundries)
81

What arethe frequently used Keywords ofTop 5 Brands?

82

Panasonic
KeywordFrequency

1. I use

127

2. Excellent

126

3. Quality

112

4. Appliances95

5. Product63

6. Many

44

7. Performance42

8. High40# The keyword
in red shows its
top rank acrossall brands

83

McDonald
KeywordFrequency

1. Tasty254

2. Low price164

3. Eat84

4. Easy65

5. Favorite

63

6. I use37

7. Potatoes34

8. Kids

33# The keyword
in red shows its
top rank acrossall brands

84Uniqlo
KeywordFrequency

1. Low price232

2. Excellent

147

3. Quality

100

4. Simple

88

5. Cost Prefoemance74

6. Design46

7. Many38

8. Product28# The keyword
in red shows its
top rank acrossall brands

85

SONY
KeywordFrequency

1. Excellent

59

2. I use49

3. Quality40

4. Design30

5. Product26

6. Favorite

26

7. Japan19

8. Sound quality

19# The keyword
in red shows its
top rank acrossall brands

86Toyota
KeywordFrequency1. Car79

2. Excellent

74

3. Japan64

4. Company56

5. Quality50

6. Drive/Ride42

7. Toyota

39

8. Represent

36# The keyword
in red shows its
top rank acrossall brands

87Concluding Remarks• Marketing Science hopefully aspire to contribute to
the wellbeing of people• Methodologies to uncover the hidden needs ofpeople would have to be developed in the frameworkof Marketing Science• Use of observation and UGC/SUN, if properly
designed, could be a strong solution to these typeof problems• Accumulation of successful business applications arerequired through the collaboration with realmarketers

88More Important! ：Let’s・・・
1. Tell the young students that Marketing andMarketing Science is exciting to study and usefulfor the people’s lives
2. Motivate the young Marketing Scientists to be
more “Mission-conscious”
3. Tell all the MS-ests that there are always a lot of
underdeveloped niches of topics to attack for thebetter-being of people, companies and the earth
89Appendix：Power of AI
Could AI translate classical Japanese literature well?

90

「秘すれば花」 （世阿弥）「秘する花を知る事。秘すれば花なり、秘せずば花なるべからず、となり。この分け目を知る事、肝要の花なり。
そもそも、一切の事、諸道芸において、その家々に秘事と申すは、秘するによりて大用あるが故なり。」

91

”The flower is beautiful when hidden”（Zeami）"Understanding the hidden flower. The flower is beautiful
when hidden; if it is not hidden, it cannot be a flower.
Knowing this distinction is crucial for appreciating theessence of the flower. In all things and in various arts, thesecrets kept by each family or school are powerful
precisely because they are kept hidden.“【Comments by ChatGPT】 This translation aims to convey
the essence and significance of Zeami's thoughts on theimportance of secrecy in art and practice.
92

Could AI translate classical Japanese literature well?
Marvelously, YES!
Better than HK

93Thanks.
Questions and comments are welcome

Hotaka Katahira
MBF
kata@mbforum.jp

94