Hakuhodo has rolled out its ‘Virtual Sei-katsu-sha’ (‘Virtual living person’) platform globally, as brands seek faster and more insight-driven ways to understand consumer behaviour.
The AI-powered solution combines Hakuhodo’s proprietary sei-katsu-sha research, client data and marketing expertise with generative AI to create virtual consumer personas that reflect real needs, emotions and behaviours across markets.
The platform now covers 20 countries and more than 30 languages, allowing brands to generate and interact with a wide range of virtual personas aligned to different sei-katsu-sha types across regions.
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According to Hakuhodo, the virtual personas are designed to surface authentic opinions and emotional responses without the limitations of traditional user interviews, such as time, location and cost. Repeated interactions with the personas enable deeper exploration of perceptions around products, services and brands.
The solution can be applied across marketing strategy, product development, organisational design, ideation and workshop settings. Its interface includes message-based interactions as well as conversational formats that simulate discussions between multiple personas.
In Japan, the platform has already been adopted by several clients to test pre-market campaign strategies and creative concepts. Hakuhodo said insights generated from the tool informed campaign refinements and, in one case, contributed to the development of a B2C activation concept that was later expanded into a broader brand engagement platform.
With the global rollout, Hakuhodo aims to help clients improve marketing efficiency while supporting more agile decision-making and the development of stronger brand experiences worldwide.
“By harnessing generative AI to ‘recreate’ real sei-katsu-sha in ‘Virtual Sei-katsu-sha‘, our goal is not only to deepen and broaden understanding of sei-katsu-sha, but also to unlock new possibilities of imagination that drive innovation and meaningful connections between sei-katsu-sha and brands. One day, I hope to recreate the world’s eight billion people as virtual sei-katsu-sha, enabling a future where everyone can access and understand individual voices,” said Shohei Kurita, chief developer of ‘Virtual Sei-katsu-sha‘, creative director and technologist, and executive manager of Hakuhodo’s CX Creative Division.
In tandem, Yusuke Miyabe, managing director of H+ Thailand, Hakuhodo International Thailand, and deputy general manager of Hakuhodo’s Asia DX strategy division, said, “We regard AI not simply as a tool for efficiency, but as a partner in imagination. By evolving our sei-katsu-sha insight philosophy through AI, we aim to go beyond solving clients’ business challenges to also address the hidden issues of society and sei-katsu-sha’s everyday lives, creating meaningful change for sei-katsu-sha and communities alike.”
“As 2025 marks the dawn of the AI agent era, we have established a framework to bring ‘Virtual Sei-katsu-sha‘ to the world. With a future where sei-katsu-sha and brands can co-create insight, we will continue to embed sei-katsu-sha insight into every aspect of planning, designing new forms of value, and evolving ourselves as we deliver sei-katsu-sha value design globally,” he added.
H+ framework rolls out in Malaysia
Meanwhile, Hakuhodo Group has begun rolling out the H+ (H plus) framework in Malaysia, marking a strategic step in strengthening collaboration between Hakuhodo Malaysia and Kingdom Digital. The move brings both operations under a more unified ecosystem, aimed at accelerating digital transformation and performance-led marketing for brands in the market.
Globally, H+ functions as a strategic bridge across the Hakuhodo DY Group’s international network, equipping local offices with access to advanced data platforms, specialist digital capabilities and regional expertise. In Malaysia, the framework is positioned as a support structure that enhances on-the-ground capabilities, allowing teams to tap into shared tools and intelligence while retaining strong local market understanding.
The H+ framework is designed to support end-to-end digital marketing needs, spanning strategic brand building anchored in Hakuhodo’s sei-katsu-sha insights, creative-led performance through AI-enabled media automation, and full-funnel digital execution. By aligning data, creativity and technology within a single operating model, the framework aims to deliver more cohesive customer journeys from awareness through to conversion.
Rather than operating as a standalone entity, H+ in Malaysia serves as an enabling layer across the group’s existing agencies and partners. Working closely with Hakuhodo and Hakuhodo DY ONE teams in Tokyo, the framework reinforces the group’s broader ambition to combine human insight with technology, supporting brands as they navigate increasingly complex, data-driven marketing environments.
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