Hakuhodo rolls out AI platform creating virtual consumer personas globally

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. 

The move also comes as agencies and studios experiment with more human-led applications of generative AI beyond efficiency and automation. In October last year, creative agency Ballsy partnered generative AI studio Vision Machina to launch Project Zilal, an AI-powered music band positioned as a response to what the creators described as an over-saturation of algorithm-driven pop acts and “AI slop.”

Unveiled on LinkedIn, Project Zilal was framed as a fusion of technology, representation and storytelling, with its name derived from the Arabic word for “shadow.” According to Ballsy, the project aimed to prioritise human creativity and cultural nuance over fully automated content creation.

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