The two companies began collaborating on marketing tools for greater customer insight in April this year, using NEC’s AI technologies and Macromill’s panels.

The aim is to achieve more accurate marketing campaigns through consumer data expansion and better understanding of people’s preferences by combing their expertise.

The first services will be launched next year, with demonstration experiments currently on-going. They are focused on two areas: the expansion of consumer data using Customer Profile Estimation Technology (CPET) that uses NEC’s AI techniques to compensate for data gaps; and an analysis of consumer preferences using NEC’s Remote Gaze Detection Technology (RGDT) which detects the points that attract a consumer’s eyes, and the duration of their gaze.

Toru Sasaki (pictured), executive officer, Japan Operation, Macromill said: "What’s so exciting about this collaboration is that we will be able to provide more refined insight into consumer activities enabling our clients to customise their marketing to their exact needs."