Tokyo, Japan (Sept. 20, 2018) – Dentsu Public Relations Inc. announced the results of the 2018 Attractiveness Branding Survey conducted by its internal think tank, the Corporate Communication Strategic Studies Institute (CSI). The findings offer insights into what makes companies attractive to the Japanese public and how those features are communicated. Conducted in July this year, the survey collected responses from 10,000 participants aged 20-69 from across Japan.

The annual survey, first conducted in March 2016, analyzes companies’ attractiveness branding proficiency according to the three elements of Human-Level Attractiveness, Financial Attractiveness and Product Attractiveness. Covering 200 companies across 20 industries, the 2018 survey was the most comprehensive to date.

“The survey shows that consumers’ favorable reaction to companies is built on facts rather than simply perceptions,” said Akihiko Kuroda, chief researcher with the CSI. “We are transitioning into an age when the corporate brand is no longer founded on corporate image, but on realities at the human, financial and product levels.”

In addition to the results announced in this release, the study surveyed the channels by which consumers obtain information on companies, what attractive aspects they expect to see from companies, and their awareness and expectations in regards to SDGs. The survey will continue to be conducted annually.