Uniresearch to Host Webinar on Latest Trends in "Insights" in the AI Era – Revealing Harvard-Born Deep Technique "ZMET" and Case Studies from Major Corporations

Product Force Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director & CEO: Hiroki Hamaoka, hereinafter "Product Force"), which operates the direct research platform "Uniresearch," will host a free online webinar titled "'Learning the Latest Trends in 'Insights' – 'Deep Technique ZMET' and 'Practical Case Studies from Major Corporations' Essential Knowledge in the AI Era'" on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM, featuring Mr. Takeshi Sato of mct Co., Ltd., a group of insight specialists.

Registration here (free).

Background:

In 2026, AI can produce research reports in minutes, and synthetic data and AI personas can form hypotheses. While the amount of data has exploded, many workplaces face a new stagnation: "We can analyze, but decision-making halts when asked 'So What?' in management meetings."

Against this backdrop, Mr. Takeshi Sato of mct Co., Ltd., who has supported decision-making for major corporations for over 20 years, will speak at this webinar. Beyond merely introducing research methods, he will explain "human interpretive power to decipher meaning from primary information," which is increasingly important in the AI era, through "ZMET (Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique)," a unique technique from Harvard Business School, and practical case studies from major corporations.

Webinar Overview and Lecture Content:

Date: Tuesday, June 23, 2026, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM Format: Online (Zoom Webinar) Participation Fee: Free Theme: Learning the Latest Trends in "Insights" – "Deep Technique ZMET" and "Practical Case Studies from Major Corporations" Essential Knowledge in the AI Era

Main Contents (Planned Agenda):

Part 1: Lecture (40 minutes) - Part 1: Latest Global Insight Trends - Part 2: From Primary Information to Deep Insights (Photo Work × Metaphor × ZMET) - Part 3: Practical Cases Where Insights Drove Business

Part 2: Q&A Session (10 minutes)

Key Points of the Lecture:

Part 1: Latest Global Insight Trends We will discuss how the definition of insights has evolved over the past 10 years and what common challenges major global corporations face in the AI era.

- From "Hidden True Feelings" to "Cognitive Frameworks" – How the definition of insights evolved in 2015, 2020, and 2026 - Primary Information Becomes a "Scarce Resource" – What the AI data exhaustion problem means for field researchers - Common Structures of Organizations Stalled by "So What?" – The three walls (resolution, translation, and human resources) faced by major global corporations

Part 2: From Primary Information to Deep Insights (Photo Work × Metaphor × ZMET) We will discuss techniques for deciphering deep meaning from primary information using photos and metaphors, which are becoming increasingly important in the AI era.

- Why Photos Transcend Words – The layers of meaning that visual images reveal but couldn't be articulated - What is ZMET? – How the Harvard-born technique approaches deep psychology through "metaphors" - What is the Difference Between "Summary" and "Interpretation"? – Experiencing the human interpretation process of extracting meaning from primary information

Part 3: Practical Cases Where Insights Drove Business Based on specific examples where insights gained on site drove decision-making in major corporations, we will discuss the process and key points. *Client company names and detailed insights will be explained while being kept confidential.*

- Insight Selection: Cases where the most impactful message was chosen and utilized in promotions - Gap: Cases where discrepancies between employee and customer perceptions were visualized, and organizational structure was redefined - Insight Structuring: Cases where customer psychology was understood three-dimensionally, and its overall and partial aspects were visualized in detail

Recommended for:

- Corporate planning and business managers of major corporations - Marketing and research managers who feel the limitations of AI research - Those whose internal definition of "insight" is inconsistent and not utilized for decision-making - Those who cannot see the "next step" in customer understanding, and whose new business or brand initiatives are stalled - Those who want to experience the latest global deep techniques and apply them in practice

Speaker Profiles:

Takeshi Sato Executive Officer/Design Researcher, mct Co., Ltd. After studying biology in graduate school and working as a freelancer at a web production company, he joined mct Co., Ltd. during its startup phase. Since then, for over 20 years, he has participated in hundreds of projects across various industries including automotive, medical, housing, and IT, exploring the inner workings of people's minds (insights). He also has experience learning counseling and hypnosis, pursuing research focused on "how to understand humans." Personally, he also disseminates information related to medicinal herbs and diet.

Tom Komata Experience Designer, Design Insight Unit Since 1998, he has been with the predecessor department of mct.