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Millward Brown’s link (TM) with facial coding technology increases its database to 800 adverts across Asia
MUMBAI: Millward Brown, the only full-service research agency to have a dedicated, global neuroscience practice, today announced that since pioneering its award-winning link(TM) with facial coding technology in early 2012, it now has a database of more than 800 adverts across Asia.
The approach, created jointly by Millward Brown and Affectiva, seamlessly integrates automatic interpretation of moment-by-moment facial responses to ads with viewers‘ cognitive responses — providing advertisers with powerful recommendations to optimise effectiveness.
The integration of Affectiva‘s Affdex(TM) Facial Coding software with Millward Brown‘s Link(TM) copy-testing solution has tapped into a clear need amongst the region‘s advertisers to accurately measure emotions in advertising in a simple, cost-effective and scalable way that is accurate across different cultures.
“Listening to the overwhelming feedback from our clients and looking at results from more than 800 studies we‘ve conducted across Asia, we know that implicit measurement through facial coding, combined with established survey-based research, is giving a level of insight that simply could not be achieved by either approach in isolation,” said Global Innovations for Africa, Middle East and Asia-Pacific director Pankaj Jha.
“In fact, we see that the powerful combined approach improves the already strong relationship between link metrics and sales effectiveness.”
The technique has proved most useful to: Aid understanding of the real emotional power of ads, particularly when an ad is “edgy” and uses challenging creative devices; Clarify and highlight emotional reactions, not easily explained by survey responses; Help discover transition points that either enhance the story or break the flow, which could lead to issues of comprehension; Identify branding moments and cues that did or did not work well and Chart the overall flow through the advert to optimise storytelling.
Kohler managing director of kitchen & bath, India Salil Sadanandan said, “Analysing the facial responses of viewers uncovered some post-rationalisation occurring on the survey, and that there was a positive response to the advertising idea underlying respondents‘ answers. That insight is helping us develop the creative further with changes highlighted by both the survey and facial metrics. We generated more insightful and usable findings by combining both methods.”
Globally, Millward Brown has used Link with Facial Coding to research more than 1,500 ads, primarily for Fortune 500 companies, since launching the best-in-class solution in early 2012.
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Toyota appoints Kenta Kon as President & CEO
New leader to steer EV push and global innovation amid industry shift.
MUMBAI: Toyota just handed the keys to a new driver because when the road to electric mobility gets twisty, you need someone who knows how to accelerate without skidding. Toyota Motor Corporation has named Kenta Kon as its new president and chief executive officer, a key leadership transition as the Japanese giant doubles down on its transformation in the fast-evolving global automotive landscape.
Kon brings deep expertise in automotive innovation, business strategy, and operational leadership to the top job. His appointment signals Toyota’s intent to sharpen focus on accelerating electric mobility, strengthening worldwide operations, and pushing customer-centric breakthroughs in next-generation technologies.
The company is betting on Kon to guide it through the industry’s pivotal shift toward sustainability, digital integration, and smarter mobility solutions. Key priorities under his watch include ramping up electric and hybrid lineups, expanding global market reach, driving cutting-edge automotive R&D, tightening supply-chain efficiency, and scaling connected and intelligent vehicle ecosystems.
This move comes at a time when legacy automakers face intense pressure to balance heritage strengths with aggressive electrification timelines and software-defined vehicle demands. Toyota aims to reinforce its position as a leader in sustainable, reliable, and future-ready mobility while navigating competitive challenges from both traditional rivals and new-age EV players.
For a brand that’s long defined durability and innovation, Kon’s elevation isn’t just a title change, it’s Toyota flooring it toward the next lap, ready to turn today’s tech talk into tomorrow’s showroom reality.
