NEWS

On Friday, October 17, 2025, Professor Noriaki Kamei (College of International Management) hosted a kickoff meeting for a new joint research project, welcoming representatives from Oita Asahi Broadcasting Co., Ltd. (OAB) and ADK Marketing Solutions Inc. (ADKMS) to his seminar class.

The project aims to provide students with hands-on experience in marketing strategy consultation. Over the course of three years, students will work with OAB to develop and present real-world strategic proposals. In the first phase, students will conduct research and analysis to propose ideas for corporate branding. The second and third phases will focus on developing and implementing business plans, expanding the scope from research to commercial application.

During the kickoff, OAB introduced the company’s history and activities, from its founding to its present operations, highlighting its community-oriented initiatives beyond broadcasting. OAB representatives explained how the company has been exploring new business models to adapt to the changing media landscape, particularly as television advertising revenues have been on the decline since around 2019 due to the rise of the internet. They expressed strong interest in collaborating with APU students to explore what regional TV stations can do to address social issues that resonate with younger generations.

Following this, ADKMS discussed the evolving role of television as an advertising medium, presenting insights on the complementary functions of social media and mass media and on how different media exposures influence consumer purchasing behavior. The speakers emphasized that choosing research methods according to a purpose can lead to new discoveries, and they expressed enthusiasm for experimenting with a diverse array of research approaches together with the students.

Going forward, OAB, ADKMS, and APU will continue their joint research as they expand upon the project and explore innovative approaches to connect media, marketing, and community engagement.