Latest Data × AI Case Studies for Updating the Brand Experience — What CX Looks Like from iStyle’s Perspective — Lazuli Executive Salon Vol. 6 Event Report
On April 23, 2025, Lazuli hosted its executive event, "Lazuli Executive Salon Vol. 6," under the theme "Data × AI: Latest Case Studies That Upgrade Brand Experience — What Is the Shape of CX That iStyle Envisions?" Guests included Mr. Hiroyuki Amano, Executive Officer and Head of the Brand Experience Unit at iStyle Inc., and Mr. Kentaro Yamauchi, Director at iStyle Data Consulting Co., Ltd. They gave a talk on iStyle’s use of data, including the background behind the launch of iStyle Data Consulting Co., Ltd., which was announced on April 8, 2025 and is led by Mr. Amano as President and Representative Director. This event was also co-hosted with NODE Inc., a consulting firm that supports CX PoCs through data and prototyping, and a Lazuli partner.
The market landscape and the value of data
First, Mr. Amano from iStyle and Mr. Yamauchi from iStyle Data Consulting gave a presentation on the latest case studies of data utilization practiced by iStyle.
In recent years, customers have become increasingly diverse, and the nature of information itself has become more fluid. Rather than purchase behavior being driven by one-way media such as TV commercials, information now flows through a variety of channels such as social media, word of mouth, and e-commerce. In that context, it was pointed out that what matters is how to reach customers, have them use the brand, and make them love it.
iStyle began with the word-of-mouth media platform "@cosme" and now operates stores and e-commerce, while also owning one of the largest beauty data platforms in Japan. It has built customer touchpoints that integrate three areas: word-of-mouth media, e-commerce, and physical stores, and links the data obtained there through a single ID. It has developed an experience design in which users who connect with the brand in stores flow into the app and media, and then go on to use e-commerce.
iStyle also places strong emphasis on accumulating "non-purchase data," meaning actions that did not lead to a purchase. What products customers looked at, which reviews they reacted to, what they compared, and what they ultimately did not choose. It was explained that the insights gained from this help support brand growth strategies in a more multifaceted way.
Improving decision-making quality with "sensibility × data"
Regarding how to incorporate data into the decision-making process, Mr. Amano explained that it is important not only to provide brands with data, but also to derive insights and hypotheses from the data and discuss them together with people from diverse roles such as brand sales, product planning, and R&D.
He also said that combining sensibility with data is important. Parts that cannot be seen in the data can be examined together with sensibility and experience, such as product naming and merchandising, which improves the accuracy of hypotheses and the sense of confidence in decision-making. He said that repeatedly reviewing and analyzing data together with on-the-ground sensibility creates new value.
In addition, iStyle is also developing "@cosme Copilot," a SaaS tool that analyzes the reviews accumulated in @cosme using AI to support marketing decision-making, in order to accelerate the transformation of decision-making speed.
Through these efforts, iStyle says it is able to deliver brand experiences, attract customers, accumulate high-quality data, and update brand experiences at a strategic level.
Based on these insights, iStyle launched its data consulting business in July 2024 and, from 2025, has spun it off as iStyle Data Consulting Inc., officially beginning the expansion of this business.
Optimizing organizational structure and architecture in the era of data × AI
In the second part, a discussion was held on the theme of "optimizing organizational structure and architecture in the era of data × AI" with participants from major domestic manufacturers and retailers working on DX promotion and marketing.
The importance of organizational design and talent development for data utilization
Participants shared their goals for data utilization within their respective organizations, as well as their current progress toward achieving them. Among the comments, many said, "We are able to accumulate data, but there are challenges in utilization and collaboration within the organization."
In particular, there was broad agreement among participants that "organizational transformation and talent development are essential for data utilization to enhance customer value," and a variety of examples were shared regarding training conducted for both the business side and the engineering side.
How to create value with data × AI
While participants agreed that the ideal state is one where data and AI use become routine across the entire company rather than being limited to certain departments, they also shared concerns that if the structure of the data accumulated in-house is not fully understood, it will not be possible to perform analysis using AI appropriately.
There were also many opinions about the two major aspects of AI utilization: "improving operational efficiency" and "creating new value," along with examples of success and the difficulties involved in each. In particular, in the context of "creating new value," it was suggested that rather than leaving analysis entirely to AI, it is important to keep PDCA cycles moving within the hypothesis-validation process.
Summary
At this Executive Salon, it was shared that leveraging the high-quality product, user, and purchase data obtained from the reviews, stores, and e-commerce of the @cosme platform operated by iStyle is deepening customer understanding and shaping brand experience design.
At the same time, there was agreement that organizational initiatives such as building organizational structures, co-creating with each department, and in-house education are indispensable for making data-driven decisions.
iStyle's data foundation and the mechanisms it has built for supporting decision-making using that data may offer hints that manufacturers and retailers can put into practice.
Lazuli will continue to support the creation of mechanisms that enable real-time acquisition and organization of product data, and that realize updates to decision-making and customer experience. By elevating the role of product masters as a "foundation for value creation," we will contribute to the realization of data-driven management.
About NODE Inc.
NODE Inc., founded in 2019, is a consulting firm focused on CX and CRM. It works with a wide range of industries, including retail, consumer goods, finance, and automotive, supporting the redesign of CX and CRM based on the value of products and brands.
https://node-labo.com/
About Lazuli Inc.
Lazuli Inc., founded in July 2020, is a startup that provides "Lazuli PDP," a SaaS solution that integrates and organizes corporate product data and supports the use of data and AI. Leveraging advanced AI/ML technologies, it enables the collection, structuring, and linkage of product data, promoting digital transformation in manufacturing and retail industries. Lazuli PDP automates complex data processing and eliminates data silos between departments. By enabling companies to provide consistent product information, it contributes to improved customer experiences and optimized data utilization.
What is Lazuli PDP: https://corporate.lazuli.ninja/product-data-platform/