XICA will be speaking at "Marketing Agenda 2026," Japan's premier marketing conference, alongside Mitsumasa Shida, Executive Officer and Head of Marketing at Ito En Co., Ltd.
XICA Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Yoshiaki Hirao; hereinafter referred to as XICA) will be speaking at "Marketing Agenda 2026," to be held in Okinawa on June 3, 2026, together with Mitsumasa Shida, Executive Officer and Head of Marketing at Ito En Co., Ltd., in a session titled "The Evolution of 'Oi Ocha' to Survive the Era of Inflation: Turning 'Decision-Making' into Assets with AI x Data Science."
About the "Marketing Agenda 2026"
Marketing Agenda is Japan's premier networking conference, bringing together top marketers from around the world. Over three days, participants intensively discuss the initiatives and challenges faced by companies in various industries, fostering deeper networks across sectors.
Now in its tenth year, this conference will focus on the theme of "Marketer Evolution," sharing cross-industry problem-solving approaches and the latest success stories regarding the "evolution" that must be chosen now in order to become a force necessary for business growth and social transformation. XICA is sponsoring and speaking at this conference to contribute to the further dissemination and development of data-driven marketing.
https://marketingagenda.jp/okinawa
About the session in which XICA will be speaking
Amidst rising raw material costs and the ongoing headwinds of the "Japanese tea crisis," the top-selling brand, "Oi Ocha," is shifting from a defensive strategy to an offensive, data-driven one.
In this session, we welcome Mr. Shida, Executive Officer and Head of Marketing at Ito En Co., Ltd., to reveal the secrets behind the "evolution of decision-making" required in the age of AI. We will unravel the true drivers that drive customer loyalty for "Oi Ocha" and how they create a "winning scenario" that anticipates inflation and market changes through dialogue with AI. We will explore Ito En's challenge to elevate decision-making based on solid evidence into "organizational knowledge" in order to consistently deliver marketing with a tangible feel.
In the age of AI, competitive advantage will be determined not by technology, but by "human decision-making" and its assetization. This book delves deeply into the essence of how marketers can thrive in this era of inflation through the combined power of AI and data science.
Session Overview
- Date and time:Wednesday, January 2026, 6 3:14-30:15
- Venue:Okinawa Resort Hotel Laguna Garden Hotel
- theme:The evolution of "Oi Ocha" to survive the era of inflation: Turning "decision-making" into an asset with AI and data science.
Speakers/panelist:
Mitsumasa Shida
Ito En Ltd. Executive Officer, Head of Marketing Division
Joined Ito En Co., Ltd. in April 1998. In 2004, was assigned to the Product Planning Department of the Marketing Division, where he was in charge of product planning for Oi Ocha, the TEAS'TEA black tea brand, and Healthy Mineral Barley Tea. In May 2019, he became the General Manager of the Marketing Division, and in May 2022, he was appointed Executive Officer.
Yoshiaki Hirao
President and CEO of XICA Corporation
Graduated from the Faculty of Policy Management, Keio University. After experiencing the bankruptcy of the company his father worked for, he discovered the potential for management support through statistical analysis that he encountered while at university, and founded XICA Inc. in 2012. He has supported over 300 companies, primarily enterprises, and has contributed to highly reproducible business growth as a "data science firm that creates a business growth spiral." His books include "Data Analysis Thinking Methods to Target Sales Growth: 6 Steps of 'Data x Sensibility' to Continue Winning" (Cross Media Publishing).
About us
XICA Co., Ltd. is a data science firm whose purpose is to "create a just world where talent can flourish." Its greatest strength lies in the "intelligence of its human resources," comprised of leading data scientists, researchers, and strategy consultants from Japan and abroad. XICA is a professional group that supports the sustainable growth of companies through a scientific approach.
- Company name:XICA CO., LTD.
- Representative:Representative Director and CEO Yoshiaki Hirao
- Location:Tokyo, Minato-ku, Roppongi 3-1-1 Roppongi T-Cube 14F
- Established:2012
- URL:https://xica.net/company/
- Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/XICA.japan/
- LinkedIn:https://jp.linkedin.com/company/xica-co
- X:https://x.com/xica_official
Service Information (AI Decision Engine "XICA")
We implement an "AI decision-making engine" that transforms corporate decision-making into organizational knowledge, enabling consistently winning management. Leveraging highly accurate data science, we unravel complex business mechanisms and provide end-to-end support, from "data semantics" to "assetizing organizational knowledge." Combined with our proprietary AI platform, "XICA*AI Platform," our high level of applicability provides a management infrastructure that enables the structuring of organizations into "consistently winning organizations" with asset value and reproducibility.
- Brand name:XICA
- URL:https://xica.net/
- Overview of services offered:Providing decision support systems, next-generation management operating systems, and strategic consulting based on data science.
- Major achievements:We have a proven track record of providing data science-based decision support to major national clients in leading consumer goods, food, retail, telecommunications, and finance sectors in Japan.
*XICA and the XICA name and logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of XICA Co., Ltd. in Japan and other countries.
*Other company names and product names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of each company.
Inquiries regarding this press release
- XICA Co., Ltd. Public Relations Department:Kunimatsu
- TEL:03-6380-9897
- E-MAIL:pr@xica.net