Summary

Nomura Research Institute (NRI) has made the first attempt in Japan to estimate the "consumer surplus" created by SNS. SNS is basically free to use, except for the internet connection fee, but it does not mean that it has no value. Because consumers use SNS only because they feel some benefit, consumer surplus is born.
Therefore, NRI conducts a user survey on four SNSs (LINE, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook), which have a large number of users in Japan, to see how much value users find in these services. Our survey has showed that the four services generated a surplus of about 20 trillion yen annually.

• Takeshi Mori

  Senior Researcher

  Center for Strategic Management & Innovation

• Hiroyuki Nitto

  General Manager

  Consulting Division