Content Business Lab analyzes reach and ability to drive spending:
Ranking of hit content that defined 2016 in Japan
Results from the Content Fan Consumer Behavior Survey 2017

The Content Business Lab1, a joint research project between Hakuhodo DY Media Partners Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Hirotake Yajima) and Hakuhodo Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Masayuki Mizushima), has conducted the 2017 edition of the nationwide Content Fan Consumer Behavior Survey2 which is carried out every year, the results of which are used to calculate reach and ability to drive spending for a total of 832 updated content items across eleven categories.

 Overview: Reach and ability to drive spending
Looking at the top ten content items for individual titles and artists analyzed in the 2017 survey (see table below), the hit contents and works that became social phenomena in 2016 occupied the top position, both in reach and ability to drive spending.
In terms of reach, Your Name., released in 2016 to become the second-highest-grossing Japanese film of all time in Japan, took the number-one spot. Artists like Gen Hoshino and Hikaru Utada, who appeared in TV drama series and tie-ups, made the list—as did Pokémon, thanks to the Impact of the game “Pokémon GO”, which was launched in July 2016.
Looking at the ability to drive spending, we see the band EXILE coming in at number two. EXILE released a series of films that became a sensation with the appearance of its band members, and went on a related tour. Several other artist groups with active touring schedules made the list. Coming in fourth is the Final Fantasy series, which released a new installment in November 2016. In seventh place is the Godzilla series, thanks to the impact of the Godzilla Resurgence (Shin Godzilla)film released in July.