Press release creation support program, device, and method

Abstract

Generate effective press releases. [Solution] This is a press release creation support program that uses a generation AI to efficiently create press releases. It receives information about the target of publicity, has the generation AI create multiple press release candidates, presents them to the user for selection, and generates the press release based on the selected candidate. The generation of multiple press release candidates is performed by providing the generation AI with prompts, which include instructions on combinations of items and definitions to consider when generating the press release.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a program, a method, an apparatus, and a system. [Background technology]

[0002] Press releases are a well-known part of public relations activities. They are official documents used by companies and organizations to communicate new information to the media and stakeholders, and are distributed with the aim of raising awareness and providing information to stakeholders. However, creating an effective press release requires techniques and know-how, and for those with little experience creating press releases, creating a press release can be a difficult and burdensome task. Furthermore, when it comes to distributing press releases, it can be difficult to find effective outlets from the numerous options available. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-97556 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-172296 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2024-174144 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Patent Documents 1 and 2 describe systems that support the creation of press releases by answering questions posed to the user. However, these systems require the user to input each item, and do not consider what kind of writing will result in an effective press release. Patent Document 3 describes a text generation device that generates press releases using a learning model, but while it is possible to set a persona who is the target of the press release, it is not possible to specifically instruct the key points for creating an effective press release. Furthermore, neither patent document describes support for selecting distribution destinations.

[0005] The present invention was made in consideration of these circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a press release creation support program, device, and method that can automatically generate press releases that can effectively increase awareness of the public relations target and provide information to stakeholders, and select distribution destinations. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The press release creation support program of the present invention causes a computer to perform the following steps: accepting information about the publicity target that is the subject of the press release; providing a first prompt that instructs a generation AI to generate multiple press release candidates, causing the generation AI to generate the multiple press release candidates; presenting the multiple press release candidates to a user and accepting the user's selection; and causing the generation AI to generate a press release based on the press release candidate indicated by the selection, wherein the first prompt includes an instruction to generate multiple press release candidates based on information about the publicity target, instructions for combinations of items and definitions to be considered when generating the press release candidates, and instructions for restrictions on the title of the press release.

[0007] Furthermore, the press release creation support program of the present invention further includes a destination selection step of selecting a destination suitable for the generated press release, and the destination selection step includes a process of acquiring link information for a plurality of destination candidates, a process of crawling based on the link information and acquiring a comparison article, a process of calculating the similarity between the generated press release and the comparison article, a process of acquiring address information for the comparison article when the similarity is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and a process of determining the acquired address information for the plurality of destination candidates as the destination. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the program of the present invention, it is possible to provide effective press releases and information on recipients without burdening the user. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a press release creation support system. [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a press release creation support device 1. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an information input screen 210. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a candidate display screen 220. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a process for supporting press release creation. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a press release creation support device 1 according to another embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a process for supporting press release creation in another embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a press release creation support device 1 according to another embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a process for supporting press release creation in another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] (First embodiment) Hereinafter, identical or equivalent components, parts, processes, and signals shown in each drawing will be assigned the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations will be omitted where appropriate. Furthermore, some components that are not important for the explanation will be omitted in each drawing. The following embodiments do not unduly limit the content of the present disclosure described in the claims, and not all of the components shown in the embodiments are necessarily essential components of the present disclosure. Furthermore, each drawing is a schematic diagram and is not necessarily a precise illustration.

[0011] (System configuration) The press release creation support system in the present disclosure is a system that provides support for creating press releases. The press release creation support system includes a press release creation support device 1, a generation AI server 2, and a terminal device 3, all connected via a network NW. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the press release creation support system. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the press release creation support device 1.

[0012] (Hardware configuration of press release creation support device 1) The press release creation support device 1 comprises a control unit 101, a storage unit 102, and a communication unit 103. The control unit 101 is configured with a processor, and reads out the application program and data required for processing stored in the storage unit 102 to execute the processing, and realizes the functions of the application program by sending and receiving data to and from the generation AI server 2 and terminal device 3 connected to the network NW via the communication unit 103. In this way, the press release creation support device 1 is realized as an information processing device that performs information processing. Note that the press release creation support device 1 is a computer installed on a network, but it may also be a server configured virtually as a so-called cloud, or may be configured by a terminal with communication capabilities such as a personal computer or smartphone.

[0013] The storage unit 102 is a storage device for permanently or temporarily storing data and programs, and is configured with a volatile memory, a hard disk, an SSD, etc. The communication unit 103 communicates with other computers via a network NW using a wired or wireless communication standard. The network NW is configured with a mobile communication network, a wireless LAN, or other short-range wireless communication, and the communication unit 103 is configured with an interface that can communicate with the network by inputting and outputting signals.

[0014] (Configuration of the control unit 101 of the press release creation support device 1) The control unit 101 is composed of the following functional units: an information receiving unit 1011, a candidate proposal generating unit 1012, a selection receiving unit 1013, a press release generating unit 1014, a destination selecting unit 1015, a suitable destination notifying unit 1016, a press release distribution unit 1017, and a press release proposal presenting unit. The control unit 101 realizes each functional unit by reading out application programs stored in the memory unit 102 and executing the processing.

[0015] (Functional configuration of the storage unit 102 of the press release creation support device 1) The memory unit 102 stores and retains application programs, user data, and service data for providing the press release creation support service to the terminal device 3. The application programs are executed by the processor and operate as each functional unit of the control unit 101 to realize the press release creation support service. Specifically, the user data is user attribute information, service identification information, and billing information. The service data is data necessary for each functional unit of the control unit 101 to provide the press release creation support service, and specifically includes data on potential press release recipients used in the application program, display screen data on the terminal device 3, template data for prompts to be sent to the generation AI server 2, and templates for messages to be sent to the terminal device 3.

[0016] (Functional configuration of the communication unit 103 of the press release creation support device 1) The communication unit 103 provides an interface for communication during the operation of each functional unit of the control unit 101. When each functional unit of the control unit 101 communicates with the generation AI server 2 or the terminal device 3, the communication unit 103 acts as an intermediary to communicate with the network NW.

[0017] (Information Reception Department 1011) The information receiving unit 1011 receives information about the public relations target, which is the subject of the press release that the user wishes to create, from the terminal device 3. The information receiving unit 1011 reads data from the information input screen shown in FIG. 3 from the storage unit 102 and sends it to the terminal device 3. The user inputs information about the public relations target from the terminal device 3 and sends it to the press release creation support device 1. The press release creation support device 1 receives the information about the public relations target via the communication unit 103 and stores it in the storage unit 102.

[0018] (Candidate proposal generation unit 1012) The candidate generation unit 1012 reads from the memory unit 102 information on the public relations target, template data for the prompt to be sent to the generation AI server 2, and a list of viewpoints, which is a combination of items and definitions to be considered when generating a candidate press release, and creates a prompt for the generation AI server 2 to generate a candidate press release. The candidate generation unit 1012 sends the created prompt via the communication unit 103, receives information on the candidate press release generated by the generation AI server 2 via the communication unit 103, and stores it in the memory unit 102. The specific contents of the prompt data, list of viewpoints, and prompt will be described later.

[0019] (Selection receiving unit 1013) The selection receiving unit 1013 reads the press release candidate proposals and the candidate display screen data shown in FIG. 4 from the storage unit 102 and transmits them to the terminal device 3. The terminal device 3 displays the candidate display screen, and the user selects the candidate from which the user wishes to create a press release. The selection results are transmitted from the terminal device 3 to the press release creation support device 1. The selection receiving unit 1013 receives the selection results via the network NW and stores them in the storage unit 102.

[0020] (Press Release Generation Department 1014) The press release generation unit 1014 reads information on the selected press release candidate proposal from the memory unit 102 and template data for the prompt to be sent to the generation AI server 2, and creates a prompt for the generation AI server 2 to generate a press release. The press release generation unit 1014 sends the created prompt via the communication unit 103, receives information on the generated press release from the generation AI server 2 via the communication unit 103, and stores it in the memory unit 102. The specific contents of the prompt data and prompt will be described later.

[0021] (Press Release Proposal Section 1018) The press release proposal presentation unit 1018 reads from the storage unit 102 the generated press release and information about a press release proposal presentation screen for presenting the generated press release as a press release proposal on the terminal device 3, and transmits these to the terminal device 3. The press release proposal presentation screen allows the press release proposal to be edited, and the user edits the press release proposal using the display unit or input device of the terminal device 3. The terminal device 3 transmits the press release that the user has completed editing to the press release creation support device 1 via its transmission unit. The press release proposal presentation unit 1018 accepts the edited press release and stores it in the storage unit 102.

[0022] (Destination selection unit 1015) The destination selection unit 1015 reads the generated press release and information about the candidate destinations from the storage unit 102. The candidate destinations consist of link information using URLs. The destination selection unit 1015 crawls websites indicated by the URLs in the link information to collect comparison articles and stores them in the storage unit 102. The destination selection unit 1015 compares each comparison article with the generated press release to calculate similarity. The destination selection unit 1015 determines the candidate destination whose calculated similarity exceeds a predetermined value as a suitable destination. There may be multiple suitable destinations as long as they exceed the predetermined similarity. The destination selection unit 1015 again crawls the suitable destinations and obtains information for sending the press release from the accessed websites, specifically, email addresses, social media accounts, telephone numbers, addresses, company names, and author names. The obtained information, along with similarity, is compiled as destination information and stored in the storage unit 102.

[0023] Crawling is a method of collecting information by automatically patrolling websites using a program, and it can access not only the information on the website of a specified URL but also URLs listed on that website to sequentially acquire information. When crawling by the destination selection unit 1015, information is acquired by hierarchically accessing URLs linked from the website specified in the URL of the destination candidate. It is recommended that definitions of crawling rules be stored in the storage unit 102 and crawling be performed according to those rules. Possible rules include, for example, limiting the number of layers to two from the first accessed website, or not accessing links to external websites or links via banners.

[0024] The destination selection unit 1015 determines the degree of similarity by vectorizing the text using an existing model such as TF-IDF, WORD2VEC, or BERT, calculating the mutual vectors, and then calculating the similarity using the cosine similarity of those vectors. Since cosine similarity takes a value between 0 and 1, the similarity is expressed as a score based on that, where 100% is the score. For example, a predetermined similarity is set to a score of 80%, and if the score exceeds that, the destination is determined to be a suitable destination.

[0025] When the destination selection unit 1015 acquires information for sending a press release, it extracts information corresponding to email addresses, social media accounts, telephone numbers, addresses, company names, and author names from information collected by crawling websites designated as suitable destinations using pattern matching using regular expressions, etc. Also, a prompt may be provided to the generation AI to instruct it to acquire information for sending a press release.

[0026] Regarding the determination of destination information in the destination selection unit 1015, the above-mentioned processing may be executed by a program in the processor of the press release creation support device 1, or a prompt containing instructions for the above-mentioned processing may be created and sent to the generation AI server 2 to perform the processing.

[0027] (matching destination notification unit 1016) The suitable destination notification unit 1016 obtains destination information from the storage unit 102 and notifies the terminal device 3 via the communication unit 103. Based on the notification from the suitable destination notification unit 1016, the user can view on the screen destinations suitable for the selected press release, and select the destination to which the user wishes to distribute the press release. Information about the selected destination is sent from the terminal device 3 to the press release creation support device 1.

[0028] (Press Release Distribution Department 1017) The press release distribution unit 1017 receives destination information from the terminal device 3 and stores it in the storage unit 102. For destination information that includes email addresses and social media accounts, the press release distribution unit 1017 reads the generated press release from the storage unit 102 and sends the message as an attachment to those addresses. If the destination information is an address, the press release distribution unit 1017 may transmit the destination information to a service provider that will mail the press release, or may perform processing such as printing address labels or letters from an output unit (not shown).

[0029] (Configuration of Generation AI Server 2) The generative AI server 2 is a server equipped with a generative AI model. It receives instructions called prompts sent via a network NW, executes tasks corresponding to the instructions, and outputs answers. The generative AI server 2 is configured with a processor, a storage device, and a communication interface as hardware, and functions as the generative AI server 2 by reading the generative AI model from the storage device and executing it with the processor. Generative AI models are also known as large-scale language models or LLMs, and examples include ChatGPT, OpenAI GPT, and BingAI. Following given prompts, they can perform a wide range of natural language processing tasks, such as understanding sentence patterns and context, answering questions, generating sentences, and translating.

[0030] A prompt is a task instruction to a generative AI model in natural language, and the generative AI model responds to the prompt in natural language. However, the generative AI model's prompt and its response are not limited to being text-based; the prompt may include images, videos, and audio. If the prompt instructs the output of images, videos, or audio, the response from the generative AI model can be in these data formats.

[0031] (Configuration of terminal device 3) The terminal device 3 comprises a control unit, a storage unit, a communication unit, and a display unit. The processor of the terminal device 3 functions as a control unit by calling up and executing an application program from the storage unit. The storage unit stores data necessary for the processor of the terminal device 3 to execute the application program. The communication unit provides an interface function when the terminal device 3 communicates via the network NW.

[0032] The hardware configuration of the terminal device 3 is preferably a mobile communication terminal such as a smartphone, but other devices with communication functions such as tablets and laptops are also possible. The hardware that makes up each functional component of the terminal device 3 includes a control unit made up of a processor, and a storage unit made up of volatile memory, a hard disk, an SSD, etc. The communication unit is made up of a communication interface for mobile communication networks, wireless LANs, and other short-range wireless communications. The display unit is preferably a liquid crystal display with a touch panel superimposed thereon, which also serves as an input means.

[0033] (Operation of press release creation support device 1) Below, we will explain each process of the press release creation support device 1. Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the process. Figures 3 and 4 are examples of screens displayed on the display unit of the terminal device 3.

[0034] (About the screen) The user activates and displays the information input screen 210 and the candidate display screen 220 on the display unit of the terminal device 3. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the information input screen 210, and FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the candidate display screen 220. The control unit of the terminal device 3 reads out an application program from the storage unit, executes it, and displays it on the display unit. The application program that activates the information input screen 210 and the candidate display screen 220 may be a dedicated program, or may be an application that runs on the browser of the terminal device 3.

[0035] (Step S01: Information reception) The information receiving unit 1011 receives information about the public relations target, which is the subject of the press release that the user wishes to create, from the terminal device 3. The information receiving unit 1011 reads the data of the information input screen 210 shown in FIG. 3 from the storage unit 102 and sends it to the terminal device 3. The user inputs information about the public relations target from the terminal device 3 and sends it to the press release creation support device 1. The information receiving unit 1011 receives the information about the public relations target via the communication unit 103 and stores it in the storage unit 102.

[0036] The information input screen 210 is a screen for accepting information about the public relations target that is the subject of the press release, and is displayed on the display unit of the terminal device 3, accepting input from the user via input means such as a touch panel on the display unit. The information input screen 210 is composed of input fields for the name, company information, product information, attachments, reference URL, and target demographic. The input fields are not limited to these, and any input field may be provided, and it is not necessary to provide all of the above-mentioned input fields.

[0037] Text strings are entered into the input fields for name, company information, product information, and reference URL. In the input field for attachments, pressing the upload button displays a pop-up screen for file upload (not shown), allowing the user to select the file they wish to upload. Files that can be uploaded are text files, image files, and video files. The input field for target demographics is for the expected consumer demographic that will be the target of public relations or the readership of the press release. In the example of Figure 3, an input field is shown that allows selection from a pull-down menu, but it is also possible to accept text input.

[0038] After inputting information into the input fields of the information input screen 210, the user presses the candidate proposal generation button 211 and transmits the input information to the press release creation support device 1 as information related to the public relations target. The transmission is performed by the control unit of the terminal device 3 via the communication unit. After transmission, the press release creation support device 1 receives the transmitted information related to the public relations target via the information receiving unit 1011 and stores it in the memory unit 102.

[0039] (Step S02: Generate candidate plans) The candidate generation unit 1012 reads from the memory unit 102 information on the public relations target, template data for the prompt to be sent to the generation AI server 2, and a list of viewpoints, which are combinations of items and definitions to be considered when generating a candidate press release, and creates a prompt for the generation AI server 2 to generate a candidate press release. The candidate generation unit 1012 sends the created prompt via the communication unit 103, receives information on the candidate press release generated by the generation AI server 2 via the communication unit 103, and stores it in the memory unit 102.

[0040] The prompt sent to the AI ​​server 2 is: (a) Instruction to create a candidate draft of a press release based on information on the public relations subject received by the information receiving unit 1011 (b) If the URL of the information on the subject of the publicity is included, instructions to obtain and consider the information of the linked page. (c) Restrictions and precautions regarding press release proposals (d) Instructions to consider a list of points, which are combinations of items and definitions to be considered, when generating a press release candidate. (e) A press release proposal must consist of a title, subtitle, summary, and keywords. Includes instructions.

[0041] (b) Restrictions and instructions on points to note regarding the proposed press release include, specifically, (1) formal restrictions such as limiting the number of characters and lines, and not using abstract words or adjectives in the title, and (2) guidelines on how to write the content, such as making it understandable even to people without prior knowledge, and not using titles or sentences that contain slogans or assertions. Instructions can also be given in natural language, as long as the generative AI model can understand it.

[0042] The viewpoint list consists of a combination of items and definitions that the generative AI model should consider when generating press release candidates. The items to be considered are equivalent to the so-called points of interest, characteristics, and themes in writing, and definitions are given in wording to make them more specific. Specific examples include the following: (Point 1) Surprise Definition: Contains expressions and examples that give the reader new information or surprises them. (Perspective 2) Sustainability Definition: Appealing to environmental and economic considerations. Includes concrete examples and expressions of environmental considerations and sustainability. (Point 3) Story Definition: A story-like composition that resonates with readers, based on the planning and development process of the product or service being promoted, or the company's history.

[0043] The items and definitions are not limited to the above examples and can be arbitrarily specified. Combinations of items and definitions may be created in advance by the service provider and stored in the storage unit 102. Alternatively, a functional unit not shown in FIG. 2 may be provided in the control unit 101 to provide a screen and accept input for the user to set the items and definitions, and the user may set the items and definitions via the terminal device 3. Possible data formats for the combinations of items and definitions include a table format using spreadsheet software, a text file such as CSV, or a database, but any format may be used.

[0044] (Step S03: Selection acceptance) The selection receiving unit 1013 reads the press release candidate proposals and the candidate display screen data shown in FIG. 4 from the storage unit 102 and transmits them to the terminal device 3. The terminal device 3 displays the candidate display screen, and the user selects the candidate from which the user wishes to create a press release. The selection results are transmitted from the terminal device 3 to the press release creation support device 1. The selection receiving unit 1013 receives the selection results via the network NW and stores them in the storage unit 102.

[0045] (Step S04: Generate press release) The press release generation unit 1014 reads information on the selected press release candidate proposal from the memory unit 102 and template data for the prompt to be sent to the generation AI server 2, and creates a prompt to cause the generation AI server 2 to generate a press release. The press release generation unit 1014 sends the created prompt to the generation AI server 2 via the communication unit 103, receives information on the generated press release from the generation AI server 2 via the communication unit 103, and stores it in the memory unit 102.

[0046] The prompt sent to the AI ​​server 2 is: (f) Instructions for creating the main text of the press release based on the selected press release candidate proposal (g) If the URL of the information on the subject of the publicity is included, instructions to obtain and consider the information on the linked page. (h) Instructions regarding the format and structure of the press release text (i) Instructions to consider a list of points, which is a combination of items and definitions to be considered, when generating the press release text. (j) instructions to generate multiple press releases with different structure and writing style depending on the media outlet, e.g., newspaper, online news, press release, television station, etc. (k) Instructions for creating press releases in a style, phrasing, and structure that takes into account the target audience of the information about the subject of the promotion. The viewpoint list in (i) is the same as the prompt (d) in step S02, but items may be changed or added, or other viewpoints may be added.

[0047] (Step S05: Present a press release proposal) The press release proposal presentation unit 1018 reads from the storage unit 102 the generated press release and information about a press release proposal presentation screen for presenting the generated press release as a press release proposal on the terminal device 3, and transmits this information to the terminal device 3. The press release proposal presentation screen allows the user to edit the press release proposal, and the user edits the press release proposal using the display unit or input device of the terminal device 3. The terminal device 3 transmits the press release after the user's editing is complete to the press release creation support device 1 via its transmission unit. The press release proposal presentation unit 1018 accepts the edited press release and stores it in the storage unit 102. Note that the user can also input an instruction to complete editing on the press release proposal presentation screen without editing the press release.

[0048] (Step S06: Select destination) The destination selection unit 1015 reads the edited press release and information about the candidate destinations from the storage unit 102. The candidate destinations consist of link information using URLs. The destination selection unit 1015 crawls websites indicated by the URLs in the link information to collect comparison articles and stores them in the storage unit 102. The destination selection unit 1015 compares each comparison article with the edited press release to calculate similarity. The destination selection unit 1015 determines the candidate destination whose calculated similarity exceeds a predetermined value as a suitable destination. There may be multiple suitable destinations as long as they exceed the predetermined similarity. The destination selection unit 1015 again crawls the suitable destinations and obtains information for sending the press release from the accessed websites, specifically, the publication name, email address, social media account, telephone number, address, company name, and author name. The obtained information, along with the similarity, is compiled as destination information and stored in the storage unit 102.

[0049] When crawling to select suitable destinations, by paying attention to the author names of the articles being compared, it is possible to distribute the generated press release directly to the authors of related articles, even within the same media. In addition, destination candidates are not limited to mass media such as newspapers and television, but can also include texts posted on online news sites or social media.

[0050] (Step S07: Notify matching destination) The suitable destination notification unit 1016 acquires information about suitable destinations from the storage unit 102 and notifies the terminal device 3 via the communication unit 103. The suitable destination notification unit 1016 transmits information about a list screen of suitable destinations, and the user can view that screen on the display unit of the terminal device 3. The list screen displays the name of the publication, the company name, the author name, the similarity, destination information such as email address, address, SNS account, and selection buttons, and the user selects the desired destination from the list. Multiple destinations may be selected. The selected destination information is transmitted from the terminal device 3 to the press release creation support device 1.

[0051] (Step S08: Press release distribution) The press release distribution unit 1017 receives destination information from the terminal device 3 and stores it in the storage unit 102. For destination information that includes email addresses and social media accounts, the press release distribution unit 1017 reads the generated press release from the storage unit 102 and sends the message as an attachment to those addresses. As described above, if a press release is generated according to the medium of the destination, the press release appropriate for each destination is attached and sent.

[0052] If the destination information is an address, the press release and destination information data may be sent to a service provider that will mail the press release, or an address label or letter may be printed along with the press release from an output unit (not shown), and the service provider of the press release creation support system may then mail it.

[0053] As explained above, the press release creation support system of the present disclosure allows users to create effective press releases for their desired public relations targets simply by inputting information about the target. Furthermore, when distributing a press release, users can select media outlets and authors that have published articles similar to the press release, enabling the press release to be distributed to appealing recipients.

[0054] (Second embodiment) In the above embodiment, the press release creation support device 1 automatically generates a press release using a generation AI, presents it to the user, and determines the optimal distribution destination. In this embodiment, article information for a press release is received from an external source, and the optimal distribution destination for the received press release is determined. This allows the optimal distribution destination to be determined for a press release created by the user themselves or by an external system or contractor, enabling effective distribution. Note that this embodiment has many components in common with the previous embodiment, so the following description will focus on the differences.

[0055] 6 is a configuration diagram of the press release creation support device 1 in this embodiment. The difference from the previous embodiment is that this embodiment does not have the information receiving unit 1011, candidate proposal generation unit 1012, selection receiving unit 1013, press release generation unit 1014, or press release proposal presentation unit 1018, but instead has a press release receiving unit 1019.

[0056] (Press Release Reception Department 1019) The press release reception unit 1019 receives press releases from an external computer connected to the network via the communication unit 103. The external computer may be a user's terminal, another press release creation support system, or the generation AI server 2 in the previous embodiment. The press release may be one created by the user himself or one automatically generated by the generation AI.

[0057] The processing flow in this embodiment will be explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 7. The difference from the previous embodiment is that steps S01 to S05, which are steps for supporting press release creation using a generation AI, are replaced with step S011, which is for accepting press releases. The following explanation will focus on the differences from the previous embodiment.

[0058] (Step S011: Press release reception) The press release reception unit 1019 receives press releases from external computers connected to the network via the communication unit 103. The press release reception unit 1019 stores the received press releases in the storage unit .

[0059] (Step S05: Select destination) The processing of step S05 in this embodiment is almost the same as in the previous embodiment, except that the destination selection unit 1015 reads out the press release received by the press release reception unit 1019 instead of the edited press release stored in the storage unit 102. The subsequent processing is the same as in the previous embodiment.

[0060] Steps S06 and S07 are performed in the same manner as in the previous embodiment, and distribution processing for the press release accepted by the press release acceptance unit 1018 is completed.

[0061] As described above, the press release creation support system disclosed herein makes it possible to select media and authors that have published articles similar to a press release created by a user or a press release created or generated by another system, and to distribute the press release to appealing recipients.

[0062] (Third embodiment) In the first embodiment, the press release creation support device 1 sends information about the publicity target and a list of viewpoints along with a prompt to the generation AI server 2, causing the generation AI server 2 to generate a press release. In this example, the press release creation support device 1 receives information about the publicity target and instructs the generation AI server 2 to generate questions for the user based on the information about the publicity target. The generation AI server 2 interactively engages in a chat-style Q&A session with the user via the press release creation support device 1 and receives the user's answers. The press release creation support device 1 generates viewpoints for creating a press release based on the received answers. The press release creation support device 1 instructs the generation AI server 2 to generate a press release based on information about the publicity target and the generated viewpoints. Note that this embodiment has much in common with the previous embodiment, so differences will be mainly described.

[0063] (Configuration of the control unit 101 of the press release creation support device 1) The control unit 101 is composed of the following functional units: an information receiving unit 1011, a question generating unit 1020, an answer receiving unit 1021, a viewpoint generating unit 1022, a trend extracting unit 1023, a press release generating unit 1024, a destination selecting unit 1025, and a press release distributing unit 1026. The control unit 101 reads out application programs stored in the memory unit 102 and executes processing to realize each functional unit.

[0064] (Information Reception Department 1011) The information receiving unit 1011 receives information about the public relations target, which is the subject of the press release that the user wishes to create, from the terminal device 3. The information receiving unit 1011 reads data from the information input screen shown in FIG. 3 from the storage unit 102 and sends it to the terminal device 3. The user inputs information about the public relations target from the terminal device 3 and sends it to the press release creation support device 1. The press release creation support device 1 receives the information about the public relations target via the communication unit 103 and stores it in the storage unit 102.

[0065] (Question generation unit 1020) The question generation unit 1020 reads information about the public relations subject and template data for the prompt to be sent to the generation AI server 2 from the memory unit 102, and creates a prompt for the generation AI server 2 to have a question-and-answer session with the user. Based on instructions from this prompt, the generation AI server 2 interactively conducts a question-and-answer session with the user via the answer reception unit 1021.

[0066] The prompt sent to the AI ​​server 2 is: (a) A request is made to create a press release regarding information on the public relations subject received by the information receiving unit 1011, and a question and answer session is held with the requester to determine the viewpoint and angle of the article when creating the press release. (b) Questions and answers will be conducted in a chatbot format, with questions being asked about the items listed below. Answers will be provided in prompts, and if there are any points that are unclear depending on the answer or if more detailed information is needed, questions will be generated to guide the user in answering the question. (c) Questions to ask 1. Matters related to 5W1H (Who, Why, When, Where, How) 2. Past, present and future prospects of the public relations subject 3. Uniqueness, characteristics, and appealing points of the target of public relations 4. Anecdotes about people related to the developers or company representatives 5. Social background and phenomena that I am aware of (d) Archive the content of the Q&A session as text and print it out after the Q&A session is over. However, the above is just an example in this embodiment, and any question item may be included.

[0067] (Answer Reception Unit 1021) The answer receiving unit 1021 mediates the exchange of question and answer messages between the generation AI server 2 and the terminal device 3 via the network NW. The answer receiving unit 1021 reads a question and answer screen from the memory unit 102 for conducting chat-style questions and answers on the terminal device 3, sends it to the terminal device 3, and provides it as an interface. The user inputs answers in chat format to the question and answer screen displayed on the display unit of the terminal device 3. After the question and answer session is completed, archive information of the question and answer session is sent from the generation AI server 2, and the answer receiving unit 1021 receives the archive information and stores it in the memory unit 102.

[0068] (Perspective generation unit 1022) Based on the archive information stored in the storage unit 102 and information about the public relations target, the viewpoint generation unit 1022 creates and transmits a prompt to the generation AI server 2, which is an instruction to generate a viewpoint to be considered when generating a press release. As explained in the first embodiment, viewpoints are items that the generation AI model should consider when generating a press release candidate; in other words, they can be referred to as the approach, theme, plan, etc. for creating a press release. In the first embodiment, the viewpoints were entered in the prompt beforehand, but in this embodiment, the viewpoints are dynamically generated from interactive question and answer sessions between the generation AI server 2 and the user, which is different. Specific examples include surprise, sustainability, and story quality, as described in the first embodiment.

[0069] The generation AI server 2 generates perspectives to be considered when generating a press release in response to a prompt, and the perspective generation unit 1022 receives the perspectives from the generation AI server 2 and stores them in the memory unit 102. The data format of the perspectives may be text expressed in the format of the perspectives and their definitions exemplified in the description of the first embodiment, but any other format may be used as long as it can be interpreted by the generation AI server 2 when generating a press release. Alternatively, the perspectives generated within the generation AI server 2 may be stored in the memory unit of the generation AI server 2 without being sent to the press release support device 1, and a prompt may be issued to refer to the stored perspectives when generating a press release.

[0070] The viewpoint generation unit 1022 may generate a plurality of viewpoint candidates, display them on the display unit of the terminal device 3, and receive a selection from the user regarding a viewpoint to be adopted from among the viewpoint candidates. At this time, the viewpoint generation unit 1022 stores the viewpoint corresponding to the received selection in the storage unit 102.

[0071] (Trend extraction unit 1023) The trend extraction unit 1023 collects website information by crawling the Internet and stores it in the memory unit 102. The trend extraction unit 1023 compares the collected website information with information about the public relations target, archive information, the generated perspective, or a combination thereof, and extracts expressions that indicate trends from the information of websites determined to be similar. Expressions that indicate trends are specifically keywords or phrases, and are determined to indicate trends by being used on many websites within a specified recent period or in popular articles with high views among the information of websites determined to be similar by the trend extraction unit 1023. The trend extraction unit 1023 stores the determined expressions that indicate trends in the memory unit 102. All or part of the processing by the trend extraction unit 1023 can be performed by the generation AI server 2 in response to prompt instructions.

[0072] The trend extraction unit 1023 determines similarity by using existing models such as TF-IDF, WORD2VEC, and BERT to vectorize the text of website information, calculate the vectors between them, and calculate the cosine similarity with information about the public relations subject, archive information, generated perspectives, or a combination thereof. Since cosine similarity takes values ​​between 0 and 1, similarity is expressed as a score of 100% based on this. For example, a predetermined similarity is set to a score of 80%, and information exceeding that score is determined to be similar. The trend extraction unit 1023 stores website information determined to be similar in the storage unit 102.

[0073] (Press Release Generation Unit 1024) The press release generation unit 1024 reads information about the public relations subject, archive information, the generated perspective, and template data for the prompt to be sent to the generation AI server 2, and creates a prompt to cause the generation AI server 2 to generate a press release. The press release generation unit 1024 sends the created prompt via the communication unit 103, receives the generated press release from the generation AI server 2 via the communication unit 103, and stores it in the memory unit 102.

[0074] The prompt sent to the AI ​​server 2 is: (a) An instruction to consider the viewpoint generated by the viewpoint generation unit 1022 when generating the press release text. (b) an instruction to use an expression indicating the trend determined by the trend extractor 1023; (b) If the URL of the information on the subject of the publicity is included, instructions to obtain and consider the information of the linked page. (d) Instructions regarding the format and structure of the press release text (e) instructions to generate multiple press releases with different structure and writing style depending on the media outlet, e.g., newspaper, online news, press release, television station, etc. (f) Instructions for creating press releases in a style, phrasing, and structure that takes into account the target audience of the information about the subject of the promotion. The prompts may be changed or added to the template.

[0075] (Destination selection unit 1025) The destination selection unit 1025 reads information about the text of a website that has been determined to be similar by the trend extraction unit 1023 from the storage unit 102. The information about the text of the website includes the degree of similarity, the name of the medium, an email address, an SNS account, a telephone number, an address, a company name, an author's name, and the publication date of the article. The destination selection unit 1025 determines the optimal destination by taking into consideration information about the public relations subject, archive information, and the generated viewpoint. The determination may take into consideration the target reader, medium, and transmission time. At this time, the destination selection unit 1025 may send an interface screen to the terminal device 3 to accept the user's request.

[0076] (Press Release Distribution Department 1026) The press release distribution unit 1026 receives destination information from the destination selection unit 1025 and stores it in the storage unit 102. For destination information that includes email addresses and social media accounts, the press release distribution unit 1026 reads the generated press release from the storage unit 102 and sends the message as an attachment to those addresses. If the destination information is an address, the press release distribution unit 1026 may transmit the destination information to a service provider that will mail the press release, or may perform processing such as printing address labels or letters from an output unit (not shown).

[0077] (Operation of press release creation support device 1) Below, we will explain each process of the press release creation support device 1. Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of the process in this embodiment.

[0078] (Step S21: Information reception) The information receiving unit 1011 receives information about the public relations target, which is the subject of the press release that the user wishes to create, from the terminal device 3. The information receiving unit 1011 reads data from the information input screen shown in FIG. 3 from the storage unit 102 and sends it to the terminal device 3. The user inputs information about the public relations target from the terminal device 3 and sends it to the press release creation support device 1. The press release creation support device 1 receives the information about the public relations target via the communication unit 103 and stores it in the storage unit 102.

[0079] (Step S22: Question generation) The question generation unit 1020 reads information about the public relations subject and template data for the prompt to be sent to the generation AI server 2 from the memory unit 102, and creates a prompt for the generation AI server 2 to engage in a question-and-answer session with the user. Based on instructions from this prompt, the generation AI server 2 interactively engages in a question-and-answer session with the user via the answer acceptance unit 1021. The prompt sent to the generation AI server 2 is as described above.

[0080] (Step S23: Receive response) The answer receiving unit 1021 mediates the exchange of question and answer messages between the generation AI server 2 and the terminal device 3 via the network NW. The answer receiving unit 1021 reads a question and answer screen from the memory unit 102 for conducting chat-style questions and answers on the terminal device 3, sends it to the terminal device 3, and provides it as an interface. The user inputs answers in chat format to the question and answer screen displayed on the display unit of the terminal device 3. After the question and answer session is completed, archive information of the question and answer session is sent from the generation AI server 2, and the answer receiving unit 1021 receives the archive information and stores it in the memory unit 102.

[0081] (Step S24: Viewpoint generation) Based on the archive information stored in the memory unit 102 and information about the public relations subject, the perspective generation unit 1022 creates and sends a prompt to the generation AI server 2, which is an instruction to generate a perspective to be considered when generating a press release. The generation AI server 2 generates a perspective to be considered when generating a press release based on the prompt, and the perspective generation unit 1022 receives the perspective from the generation AI server 2 and stores it in the memory unit 102.

[0082] (Step S25: Trend extraction) The trend extraction unit 1023 collects website information by crawling the Internet and stores it in the storage unit 102. The trend extraction unit 1023 compares information about the public relations target, archive information, or the generated perspective, or a combination thereof, with the collected website information, and extracts expressions that indicate trends from the information of websites that are determined to be similar. The trend extraction unit 1023 stores the expressions that indicate the determined trends in the storage unit 102.

[0083] (Step S26: Generate press release) The press release generation unit 1024 reads information on the selected press release candidate proposal from the memory unit 102 and template data for the prompt to be sent to the generation AI server 2, and creates a prompt to cause the generation AI server 2 to generate a press release. The press release generation unit 1024 sends the created prompt via the communication unit 103, receives the generated press release from the generation AI server 2 via the communication unit 103, and stores it in the memory unit 102.

[0084] (Step S27: Determine suitable destination) The destination selection unit 1025 reads information about the text of the website that is determined to be similar by the trend extraction unit 1023 from the storage unit 102. The destination selection unit 1025 determines the optimal destination by taking into consideration information about the public relations target, archive information, and the generated viewpoint.

[0085] (Step S28: Press release distribution) The press release distribution unit 1026 receives destination information from the destination selection unit 1025 and stores it in the storage unit 102. For destination information that includes email addresses and social media accounts, the press release distribution unit 1026 reads the generated press release from the storage unit 102 and transmits the message as an attachment to those destinations.

[0086] According to this embodiment, the press release creation support device 1 can receive information about perspectives for creating a press release in a chat format with the user via the generation AI server 2. This allows the user to elicit from the user points of interest or themes related to the topic, and also allows for points of interest that the user was not aware of to be elicited through a question-and-answer session, thereby supporting the creation of more effective press releases. Furthermore, by determining expressions that indicate trends using the trend extraction unit 1023, press releases can be created that are appropriate for the time and trends, reducing the burden of research and input required for users to understand trends.

[0087] The invention made by the inventor has been specifically described above based on the embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. In this invention, a press release does not only refer to text published in press release media, but also to text created by users to widely publicize the subject of their public relations efforts. Furthermore, the above embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those having all of the described configurations. It is possible to add, delete, or replace some of the configurations of the above embodiments with other configurations.

[0088] The above-described configurations, functions, processing means, etc. may be realized in part or in whole by hardware, for example, by designing them as integrated circuits. The above-described configurations, functions, etc. may also be realized in software by a processor interpreting and executing a program that realizes each function. Information such as the programs, tables, and files that realize each function can be stored in a storage device such as a memory, hard disk, or SSD, or in a storage medium such as an IC card, SD card, or DVD. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 1 Press release creation support device 101 Control section 1011 Information Reception Department 1012 Candidate generation section 1013 Selection Reception Department 1014 Press Release Generation Department 1015 Destination selection unit 1016 Compatible destination notification part 1017 Press Release Distribution Department 1018 Press Release Proposal Department 1019 Press Release Reception Department 1020 Question generation part 1021 Response Reception Department 1022 Viewpoint Generation Unit 1023 Trend Extraction Unit 1024 Press Release Generation Department 1025 Destination Selection Unit 1026 Press Release Distribution Department 102 Storage section 103 Communications Department 2 Generative AI Server 3 Terminal Devices 210 Information input screen 211 Candidate generation button 220 Candidate display screen 221 Select button

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for supporting press release creation using generative AI, comprising: receiving information regarding a publicity subject that is the subject of a press release; Matters concerning the background of the public relations subject, (a) Background and outlook regarding the target of public relations (b) Anecdotes about related people (c) Social background and social phenomena that you are aware of prompting the generation AI with a first prompt to generate a question about and obtaining the question from the generation AI; presenting the question to a user and receiving an answer to the question from the user; Instructing the generating AI to generate a perspective on the background of the public relations object based on the answer by a second prompt, and obtaining the perspective from the generating AI; A step of collecting expressions indicating trends related to the public relations target and the viewpoint from the Internet by crawling; instructing the generation AI to generate a press release based on information about the public relations subject, the viewpoint, and an expression indicating the trend by a third prompt, and obtaining the press release from the generation AI; A press release creation support method consisting of:

2. A step of determining suitable recipients for distributing the generated press release based on information about the public relations target, the viewpoint, and an expression indicating the trend; The press release creation support method according to claim 1, further comprising:

3. A press release creation support program that causes a computer to execute the press release creation support method described in either claim 1 or 2.

4. A press release creation support device that executes the press release creation support method described in either claim 1 or 2 using a processor.

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