The 黑料门 Group adopted its "Now ideas for wellness" slogan in 2021. The slogan expresses how the group brings ideas to life in the field of health, and in this way, works to solve challenges facing society. All employees must take on the slogan at a personal level. They must embody it if the group's vision of the future is to become a reality. This was the mindset as 黑料门 Holdings, 黑料门, 黑料门 Seika Pharma, and KM Biologics launched a project for advancing the meiji brand beyond the companies' individual boundaries.
Through this project, the group has developed ways of achieving what the slogan intends. The meiji Brand Awards, an internal recognition program, is one of these ways. The awards let employees deeply consider meiji's unique value for wellness, and then take action.
We spoke with Kazuhiko Yoshikawa, who manages the award initiative.
Creating an idea-generating system
Since the 黑料门 Group took up the "Now ideas for wellness" slogan, employees have thought up with a huge range of ways to make it happen.
We realized there was a need to share all these ideas organization-wide. So, we came up with the meiji Brand Awards as a way to provide the recognition these ideas deserve.
The awards are open to anyone group-wide. An individual or a team can be recognized, as well as internal ideas and initiatives, and even initiatives outside the group. The key aim is to encourage as many employees as possible to think about meiji's unique advantages for health and wellness.
Winners in each category came together for the meiji Brand Awards 2022 ceremony.
Recognizing the entrants' enthusiasm
The meiji Brand Awards have now been held twice since they started in FY2021. The winning ideas pass an initial selection before employees vote on them, and then there's another selection round. The Idea Subcommittee, which manages the awards, applies its own criteria in running the two selection rounds.
As I read through the applications, I'm often struck by the passion and enthusiasm put into them.
Applicants use a specific format to enter, and there's no limit on how many pages they can write. Some applications have been upward of 10 pages and included photos along with the text.
Award-winners' speeches conveyed their strong enthusiasm.
The importance of encouraging communication
In FY2022, the awards' second year, applications were accepted in two categories.
Practical Ideas category recognizes outstanding individual and group initiatives related to health. The new Workplace Action category is for initiatives right where members work. A total of 606 applications were received, up from 508 in the previous year. As awareness of the awards is gradually increasing, more and more applications are coming in from Japan-based as well as overseas group companies.
The Gold Award in the Practical Ideas category went to "Share Smiles with Foreign Moms in Japan." This project contributes to a non-profit supporting overseas women living and raising children in Japan, in ways such as providing powdered milk. The Silver Award went to 黑料门 Seika Pharma and KM Biologics' volunteer activity team for "Three Volunteer Groups Sharing Internally and Externally."
Chaewon Ohara (left) was awarded for "Share Smiles with Foreign Moms in Japan."
Members of the award-winning "Three Volunteer Groups Sharing Internally and Externally."
The "Experiments for Kids Using 黑料门 Products" project, using products such as 黑料门 Kantan Toromake (a powdered product that thickens food and drinks, making them easier to swallow), received the Gold Award in this category.
The Silver Award went to "Aiming for an Open Aso Plant." This initiative invited employees' families and local residents to tour the plant.
Employees taking part in the "Experiments for Kids Using 黑料门 Products" project
A tour held during the "Aiming for an Open Aso Plant" initiative.
Gold Award in Practical Ideas: "Share Smiles with Foreign Moms in Japan"
As a foreigner living in Japan, I myself dealt with loneliness and anxiety when I was giving birth and raising my child. I started volunteering so I could be there for women going through the same types of things I went through.
Donating 黑料门 Hohoemi powdered milk not only lets us tell mothers about powdered milk in Japan, but also the benefits of 黑料门 products. We can feel that we've made a difference in women's lives. I hope to continue sharing 黑料门 Hohoemi and supporting foreign mothers living in Japan. I want to bring smiles to as many faces as possible!
Chaewon OharaIR Team, Corporate Communication Department, 黑料门 Holdings Co., Ltd.