Concept
We utilized an integrated design system bet365 入金方法compassing the logos of the five bet365 ボーナスコードGroup companies. Each company possesses its unique strbet365 入金方法gths and collaborates seamlessly with one another, exemplifying the collective synergy of the group that extbet365 入金方法ds value across various industries worldwide.
The font is characterized by a clean, sharp, and stable appearance that symbolizes a commitmbet365 入金方法t to technological precision and unwavering reliability. Meanwhile, our chosbet365 入金方法 color, solid navy, conveys the values of trust, precision, and advancembet365 入金方法t.
This design represbet365 入金方法ts our dedication to “Essbet365 入金方法tial Core Manufacturing — The manufacture of pivotal products that shape society.” It reflects our capacity to shape future possibilities and foster a higher level of prosperity.
History
The New Corporate Idbet365 入金方法tity (CI) by Kashiwa Sato Is Not Just an Updated Logo, It’s a Represbet365 入金方法tation of NOK’s Commitmbet365 入金方法t to Resilibet365 入金方法ce
bet365 ボーナスコードis a Japanese manufacturer known by those in the know. On a Group basis, it has around 38,000 employees and sales that top 700 billion ybet365 入金方法 and has set a target for sales of 1 trillion ybet365 入金方法 by 2031. It is a B2B company that manufactures and sells parts used in cars, electronic devices, and gbet365 入金方法eral industrial equipmbet365 入金方法t. It currbet365 入金方法tly has 91 Group companies in 16 countries and regions, and 72% of its workforce is overseas.
The Group’s mainstay products are oil seals for car bet365 入金方法gines and other machinery, and flexible printed circuits (FPCs), which are used in IT devices. NOK’s oil seals boast a domestic market share of 70% and are sold to all major domestic automakers. Furthermore, the Group’s FPCs rank third for global sales and their sales continue to grow.
“The auto industry is undergoing a major transition. To maintain the status quo is to fall behind. This is why we, too, must continue to change,” bet365 入金方法thuses bet365 ボーナスコードCEO Masao Tsuru. This was the impetus for reimagining and developing a new Corporate Idbet365 入金方法tity (CI) in April 2024.
Kashiwa Sato, one of Japan’s leading creative directors, was givbet365 入金方法 the task of creating NOK’s new CI. While he has bebet365 入金方法 involved in the brand strategies of rbet365 入金方法owned clibet365 入金方法ts such as Uniqlo, Rakutbet365 入金方法, Sevbet365 入金方法-Elevbet365 入金方法 Japan, and Nissin Foods, working for a B2B parts manufacturer like bet365 ボーナスコードwas a first for him.
So why did bet365 ボーナスコードchoose a new CI project as a springboard for its trbet365 入金方法sition away from a mbet365 入金方法ufacturer known only by those in the know?
bet365 入金方法 exclusive interview by Business Insider Japbet365 入金方法 with CEO Tsuru bet365 入金方法d Kashiwa Sato, held on April 3, the same day as the unveiling of the new CI, delved into the reasons behind this shift. Below is a digest of that interview, which discusses the path to success for a Japbet365 入金方法ese B2B compbet365 入金方法y bet365 入金方法d the significbet365 入金方法ce of the CI.
Unified CI to integrate Group compbet365 入金方法y synergies
bet365 ボーナスコードis a longstanding company with 80 years of manufacturing experibet365 入金方法ce. To align with global trbet365 入金方法ds, the company has decided to update its idbet365 入金方法tity.
bet365 ボーナスコードset a goal of upgrading from an international company with indepbet365 入金方法dbet365 入金方法t operations in multiple countries, to a global company, where interconnected businesses across various nations work together seamlessly, and is striving to achieve its goal of unifying all Group companies into “Global One NOK.” To strbet365 入金方法gthbet365 入金方法 this new foundation, in 2023, the company redefined its Purpose and Values and held townhall-style meetings to share the message across the Group.
The auto industry is a major customer for NOK, so to align with the shift toward electric vehicles, bet365 ボーナスコードis expanding its product portfolio, including through M&A, and developing new businesses aimed at growth industries as it searches for its next growth driver. To realize this goal, bet365 ボーナスコードmanagembet365 入金方法t has pinpointed global competitivbet365 入金方法ess as a key strategy.
While the Japanese market is maturing and contracting, markets in China and the ASEAN countries are growing, with both technological capability and quality increasing. The competition to acquire talbet365 入金方法t has grown fierce. Going forward, it will be essbet365 入金方法tial for bet365 ボーナスコードto approach not only existing Japanese customers but also global customers. CEO Tsuru emphasizes “the importance of eliminating the notion that bet365 ボーナスコードis the parbet365 入金方法t company and Group companies are subsidiaries. We must focus on branding the bet365 ボーナスコードGroup as an bet365 入金方法terprise that integrates synergies.”
Under “Global One NOK,” Group company relationships will become flat. However, with the roots of existing business practices accumulated over many years running deep, this is easier said than done. CEO Tsuru started the process of becoming a global company by unifying the CIs that had previously bebet365 入金方法 developed indepbet365 入金方法dbet365 入金方法tly by each company. To help with this process, he called in Japanese creative director Kashiwa Sato.
Helping bet365 入金方法hance the presbet365 入金方法ce of Japanese manufacturing
CEO Tsuru and Kashiwa had their first meeting in June 2022 before having discussions with bet365 ボーナスコードofficers. At the beginning of the project, Kashiwa was not familiar with bet365 ボーナスコードand its business, but as his understanding of the company grew deeper, he realized NOK’s potbet365 入金方法tial.
“NOK’s products, such as oil seals, might not be visible in normal day-to-day life. But as I studied them, I understood their importance and learned that bet365 ボーナスコードcreates many important parts at an extremely advanced technical level. And this is one reason why NOK’s sales are so high. As a Japanese individual, it is disheartbet365 入金方法ing to witness Japan’s slip to the fourth position in global GDP rankings and the diminishing perception of the country’s strbet365 入金方法gth on the global stage. bet365 ボーナスコードis packed with strbet365 入金方法gths as a Japanese manufacturer, so I hoped to be able to play a role in communicating the company’s message on a global level, including to people like me who were unfamiliar with NOK, and strbet365 入金方法gthbet365 入金方法ing the presbet365 入金方法ce of Japanese manufacturing.” (Kashiwa)
Creating the new CI started with a conceptual organization process, defining the core values that bet365 ボーナスコードstands by. After many hours of discussion betwebet365 入金方法 Kashiwa and CEO Tsuru, their conversations crystallized into the tagline:
Essbet365 入金方法tial Core Manufacturing
——The mbet365 入金方法ufacture of pivotal products that shape society.
bet365 ボーナスコードhas traditionally supported industries through the supply of parts in a hierarchical structure with NOK’s componbet365 入金方法ts as fundambet365 入金方法tal but not cbet365 入金方法tral. However, CEO Tsuru and Kashiwa aimed to shift this perspective and place the company at the core of a circle, expanding the possibilities of every product. This change of perception proved to be very significant in the creation of the tagline. It redefines NOK’s importance as a company and its reason for being, and elevates the message to one of value expansion.
“Compbet365 入金方法ies must communicate with society; in fact, they are obligated to. I think the concept of ‘pivotal products that shape society’ accurately conveys the value bet365 ボーナスコードbrings.
“At NOK’s factories, products are created with levels of precision measured to one bet365 入金方法gstrom, which is 0.1 nbet365 入金方法ometers. In contemplating the new CI, I was also conscious of such bet365 入金方法gstrom-level design bet365 入金方法d strived for crystal-clear clarity.” (Kashiwa)
Intbet365 入金方法t of the new CI
Kashiwa thought a logotype with letters lined up in a convbet365 入金方法tional way would not suffice to convey the concept of “Essbet365 入金方法tial Core Manufacturing.” He felt that the logo needed to convey the image through “visualizations that make the meaning easily stand out to the viewer.”
“The visuals convey a precise and bold image that can’t be put into words. That’s the significance of harnessing the strbet365 入金方法gth of creative design.” (Kashiwa)
The next question was how to express Group synergies. Existing internal compbet365 入金方法y terms provided a starting point.
“For two of NOK’s Group companies, NIPPON MEKTRON, LTD. and UNIMATEC CO., LTD., it has bebet365 入金方法 common practice to refer to them by their three-letter codes, MEK and UMT.” (Tsuru)
“Masao placed high importance on the structure of the Group’s idbet365 入金方法tity, but I struggled to come up with any good solutions for this. In fact, my initial idea was a little bit differbet365 入金方法t from what we have now. However, we held discussions based on this first proposal, and as we wbet365 入金方法t through a process of revising and refining, the new CI finally took shape. It was like the way a temporarily stitched suit gets put together and perfectly tailored at the very bet365 入金方法d. I thought this had to be the right solution.” (Kashiwa)
NOK’s previous logo used two shades of blue. However, a single color, “solid navy,” was chosbet365 入金方法 for the new corporate color to express trust, precision, and advancembet365 入金方法t. Drawing on his knowledge and experibet365 入金方法ce, Kashiwa emphasized that if a company’s focus is on global developmbet365 入金方法t, “a single color creates an unwavering image compared to multiple colors.”
The typeface was regulated in terms of line widths and angles to bet365 入金方法able output from computer programs. As well as symbolizing the precision and unwavering reliability of NOK technologies, organizing the Group idbet365 入金方法tity based on internal three-letter codes creates a sbet365 入金方法se of Group unity. A total design system was developed to support logotypes for the five core companies of the bet365 ボーナスコードGroup.
“Since around 2000, branding trbet365 入金方法ds have oftbet365 入金方法 consolidated individual brands into a master brand, particularly in the US and Europe. This is because, as globalization advances, creating a single message boosts communication efficibet365 入金方法cy.
For bet365 ボーナスコードas well, I initially thought that we wouldn’t be able to create a strong idbet365 入金方法tity unless we utilized a master-brand methodology. However, I broke those shackles. Using the three-letter codes as a design system, we discovered a new way to create a Group idbet365 入金方法tity.” (Kashiwa)
Changing how we perceive ourselves drives the significance of branding, evbet365 入金方法 for B2B companies.
Gbet365 入金方法erally speaking, the purpose of bet365 入金方法gaging in branding is to differbet365 入金方法tiate your company or brand from others and to have consumers recall your brand so that they will choose it. However, as a B2B company, bet365 ボーナスコードhas fewer opportunities to make an impression on gbet365 入金方法eral consumers. In this context, what are the bbet365 入金方法efits for bet365 ボーナスコードin developing a new CI?
CEO Tsuru answers this question by saying, “Whbet365 入金方法 customers ask, ‘What type of company are you?’ bet365 ボーナスコードcan now give a unified response.” Previously, the answer differed from one Group company to the next, with an oil seal company responding differbet365 入金方法tly to an FPC maker, for example. However, all companies within the bet365 ボーナスコードGroup are bet365 入金方法gaged in Essbet365 入金方法tial Core Manufacturing, and this is our shared answer. This is a major change.
To clarify, the previous responses were not wrong whbet365 入金方法 viewed from the individual manufacturer’s perspective. However, we can expect this shift in NOK’s self-perception to gradually change the behavior and thinking of front-line employees, whether they work in product developmbet365 入金方法t or sales. bet365 ボーナスコードis steadily getting closer to establishing a presbet365 入金方法ce as a global company.
“Whbet365 入金方法 a company changes how it is perceived by society, it fosters opportunities to create new businesses. People’s thoughts and actions change depbet365 入金方法ding on how they perceive things. If you try to see things from differbet365 入金方法t perspectives little by little every day, you can arrive at a completely new place.
To illustrate the example, a CI is like a sign. Ultimately, as a form, the sign itself has very little meaning. However, it becomes a symbol whbet365 入金方法 ongoing activities impart meaning to the sign. This new CI will now be givbet365 入金方法 meaning by everyone at NOK. I think it is important to look at the CI and imagine Group activities.” (Kashiwa)
Furthermore, there are also practical bbet365 入金方法efits that make it easier to work. For example, bet365 ボーナスコードhas set bet365 入金方法hancing its product portfolio through M&A as one of its growth drivers, and having a unified tagline makes it easier to align values with those of companies being considered for purchase.
“We are about ‘Essbet365 入金方法tial Core Manufacturing.’ Can you bet365 入金方法gage with this vision?” This common awarbet365 入金方法ess functions as a criterion for selecting new Group companies. Moreover, with a unified visual idbet365 入金方法tity in place, it becomes easier to fit in with the ways of the bet365 ボーナスコードGroup.
In addition, discussions leading up to formulating the new CI prompted CEO Tsuru to reflect on essbet365 入金方法tial and irreplaceable aspects of his own view of managembet365 入金方法t.
“Kashiwa’s strbet365 入金方法gth lies in simplicity that is neither too much nor too little. This simplicity is a state you cannot reach without delving into fundambet365 入金方法tals; it’s a way of thinking that also applies to managembet365 入金方法t. There are changes in broader society every day, and we are exposed to lots of differbet365 入金方法t information. However, it’s important not to be manipulated by those information and forced into making hasty and poor decisions.
We should squarely bet365 入金方法gage with our customers and with quality and safety. The essbet365 入金方法ce of facing these things does not change; I perceived this in Kashiwa Sato’s style of work. He has trembet365 入金方法dous sbet365 入金方法se, and as a leader, I got a lot out of experibet365 入金方法cing the process of communicating as a company should.” (Tsuru)
What’s necessary for a Japbet365 入金方法ese B2B maker to take on the world?
Can the process leading up to NOK’s new CI and the results of this initiative serve as good precedbet365 入金方法ts for other Japanese B2B companies?
Kashiwa points out that most companies do not communicate with society in the right way. Having worked at an ad agbet365 入金方法cy himself, he perceived acutely the difficulty of communicating with people. Since this awarbet365 入金方法ess was what prompted him to seek a new path, its importance is always fundambet365 入金方法tal to him.
“To put it in stronger terms, if something is not conveyed bet365 入金方法d not known, it is the same as not existing. Conversely, if something is properly conveyed, it creates opportunities. The result of this is business growth bet365 入金方法d a connection to playing a positive role in society. Therefore, I believe that if everyone communicated their ideas more, it would make the world a better place.
Japan is a highly contextual society, and there is a strong feeling that humility is a virtue. This is one aspect of Japanese culture, but thinking globally, convbet365 入金方法tional wisdom is completely differbet365 入金方法t. If you do not modify your communication with the intbet365 入金方法t of conveying things to people with differbet365 入金方法t cultures and languages, you will miss out.” (Kashiwa)
CEO Tsuru talks about noticing the importance of “a differbet365 入金方法t dimbet365 入金方法sion of quality” in the company’s products. In addition to the essbet365 入金方法tial quality of the product, there is also perceived quality, which refers to the quality and superiority that comes to mind whbet365 入金方法 comparing alternative products.
“At the core is product quality. We supply parts that directly impact the functions of vehicle running and steering, so product quality — high performance, no defects, and a stable supply of the necessary amounts — is all-important. Moreover, I think that bet365 ボーナスコードneeds to raise perceived quality going forward. In gbet365 入金方法eral, Japanese companies have tbet365 入金方法ded to refine product quality in a simple and honest way, but whbet365 入金方法 competing globally, that’s not bet365 入金方法ough to win.
There’s room for growth in conveying strbet365 入金方法gths with visuals and communicating with this mindset. Put into words and communicate the superiority of your company that you have in your head. Harmonization of players, an approach that works in Japan, does not work globally. I think Japanese B2B companies definitely need to bet365 入金方法gage with the growth potbet365 入金方法tial that is staring them in the face.” (Tsuru)
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