Is There Any Point in Dentsu Inc. Doing That? (Part 1)

Hello, everyone. I'm Makoto Okumura, Break Time Designer for the Office Project. It's been a while since our last Office Project series.

Even after the new year began, Office Project is gearing up to launch various new activities.
Since we're challenging ourselves with new endeavors, we're thinking about things from a 360° perspective. I want to delve deeply into what Office Project is thinking about now and where we're heading.
Office Project: http://www.offispo.com/

Is Japan a "Stress-Advanced Nation" but a "Break-Time Underdeveloped Nation"?

I truly believe Japanese people work incredibly hard.
However, it's undeniable that this comes with stress.

This is the result of a survey conducted just before the mandatory stress check system was implemented in November 2015. It targeted employees working in the field, such as sales and marketing, as well as those in management sections like HR and general affairs.

As you can see, looking at this graph, it's no exaggeration to call Japan a "stress-advanced nation."

Recently, the term "health management" has been widely promoted, and many companies are identifying health issues with their employees in mind. However, in reality, there are still many companies that struggle to provide effective solutions.

The reality is that employees themselves are not taking adequate break times. Japan can truly be called a "break time underdeveloped country."

*Survey Overview
■Survey Participants: 900 general employees across 47 prefectures / 100 HR and general affairs personnel
■Survey Method: Internet survey
■Survey Period: Tuesday, November 17, 2015 – Thursday, November 19, 2015
■Survey Organization: Dentsu Macromill Insight, Inc.

That's where "Office-po" was conceived.

As the name suggests, Officepo is a movement to exercise in the office. It means incorporating exercise into every break time for your body, mind, and brain.

It's said that human concentration lasts only about an hour, or at most two hours. Yet in actual workplaces, people spend long hours facing computers and attending endless meetings.
How much concentration can we really maintain?

People need appropriate breaks. And during those breaks, we need to clear our minds completely. Clearing our minds allows us to refresh and reactivate our brains.

What we do at OfficePo

So, what exactly does "Office Po" do?
Those who have already read the previous installments may know, but we offer "Office Yoga," "Office Poki Exercise," "Office Stacking," and "Office BODYMETRIX."

To date, the Office Post team has dispatched instructors to various companies, including JT, Q&A Group, TriStage, and analysts participating in Kanagawa's CHO Initiative ( http://www.pref.kanagawa.jp/cnt/f532717/ ), enabling them to experience these programs.

Then comes the question from those around us.

This is where the title question comes in: "Why is Dentsu Inc. doing this?" We hear this a lot lately, both inside and outside the company.

Right? Why is Dentsu Inc., an advertising agency, developing and providing health-focused exercise programs aimed at health management for corporate HR and general affairs departments? But for us, there is significant meaning in this. We believe it has meaning. First, let me explain from the perspective of the project design: "Exercise in the Office."

Building Motivation for Health-Focused Exercise Programs

As mentioned earlier, the term "health management" is widely recognized, and companies are all striving to be selected as "Health Management Stocks."

The crucial question here is: Who is health management for? It goes without saying, but the premise is that it's for the employees. Acquiring a Health Management Stock designation is highly meaningful from an IR perspective. However, the most important thing is whether employees can achieve a fulfilling work-life balance. That, I believe, is what is truly required.

Health-focused exercise programs already exist and are implemented in many companies. On the other hand, employees often feel they are being forced to participate by the company.

Therefore, I believe the key factor is that "for a company to sustainably implement programs, the employees' desire to participate must persist."

Programs must be built with participant motivation as the primary focus: "I want to try this once," "This is interesting," "This is fun." The goal is to promote voluntary exercise without coercion. Without keeping this in mind, programs risk becoming merely tools for the company or for securing the Health Management Stock designation, drifting away from their fundamental purpose.

Creating that "desire to participate" demands creativity. While existing exercises form the foundation, just as "casual sports" (ゆるスポ) have recently emerged and gained popularity, it's crucial to develop concepts and programs for office-based exercise by thoroughly understanding insights unique to the workplace. In this sense, I firmly believe there is significant value in Dentsu Inc. specifically undertaking such initiatives.

By accumulating insights from within the office, we can create even more new value.

When we develop programs like this and have employees actually experience them, everyone always ends up smiling.
We consistently hear comments like, "I feel refreshed," "That felt great," or "I didn't realize my body was this stiff!" – everyone agrees it was worth doing!

It also greatly energizes communication among employees. In other words, I believe this is a valuable place where we can create an emotional experience. At the same time, I think we can provide even more comfortable office spaces.

For example, is that office chair truly suitable for generating ideas?
For example, is that meeting room truly conducive to generating ideas?
For example, is there a relaxation space for everyone that could replace the smoking area?

The list could go on, but by working alongside companies tackling these everyday challenges, and by us—who constantly engage with the world to create plans—serving as catalysts to spark ideas, couldn't we all enjoy a much richer work-life experience? That's what we believe.

Work-life balance.
We hear that phrase often, but personally, I believe "work is life." Ultimately, I think the real value lies not in achieving balance, but in feeling that everything is rich, enjoyable, and happy. I believe this OfficePo can be the one to create that value, especially within the office.

It feels unfamiliar precisely because it's new

At least, before launching this project, no one ever asked, "Why are you doing that?" Because until then, we were working within the scope of what Dentsu Inc. should naturally handle.

In that sense, I believe this project has at least succeeded in creating a sense of "discomfort" within Dentsu Inc. (simultaneously, I feel like I'm hearing more comments like "You guys are doing something fun!" than before. I'm truly grateful for that).

Today, we hear the word "innovation" everywhere. By deliberately tackling things no one else in the advertising industry is doing, we aim to create new value through the synergy with advertising industry skills. That's the kind of challenge we want to pursue.

In the second part, I'll share another important perspective on why Dentsu Inc. pursues OfficePo, and also introduce specific ideas inspired by the significance discussed here.

Now, the 2016 Healthy Management Companies list has been announced. Companies have already begun their efforts for the next announcement. Why not consider OfficePo?