Branding in the Age of Co-Creation [2]Community Branding ~How to Ignite Passion in Co-Creation Communities
Chisaki Hayashi
Loftwork Inc.
Keisuke Konishi
Dentsu Inc.
This series examines modern branding from various angles. This installment features a dialogue between Chiaki Hayashi, who has created value through community-based co-creation—including at Loftwork, where she serves as representative, and through "Hidakuma," a project engaging with local communities—and Keisuke Konishi of Dentsu Inc. They discussed the significance and nature of communities that enable co-creation.
Building Community as a "Way of Being," Not Just a "Means"
Konishi: When considering branding and value creation today, I believe it's crucial for diverse people and organizations to connect and co-create.
Ms. Hayashi, you've practiced this as a business model since your founding days. I think Loftwork ( ※1 ), which connects creators and companies to co-create value, Hidakuma ( ※2 ), which connects creators and regions to tackle regional revitalization, and 100BANCH ( ※3 ), Shibuya's experimental zone for creating the future, are prime examples. How do you connect disparate elements and generate a community's centripetal force?
Hayashi: I haven't consciously thought about it much—I've just followed my instincts, so it's nice to hear you say that (laughs). But since founding Loftwork, I've always believed that value doesn't come solely from one company's efforts; it comes from talented people creating together.
And I've always believed that such collaboration shouldn't be just a "means," but should exist as a fundamental "way of being." That's why Loftwork builds platforms and communities.
Konishi: So the very existence of a place where people connect (a community) stimulates creativity and gives the power to create change. Above all, the participants seem to be having fun.
Another fascinating aspect of Mr. Hayashi's work is how he focuses intensely on unlocking the potential of things not yet properly recognized for their economic value—things like Hidakuma, or initiatives supporting crafts and traditional industries at local small and medium-sized enterprises—essentially tapping into diverse, often invisible value.
While there's certainly a world where we must compete globally and pursue economic rationality to win, I believe there's also a future created by a different kind of diversity. Just as the unique value of local communities is increasingly recognized as globalization advances, branding fundamentally creates value through "difference."
Hayashi: I'm really drawn to the word "diversity." I'm currently involved in a diversity-related project, and it's incredibly exciting. That said, of course, no matter how much diversity exists, things won't start if it's just individuals. I think that when disparate elements come together in a project, something new and unimaginable before can be born.
Konishi: I feel a major reason Japanese society has struggled to generate innovation and often feels stagnant lately is because we're too constrained by corporate and organizational frameworks, failing to fully unleash the potential of diverse individuals. Going forward, models where individuals collaborate as independent entities or co-create with consumers will likely be increasingly sought after.
Hayashi: That's right. Actually, Loftwork's first venture was creating online New Year's cards. We commissioned various creators to make 50 different designs. We wanted to show that even within a single format like New Year's cards, collaborating with diverse people could yield a wide variety of interesting results. That sentiment hasn't changed.
Clients are part of the circle! Relationships without hierarchy
Konishi: I recall Hayashi-san once saying, "We don't see clients as mere order-takers; we collaborate as partners, creating new things together with excitement." That perspective really resonated with me. When participants themselves become the driving force behind new initiatives, it generates "passion" – a key factor in boosting motivation for co-creation.
In agency work, there's the concept of "presentations." However, I've come to realize that if interactions with clients are limited, and the proposal process becomes one-sided with unclear intent or ownership, it can actually weaken the ability to create value.
Hayashi: At Loftwork, we have both in-house projects and client work, but there's little difference. We simply pursue what we want to do. Whether we bring clients to our ideas or join theirs doesn't matter; in co-creation with diverse partners, clients are part of the circle. We see them as partners who share our vision and think alongside us.
Konishi: Hidakuma's activities are also a joint venture between companies and Hida City, working flatly with the region.
The "design-driven management" ( *4 ) that Hayashi-san emphasizes is a concept where designers, broadly defined, join the process not at the downstream stage of product development, but right at the very beginning. Changing traditional supply chains and hierarchical structures might be the attitude required in this era of co-creation.
An era where judgment criteria are changing. New relationships for new value.
Hayashi: Design management is necessary because I feel the era where products and services could be differentiated solely by function or convenience has passed.
Today, consumers rarely feel dissatisfied with a product's functionality. However, they also don't reach complete satisfaction. When considering what bridges that gap, I believe it's the values reflected in the product or service and the lifestyle they enable.
Konishi: Precisely, especially among younger generations, there's a growing tendency to choose products and brands based on a company's vision and social value.
Hayashi: If that's the case, it becomes even more crucial to communicate to consumers the company's intentions and values embedded in the product or service, and the lifestyle it enables. Design is the vehicle for this. That's precisely why designers should become partners who think from the very top. This is the foundation of design-driven management, and I believe this approach will become increasingly common going forward.
Konishi: That's right. Especially today, we're in an era where co-creating social value beyond individual companies is increasingly demanded, making it clear we need to design business under a new paradigm. I wonder if we can accelerate new collaborations through the centripetal force of value creation that rebrands Japan, transcending organizational boundaries.
Hayashi: There are inevitably problems that cannot be solved by a single company alone. What's crucial then is aligning the value and perspective of each diverse partner. Only then can we truly clarify what we aim for together and how to genuinely solve the challenges.
(After the conversation)
When individual aspirations connect, a community's centripetal force emerges
At Loftwork, we have built our business model around precisely this mechanism of "co-creation" – generating new value through collaboration between disparate entities. We foster community movements where individuals, liberated from corporate or organizational frameworks, take center stage to collectively build a positive future.
Within this movement, many people passionately engage in creating an exciting future. Through their active involvement, they bring about significant change and value that transforms society—even if it takes time.
Through their own will and actions, they can create a different future. What will change Japan going forward is, above all, the centripetal force of community born when the aspirations of such individuals connect.
※1 Loftwork = A creative company designing web, content, communication, and spaces through open collaboration. Operates the digital maker cafe "FabCafe," the material-focused creative service "MTRL," and the co-creation platform "AWRD."
※2 Hidakuma = The common name for "Hida no Mori de Kuma wa Odoru Co., Ltd.", which operates from the digital maker cafe "FabCafe Hida", housed in a renovated traditional Japanese house. Utilizing broadleaf forests, traditional joinery techniques, and technology, they create new value for the Hida forest through a creative lens.
※3 100BANCH = An "experimental zone for enriching the world 100 years from now" established in 2017 by Panasonic, Loftwork, and Cafe Company in the JR Shibuya Station Shin-Minami Exit area. It serves as a hub for over 100 innovation projects.
※4 Design Management = Incorporating designers' thinking not only into products and services, but also into management judgments and decision-making. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Japan Patent Office launched the "Study Group on Industrial Competitiveness and Design," publishing the "Design Management" declaration in 2018. Mr. Hayashi is a member of this group.
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Author
Chisaki Hayashi
Loftwork Inc.
Representative Director of Loftwork Inc. After working at Kao Corporation, he founded Loftwork in 2000. He oversees initiatives including a global co-creation community of over 20,000 creators, the digital maker cafe "FabCafe," and "Hida no Mori de Kuma wa Odoru" (commonly known as Hidakuma), which creates new value for forests through design and technology.
Keisuke Konishi
Dentsu Inc.
In 2002, he was seconded to Prophet LLC in the United States, where he worked with David Aaker and others to develop brand strategies for global companies. Currently serving as Senior Solutions Director, he supports numerous clients with their brand and marketing strategies while advocating new brand and marketing strategy models for the digital age through extensive speaking engagements and publications. His authored works include Brand Community Strategy in the Social Era and translated works include Database Marketing for Customer Lifetime Value (both published by Diamond Inc.), among others.
