How did the interns bring their ideas to life? ~ The steps leading to the realization of the "Grown-Up Banana Project"

The "Dentsu Inc. Wakamon Internship 2019" underwent a major overhaul, shifting from idea generation to idea realization. Last time, we explained the background behind developing this program. This time, we introduce the projects the students actually worked on.

The End of the Internship is the Beginning of the Project

The 19 students participating in the internship conceived ideas to solve issues they "couldn't ignore," then designed projects to realize those ideas. With the cooperation of crowdfunding platform CAMPFIRE, they launched their crowdfunding projects on the final day of the internship. The internship was merely the preparation period. For them, the crowdfunding launch was the moment their projects truly began.

As a result of the crowdfunding campaign, 14 projects launched by students during this internship successfully raised funds. Here, we introduce one of them: the "Mature Banana Project."

During the internship, one student identified "food loss" as an issue they couldn't ignore. Focusing on the fact that "bananas that have ripened and turned brown are discarded solely because of their appearance, even though they are still edible," they formed a team and launched a project to solve this problem.

We want to save discarded brown bananas! The "Grown-Up Banana Project"

To realize the project, we primarily instilled three key points in the students during the internship.

① Instilling the importance of concept

How can we save brown bananas? The first step in generating ideas is creating a concept.

When you want to deliver a message to the world, articulating the answers to "Why is this project necessary?" and "What value does it create for whom?"—in other words, establishing a clear concept—makes the project's intent easier to convey.

Students constantly considered the social value their project would bring while refining their ideas.

That said, creating a clear concept is surprisingly difficult in practice. So, together with our mentors, we worked on developing a concept that anyone could easily incorporate into their daily actions.

We wanted to dispel the image that "ugly = bad" and make people think "brown bananas are delicious." So, we established the concept of the "mature banana." We defined the value of brown bananas by stating, "It is precisely the ripe brown banana (more so than the yellow banana) that allows you to truly appreciate the inherent sweetness and deliciousness of bananas."

We compiled the concept and the reality of bananas and published it on the crowdfunding project page.

② Inputting Tips for Building Empathy

Once the concept was set, we needed to design specifics to maximize empathy: which communities to approach, timing, and situations. We input PR perspectives to sharpen the project's focus.

The students' real challenge isn't us mentors, but the world. To gain real-world insight, we scheduled fieldwork time during their internship.

One reason bananas get discarded was suspected to be consumer preference for yellow bananas and avoidance of brown ones.

To understand consumer awareness, we conducted a survey. When asked, "If two bananas were sold at the same price in a store, which would you buy?", over 80% of respondents chose the yellow banana. This confirmed the overwhelming preference for yellow bananas.

Further research revealed that brown bananas often don't sell well and are frequently not even stocked in supermarkets. Consequently, this project decided to approach consumers directly.

We set the project goal as "preventing people from throwing away bananas that turn brown in their daily lives." To achieve this, consumers needed to recognize the deliciousness of brown bananas.

Therefore, we decided to raise funds through crowdfunding, sell cakes made from brown bananas, and convey their sweetness and the fact that "they're still delicious even when brown."

③ Input on the Importance of Project Management

Projects have limits when done alone; they require teamwork. To work as a team, it's essential to clearly define roles for oneself and others. During the internship, we provided input on the steps needed to realize the project, such as tasks, schedules, and budget management. We also presented guidelines to help students translate this into action, including identifying what kind of partners were necessary for realization.

Students working on the "Adult Banana Project" planned a pre-event to raise awareness for their cake sales. They sought out necessary partners for the sales, designed a schedule and budget, and launched their project on CAMPFIRE. Simultaneously, they participated in events addressing food loss issues whenever possible, building connections and partnerships with other organizations.

By regularly sharing these efforts on the crowdfunding project page, patrons (crowdfunding supporters) could see the project planners genuinely enjoying their work. This resulted in successfully raising 151% of the funding goal. Using cake as the entry point ultimately allowed the project to reach people who might not otherwise be interested in food loss issues.

Two months after launching the project on CAMPFIRE, we sold our "Adult Banana Cake" made with brown bananas at a Tokyo cafe. This allowed us to share the deliciousness of brown bananas and create an opportunity for people to think about food loss.

This year, we're running our idea-realization internship program again

This internship aimed to help students shape their ideas, share them, and gauge public response. It was a program only possible because Dentsu Inc., which creates new value for society, made it happen.

This time, Dentsu Inc. Wakamon focused solely on supporting students as mentors, with the students taking the lead in their actions. Surveys from participating students showed 100% satisfaction and 100% rated it as "novel as an internship." Students shared feedback such as, "I discovered the joy of challenging unprecedented things," and "By sharing with the world, I could see the response to my project."

The projects undertaken by students during the 'Dentsu Inc. Wakamon Internship 2019' can be viewed on the 'Dentsu Inc. Wakamon × CAMPFIRE Project Page '.

This year, we have decided to hold another idea-realization internship (recruitment begins June 15). Considering the current situation, this will be Dentsu Inc.'s first fully online internship. Continuing from last year, we are very excited to see many projects emerge that will make the world a better place.

Details for the "Dentsu Inc. Wakamon Internship 2020" can be found here
https://www.career.dentsu.jp/intern/2020/wakamon/

The ways companies and students connect are becoming increasingly diverse.

Moving forward, Dentsu Inc. Wakamon will continue proposing new ways for companies and students to build relationships.

A planning & creative unit that thoroughly explores the realities of young people in their teens and twenties, primarily high school and university students, seeking insights to build better relationships between youth and society.
https://dentsu-wakamon.com/