What the Two Winning Companies Gained from Their Challenge

On February 24, 2021, the finals and awards ceremony forthe " Second NIKKEI National Company Anthem Contest," which determines Japan's best corporate anthem video, were held. Credit Saison won the top prize from among 193 participating companies.

To commemorate the awards, special interviews were conducted with the Grand Prize winners from the first and second contests. Hirohira Morimoto of Dentsu Inc., the contest's initiator, spoke with Asuka Kitamura of Credit Saison and Mio Kimura of Fukoku Mutual Life Insurance (Grand Prize winner in the first contest, 10th place in the second) about the effects and significance gained from their company songs.

The unique experience of being "Japan's Best" unites the company

Morimoto: You both participated in the company song contest finals event and delivered outstanding presentations. Ms. Kitamura, Ms. Kimura, could you share your thoughts now that the finals are over?

Kimura: After seeing our 10th place result, I'm reflecting that rapping dressed as an old man that day was probably a mistake (laughs). Joking aside, this video was completed with the support of so many people – from employees nationwide to executives and even the president. Our goal was to reach the finals and make our mark.

In that sense, hearing people who watched the finals say "Well done!" has been a huge relief.

Kitamura: That presentation was shocking (laughs).

Morimoto: It was the moment a strange sense of unity filled the venue, wasn't it?

Kitamura: Seeing them go all out was really satisfying. Thank you (laughs).

Kimura: You're welcome.

Morimoto: How about you, Kitamura-san?

Kitamura: We also worked very hard aiming for the finals. With support from our group companies and business partners, we were truly delighted when we secured a spot in the finals. But we never imagined we would receive the Grand Prize. On the day itself and in the days that followed, we received so many messages from both inside and outside the company, which made us realize once again the significant impact of the company song contest.

Morimoto: The very existence of the female employee idol group "Higashi-Ikebukuro 52" at Credit Saison shows how uniquely distinctive you are. I was curious how you balance daily work with these activities.

Kitamura: Higashi-Ikebukuro 52 is an idol group composed of female employees from Credit Saison and its affiliated companies. Therefore, each member balances their activities with their regular work. We only practice dancing together as a group about once the day before an event; self-practice is the norm. Never neglecting our regular duties is a fundamental principle, but even so, we strive to "do it seriously and enjoy it" when we do.

Morimoto: It's an outstanding corporate communication strategy. I believe content that moves people must have entertainment elements and mechanisms that connect people, and I feel you embody that perfectly.

Kimura: I imagine there are many hurdles for a company to create an employee idol group. There were probably objections from both inside and outside the company, so overcoming those barriers to make it happen is truly impressive. Winning the Grand Prize this time should reward all their past efforts and hopefully allow the members to carry out their activities with even greater pride.

Kitamura: Winning the Grand Prize will definitely boost the members' motivation. Above all, we're incredibly happy and proud that so many people supported our activities this time.

Kimura: Winning the top prize in Japan is a rare experience, isn't it? This was my first company song contest too. Everyone in the company was thrilled, and I truly felt firsthand the wonderful sense of unity that a company song can bring.

Unstinting Effort in "Full-Force" Communication Builds Support

Morimoto: Fukoku Life won the Grand Prize in the first NIKKEI National Company Song Contest. What led you to participate in the contest?

Kimura: Currently, our company is running the "100th Anniversary Project" leading up to our centennial. As part of that, we proposed entering the company song contest internally, but it got rejected. So, my team just went ahead and made a video on our own to submit. Naturally, it caused quite a stir internally (laughs).

Morimoto: That's bold (laughs). Why did you go to such lengths to enter the company song contest?

Kimura: While our company has a solid history and trust built through steady growth, I felt a culture of pioneering new things wasn't deeply rooted. Just entering the company song contest was a shocking event for the company. But I believe if we can't even take on that challenge, we can't create revolutionary products or services that are firsts in our industry.

Morimoto: So changing the company's mindset was your goal. How did you gain support despite initial internal resistance?

Kimura: I believed that since we entered, we should aim for the top. I personally called each of the 62 branch managers nationwide to convey my passion for the company song contest in my own words. And it wasn't just a one-time call; I maintained regular communication and also called our client companies.

Morimoto: You make it sound effortless, but calling 62 locations multiple times must have taken tremendous energy.

Kimura: Of course, I also sent emails and shared updates in the company newsletter, but phone calls are still the best way to convey your feelings. Thanks to that, I was completely known as "the company song guy" within the company (laughs). Even so, by continuing to communicate with all my might, the number of supporters gradually grew. The excitement during the final three days before the voting deadline really gave me a sense of unity.

Kitamura: Your story reminds me of the process behind forming Higashi-Ikebukuro 52. Initially, there was a lot of internal opposition to creating an idol group within the company. But the founding producer persistently negotiated and engaged with various parties, addressing each risk and concern one by one. That's how we gradually gained understanding.

Rediscovering the appeal of your company and colleagues through a company song. That can also become a business strength.

Morimoto: This event took place during the pandemic, but watching the finals, I felt that precisely because of this time, there's great significance in everyone uniting through song. How do you both now perceive the power of company songs and music?

Kitamura: I believe music has the power to create something that transcends generations and everything else. During the pandemic, when it was difficult to meet face-to-face with employees and business partners, this activity truly made me realize that having shared music and songs can create a sense of unity, no matter how far apart we are.

Kimura: While efficiency and productivity improvements continue to advance, I feel like the company's sense of "celebration" is diminishing. But working hard together toward a single goal is a crucial moment that gives you the tangible feeling of "I belong to this organization." It's a chance to rediscover the company's strengths and see unexpected sides of colleagues you didn't know before. It becomes a valuable opportunity to re-examine the organization you belong to – not as something taken for granted, but as something special.

Morimoto: That's a wonderful comment that could encourage companies hesitating to enter the company song contest.

Kimura: I don't want to say too much since we plan to win next year (laughs), but for companies hesitating or even slightly interested, I absolutely recommend giving it a try at least once. Just decide to do it, create something—even if it's only a 20 out of 100—and submit it. What matters is how the company atmosphere changes as a result. That feeling of greatness is something only participating companies can understand. Then, next time, aim for 30, 40, or 50 points. Honestly, there are only benefits.

Kitamura: I agree with Mr. Kimura. Participating reveals so many things. In our case, the pandemic halted our Higashi-Ikebukuro 52 activities, and we were struggling to find direction when we entered the company song contest. But winning such a great award made us feel our efforts were truly recognized.

Morimoto: I think the company song contest has sparked changes within the company in all sorts of ways. It also seems like we could leverage those changes for external activities going forward.

Kimura: We've heard more often from clients who watched our company song video saying, "Our image of Fukoku has changed." Essentially, Fukoku Life Insurance has a strong image as a "stiff life insurance company," and even our own employees hold a similar view of the company. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but the shift in how clients perceive us seems to be sparking some internal change too.

Especially in this video, we showcase employees' unique talents and the individual personalities we don't usually see. I believe these individual traits and unexpected sides could become strengths when developing new products and services we haven't offered before.

Morimoto: When people inside and outside the company discover these unexpected sides of individuals, it could foster new networks and communication, couldn't it?

New connections between employees and companies born from the company song

Morimoto: Through the company song contest with Nikkei, I want to create opportunities for participating companies to spark something new together. It would be wonderful if collaborations started happening spontaneously, even in ways we don't foresee. Despite differing industries and sizes, I felt that potential in the sense of unity born among everyone at the finals venue. I believe it was because we connected through company songs that capture the essence of each company.

Kitamura: Speaking of which, inspired by this contest, Ebisuya (a rickshaw service) that competed in the finals has now joined as a partner store offering special discounts for Saison Card members. When you use Ebisuya's services, be sure to use your Saison Card to enjoy those great perks (laughs).

Morimoto: What a wonderful collaboration.

Kimura: Fukoku Mutual Life Insurance has adopted the concept " THE MUTUAL " for the next 100 years. This aims for "mutual support" – deepening connections and supporting everyone involved with us. The company song contest is also creating deep connections between employees and companies through the event, isn't it? In that sense, the concept of the company song contest itself can be said to be " THE MUTUAL."

Morimoto: Oh, I see (laughs). But fundamentally, they share a common thread, right?

Kimura:THE MUTUAL —that's what I really wanted to emphasize today. Make sure to include it!

Morimoto: Got it, I'll bold it all (laughs).

Kimura: By the way, Kitamura-san. Wouldn't it be interesting if a 100-year-old grandpa was in an idol group?

Kitamura: That would be interesting. Interesting, but also a bit confusing (laughs).

Kimura:Since it's THE MUTUAL, I was thinking it'd be great if we could collaborate on something this time. A collaboration between 1st place and 10th place sounds kinda cool, right?

Kitamura: Let's make it a collaboration between the first-ever Grand Prize winner and the second-ever Grand Prize winner (laughs).

Kimura: Mr. Kitamura, you say such wonderful things. I'd be thrilled if we could work together on something.

Morimoto: It's truly an honor to witness the very moment THE MUTUAL begins (laughs). Finally, do you have any comments for the two major companies that have dedicated their entire organizations to making this contest happen—the organizer, Nikkei Inc., and the special collaborator, JOYSOUND (XING)?

Kimura: Not only did we enter the contest for two consecutive years and achieve the Grand Prize and a top 10 finish in the finals, but through this initiative, Fukoku Life employees were able to rediscover the greatness of our company, its people, and our sense of unity – things we had previously taken for granted.

The company song we submitted this time was "Now is the Time to Leap Forward," created for our 55th anniversary. While employees had fewer opportunities to sing it recently, entering the contest brought renewed attention to the song. Aiming for victory with this song fostered a strong sense of unity.

With many companies participating, the contest was stimulating, fostering a competitive spirit and nurturing a sense of pride in our company. We are truly grateful for this opportunity.

Kitamura: Thank you for awarding us the prestigious Grand Prize. Nearly four years after our in-house idol group debuted, we never imagined it would lead to such a significant achievement. Winning this award will help the wider public recognize the Credit Saison Group and seems poised to energize the entire group.

If opportunities like this continue to increase, allowing business professionals across Japan to feel "I'm glad I work here," I believe the future will be very bright. I sincerely hope this event continues. Thank you for this invaluable opportunity.

Morimoto: Your comments truly touched my heart. I look forward to future collaborations between your two companies. Thank you for today!