Learn from Toppan Printing's Mr. Sakata! Internal Marketing Techniques for Pursuing Your Ambitions in a Large Corporation

Titled "Quit, Conform, or Change," this series explores new "possibilities for large corporations" through events centered on themes related to corporate transformation. We select cases of large corporations challenging transformation from companies belonging to volunteer groups affiliated with ONE JAPAN. Through interviews with the individuals involved, we consider "the potential of large corporations and the techniques to realize it."

ONE JAPAN: A practical community gathering corporate volunteer groups centered around young and mid-career employees
 

This interview features Takuya Sakata, who drives capital and business alliances with startups and M&A at Toppan Printing to create new businesses.

Mr. Yoshida Masahide, representing Dentsu Inc. Youth Research Department and a member of ONE JAPAN, spoke with Mr. Sakata, who is working to practice and systematize "internal marketing" – an indispensable element for corporate transformation.

[Past articles in this series ]

As long as the vision remains unwavering, meandering and detours are acceptable

Yoshida: First, could you tell us about the activities of the Strategic Investment Center within the Business Development Division where you work?

Sakata: The Strategic Investment Center is an organization that makes investments aimed at developing new businesses by acquiring external expertise. Over its 100+ year history, Toppan Printing has built its business pillars around content, packaging, semiconductors, and more. However, in 2015, we started reforms aimed at moving away from a purely order-based industrial model.

Within this framework, the Business Development Division I belong to has the mission of exploring and designing new business creation opportunities by maximizing the use of internal and external networks. As one function of this division, the Strategic Investment Center was established in 2016 by two superiors and myself.

Our investment stance is broadly divided into "Missing Piece," which develops short- to medium-term joint services, and "Moon Shot," which aims for medium- to long-term R&D and business opportunity exploration. Over six years, we have executed minority investments in over 50 companies.

Yoshida: Thank you. First, what kind of young professional were you, Sakata-san, and what path led you to your current career?

Sakata: I started out in sales and planning at Toppan Printing's business division. But as the external environment drastically changed—first with the Lehman Shock, then the Great East Japan Earthquake—I watched talented people around me take action, starting their own businesses one after another. Seeing that, I felt powerless, like I couldn't do anything.

I realized my own skill set was lacking, so I started an MBA program in 2013. A year later, having gained new perspectives and various professional tools, I was ready to pursue my long-held goal of becoming a management professional. However, at that exact moment, I was offered a transfer to corporate planning. Thinking I might be able to apply what I learned in the MBA, I decided to stay with the company.

Yoshida: I see. So that's where you fully utilized your newly acquired skills.

Sakata: Well, back then, the work involved things like diligently executing already finalized deals or keeping a close eye on management accounting under the banner of revitalizing a subsidiary—quite a gap from the corporate planning role I'd imagined (laughs). The idea of changing jobs again crossed my mind, but I decided to focus on what I could do right now. I started sending weekly reports to the team's shared email, covering challenges from a business unit perspective and market information including startup case studies.

That caught the eye of my current business division head, and looking back, receiving the directive to launch a new business development project alongside my boss was a major turning point.

Yoshida: It's impressive how you've stayed flexible, accepting opportunities while keeping your sights on the big North Star of becoming an executive. While many people tend to think in terms of either A or B, you seem to allow yourself to zigzag and take detours.

Sakata: I believe having a clear sense of purpose—knowing why you're doing something—is crucial. If that foundation remains steady, you can choose options aligned with your goal. Conversely, if you find yourself with no viable options, it might be time to reconsider whether that North Star is truly the right one.

To achieve something significant, you must not shy away from adjustments

Yoshida: When driving new business development and strategic investments, Mr. Sakata practices internal marketing, systematizing the core principles and mindset for coordination gained from it. I found his definition of internal marketing—“creating mechanisms within the company to continuously challenge oneself to achieve objectives and sustain success”—particularly interesting. What does this imply?

Sakata: If we define marketing as "creating mechanisms that enable customers to buy," then internal marketing is essentially the same. New business development takes time, requires coordination, and involves many failures. For intrapreneurs to persist without discouragement, "creating mechanisms within the company that enable continuous challenge" is indispensable.

Yoshida: The more assets you can leverage, the more conflicting interests arise. If you're utilizing a large corporation's assets, you can't escape the need for coordination. Some people get so fed up with the drudgery of coordination that they leave large corporations to join startups.

Sakata: But top-tier startups have top-tier investors backing them, meaning they're constantly navigating high-level coordination daily. If you can't even persuade your boss or colleagues, it's questionable whether you could convince investors at a startup.

Yoshida: When we interviewed students at Dentsu Inc. Youth Research Department, quite a few said, "I'm socially awkward, so I don't think I could live authentically without just following orders from higher-ups. I'd rather join a startup where I can get on the field without all that tedious negotiation right from the start." But sometimes startups actually demand stricter accountability to stakeholders than large corporations.

To achieve anything meaningful in society, you inevitably have to deal with coordination, whether internal or external. Conversely, projects with high coordination costs might actually have greater societal impact – perhaps we should view that positively.

Never give up on negotiating with opposing forces until you've tried 100 times

Yoshida: Regarding the question of how to actually approach internal marketing, Sakata-san presents three key mindsets.

Sakata: First, as a premise, start by envisioning your ideal business plan purely from a business-driven perspective, without initially considering your own company. Then, to realize this internally, identify which departments act as gatekeepers, who the key people are, and what communication plan is needed.

This leads to the three key mindsets, but the crucial point here is recognizing that "your own sense of justice is not absolutely correct." In large organizations, opposing forces inevitably exist, and some may not even realize they are opposing forces. For example, if your superior is an opposing force, you need to persistently communicate to draw out their core concerns—the source of their decision-making—and foster a sense of ownership.

Yoshida: Maintaining communication with opposing forces can be exhausting and demoralizing. How should one handle this?

Sakata: It's true that some people are simply impossible to reach, so I set a cutoff point. Specifically, if I try 100 times and it doesn't work, I move on to a different strategy.

Yoshida: I imagine some people would be surprised to hear 100 attempts. Wouldn't 10 be enough? (laughs)

Sakata: I don't think you can truly understand someone's core perspective after just 10 or so interactions.

Yoshida: Even when we call them opposing forces, there's a fundamental respect for the other party, right? And I realized purpose is crucial. Because persuading them has meaning, you can endure the cost of 100 adjustments. Some people think groundwork is bad, but I feel groundwork is just a process to achieve the goal.

Sakata: Exactly. Intrapreneurs often view communication with opposing forces as a zero-sum game of winning or losing. But communication is something you improve through refinement. That's why I recommend treating your boss as your investor. No executive would ever pick a fight with their investor, right? (laughs)

Challenge, Clever, Charming: Building Your Team

Yoshida: The 3Cs of action and behavior—"Challenge, Clever, Charming"—are a unique concept, aren't they?

Sakata: Looking at successful people in the world, many are charming, right? I think you simply can't rally others without human appeal. Also, when you feel like giving up, it's crucial to have mentors outside the company, not just internal allies. Building that relationship with a mentor hinges on the 3Cs.

Mentors are dedicating their valuable time to you, so they'll assess: Is this person genuinely challenging themselves? Do they have the Cleverness to digest what I say? Are they fundamentally charming as a person? I think they decide whether to take on the mentoring based on these judgments.

Yoshida: Some young professionals think they can't talk to impressive seniors unless they have achievements themselves. I found it interesting that you focus on behavior rather than achievements.

Sakata: Mentors also want to talk again if they gain a new perspective from the mentee. Mentoring fundamentally relies on human relationships, so finding a mentor isn't easy, and it absolutely won't last without mutual respect.

Yoshida: Technological progress has made meeting people easier, but building relationships from there is the essence of communication. Precisely because cutting ties is now so effortless, the value of someone like Sakata-san, who maintains communication over 100 times, becomes even more prominent.

Listening to you so far, I sense that while you have your own independent guiding star, you also actively engage in internal groundwork and coordination. Your center of gravity may shift, but a strong core of conviction runs through you. That's why you don't become a lone wolf, nor do you simply go with the flow. People with that exquisite sense of balance feel like invaluable assets to large corporations.

Sakata: Thank you. Sometimes I wonder if I should go to a startup or start my own business. But mentors and startup founders all say the same thing: "Someone who can navigate internal politics without compromising their vision is rare—you absolutely should stay at Toppan Printing." So for now, I plan to keep pushing forward here (laughs).

Yoshida: Being "Mr. Sakata of Toppan Printing" while also holding multiple hashtags might actually suit this era. You serve as an outside director for portfolio companies, and recently it was announced you'll join PARTY's startup studio "Combo" as an outside director. I'm excited to see what paths you'll pioneer next.

Sakata: As someone from a printing company, I've been involved in marketing, creative work, and design. But getting to work alongside superstars like Hiroki Nakamura and Jun Tanaka, the engine of PARTY, has been an incredibly valuable experience.

That said, personally, I feel like I've only just reached the starting line. I believe this year is where the real challenge begins. I want to get closer to my goal: creating businesses that benefit society and the company, while also becoming a professional manager myself.

[Previous articles in this series ]

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