Creating a company song does improve business.

This series introduces the companies, people, and insights encountered through the ongoing Company Song Contest (hereafter referred to as the Contest), which has been running since 2016. This time, I'd like to address questions like "Does creating a company song even make sense these days?" and "Company Song Contests sound fun, but do they actually help business!?" by summarizing what I, the founder, have experienced over seven years. The conclusion I've reached, viewing company songs as a solution project , is this: " Company songs can be a catalyst to turn business around. "

【Company Anthem Contest】
Japan's premier corporate anthem video competition designed to invigorate internal and external corporate communication. Finalists are selected through online public voting and panel judging, with 12 companies advancing to the finals. Final rankings are determined by live presentations and video screenings at a real-world event. Launched in 2016. Since 2019, it has been the NIKKEI National Corporate Anthem Contest, hosted by the Nikkei Inc.
 

The 12 finalists for the 2023 Company Song Contest (left) and a scene from the 2022 finals

The background for launching the company song contest stems from a soul-shaking experience I had at Koshien Stadium

The inspiration for creating the Company Song Contest traces back to my formative high school experience. As a member of the Chiben Wakayama High School baseball team, I experienced Koshien three times during my enrollment, twice as a team member. In fact, the school's baseball cheers consist of unique songs not performed by other schools. Furthermore, the whole-school cheering, where the entire school rallies behind the team, and the human formation spelling out "C" for Chiben are staples among fans.

This unique cheering system (including the songs) created a unified bond among players, staff, and fans. Under the leadership of our esteemed former coach, Hitoshi Takashima, we established the record for the most wins in Koshien history. I felt the inspiration gained from cheering on the Koshien field (boosting motivation, atmosphere, and performance) and the branding effects felt off the field (cultivating fans, raising awareness, recruiting students, attracting higher-level baseball club applicants) were directly applicable to the business world.

This led me to believe that creating a competition where companies compete with their own "company anthem videos" – essentially unique cheering content – could generate a positive cycle for the Japanese economy. That's the background behind launching the Company Anthem Contest. In other words, the Company Anthem Contest aims to " strengthen brands by invigorating internal and external communication within companies (organizations)."

Condensing everything into one song reveals what truly matters

Creating a company song requires a certain amount of effort. However, simply creating one offers benefits. It forces you to organize what to include within the limited information capacity of a single song – "What should we put in? = What is most important to us as a company?" Achieving this alone should clarify priorities for various business tasks. Companies that have created songs often tell us, "It's exciting that our company's appeal can be conveyed through music, not just a standard company brochure."

Effects of Company Songs Seen in Contest Entrant Surveys

Now, let's examine the survey results from companies that actually entered the company anthem contest.

First, "How the Company Song is Used." Blue represents the previous contest (2022), orange the current contest (2023). Notable points are "Used in videos for corporate PR: 75.5%" and "Used for recruitment: 41.5%." Overall, similar trends have been seen for two consecutive years. This clearly shows that today's company songs are increasingly used not just internally, but with the aim of actively disseminating company information externally.

Next, regarding the "effects of participating in the company song contest": "Increased communication with customers and business partners: 62.8%" and "Increased communication among employees: 61.7%". Additionally, "Effective for recruitment: 9.6%" and "Improved employee productivity: 9.6%". As intended by the contest's concept, it's clear that company song videos are being utilized as PR tools to invigorate communication both internally and externally. Some responses also indicate it has led to inquiries about products/services and increased sales. If these figures continue to grow, it could become even more interesting.

The Role of Modern Corporate Anthems in Business

This diagram breaks down and organizes the concept of "company song videos = PR tools" based on feedback from past participating companies, categorized by area. While broadly termed PR, effects are expected across areas like "internal communication," "sales promotion," "recruitment," and "IR." Furthermore, continuing such outreach is likely to contribute to further enhancing corporate branding (image improvement).

Another benefit of company anthem videos is the ability to "approach target audiences on multiple levels." Where a standard company brochure might fail to capture attention, these videos offer multiple entry points: "music that strikes a chord," "lyrics with emotional resonance," and "videos conveying company culture." This significantly broadens opportunities. To use a baseball analogy, it's like increasing your at-bats from one to three or four. Furthermore, these company anthem videos make it easier to visualize "non-cognitive elements" (important aspects that are hard to recognize from the outside), such as employees' daily lives.

Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Benefit the Most!? Potential Seen in Voices of Contest Applicants

Next, let's look at some free comments from participating companies. Positive remarks stood out, such as " This contest showed us that even small companies can have dreams " and " We are grateful for the opportunity to promote our company on such a large stage, especially for SMEs." While large corporations certainly benefit, this company anthem contest is designed to offer significant advantages especially for SMEs. Some companies may struggle to allocate budgets for advertising and promotion, but creating a company anthem video can be done with minimal cost if they choose to pursue it.

Furthermore, as noted in the previous article (Mizutani Jun and Yokozawa Natsuko Join the 'Company Song Contest'! What Perspective Evolves 'Corporate Entertainment'?)), as noted by Nobuyuki Tanizawa (film producer/director), in today's SNS era, if content is interesting, it can generate more buzz than professionally produced material and has the potential to reach people worldwide. The fact that the Nikkei Group, as the organizer, provides significant support across its various media outlets further enhances the benefits of participation.

Next, comments within the context of "Promoting Communication with the Community":

We received comments such as: " Amid the pandemic, this initiative allowed us to deeply feel the meaning of contributing to society as a company, express gratitude to customers and business partners, and show appreciation to employees and their families. It became an effort to reconstruct our future direction as a company, " and " Communication with local residents and business partners became richer, and we had more topics to discuss." From this perspective of regional collaboration, the "power of music" is undoubtedly significant. The way music content brings people's hearts closer together is its true strength.

Comments like "We enjoyed the songs from other companies" were also prominent. We received remarks such as: "Every video conveyed the feelings of the company and its employees," " There are so many great songs," and " Many other companies' entries were wonderful, making participation enjoyable. "

Also interesting were comments like, "It would be fun if there were a compilation album of participating and award-winning company songs, " and " When I asked employees to vote, even those usually uncooperative not only helped but actively encouraged others to vote – it was truly moving." You can see how this becomes a place where all kinds of stories unfold. If these aspects of corporate daily life become visible as content, in a way, wouldn't the economy become more enjoyable and vibrant?

Considering the Core Value of the Company Song Contest

Finally, reflecting on seven years of experience, what is the essential value of the company song contest? While it certainly serves to invigorate internal and external communication for each participating company, as mentioned above, when viewed holistically, it represents a gathering of people who proactively engage in initiatives beyond their core business to create new value. In other words, it also feels like a community of passionate, action-oriented individuals across various fields. Furthermore, not only the participating companies, but also the organizers like the Nikkei Inc., special collaborators like JOYSOUND (XING), and sponsors like Cocopelli, are all made up of passionate members.

I believe it's rare to find a gathering place where such passionate people come together, transcending company size and industry. I hope this company song contest sparks various collaborations.

The finals of the 2023 Company Song Contest will also be livestreamed. I believe viewers will discover, "Wow, there are companies this fun, and people like this work there!" and be surprised by the high quality of the songs. I sincerely hope you will tune in to enjoy this corporate entertainment filled with laughter and tears.

Company Anthem Contest 2023 Finals LIVE Stream

If you enjoyed this article, you might also like:
・Jun Mizutani and Natsuko Yokozawa Join the 'Company Song Contest'! What Perspectives Will Evolve "Corporate Entertainment"?
・Company Songs Create Scenes. The Potential of Corporate Activities Born from Music
・What Makes Advertising Shine for Readers? The Co-Creation Power of "Unconventional Producer" Mr. Kikuhara
・What Two Corporate Anthem Contest Winners Gained Beyond Their Challenge