Breaking Free from Preconceived Notions! The Challenge of Young BX Creators (Part 2)

Since its founding in 1954, Wakabayashi Equipment Industry has long been cherished in the community as a professional undertaking the design and construction of lifeline facilities like water, air, and gas.

Aiming for 100 years of 'triple win' management, the company formulated a new concept and business strategy. To embody this, it developed the space subscription service 'room tailor' in collaboration with Dentsu Inc. as a new venture.

Continuing from last time, we asked the Dentsu Inc. creative team behind this project about the challenges faced with room tailor and the key points for successfully launching new ventures through BX(※).

(*) = BX (Business Transformation)
The business transformation domain that realizes client companies' business growth and corporate transformation. To grow client companies' top lines, it provides support encompassing the transformation of existing businesses, the creation of new businesses, and internal corporate reforms, committing to their growth.
 

【What is room tailor?】

A space subscription service by Wakabayashi Equipment Industry. Set your own personal theme for your living space. Professional advisors—creators, actresses, influencers, fitness models, and other top-tier experts—select the necessary furniture and appliances to match your theme. After moving in, you can have regular online consultations with your advisor, allowing you to enrich your life even more than before.
https://roomtailor.jp

 

Innovation arises from combining different knowledge and experiences

──This time, we're not only developing the business plan and service design but also creating outputs like the website and concept book. What was the purpose behind the concept book?

Yui: First, it aims to concretize the world Wakabayashi Equipment Industry seeks to create through room tailor. It serves as a sales tool, conveying the new business's concept and vision to stakeholders. Additionally, since this is an unprecedented service, we wanted to clearly communicate to users how the concept of "bringing themes to your living space" could enrich their lives.

Kanezuka: Precisely because it's a service proposing new ways of living, we focused on creating excitement. We went beyond simple explanation, opting for a storybook-like format to appeal to the imagination.

Aaron: When creating a new business—something intangible and a service no one has ever seen—I believe it's crucial to produce a tangible medium that people can hold and visualize. This kind of creativity, going beyond mere consulting, is one of Dentsu Inc.'s BX strengths. It was great that we could leverage that effectively to contribute to the client's new venture.

Yamaguchi: Exactly. When members from different teams and specialties come together and work organically, new chemical reactions occur. That makes it a great fit for new ventures creating new businesses and services.

Aaron: I truly agree. Innovation arises from combining different knowledge and experiences. Working on clients' new ventures has taught us anew that challenging ourselves to transform is equally vital.

Creating a world where "themes for living" become commonplace

──room tailor will continue evolving, but what are your thoughts on the service as it launches?

Yui: I'm really pleased we created a concept model that I personally would want to use and own as a user. I feel a strong attachment to it because I actively contributed—coding parts of the website and working on the concept book—so I have a tangible sense of having built it with my own hands.

Yamaguchi: Absolutely. We've created a service we can confidently recommend both to the users beyond our clients and to ourselves.

──How do you plan to develop room tailor going forward?

Aaron: We're still at the initial launch stage, so our next goal is monetization. To achieve that, we need to further refine the service and find partners willing to collaborate with us. We want to grow this into a business that can be passed down to the next generation at Wakabayashi Equipment Industry, so making it a viable business is key.

Yui: We're all thinking about the next steps right now. With the pace of lifestyle changes accelerating and diversity expanding rapidly, I think it would be interesting if the service could become something where you can change the theme of your living just like updating an app.

Kanezuka: That's great. I really resonate with the "Theme Your Living" concept, and I hope this idea permeates society not as something special, but as something natural. I'd be thrilled if it became commonplace – where having a theme for your living is just the norm.

Yamaguchi: Creating a signature model for room tailor might be an option. When people hear the "Theme Your Living" concept, many probably imagine individually optimizing their lives based on personal interests. But beyond that, having a signature feature—like "room tailor is the service that enables that specific lifestyle"—could spark interest in more people.

Yui: We want to expand themes that align with users' values and ideal lifestyles while also being beneficial for Wakabayashi Equipment Industries.

Aaron: That's where creativity really shines. I want to create themes that spark surprise and excitement—the kind that make people think, "Wow, that's a fresh angle!"