"Company Song Video Featuring All Employees" What GetIt Gained from the Company Song Contest

The "Company Song Contest" has consistently visualized the idea that "company songs drive corporate purpose actions," creating many moving moments year after year.

NIKKEI Company Song Contest Official Website

GetIt won the Mizutani Yasushi Award for Best in Class in the Small and Medium Enterprise Workplace Division at the 2025 contest and also took second place overall. Their company anthem video, featuring all employees, has become a hot topic on TV and social media. Dentsu Inc. planner Rumi Eguchi, who manages the Company Anthem Contest secretariat, spoke with GetIt CEO Yuki Hirota and project manager Teppei Fujisawa about the story behind this initiative.

【NIKKEI Corporate Anthem Contest】
Hosted by Nikkei Inc. with special cooperation from JOYSOUND, this is the No. 1 corporate anthem video contest where you can experience the purpose of companies and organizations through song and video. Twelve finalists were selected through online public voting and judge evaluations. The final rankings will be decided based on presentations at a live event and video screenings. The contest defines "company anthem" broadly to include not only official corporate songs, but also unofficial company tunes, cheering songs for shopping districts or corporate groups, and theme songs for schools or municipalities—any music embodying the spirit of those involved in economic activities.
 

The company song as a means to deliver the sentiments embedded in purpose and creed to the heart

Eguchi: Thank you for having us today! First, could you briefly share GetIt's company overview?

Hirota: We are a company primarily engaged in the reuse and recycling of enterprise hardware, while also handling all peripheral services related to IT equipment, including sales, maintenance, rental, repair, buyback, and data erasure. Through reuse, we aim to create a sustainable cycle for hardware like servers and network equipment, contributing to the transition to a circular economy. Currently, we have approximately 130 employees across our headquarters in Tsukiji, Tokyo, and warehouses in Morishita and Kachidoki. We conduct business with over 1,800 companies, primarily system integrators and telecommunications carriers.

Eguchi: So you handle quite specialized areas within IT equipment. What prompted you to start the reuse business in the first place?

Hirota: It all started when I was a student and became interested in personal computers, which led me to frequent shops in Akihabara. A shop I frequented asked me, "Why don't you come work with us?" and that's how I started working as a salesperson. There, I became friends with someone running a used IT equipment business and became fascinated by the deep world of used sales. At the time, used servers and communication equipment were treated cheaply as "junk," but I was convinced there was a business opportunity there. So, in 2001, while still a student, I launched Get It.

Eguchi: So you started it as a student entrepreneur! From an environmental perspective, it's a highly valuable initiative. I thought it was a business perfectly suited for today's times.

Hirota: Thank you. We call this initiative "Sustainable Computing" and promote the value of reuse tailored to our customers' challenges. For example, we communicate benefits from each perspective: improved asset efficiency for accounting departments, reduced environmental impact for CSR departments, and utilization in integrated reports for management. This approach has allowed us to steadily build trust.

Eguchi: The term "reuse" gives the impression that it's not just about reusing things, but about supporting people's lives and the future of companies. What was the background behind GetIt deciding to create a company song?

Hirota: In a nutshell, it was "to collectively reaffirm the company's direction." We established our purpose and credo in 2019 and operate daily based on these principles, but we wanted to make them "more heartfelt." The company anthem was precisely the means to achieve that.

Eguchi: Indeed, reading Get It's Credo, you can really sense a very straightforward company culture. And from the purpose, "Creating a place where people shine in all their colorful glory," you can feel the determination to create a place where diverse individualities can thrive.

Hirota: In today's world, there's a tendency to suppress one's true self, thinking "I don't want to be disliked" or "I don't want to be criticized." But we believe it's perfectly natural for people to have strengths and weaknesses, and that's what makes us whole. By accepting differences and complementing each other, we can reach vistas and experiences of wonder that would be impossible alone. If people outside our company can sense that message, we'd be truly delighted.

The Credo is both a guiding principle for achieving participatory management and a core value. In fact, many who join our company aren't primarily drawn by our IT equipment reuse business. They come because they feel, "This company seems interesting somehow," or "Working here might change my life." That's precisely why we created it through repeated back-and-forth discussions with all employees—using our own words and our own unique expressions to shape our company's aspirations and values.

From the company anthem's music and video production to the call for votes. A project that brought everyone's ideas to life.

Eguchi: The passion everyone poured into this company song really came through. Could you share again the feelings you put into it?

Hirota: Yes. The core sentiment is "realizing a society where everyone works with vitality." This is deeply connected to our Credo. We wanted to express the values and guiding principles embedded in the Credo in a more intuitive, heartfelt way—that's why we positioned this company song as a "guidepost."

Eguchi: The expression "the company song is a guidepost embodying the Credo" really clicked for me. Honestly, watching the company song video and the final stage performance, I felt the very essence of the Credo. You've entered the company song contest before, haven't you?

Fujisawa: Yes. We first applied in 2020, right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. I think the song itself was good back then too, but since only a few employees participated, it didn't really develop into a company-wide movement. Learning from that experience, this time we made "involving all employees" a major theme and worked on it for about a year.

Eguchi: I see. What struck me about this piece was how genuinely happy all the employees looked—not a single person seemed to be going through the motions. As the project leader, Fujisawa, what did you do to get everyone so passionately involved?

Fujisawa: I'm not the type to take the lead overtly, and above all, I didn't want to force anyone. But I focused on offering gentle encouragement to those who were thinking, "Maybe I could give it a try."

Eguchi: Was there a specific moment when the employees' enthusiasm really peaked, or a trigger that created a sense of unity?

Fujisawa: During the voting period for the company song contest, we used our internal communication tool to encourage daily voting. At that time, I asked not only the project members but also the song participants, "Could each of you share a message internally every day?" As participants shared their thoughts and stories daily while encouraging votes, other employees reading these messages gradually began to feel personally invested. I think the internal energy surged significantly around the time this "tweet relay" started.

Eguchi: Honestly, the videos really conveyed that "everyone is the star" feeling. People from all departments and positions were shining. It perfectly embodied Get It's stated purpose: "Creating spaces where people shine in their own colorful ways."

Hirota: Regarding the song production, I initially planned to compose it in a band format. But the employee handling the lyrics suggested, "We should involve more people." As we discussed it further, the number of vocalists grew to over ten, parts of the lyrics changed to English, we added rap, and even incorporated Japanese taiko drums... Ultimately, it became a track with over 120 audio layers.

Eguchi: Wow...! That scale really goes beyond what you'd expect for a company song.

Fujisawa: We did a full-scale recording session, and the video direction was decided through discussions among the members. While everyone doesn't need to participate in the same "form," I feel it's important for each person to have a point where they can feel, "I was involved in this."

Hirota: If I had been too fixated on my own vision, I think it would have become a completely different piece. To be honest, when I was first told, "We want to add more vocals," I couldn't imagine at all what the final result would be. If this were business, I might have been able to push my own opinion through. But by deliberately letting go of my own image, it became easier for everyone to get involved, and the result was something really great. I learned a lot myself – this might even apply to business.

The Company Anthem Contest Initiative That Fostered Employee Unity

Eguchi: The company song video is so amazing it even energizes someone like me outside the company. But the a cappella performance at the finals was just as wonderful. I remember how the atmosphere instantly brightened when Get It appeared first. How was that staging decided?

Fujisawa: Actually, there was an initial proposal for Hirota to present alone. But we felt, "We want as many members as possible to experience that stage view." Opportunities for company employees to stand on such a large stage are rare, right? That's precisely why we wanted to make it a moment everyone would remember.

Eguchi: It felt incredibly natural—everyone singing together to build excitement, then the president delivering his passionate message at the crucial moment. The stage perfectly embodied the lyrics: "Places you can reach alone are within expectations. Let's go see new scenery together." You practiced the a cappella quite a bit, right?

Fujisawa: Yes, after we secured our spot in the finals, the members presenting on stage underwent voice training multiple times. We asked MISUMI-san, the voice trainer who also helped us during the video shoot, to provide vocal coaching. We practiced in a conference room at the office, treating it as part of our work during regular business hours.

Eguchi: You prepared that thoroughly! At the venue that day, it was impressive to see you doing such meticulous vocal warm-ups.

Hirota: On the day, not only employees but also family members and clients came to cheer us on. Everyone wore Get It logo sweatshirts and entered the venue carrying banners and hand flags. Despite it being the busy end-of-month period, about 50 people gathered at the Tachikawa venue. Within the company, people were saying things like, "I'll cover for you, so go for it!" And we heard many members on site express gratitude, saying, "We're thankful to the team that sent us off."

Eguchi: That's incredible teamwork.

Fujisawa: Our company offices also supported us with public viewing events. During the five minutes on stage, everyone stopped working, gathered in front of the monitors, and cheered with applause and shouts of "Congratulations!" and "So close!" That sense of unity we created truly became our greatest asset.

Eguchi: It really feels like the youth of company employees.

Hirota: Absolutely. It was precisely because we had the stage of the company song contest that we could share this experience company-wide. We narrowly missed the top prize, finishing second overall... I was genuinely frustrated at the time (laughs).

Eguchi: You started your speech by saying, "I'm truly frustrated!" But within that frustration, there was a palpable sense of pride in having given it your all. It was striking how radiant the expressions of the employees in the audience were.

Hirota: It was the first time in a long while I'd felt that kind of frustration. You know, when you lose a business competition, you can make all sorts of excuses. Like, "It's not our core business," or "We didn't win in this area, but we can win in that one." But with the company song contest, it's simply "second place is second place." Facing that reality head-on was, in a way, incredibly valuable. It made me genuinely think, "I hate second place. I absolutely want to be number one," even in business.

Singing the same song creates a special bond

Eguchi: It's been a while since the finals. Has there been any reaction inside or outside the company?

Hirota: Since we were featured in the morning edition of the Nihon Keizai Shimbun that day, quite a few customers contacted us saying, "I saw it!" And the bank representative I met recently also said, "Congratulations!"

Eguchi: So it's also becoming a catalyst for communication outside the company. I also got to experience Get It's "circle" through the company song, and it was a great learning experience.

Fujisawa: It should also help with recruitment, attracting more applicants going forward. There are many music lovers at this company to begin with, and that's what drew me here myself.

Hirota: Company songs might have had a "cheesy" image in the past. But actually doing it creates such a warm bond. Even if someone leaves the company, just like with a school song, there's a special connection formed with people who can still hum the same tune, even from afar. I'd be thrilled if this company song becomes that kind of presence.

Eguchi: I think many companies saw Get It's company anthem video and thought, "Maybe we should try this too." If you have a message for companies about to take on this challenge, please share it.

Fujisawa: I think enjoying it is the most important thing. Be serious, but don't take it too stiffly. Have fun with it together. That naturally leads to something good, don't you think?

Eguchi: Do you have any plans to use this company song for new activities going forward?

Hirota: We don't have any concrete plans yet, but I'd love to collaborate with our internal club activities to create performance opportunities, or find another chance to perform somewhere. And... if we do it again, I absolutely want to win first place (laughs). Right now, we're still recharging our creative energy, but I want us all to pour our hearts into creating a new masterpiece.

Eguchi: President Mizutani from Xing also announced that the company songs from all 12 finalists will be available on JOYSOUND this year... I've listened to it so many times already, and before I know it, I'm humming along to "Even flaws become perfect~♪ We complement each other~♪". It really is such a great song, isn't it? I'm already looking forward to singing it at karaoke!

Hirota: That's wonderful to hear. Once it's available, I hope everyone will give it a sing.

Eguchi: Yes, I'm looking forward to it! I hope this company song becomes a way for many people to discover Get It's vision and appeal.

NIKKEI Company Song Contest Official Website

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