What is the accompanying support model implemented with Takara Standard?

Interview video discussing both companies' initiatives

The importance of technology as a source of corporate competitiveness has never been greater. Yet, in reality, many companies struggle to fully connect R&D (research and development) outcomes to their business. When R&D, business management, and marketing remain disconnected, valuable technologies risk being buried.

To address this, Dentsu Inc. launched "R&D For Growth," a practical support program connecting corporate technological value to business creation. It brings new perspectives to companies and guides them toward R&D transformation. Here, using the case of Takara Standard's Panel Business Division, we delve into Dentsu Inc.'s unique approach and the reality of its accompanying support.

※This content is reprinted from a PR article published in the Nikkei Business Digital Edition SPECIAL on August 6, 2025. https://special.nikkeibp.co.jp/atclh/ONB/25/dentsu0806/

Why is R&D transformation needed now? Three challenges hindering business growth

Even in Japan, often referred to as having experienced "lost decades," some companies continue to grow steadily. "One major common factor among them is that they are fundamentally advancing structural transformation in their R&D," points out Mr. Makikusa of Dentsu Inc.'s Business Transformation Division 2.

"There are numerous examples where companies expanded their business and significantly increased their business value by repurposing their core technologies into new domains. On the other hand, it's also true that many companies struggle with the fact that their R&D investments often fail to translate into business or value creation," says Makikusa.

He identifies three major barriers to this success. First, the company's core technologies are not widely disseminated across business divisions. Second, new business divisions that could potentially discover novel applications lack access to these technologies. Third, even if a product reaches the market, its value often fails to resonate with customers, making it difficult to achieve business success.

These three issues were precisely the challenges faced by Takara Standard's Panel Division. While their panel materials, utilizing proprietary enamel technology, possessed excellent durability and cleanability, the division struggled to monetize them because they couldn't effectively communicate this value to the appropriate departments or markets.

Starting in March 2024, Dentsu Inc. supported the Panel Division's growth. Through thorough, end-to-end support—from formulating a strategy based on the technology's value to its implementation—and the division's own efforts, profitability was achieved in just one year. What were the key factors? We explore the integrated approach later systematized as "R&D For Growth."

Redefining the Technical Value of Enamel as the Core of Business Creation Strategy

Takara Standard is a residential equipment manufacturer that leverages its advanced enamel technology to produce and sell plumbing fixtures. In 1967, it launched the world's first enamel kitchen. It still holds the top domestic market share for kitchens. Within this context, the Panel Division handles products outside the plumbing fixture category.

"Our company developed the enamel exterior material 'Emawall' in 1985. The Panel Business Division was established as the department to sell this product. While called a business division, it functioned essentially as a sales force. Its members were sales professionals who consistently made proposals tailored to product characteristics for existing sales channels and clients. However, lacking strategic tactics for long-term business growth, the division operated at a loss for many years."

This is according to Mr. Takatsuki, Executive Officer at Takara Standard. He recalls sensing issues with the division's approach from the moment he assumed leadership of the Panel Business Division in 2023. It was during this time that a sales representative from Dentsu Inc., with whom he had worked on advertising projects, introduced him to Mr. Makikusa, who was responsible for the BX (Business Transformation) domain.

"That was the first time I learned Dentsu Inc. also provided new business consulting beyond advertising. After meeting and discussing our situation, I felt they could truly help us. We invited them to participate in our internal department meetings," said Takatsuki.

During the departmental meetings, the BX team conducted detailed interviews about the challenges facing the Panel Division, its desired future state, and the foundational enamel technology. Based on this, the project proposal they presented to solve the issues met Takatsuki's expectations.

"The proposal incorporated perspectives we couldn't have developed ourselves, and I sensed tangible potential beyond just a theoretical strategy. I felt this was absolutely something we should pursue and immediately reported it to the president. With the top management's swift approval, we formally welcomed Dentsu Inc. as our partner and began the initiative," said Takatsuki.

The transformation project launched in March 2024. To deepen their understanding of enamel technology, the Dentsu Inc. BX team led by Mr. Makikusa first visited the Chita Factory. They believed the source of the technology's value lay within the manufacturing site itself.

"I had the image that 'enamel = pottery,' but seeing the actual site revealed that Takara Standard's unique craftsmanship exists in every process—from glaze formulation to application, firing, and finishing. This is a major strength, but it also carries the challenge of making the technology dependent on specific individuals. I intuitively felt that clearly articulating this technological value would lead to business growth," (Mr. Makikusa)

Takara Standard's enamel combines features such as "stain resistance and long-lasting cleanliness," "fade resistance and scratch resistance," and "superior design aesthetics." These stem from enamel's inherent properties of repelling dirt and impact while effectively controlling light reflection.Dentsu Inc.'s BX team redefined this characteristic as "technology that permanently controls the reflection and repulsion of diverse materials." By unifying these multifaceted features under a single axis, they shed new light on the technological value of enamel.

Furthermore, the redefined and rediscovered value was visualized and shared as a single image. This clear visualization of the technical concept fostered a shared understanding that resonated with the client's management and technical departments, creating a solid foundation for subsequent strategy development.

"We thought we understood the value of enamel best, but looking at it from a third-party perspective revealed undiscovered value. Dentsu Inc.'s speed and depth of understanding truly amazed us. Their sharp observation of enamel technology and clear articulation of value we hadn't seen clarified our strategic direction," (Mr. Takatsuki)

Successfully achieving profitability through sales leverage. Driving further business growth via R&D transformation.

The next strategy for the Panel Division, born from redefining value: entering new markets.

"While enamel is primarily used in everyday water-related applications, we thought its 'reflection and rebound control' properties could enable it to perform well in harsher environments too. For example, potential applications include hot spring and bathing facilities, underwater environments, or locations with high salt damage or UV exposure – the possibilities are diverse," (Mr. Makikusa)

To stimulate new demand for enamel panels, the division is currently conducting market research while also collaborating with the R&D department on product development.

Meanwhile, to overcome the Panel Division's losses, they are also focusing on immediate reforms. To generate profits, understanding not only technology and markets but also sales processes and cost structures is essential. Mr. Makikusa's team extracted improvement measures based on sales monthly reports and cost statements, which had been managed separately within the company, and linked them to a business strategy grounded in technological value.

"Based on this strategy, we first narrowed our sales targets to public transportation, starting with subways, and educational facilities. Our plan is to raise awareness of enamel from here and build toward the next phase. As a result of the previously fragmented divisions working together as one, we achieved a profitable fiscal year in FY2024. We believe this success is also due to Dentsu Inc. handling the strategic side, allowing us to focus on sales," says Takatsuki with a smile.

While the project achieved great success from its first year, this was merely the beginning of the transformation. The Panel Division became a direct subsidiary of the newly established Business Development Headquarters in January 2013, tasked with pioneering new business areas. In other words, this marked the true start of the R&D transformation.

Takara Standard plans to open an "R&D Center (tentative name)" in Yao City, Osaka in 2026 as a core R&D base for enamel technology. Furthermore, by 2028, they intend to expand production capacity by approximately 1.5 times by adding a new building to the Fukuoka Plant.

"With the strategy and roadmap for its realization now clear, the path forward is evident," stated Mr. Takatsuki, outlining the vision. "We plan to expand our highly acclaimed enamel panels, which have received strong recognition in public facilities, into the private sector and new markets."

Dentsu Inc. will accompany them on this journey as a partner. The team's mission extends beyond mere strategy formulation to provide end-to-end support encompassing business creation, market expansion, and marketing. With the number of members from both companies involved in the project steadily increasing, particularly within the R&D department, expectations for the future of this transformation are growing ever higher.

Connecting R&D to Business Outcomes Through End-to-End Support

Redefining the value of technology and elevating it into business—this systematic process, implemented through Dentsu Inc.'s support for Takara Standard, is embodied in Dentsu Inc.'s "R&D For Growth."

"R&D For Growth" is Dentsu Inc.'s unique, end-to-end support program that starts with a company's technological assets and encompasses everything from business creation to marketing. Its defining feature is a practical approach that seamlessly executes everything from strategy formulation to marketing with commercialization in mind.

"The goal is to evolve R&D activities beyond mere research and development, connecting them to new business and market strategies—transforming them into 'R&B (Business),'" explains Mr. Makikusa.

The program consists of three main approaches. The first is "Technology Value Re-framing," which deeply explores a company's technology to redefine and visualize its essential value.The second is "Business Concept Modeling," which analyzes and conceptualizes commercialization potential from societal and consumer perspectives, starting from the technology's value. The third is "Marketing Design," which guides the conceptualized business to success. By providing end-to-end support through these approaches, the program assists companies in expanding their business and establishing it in the market after launch.

This is made possible by Dentsu Inc.'s three unique strengths: "Creative Concept Building," which understands technological value and expresses it from a unique perspective; "Customer Insights and Unique Verification Schemes," which extracts opportunity markets for technology based on vast consumer research data and connects them to proof-of-concept; and "Marketing Communication" during the execution phase, leveraging insights from advertising operations.

"Furthermore, our ability to serve as a hub within client companies is another strength. We often hear that R&D and business divisions are siloed in many companies. By acting as a bridge, Dentsu Inc. can drive cross-departmental transformation," says Mr. Makikusa.

There is no fixed "template" for "R&D For Growth." It is provided tailor-made for each company, based on the client's technological value, business challenges, and growth strategy. This, too, represents an appeal not found in framework-based consulting.

"For Japanese companies to grow, now is the time for genuine R&D transformation. We aim to continue accompanying many clients on their growth journeys and revitalize Japan as a technological powerhouse," said Mr. Makikusa.

Dentsu Inc.'s "R&D For Growth" is a program that uncovers new corporate value by focusing on technology. Why not take that first step toward transformation, leading to solid business growth?