MATERIALITY 4SOCIALINITIATIVES
Embracing the Sparks inTeam Members Hearts:Wacoms Social Initiatives

The growth-conducive environment we provide our human capitalfrom OISO TOWN, JAPANSupporting the drawing writing
initiative with Oiso Town
from PORTLAND, US

In November 2020, Wacom signed a partnershipagreement with Oiso Town in Japan, Celsys, Inc., andCreating a spacefor everyone to be creative

I-NET Corp. to improve the quality of education in Oiso’sschools. Tadakuni Tsubota of Creative Business Unit is thedriving force behind the Oiso partnership, which is rooted

As Nobutaka Ide (Nobu) toured Wacom offices aroundthe world to meet and discuss with Wacom teamin a desire to encourage the love of drawing / writing andmembers before assuming the role of CEO, he could

show children that the world expands when they continue

not help but notice the spark that shone in the heart ofeach and every team member. Everyone he spoke withwanted every product, business, service, and experience
provided by Wacom to enrich the lives of their close people
and contribute to society at large. This passion is not
something that the company demands, nor is it born outof a business-based decision. Instead, it is fed by strong
personal motivation.
This passion manifests as gentle sparks that burn within
the hearts of Wacom's team members. By unearthing andintertwining their sparks into stories, and subsequently
sharing these stories with society, Wacom extends its
support to each and every team member. This series ofendeavors was officially named "Social Initiatives" in 2019.
It has nurtured the sparks of more than 20 stories over thefollowing years. By shining a light on each team member,we, Wacom, hope to communicate the value that we placeon our sparks, and at the same time, we hope that ourpassion will ignite a spark in someone else’s heart. Each
person’s spark also contributes to the realization of Lifelong Ink, Wacom’s promise to customers of a life-longjourney defined by digital ink-based experiences.
We will continue to seek out the sparks that smolder
within Wacom. In this article, we introduce the stories ofteam members from Portland, US; Beijing, China; and Oiso
Town, Japan. Each of their sparks shines ever so brightly.

The Wacom Experience Center isto draw / write . Tsubota has traveled back and forthfrom BEIJING, CHINA

located in the city of Portland, Oregon.

between his office in Shinjuku, central Tokyo, and Oiso

As the name suggests, it functions
as a hub where the local creative

Popularizing and elevating
digital ink technology

community is invited to experience thesensation of creativity.
The center’s Senior Manager isMegan Davis, a team member whoworks tirelessly to forge ties between
Wacom and the local community
through numerous projects. “Ourmission is to engage with the local
community and provide a space forpeople to foster their creative thoughts
and innovative ideas,” says Davis. “Wewant to inspire people in the creative
world, both big names and up-andcoming artists, by creating a space
where they are free to unleash theircreativity.”
Portland is known for hosting many
events and festivals throughout theyear. One of these is the Sneaker
Week, which Davis was instrumental instarting in 2016. Numerous footwear
brands including Nike, Adidas, andKeen call Portland home, so Davisinsiders.
Portland also has a thriving comic
scene due to the large number ofanimation and comic studios in thearea and the annual Rose City Comic
Con. Wacom partners with Comic
Con to support up-and-coming artists,
giving them space to introduce anddemonstrate their work.
So, how has the Experience Center
evolved in recent years? Davis says,“I think the biggest evolution is thatwe’ve attracted people with somuch talent and brilliance. We often
hear people say we need to ‘thinkglobal, act local,’ which I think sums
up what is so important about local

knew it would be the perfect hostcity. During the Sneaker Week, theExperience Center is one of several
event sites in which sneakerheads canrub shoulders with footwear industry

communities. If you’re not taking careof your local community, how can you
share anything with the wider world?
We try to keep this philosophy in mind
as we look to the future.”

Megan DAVIS
Senior Manager
Wacom Technology Corporation (USA)Lannie Zhang is a member ofWacom’s Ink Division and works as a
global product manager in Beijing.
“It is rewarding to be so close to theChinese market and our customers,”
says Zhang. “I first joined Wacom
as a regional product manager andbelonged to a small team. I wasresponsible for a variety of products,including stylus pens, pen displays,and pen tablets, and I visited manydifferent customers. Listening to theirfrank feedback on our products—
what they loved, were frustrated
with, or hoped to see—helped me
gain a deeper understanding of theneeds of the market. It was a valuable
experience that continues to serve mewell even as I transition to the role ofglobal product manager.”
It is clear from Zhang’s words that
she is making a sincere effort to alignwith the Chinese business community.
Wacom continues to evolve far
beyond a mere product supplier,aiming to comprehensively deliver
hardware, software, and solutions
that only digital ink technology canachieve. Ink Division is a major driver

Consortium and Connected Ink.
Zhang’s efforts to localize these global
Wacom initiatives for the Chinese
market have led to stronger bonds
with the company’s local customers.
“We preserve the global characterof both initiatives but also organize
our own activities on a local level,” shesays. “For example, we establisheda Chinese-language chat group tofacilitate communication. These efforts
have helped us attract new customers,
partners, and team members andexpand our partnerships so that we
can explore the possibilities of digital
ink technology together. It’s literally the‘Chinese Way.’”Lannie ZHANG
Global Product Manager
Wacom China

Town over 100 times, a clear sign of his passion for thisproject.
The initiative’s first undertaking was to support creating
digital works at a junior high school. Upon seeing students
experience the pure joy of creating, many other residentsof Oiso were inspired to participate in the initiative. The
scope of the project has since expanded from promoting

drawing to also promoting writing . Small but meaningfulexperiences and reactions have created a chain reaction ofinterest that has gotten the entire town involved.
Tsubota’s day-to-day work involves retail partnership topromote the sales of Wacom products. However, he saysthat his motivation in leading this initiative has nothing to
do with increasing sales. “It is true that some people havebeen inspired to purchase Wacom’s pen displays and pen
tablets after trying them out through this initiative,” he says.
“But as I see it, supporting the drawing / writing of ourcustomers is a key component of both our daily work andour efforts with Oiso. My goal is to have people say thatthey are excited to use Wacom products.
“Once, a student who struggles in school told me thatthey had a lot of fun creating a piece of artwork. I couldn’t
help but cry. It’s a part of my job, but it has become apart of my life, too. This initiative has become somethingimportant to me, and the people of Oiso are extremelysupportive.

Tadakuni TSUBOTA
Account Manager
Creative Sales Japanof this shift. “The Ink Division is
Wacom’s innovation center where newideas and technologies around ink areborn,” she says. “We pursue the kindof R&D that can popularize digital ink
technology and elevate its value in theeyes of our customers.”
Looking for a way to deepen ties
with the local community, Zhang also
got involved with the Digital Stationery70

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