Major Items of the Revised Medium-Term Management Plan (Domestic Business) ■Marketing ReformReviewing the value provided from the customer’s pointof view and cultivating an attractive brand:The current place of marketing reformIn the revised medium-term management plan, the value that Wacoal will provide in the future is defined as “empoweringcustomers to be themselves.” What are the goals of Wacoal’s marketing activities as it moves toward further reform?

customer databases. However, I also felt that each of thesemeant. Whether we were talking about advertising, needssurveys and analyses were independent and not well “linked”analysis, or research, each department’s understanding ofto product development and in-store sales promotion.

marketing was not consistent, so it was natural thatTherefore, I first proposed ways to link and utilize the currentdiscussions would fall apart. It is said that “the challenge ismarketing research and analysis, and then worked to visualizemarketing,” but without a clear understanding of what thethe current issues so that marketing investments could becompany-wide issue is, if each department works individuallymade effectively.

on its own idea of marketing, it will never lead to a realsolution. Therefore, we decided that the first priority was to—Ms. Shinoduka, you assumed the position of Head of thedefine marketing in our company as “all activities that createMarketing Division in April. What challenges did you see whenvalue for customers.” We believed that if the membersyou started?

involved could connect Wacoal’s current issues from thecustomer’s point of view and grasp the overall picture, weShinoduka: In the beginning, there was no common languagewould be able to take the most appropriate steps.

within the company as to what “Wacoal’s marketing activities”Clarifying the value provided by each brand and developing a company-wide brandstrategy map—How did you go about developing your market segments—Once you had organized the value offered by each brand,and strategy map?

how did you segment the market?

Sugiyama: First of all, we made a list of the values that eachSugiyama: In the case of innerwear, changes in body shapebrand offers. I had a suspicion that maybe we would list theare a major factor in product selection, so Presidentsame things under all the brands. When we discussed theKawanishi, who was then General Manager of the MarketingShigekazu SugiyamaAtsuko Shinodukatwo main points of “value provided (what the brand delivers toDivision, decided to create a strategy map that identifiedcustomers)” and “difference from other brands,” we foundwhere the market had the greatest potential for growth byMarketing Advisor, Wacoal Corp.
(Representative of SEN Marketing)Corporate Officer In charge of the Group DX Marketing StrategyDirector Corporate Officer Head of Marketing Div. of Wacoal Corp.

that all brands except Salute and Yue had almost the samesegmenting products based on price range and age, and thenkind of value provided. What we found most worrisome wasdetermining which priorities to address.

What are Wacoal’s marketing challenges?

that the value offered by Wacoal and Wing was very similar.

Based on this strategy map, we also decided to clearlyWe expected that the offering values would be similar sincedetermine the areas that Wacoal will not target. Specifically,the brands were originally created based on a channel-we have clarified that Wacoal’s strategy is not to target thespecific concept, but the channel-specific concept is not inlow-priced segment, which is losing market share to otherline with current consumer purchasing behavior, so it wouldbrands. In addition, we have set our priority focus segments—Please tell us how you came to be appointed as atheir offerings is, and whether it matches what theirbe very inefficient if the brands’ offered values were notas young people, affordable, seniors, and high premium. Wemarketing advisor.

customers are looking for. In many cases, these are not wellclearly separated.

are now at the stage of deciding which brands to strengthenin these priority segments.

connected, and I hypothesized that this might be the case forSugiyama: Around the fall of 2022, I was approached byWacoal as well.

—How was the reception of the members?
Shinoduka: As for the results of the consumer survey, the firstWacoal and asked if I could help them strengthen theirmarketing efforts. Having had experience in marketing at a—Was it the case?

cosmetics manufacturer, I decided to take on the role ofSugiyama: Since each brand manager looked only at theirand second most influential factors in purchasing innerwearown brand, they may not have been aware of the overlap, orare price range and age. We believe that axing factors thatadvisor in the hope that I could help Wacoal, which alsoSugiyama: I had heard that Wacoal lacked a strategicif they were aware of it, they may not have seen it as a majorcan be quantified as absolute values and for which there istargets women as its main customers, to solve its problems.

approach to marketing, but I was honestly surprised to seeproblem. When we asked them to think about it over andresearch evidence, rather than values and subjectivities thatthat the company is engaged in an amazingly wide range ofover again, some of them asked why there had to be aare perceived differently by different people, is good in termschallenges, but I find that the challenges are not very different.

activities. For example, they continue to analyze customerdifference in the value provided by the brands. That was theof being able to continuously track whether the products andThe problem is basically to analyze the market, where they aresegmentation, purchase data, and consumer surveys. I alsostarting point.

services we provide are truly supported by customers.

going to offer their products and services, what the value ofhad the impression that progress is being made in integratingThere are many companies that have marketing37 ■ WACOAL HOLDINGSINTEGRATED REPORT 2023■ 38ProfileMajor Items of the Revised Medium-Term Management Plan (Domestic Business) ■Marketing ReformAtsuko ShinodukaJoined Wacoal Corp. in 2005. After working as a sales representative for department stores, she wasin charge of overseas e-commerce business support, business restructuring and M&A, as well asbrand manager and MD for subsidiaries. In 2017, she was transferred to the Omni-Channel StrategyPromotion Department of the General Planning Office, and in April 2023, she was appointed Director,Corporate Officer, and Head of the Marketing Division of Wacoal Corp.

Cultivating a brand where customers can feel a connection and a promise,and building a deep relationship of trust—What are the key points of this brand strategy?

best business situation is to create a virtuous cycle in which acontact with the customers in our stores. If we can pick up oncustomers want to solve, I feel that we can make moreinteresting and appealing proposals.

small investment efficiently generates profit, which is thensmall feedback that might have been drowned out in the past,Shinoduka: I think the most important point of our brandreinvested. A brand is something that takes root amongand if we can take advantage of the strengths of digitalstrategy is to better clarify what kind of value our brand canconsumers, and when a brand takes root among consumers,technology, which removes the physical and time constraintsrevitalize the innerwear market itself as a more exciting one byprovide. Since we have presented market segments for theit can efficiently continue its relationship with customers.

that existed until now, and capture the needs and insights thatproposing new values.

first time, we tend to talk about segments such as affordableHowever, a brand must have a solid value, and if the valueand high premium, but what is really important is the value wechanges from season to season, a long relationship with theprovide. Earlier, Mr. Sugiyama mentioned that when wecustomer cannot be established. What can Wacoal promisearticulated the value propositions of our brands, they were allto its customers over the long term? Is there more tothe same, but this is the worst thing we could do. What willinnerwear than just security and comfort? I tell them that webe important in the future is to clearly define the valueshould have a thorough discussion about what value the—What will it take for Wacoal to return to a strong growth—Ms. Shinoduka, in what ways do you hope to realizeprovided by all brands, and to focus on what kind of customerbrand can offer from such a perspective.

trajectory?

Wacoal’s value creation in the future?

—And as for the customer strategy, DX is the key point,Shinoduka: Human resource utilization and development. ForShinoduka: In this revised medium-term business plan, weisn’t it?

example, in the Marketing Division, we have started ahave decided to place “empowering individuality” at the coreWe believe that it is an important mission of Wacoal toWhat Wacoal needs from now on is a reform of “awareness” and “mechanisms”experience the customers who support the brand want. Ibelieve that the rebranding of Wacoal will be a symbol of this.
—How are you proceeding with the rebranding of Wacoal?

cross-sectional project this fiscal year to gather chief-levelof the value we provide, and I believe this applies not only toShinoduka: In the revised medium-term management plan,members who are candidates for next-generation leaders.

our customers but also to our employees. If each employeeShinoduka: We had been considering a rebrand since lastwe have defined the value we will provide as “empoweringMr. Sugiyama has been heavily involved in this project as well.

can maximize his or her strengths, it will lead to goodyear, but we were still unclear about what Wacoal was. Theeach customers’ individuality” in order to evolve into avalue provided by the Wacoal brand is often described ascorporate entity that responds to the diversification ofSugiyama: Each member of the project is aware of the issuescustomers. I have some regrets when I think back about“cradle to cradle,” but it is not clear what exactly the brandcustomer values. We will continue to provide optimaland understands the bottlenecks to solving them. However, atwhether our corporate environment has been conducive toprovides from cradle to cradle. The members who are actuallycustomer experiences for each of our customers, andthe beginning of the discussion, they took the stance that itdemonstrating our strengths, but I am also positive that therein charge of the brand have also been complaining that theydigitalization is the key to this. Digitalization andwas not their job to remove the bottleneck. “My duties endare many things that can be improved going forward. I believecannot see the face of Wacoal because of the wide variety ofpersonalization go hand in hand, and we believe that the usehere. I think we can do better if the walls are removed, but it isthat it is precisely because we are now facing a difficultproducts. I think it is difficult for customers to build aof digital technology will be very effective as we aim tonot my role to break down the walls.” This habit of thinking isbusiness climate that new seeds of growth are easily born.

relationship with something when they don’t know what itempower each and every Wacoal customer to be themselves.

part of the culture that needs to be changed at Wacoal. So,As Mr. Sugiyama pointed out to me, at Wacoal, we oftenWhile the body shape data accumulated by Wacoal’sMr. Shinozuka and I started asking them, “Who else is goinghear talk of dropping decisions made at various meeting intoreally is. We asked Mr. Sugiyama to provide us with advice onperformance for the company and provide good value to ourhow to build a relationship with customers over the mediumHuman Science Research & Development Center over itsto break down these walls if you aren’t going to?” Then,the workplace. However, we are now in an era of absorbingto long term with regard to the value that Wacoal provides,60-year history and customer data through its 3Dgradually, people began to change their mindset.

rather than dropping in. In this era of change, just top-down isand he was involved in the rebranding process.

measurement service are certainly our strengths, on the othertoo slow. The hints for improving Wacoal are found in the field.

hand, data is only valuable if it is used in some way. In thisShinoduka: This change also applies to marketing strategyWe will establish a system to absorb voices and responsesSugiyama: In discussing this with the members, we alsorespect, I feel that we are not making full use of the feedbackproposals. In the past, the Marketing Division’s role in marketfrom the frontlines, and a process to promote autonomy oftalked about why branding is necessary in the first place. Theof our customers and of our beauty advisors who are in dailyresearch and consumer surveys was to present the results ofthe frontlines, utilizing digital technology as well. I would like allthe analysis, but from this time, the role has changed toof us at Wacoal to work together to create products andproactively proposing brand strategies based on the results ofservices that empower both our customers and ourselves bythe analysis. I think we are now able to make proposals withvaluing the small voices that have been raised in the field butthe determination that we are the ones who decide thehave not been heard, as well as the hidden thoughts thatdirection of the brand.

have not even been voiced in the first place.

ProfileShigekazu Sugiyama—An awareness that you are the ones creating the brand.

After working for Lion Corporation and Coca-Cola (Japan) Company,Sugiyama: Wacoal has all the strengths and human resourcesLimited, he joined Shiseido Company, Limited in 2009 and became Presidentand Representative Director of Shiseido Japan Co., Ltd. in 2017. In 2020, heretired from Shiseido and established SEN Marketing. In November 2022, heto create powerful and exciting value. I think it is important tohave a sense of urgency and a “can do” attitude.

became Marketing Advisor for Wacoal Corp.

39 ■ WACOAL HOLDINGSINTEGRATED REPORT 2023■ 40