Shintaro Kanazawa, E-Commerce Department, Nutraceuticals Division, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

Take a look at yourself and think about what interests you

■ Profile

Born in Niigata Prefecture in 1987. Graduated from the School of Education at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Joined Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. in April 2010. After working at the Fukuoka branch of the Nutraceuticals Division, studying for an MBA at the University of Washington, and in the Business Strategy Office, he assumed his current position in March 2017.

Otsuka Pharmaceutical continues to produce long-selling and unique scientifically based products in the fields of beverages such as Pocari Sweat and Oronamin C, as well as nutritional foods such as Calorie Mate. We spoke with Kanazawa, a section manager in the Nutraceuticals Division at the company, about the joy of turning his ideas into reality and how he is using his student experiences in his current job.

　As a student, I studied physical education at an American university, focusing on human health. I was always interested in this field, and in the future I wanted to be involved with the products we see in supermarkets and the things that are familiar to us in our daily lives.
　The timing of my job hunt was difficult, as it was right in the middle of the Lehman Shock. I didn't get a job offer until December of my fourth year, so I ended up deciding on Otsuka Pharmaceutical at the last minute. During the interview, I spoke passionately about how Pocari Sweat had helped me countless times while I was studying abroad, and by chance I was able to join the company. I was also grateful that I was given the opportunity to study abroad again after joining the company.
　One of the things that makes me glad I joined the company is that when I see people drinking Pocari Sweat or Oronamin C on the street, I feel really happy. If I see a tough-looking guy drinking Oronamin C, I think, "Oh, this guy must be a nice guy" (laughs).

■ Communicate the value of your products and turn customers into repeat customers

　There are two main tasks in my current job. The first is managing and operating our company's mail order site, "Otsuka Plus One," running advertisements to attract customers, and creating flyers and emails to encourage customers who have made purchases to buy again.
　Our own online store is similar to the retail side, so our goal is to get customers to buy from our site. We get them to continue using our site, and we look at how much they have purchased using an indicator called lifetime value (LTV).
　The second is supporting the digital marketing of brands such as Pocari Sweat and SoyJoy. Rather than selling products, we promote them with the goal of helping customers learn more about them. We run campaigns and other activities with the aim of increasing the amount of time customers spend on the site, suggesting ways to broaden the opportunities for customers to consume the products, and raising awareness of the products.

■What can and cannot be understood through digital technology

　I find it fascinating that everything can be quantified in business. With in-store promotional materials and POP displays, it's difficult to measure when and at what point customers who saw them made a purchase. But with digital, all of this is revealed numerically. By displaying a banner, you can see at a glance how many times it was displayed and how many people purchased which product. What's more, the numbers tell you how many of those who purchased it are repeat customers. While this is interesting, it also clearly reflects failures. Often, the results are completely different from what you intended. To succeed, you need to hypothesize what will happen if you do this, and then promote it accordingly. Conversely, there are also things you can't understand with numbers alone. For example, suppose a woman is purchasing a product clearly intended for men on your company's online store. Surveying her reveals that she bought it for her son, and there are hidden stories that can only be revealed through digital surveys and can only be discovered by asking her in person. This is why it's important to imagine your customers' lives, and even fantasize at times.

■ Aiming to combine real and digital

　The fusion of real and digital is often not achieved even when it seems possible. I would like to try it with all brands and utilize it to reach more consumers. I would like to think about this not only from the brand's perspective, but also as a company, in cooperation with our sales bases across the country.

■Message

　Job hunting is a good opportunity to reflect on yourself. Think about your strengths and weaknesses. You still have a long way to go, so it's important to take the time to think about what you're interested in. There's no point in trying. At the time, you may think it's a waste of time, but when you think about it later, you'll see that your experiences up to that point are connected to who you are today. It's good to be able to communicate with a variety of people, not just with language skills and qualifications.

Student Newspaper Special Edition April 2021 Issue by Keiya Ishioka, 4th year student at Senshu University