Sustainability
(1) raising public awareness of the SDGs, which we undertake together with United Nations organizations, academia, other companies, the government of Japan, local authorities, NPOs, NGOs, civic society, and other stakeholders;
(2) corporate activities that leverage our unique strengths, and which include collaborations with stakeholders, to promulgate the SDGs;
(3) observing the SDGs that apply to our business as we fulfill our corporate responsibilities to sei-katsu-sha and society.
Hakuhodo is committed to the realization of a society in which all people can live vibrant and fulfilling lives.
Sustainability initiatives
Copywriting and creative work for the UN's Sustainable Development Goals
Collaborating with the United Nations Information Centre, an organization tasked with raising public awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Japan, Hakuhodo in 2016 created the official Japanese language icons for the SDGs, and produced video for a public service announcement. Through a series of discussions with various international organizations, NGOs working in global cooperation, the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, we developed catch copy that would be easy to use by everyone.
Proactive support for advertising and marketing education and training around the world
Hakuhodo has long been a supporter of child education in Japan. Globally, the Hakuhodo Group works with universities and colleges in various countries to support the development of advertising and marketing-related curricula and provide up-to-the-minute training for students and future lecturers. Recent examples include: collaborating with Myanmar's National Management College over the course of three years to realize the country's first-ever advertising and marketing course and providing on-going support in the form of regular lectures and workshops; and providing hands-on training for master's students at Chulalongkorn Business School in Bangkok through a collaboration with a Hakuhodo Group company located in Thailand.
In addition, Hakuhodo has recently sent lecturers to universities in Korea and Russia, and also hosts visiting groups from universities from around the world at its head office several times a year.
Hakuhodo SX Professionals
Hakuhodo SX Professionals is the successor of Hakuhodo SDGs Project, a company-wide project initiated in 2019 to support clients’ business innovation from Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) perspectives.
Becoming Hakuhodo SX Professionals in 2024, this group of sei-katsu-sha value transformation professionals works to help clients realize sustainability transformation (SX) by revamping and redesigning their sustainability initiatives into value that sei-katsu-sha can perceive.
EARTH MALL SDGs Action Platform
EARTH MALL, an SDGs action platform that emerged from the OPEN 2030 PROJECT, is a large collaborative project that positions the SDGs as a major opportunity for society in the 21st century. Hakuhodo participates in the implementation of the EARTH MALL platform, which aims to realize a sustainable future through an activity familiar to sei-katsu-sha—shopping.
EARTH MALL, which offers around 120,000 products from certified brands, was launched on the Rakuten market online shopping website in 2018. In 2019, SDGs PARK and EARTH MALL events were conducted in partnership with JCI (Junior Chamber International) Japan.
Another initiative advanced through the EARTH MALL platform is a series of classes on how to change the future for the better through shopping. Promoted through elementary, junior high, and high schools across Japan, these classes teach students about the SDGs through the creation of advertisements for sustainable products.
We have more sustainability activities for EARTH MALL in the works, including projects focused on food and beauty in collaboration with our clients.