This time we interviewed Mr Yuyo Kanono, representative director from Brand Cloud Inc.
Born in Kanagawa Prefecture in 1993. Graduated from the Faculty of Science and Technology at Keio University and is a member of JAPAN MENSA. He became acquainted with the founder of Brand Cloud, Masataka Ihara, while studying at Keio University, and learned under him. 2018, when Brand Cloud joined the Vector Group, he was appointed Director in charge of the Sales Department. 24 May 2023, he was appointed President and Representative Director of the company.
ーA society where people can try again
Editor: What kind of business does Brand Cloud do?
Kano: We mainly provide reputational damage countermeasures and branding support using the ORM (Online Reputation Management) method.
Ai: What exactly do you do?
Kano: We are consult companies and individuals who are troubled by fake news and online slander, and we mainly implement measures to transmit correct information to users, deliver facts and reduce the visibility rate of negative information on the web.
ーGiving back to society
Editor: Why did you start working on the SDGs?
Kano: About 10 years ago, there was a growing trend, particularly among large companies, to focus on sustainability and DE&I (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion), but now, as the importance of the SDGs is becoming more widespread in society, and the pace of progress is accelerating, we will be focusing our efforts on the SDGs with the keyword ‘a society that can try again’ as the main axis. We would like to be a company that tries to tackle the SDGs and give back to society, with the keyword ‘a society that can try again’ as our main focus.
It is clear that this trend is not a passing trend, but a new set of values for a new era. We decided to work on the SDGs not only to increase social value, but also as an opportunity to produce economic value as a new pillar of business.
ーReputational damage and the SDGs
Editor: What is the relationship between your main business – combating reputational damage – and the SDGs?
Kano: In this day and age of strong internet and social networking influence, I believe that the spread of slanderous and incorrect information can hinder the trust that companies have built up and the mental health of individuals. Through our Brand security service, we hope to protect the trust of companies and the mental health of individuals as a business, and also contribute to the creation of a sustainable society.
Ai: There is a real need for such a service for companies and individuals who are active as individuals.
ーFair society without prejudice
Editor: What are you doing to create an equitable society?
Kano: At BrandCloud, even before we decided to commit to the SDGs, we naturally adopted DE&I (diversity, equity and inclusion) and tried to recruit without regard to gender, educational background or race. We have a culture of learning from each other rather than envying each other’s success, which creates a synergistic effect and leads to the company’s growth. We are not satisfied with the status quo, but want to create a more diverse workplace where all employees can make the most of their abilities.
Ai: Recently, I have been asked ‘as a woman’ quite a lot, and sometimes I think that people who say ‘as a woman’ are too conscious of being a woman. I think it’s great that we recruit based on people’s abilities and characteristics, although I think there are inevitably latent differences between genders.
Kano: There are many people in our company who are able to solve a single problem by disclosing their own difficulties and involving their trusted colleagues, regardless of gender. I feel that our corporate culture is such that we respect each other’s individuality and naturally create a way of thinking in which we can compensate for each other’s shortcomings.
Ai: By working together to solve problems, it would be nice if we can understand how the people we work with feel about each other.
Kano: That’s right. I think that the more people respect each other and utilise their strengths to cooperate with each other, the more it will naturally lead to a sustainable organisation and society.
Ai: I would like to see more people like the Brand Cloud employees, who are not prejudiced by gender or educational background. In the end, such people are more likely to want to work with us, so I hope we can support more and more positive feelings and ideas and spread them to more and more people.
ーContributing to job creation
Editor: I understand that you are also establishing a subsidiary in Bangladesh.
Kano: Bangladesh is a developing country with a certain level of IT literacy and English language skills, but it continues to have employment problems. We hope to contribute to job creation by recruiting Bangladeshi people with technical skills and establishing a subsidiary.
ーFrom small initiatives
Editor: I understand that you are also taking environmental initiatives within the company. What specific initiatives are you involved in?
Kano: We are using carbon-neutral mineral water and environmentally friendly materials for our business cards. I think that training sessions and other events help to create a certain level of awareness within the company, but people forget about it as time goes by, and I think it is difficult to spread the word ‘sustainable’ as a company. I think that by gradually making changes in familiar areas, people will subconsciously become aware of it, so we are starting with what we can do now.
Editor: Ai-san, are there any SDG initiatives that you are usually involved in?
Ai: Recently, my children have been leaving the water out, or leaving the fridge open, and I said “What waste!” and then after that, when I leave the water out, my kids started saying “What a waste!”. Even when I am not aware of it, my children tell me, so I think I am aware of it more often. Recently, there has been more and more information about ecology, so just by knowing and doing a little bit more, you feel like you’ve done something good, don’t you? Doing good things makes you like yourself a bit more, so you can be kind to others again. I hope the world will become like that.
ー Not just initiatives, but also a way for each and every one of us to speak out.
Editor: In setting the SDG targets, were there any difficulties or visions for the future?
Kano: When we set our goals, Brand Cloud’s businesses and internal initiatives fell under the various SDGs more than we had expected, so it was particularly difficult to choose which ones to focus on and how to prioritise them. From now on, each and every employee will make a conscious effort to achieve both economic success and contribution to society.
-Using the SDGs concept as a tool for each and every one of us
Editor: Finally, what are your future prospects?
Kano: We want to ensure that our SDG initiatives are not a one-off event and that they continue well into the future. I would also like to spread the concept of the SDGs throughout the BrandCloud company, and then use the SDGs as a tool for each and every one of us to spread sustainable communication to society.
This article is cited and edited with special permission from our partner media
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