Moving perceptions from a Japan-centric conglomerate to a global B2B leader in digital, energy, industry and infrastructure

Following the successful launch of Hitachi Energy, Hitachi Group contacted Straightline as its brand was seen as stuck in the past.

Indeed, as the 100+ year-old conglomerate moved its businesses from consumers to embrace the new societal changes, both external and internal audiences were having a hard time grasping what Hitachi is or does despite its high brand awareness.

The Hitachi brand message had become complex and more fragmented. The individual companies were developing their narrative and messaging in silos while the Group was habitually defaulting to language used for investor communication. Internal culture change was needed to forge a new and more global way of communicating especially with recent acquisitions, shifting the majority of Hitachi revenues and employees outside Japan for the first time in its history.

To assess the situation and help build brand coherence Straightline undertook various projects

• Developed messaging framework for Group and GroupCos leading to
  • A simple, coherent messaging approach across the organisation
  • An impactful sustainability narrative, integrated with the business strategy
  • A new corporate presentation design and content to introduce the business
  • A clear value proposition aimed at customers in the mobility sector
  • An aligned narrative between Hitachi Rail and its Thales acquisition, globally and per country
• Identified brand architecture opportunities against Group competitor strategies
• Identified partnership opportunities against competitor strategies
• Qualitative and quantitative surveys for Hitachi Digital to identify opportunities to strengthen the brand

The messaging framework was key to unify and clarify the organisation. While some company missions need to evolve over time to remain pertinent, we identified that the meaning behind Hitachi’s mission was more relevant than ever. We recommended elevating it as the foundation for the messaging.
To deliver on its mission, we emphasised that Hitachi has transformed numerous times, adapting with society as it evolved. We highlighted the key new business sectors which have the power to significantly impact society and infrastructure. Each of these helped evidence how Hitachi is acting to build a more sustainable future.

Thanks to the simple framework, the outcome has been truly transformative for the organisation, its various communications teams and the sustainability teams. For the first time, the group is able to communicate coherently as “One Hitachi” to a wide audience while allowing each group company to tailor the blueprint to their own needs and sectors.

The Hitachi teams have since been able to work with their respective local agencies creating meaningful videos and marketing collaterals, reinforcing the brand’s core mission.