Section 2. The Development of a New Corporate Identity and a Name Change

1. Launching Plans for a New Corporate Identity

Corporate name recognition was becoming extremely important for constructing office buildings, attracting tenants, procuring funding through capital markets, and securing talented personnel. Accordingly, on January 1, 1987, Daibiru established a Corporate Identity Committee with the goal of developing a communication plan to ensure that Daibiru would be properly recognized by society and revitalizing the company by clarifying its corporate philosophy, corporate behavior, and corporate image. In order to implement this initiative, Daibiru determined that research and advice from experts would be required and asked Dentsu to conduct corporate image research. Dentsu conducted a survey of all employees, including executive management, as well as group interviews with tenants, major shareholders, general investors, opinion leaders, industry competitors, construction companies, and recruiters. Several issues were brought to the forefront by this research. Specifically, the following issues were identified: Daibiru did not provide sufficient information and had come to be seen as a local company specializing in local rental offices. The company was seen as a stable company but not a growth company, and it needed to project an image not just of its current status but also of its development ambitions. The corporate culture tended toward being conservative and closed-minded with a focus on stability. A pervasive sense of risk aversion had caused morale to worsen. The company needed to reform its corporate culture to be more focused on environmental challenges and external concerns. It also came to light that having “Osaka” in the company name was not necessarily appropriate from the viewpoint of future expansion; but on the other hand, there was strong attachment to the company name that was in use at the time.