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We Seek Win-Win Relations with Various Stakeholders.
We are continually developing win-win relationships with various stakeholders, including but not limited to shareholders, mass media, governments, NGOs/NPOs, and the general public. With our retailers we hope to seek mutual prosperity; with our suppliers we hope to sustain good relations by securing fair transactions. Moreover, to motivate employees even more the Corporation constantly improves its educational and welfare programs.
We are promoting what we call SOZO ("creation and imagination" in Japanese) Marketing Programs, comprising Value-SOZO, Fan-SOZO and IT-SOZO. In Value-SOZO, we help retailers resolve problems and enhance their shop value. To this end, Mizuno organizes SOZO Meetings and the MIZUNO SOZO School. In Fan-SOZO, designed to create customers loyal to the Mizuno brand and individual shops, we organize Mizuno Victory Clinics, a special program involving leading athletes. In IT-SOZO, we help retailers build IT systems to promote sales and improve their business efficiency. For instance, to retailers we introduce Miz- Mail, a marketing tool using cell phones, and an online ordering system from our Miz site.
Mizuno SOZO School, targeting young owners/managers of sporting goods shops, comprises three programs: an e-learning course, SOZO School Seminar, and SOZO School Club. A total of 898 people have participated in the e-learning course since its kick-off in fiscal 2006. At the SOZO School Seminar, participants learn various success stories and discuss ideal business methods. Members of SOZO School Club, comprising retailers who completed the e-learning course, join market inspection tours and other events that help build retailers' networks.
Mizuno SOZO School was established to help our product retailers attract more customers and increase sales. I feel very happy and rewarded whenever participants thank me for the good clues we have provided them to promote their business.
Since August 2008 Mizuno has promoted a campaign to seek retailers' understanding of the vital importance of protecting intellectual property rights. We have also prepared the Guidelines for Protecting Intellectual Property Rights. Intellectual properties used in the sporting goods industry include brand names, logos, designs, patents and portrait rights of celebrated athletes. Whenever we use such properties, we need permission from the party concerned. Using the guidelines we have prepared, Mizuno promotes retailers' awareness regarding the rules concerning these property rights. Only by observing the rules can mutual trust be built between property owners and users. This mutual trust is essential for developing retailers' business and maximizing their long-term interest.
At Mizuno, in recognition of the importance of intellectual property rights, we have unified our logos and adopted our brand slogan: Never Settle. The Guidelines have been prepared as part of these efforts. I hope that the guidelines will be helpful for promoting retailers' awareness of intellectual property rights.
In October 2008, Mizuno organized the 40,000 km Walking Campaign, involving 58 retailers throughout Japan. In respective regions, participants walked significant distances, totaling 40,000 km, a distance equal to the Earth's circumstance. The event was designed to build networks among retailers and end-users, and develop good relations between retailers and local walking clubs.
