Branding that builds social trust

The results of the Skills Olympiad show the rapid progress of Asian countries. As someone involved in construction, I feel that the quality of industrial products is improving along with technological capabilities, and many building materials such as curtain walls, glass, and processed stone are imported from Asian countries. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's Technology Survey Report (Overseas Edition) No. 1, "On the Technological Capabilities of East Asia," describes the background to this as the active human resource development and research and development activities of each country. It is said that about 60% of the international students accepted by the United States in 1999 and 2000 were from Asia. Today, excellent researchers who were educated in the United States return to their home countries to engage in research and development, and work to modernize science, technology, and industry. Just as in postwar Japanese society, there is a sense of sincere commitment and enthusiasm toward "manufacturing."

On the other hand, the path of "manufacturing" is sometimes hindered by an economic society that is still immature in terms of ethics. Perhaps this is the natural course of events in a globally expanding market economy, but the future of the world economy has suddenly become uncertain due to the subprime mortgage problem. The unbridled pursuit of profit has once again caused the economy to go awry.

In Japan, scandals caused by the pursuit of profit without substance continue unabated. One paper manufacturer that sold recycled paper products by falsifying the percentage of recycled paper used has become a problem, which can be considered environmental fraud. This is very pathetic, especially in the midst of growing social awareness of the global environment. Recently, many companies have been thinking about building their brands, but in addition to cases where they have misunderstood the meaning of branding and are running after superficial image strategies, there have been a series of fraudulent cases where the true colors are easily exposed, such as fraudulent building materials that use false ministerial certification, false food labeling, and false origin of products, just like the paper manufacturers.

Where has the pride in our own brands gone? We must once again remember that a brand is built on mutual trust between a company and all of its stakeholders. By continuing to patiently create good products without being obsessed with short-term profits, we can build a brand in the truest sense that earns the trust of society and brings great profits in the future.

The young people who take part in the Skills Olympiad will become key players in the industries of their respective countries and will play a major role in building the brands of their countries. In order to ensure that "manufacturing," the foundation of human society, does not disappear, the economy must firmly support it, and we must create with our own hands a healthy society in which people are valued.