Department : Public Relations and Digital Marketing, Shiseido (Canada) Inc. Work experience : 3 years Hobbies/Specialties : Cooking, arts and crafts, fashion, travel, reading, and beauty products (of course!)
With Heather Marin Interview with Dr. Junichi Hosoi of Shiseido Research Institute's Cosmetic Basic Research Center
Commemorative photo of all employees in commemoration of “Ultimune Day”
I have been working part-time in the marketing department since the summer of 2008 when I was a student. In 2009, I left Shiseido for a master's degree in communications at Ryerson University. I found a job opening for the position. I still remember the joy I felt at that time. After that, I was officially hired, and from September 2011, I was able to work at Shiseido again. Since January 2014, I have been working as a public relations and digital marketing specialist under Vice President Elaine Shigeishi (SHISEIDO brand). My job involves developing and implementing PR and communication strategies for Canadian print and online media for the SHISEIDO and Clé de Peau Beauté brands. Direct PR to consumers and fans through rapidly growing social media platforms, especially Facebook and Twitter, and maintenance of the brand website, Shiseido.ca, which was renovated in September this year. Together with our PR consultants Catherine Hamilton and social media consultants Heather Mullin, we communicate and promote the quality and satisfaction of our consumers.
When I was a teenager, my mother taught me how to use it, and the more I learned about the brand, the more I learned about Shiseido's cutting-edge technology and quality, as well as the best effects in the beauty industry. I am very happy to be able to make new discoveries about my skin care and makeup. This fall, we unveiled the brand's signature “Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate.” Before launching the product, we can actually try the product to check the effect, and I was surprised to realize that my skin was reborn in just a few days. As a long-time Shiseido user, I was confident that my skin was healthy enough, but I realized that my skin has become even more beautiful and fresh than I had imagined. This feeling of bouncing in my chest and the reactions of those around me gave me confidence from within, and I feel like I've become more beautiful. When I see my customers, friends and family use Shiseido products and their skin becomes more beautiful than ever before, it brings me great joy.This feeling is what motivates me to work at Shiseido. .
Working at a Japanese company has had a great impact on me personally as well as on the job side. I respect Japan for many things, such as its rich culture, world-leading technology and research, and work style. Every day I think about how I should treat my colleagues in both Canada and Japan with respect. When do you become conscious of Japanese culture through your work? I am always conscious of Japan in terms of regular communication with the Japanese headquarters and being surrounded by Japanese products and technologies.
This summer, I traveled to Japan for the first time to support a global PR/social media event for the launch of “Ultimune”. It was such a rare opportunity that I fell in love with Japan from the moment I landed at Haneda Airport. Japan was more beautiful than I had imagined. The main purpose was to host Heather Marin, a freelance journalist and our social media consultant, who shared her daily life in Japan on Twitter using the hashtag #heatherintokyo. , He also talked about the charm of “Ultimune”.
We also visited the Shiseido Corporate Museum, the Shiseido Art House, and the Shiseido Kakegawa Factory. I also had the opportunity to visit the Shiseido Parlor in Ginza and the SHISEIDO Counter in Isetan Department Store, said to be the busiest in the world. A particularly memorable experience was the gala party held on the roof of Andaz Tokyo to commemorate the launch of “Ultimune”. Among the guests invited from various industries were SHISEIDO brand model Sui He, world-famous actress Rinko Kikuchi, and many other celebrities. From start to finish, the event was truly amazing and memorable.
Since my stay in Japan was short this time, I woke up once before 4 o'clock every morning because of the time difference. On the day I returned to Toronto, I woke up at around 4:15 a.m., and the feeling that the room was distorting hit me. At first, I thought it was due to exhaustion and sadness about leaving Japan, but when the tremors intensified and the windows and walls began to creak, I realized it was an earthquake. For me, who grew up in Canada, where there are no earthquakes, this was my first experience and I was terrified. I didn't know what to do or who to contact, so all I could do was send a message to Heather, who was sleeping in the next room. I was a little scared and panicking, wondering if I should take the stairs down from the 49th floor of the hotel, call my mom in Toronto, or call 911. Without thinking about anything, I grabbed my passport, cell phone, dinner leftovers, and bathrobe and ran into the bathtub. (For some reason, I felt like I heard that the bathroom is the safest place during an earthquake...) When the earthquake had completely stopped, I slowly got out of the bathtub and met my family and friends in Toronto. I sent a message to let you know it's okay. At lunch before boarding the plane, the Japanese employees were laughing at my actions. And I learned that Japanese buildings are built to withstand earthquakes many times stronger than the one I experienced. As a newcomer to Japan, I was terrified of this experience, but most of all, I was impressed by the wonderful people I met in Tokyo, which is culturally and socially different from Toronto. I fell in love with Japan!
Working at a Japanese company has taught me the value of high-quality products and services, careful and thoughtful decision-making, respectful work relationships, and patience. I believe that if I had the chance to work for a Japanese company outside of Japan, I would be able to learn more about business than we know. For example, recently I have received compliments on how I write internal emails, which is the result of putting into practice what I learned from my colleagues in Japan and Canada. Also, working at a Japanese company allows me to learn deeply about global business, including the values and ways of thinking of both Asian and Western cultures, which I believe is extremely important in a multicultural Canada.