CLIENT INTERVIEW
KMEW Co., Ltd.
Marketing Officer, Office of the General Manager, Marketing Promotion Department
Tomomi Osato
A company whose strength is its diverse capabilities
How did you first come across SSS?
At my previous company, while I was putting together a plan for an office renovation, I was looking for someone to support me, and an acquaintance introduced SSS to me, saying, "There's a good company you should know." We then built the plan together, with SSS acting as a partner consultant, and even at that stage their consulting skills were remarkable. Later, I moved to KMEW and took charge of marketing promotion. To strengthen our PR and advertising capabilities, I reached out to SSS and asked, "Would you lend us a hand?"
What challenges did KMEW face?
"Standard marketing theories and formulas" do not apply
The market for the exterior materials we handle is very unusual. Homeowners tend to have relatively little interest in roofing and siding, and often do not understand the differences between products or how to choose them, so they leave the decision entirely to their home builder or contractor. It is a unique market where the usual marketing theories and formulas, in which the end user drives awareness and purchase, simply do not work. That means we have to build our own theories from scratch, and that is where we turned to SSS for help. They are racking their brains alongside us right now (laughs).
I highly value, and have high expectations of, not only SSS's "IT capability" but also their "consulting capability." While many consultancies get so fixated on the "How" (methods) that they fall into a "media first" mindset, SSS, despite being a company with strong media capabilities, keeps a firm focus on the "What," properly analyzing issues and problems before proposing comprehensive solutions.
They are also extremely sincere. The consulting firms I had known until then tended to complete the work within the set budget and timeframe and then disappear, so it was hard to build a long relationship. SSS, on the other hand, settles in for the long haul and builds the business together with us over time, which makes them trustworthy.
What are SSS's strengths?
A "walk the talk" work style and
proposals from multiple perspectives
First is their "walk the talk" work style. Take SEO alone: the results were dramatic. Our mission is to deliver results within a limited budget, and SSS is the best partner for achieving that.
Next is their ability to make proposals. Rather than run-of-the-mill suggestions, they formulate a variety of hypotheses and propose from multiple angles. SSS applies the capabilities they have built up through hands-on practice to the challenges we face, which is a tremendous help.
What is your impression of the SSS members?
Always dedicated and great listeners
Fresh, smart talent keeps appearing to match each theme
I appreciate how dedicated they always are. The SSS members are also excellent listeners: they truly hear what we ask, and reliably turn it into proposals. I always have high expectations on that front. As we work through various challenges, all sorts of themes come up, and fresh, smart people keep appearing to match each one. Highly skilled people approach things from a different angle than we do, which broadens our thinking, and I am grateful for that. Knowing that such a "deep bench" is always on standby is reassuring. This breadth of coverage, this wide range of capabilities, is SSS's weapon. Whatever requests we may have from here on, SSS has the ability to handle them. That is another reason we can work together for the long term.
