Most people associate Nikon with cameras. However, what many don’t realize is that Nikon also plays a vital role in various other industries, from semiconductor manufacturing equipment to drug discovery support. Our team’s role is to help more people learn about Nikon and grow to love the brand. We plan corporate advertising campaigns and distribute content through our media channels in order to share Nikon’s hidden appeals and latest developments with audiences worldwide.

Our primary focus is the younger generation. For those who have grown up taking photos with smartphones, even the idea of “Nikon = cameras” is becoming less common. How can we connect with young people who have never used a camera and may not be familiar with Nikon? To strengthen Nikon’s brand image, we launched a corporate advertising campaign. This campaign began airing just as I joined the company and has since expanded across various media platforms, including brand pages and social media, creating a broad outreach.

In my previous role, I worked as a communication planner at a commercial production company and an advertising agency. Most projects were structured as competitive pitches, requiring me to grasp the essence of a product within just one to two weeks before making a proposal. Once a campaign ended, I would immediately shift to promoting a different product or service. While I found the fast-paced nature of the work exciting, I gradually developed a desire to engage more deeply with a single product or service. I wanted to go beyond just delivering a campaign—I wanted to assess its effectiveness and refine it further. That desire led me to make a career change.

Moving to the client side and taking on brand strategy, I quickly realized the sheer breadth and open-ended nature of the work. Our responsibilities span everything from developing media strategies and managing creative production to overseeing the execution of completed assets. Unlike product promotion, corporate branding comes with its own unique challenges. Advertising strategies don’t simply end when a commercial airs—we must constantly refine how we deliver the message, ensuring it reaches the audience and leaves a lasting impression. So, since joining Nikon, I’ve spent every day immersed in thinking about the brand.

Corporate branding isn’t something that delivers immediate, measurable results. That’s why I make it a point to actively seek feedback from those around me. Whenever we launch something new, I ask colleagues across different departments and business units, “How was it?” I strive to gather a variety of responses—both positive and negative. One of the most positive responses I received was for an article I planned for our owned media.

The topic was Nikon’s optical glass, one of our core products. Up until that point, our approach had been to publish interviews with engineers. However, I proposed a fresh idea: featuring a young employee as the interviewer. By having a newly hired employee—someone who had just joined Nikon and lacked technical expertise—interview engineers and developers, we created an article that was both easier to understand and more relatable for readers.

To increase the visibility of the article, I also worked to promote it on social media. I encouraged internal teams managing our corporate Facebook page and recruitment-focused X (formerly Twitter) account to promote it. As a result, the article led to a significant increase in the number of views. Knowing that I contributed to helping more people discover and appreciate Nikon was incredibly rewarding. However, I also recognize that a single spike in engagement is not enough—if the message is quickly forgotten, it loses its value. The real challenge lies in continuously refining our strategies to strengthen the brand over the long term, and that’s something I embrace every day.

I believe that widely visible messages—whether in TV commercials or online ads—have the power to uplift and inspire people. Nikon’s campaign isn’t just about branding; it might also serve as a source of encouragement for someone who sees it. That thought makes me realize how meaningful the work of branding truly is.

There are times when I, too, draw strength from the message. What challenges is Nikon taking on right now? What kind of future lies ahead? What untapped potential does this company hold? I actively gather the latest information from within Nikon and share more of its hidden strengths with the world. In that sense, the possibilities of this job are limitless—and that’s what makes it so interesting.

*Title and work duties are those at the time of interview