Kao Brands About Us
The Kao Way
The Kao Way is a guiding philosophy of Kao Corporation, used throughout the entire Kao organization.
The Kao Way consists of the company's mission, vision, values, and principles. The mission statement captures our reason for being. Our vision directs us towards our goal. Our values are what we believe in, and our principles are how we behave.
Here at Kao Brands, our mission is the satisfaction and enrichment of the lives of people. Our vision is to be closest to the consumer/customer. We must know our consumers and customers, both internal and external, better than anyone else; make contributions to our consumers' and customers' quality of life, and in turn, we must be trusted by our consumers and customers.
Our values are three-fold. First, there is Yoki-monozukuri. In Japanese, Yoki means "excellent," and monozukuri means "development/manufacturing of products." Literally, yoki-monozukuri is defined as "a strong commitment by all members to provide products and brands of excellent value for consumer satisfaction." But beyond that, yoki-monozukuri leads us to make good, ethical decisions in business, and identifies loyalty, community, and values as our competitive difference. Next, innovation helps us continuously improve and develop innovative new products, while integrity is the principle that compels us to treat others with openness, transparency, respect, and fairness.
Our principles guide our behavior. We are consumer-driven, of course. The principle of Genba-ism, which literally means "actual spot," helps us select and focus, keeping our organization unified through open communication and understanding. Genba-ism defines the importance of observing things "on site" in the actual location and environment — literally, "on the shop floor." This close observation maximizes our understanding of the business and optimizes performance, resulting in respect and teamwork at a global level.
The Kao Way is our corporate culture in action, helping each of us grow as individuals while we contribute to the growth of our business.
