AKEBONO REPORT 2017

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The Relationship between Corporate Brand and CSR“great company”“good company”“favorite company”Fullling corporatesocial responsibilityBrandingStrategic CSRRegular CSRInformationdisclosureComplianceRiskmanagementSocialcontributionEnvironmentalactivitiesHuman rights/labor relationsSafety andqualityLevel ofachievementBasicrequirementsDifferentiatingcharacteristics(establishing anunparalleledcorporate brand)(precondition tocontinue businessoperations in society)CSR Policy:Constantly providingsociety with safetyand peace of mind toput into practice ourCorporate MissionProviding high-qualityproducts and servicesMaintaining status as atechnologically advancedmanufacturerSustainably achievingAkebono’s Corporate Mission3PARTOur Corporate Brand Management and Positioning of CSR ActivitiesIn 2005, Akebono initiated corporate brand management, an initiative aimed at enhancing corporate value by meeting the expectations of stakeholders, namely, customers, shareholders and associates, with an equal emphasis placed on each of these key stakeholder groups. In October 2005, Akebono went on to formulate the Brand Statement, implementing the full-scale launch of its corporate brand management initiative with the aim of encouraging pride in the Akebono brand among associates and thereby strengthening the Company’s competitive edge. From scal 2008 onward, we have focused on two aspects of our corporate image, namely, the provision of high-quality products and services and our status as a technologically advanced manufacturer. Since then, we have been striving to realize greater brand recognition by enhancing the Company’s attractiveness and strengths.Akebono considers fullling its corporate social responsibility (CSR) to be indispensable to continued business operations.In other words, its pursuit of regular CSR activities is an essential part of maintaining its operating foundation. At the same time, corporate branding initiatives reect the Company’s strategic CSR initiative aimed at further enhancing its social and corporate value. To realize our Corporate Mission, we will promote corporate branding initiatives to secure greater corporate strength, remaining a company that consistently provides people with safety and peace of mind through its operations.Corporate Brand Awareness SurveyAkebono conducts its own annual surveys on corporate brand awareness in order to effectively put into practice corporate brand management. These surveys have been conducted every year since 2005, when corporate brand management was introduced, as they are an essential part of the Plan, Do, Check and Act (PDCA) cycle that drives our branding promotion activities.Recently, the scope of the survey was expanded to include a wide range of our domestic and overseas business locations, such as customers and suppliers in each eld. In scal 2016, we again conducted a survey of all our bases in Japan, North America, Europe and Asia. The number of respondents totaled 6,355.In the scal 2016 survey, we observed a trend of associates having only a vague impression of the Company’s technological capabilities. We considered that one reason for this could be insufcient opportunities for associates to encounter the Company’s technological capabilities. To address, in scal 2017, we have decided to hold “Branding Activity 2017 Akebono Technology Festival” as an event to give more associates an opportunity to view the Company’s technologies up close. We plan to actively create opportunities for associates to review the Company’s technology level and promote efforts to increase it further. As we introduce the BU (Business Unit) system in scal 2017, we plan to undertake a major revamp of the survey questions. We will add more specically worded questions to help identify Akebono’s strengths and issues. Looking ahead, we will continue to conduct the corporate brand awareness survey and undertake steady initiatives based on the results, aiming to enhance associate awareness and thereby increase quality in all aspects of operations.Identifying Social Needs and Working to Provide SolutionsAkebono is contributing to the creation of a safer, more secure society from various perspectives, identifying social needs and working to provide solutions through its business. In particular, we are focused on developing next-generation technologies such as products that are easy on people and the environment. We will also work to enhance our corporate value by developing the Infrastructure & Mobility business for supporting urban development and people’s everyday lives. S Initiatives to Raise Corporate ValueSustainable ManagementSocial｜Together with Society and Stakeholders37 AKEBONO REPORT 2017