Matthew
Bachelor of Political Science and Economics
Joined in 2015
Branding / Senior Manager
Group Branding Department
Group Brand Supervisory Department
What are your current responsibilities?
I have been involved in branding for Rakuten Group since my first year at the company. We carry out branding activities in collaboration with various stakeholders, such as the people in charge of each business, designers, advertising agencies and Rakuten’s Chief Creative Director, Mr. Kashiwa Sato. Rakuten Group has a corporate culture that allows us to take on various challenges, which makes my work exciting.
If we liken branding activities to a person, I would say it is about defining what kind of person you want to be, analyzing how others actually perceive you, strategizing how you present yourself to the outside world, and then crafting the type of appearance, gestures, words, and actions you will perform accordingly. Working through this process makes my job interesting and attractive to me.
What do you find challenging and exciting about your job?
My friends often say to me, “I've never met someone who loves their job so much.” I truly believe that I have been given the opportunity to take on an ever-changing job, and I feel that I am playing a part in Rakuten Group's efforts to address social issues through my branding work. Another attractive point of my role is the opportunities I have to interact with many organizations within the Rakuten Group, as well as internal and external stakeholders. In Rakuten Group, which offers more than 70 services, we can collaborate with professionals in a variety of areas and specialties. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the team set up a “Japan Empowerment” page in conjunction with each Rakuten Group service and implemented measures to support local producers and businesses that were economically affected by the pandemic.
What was a moment when you felt empowered through your work?
The COVID-19 pandemic made me realize how difficult the situation is for healthcare professionals and essential workers. We sought out what we could do at Rakuten Group, worked together with our superiors, colleagues, and designers and a few weeks later released a video on social media to thank essential workers. When social distancing was not yet well established, our team planned and implemented measures to roll out a social distance logo across all Rakuten Group services. We sold goods using the logo and donated the proceeds to relevant NPOs and NGOs. I was very happy when I saw the logo at banks, convenience stores, hotels, and several other places. I felt that I was both directly and indirectly involved in realizing Rakuten Group's mission of “contribute to society by creating value through innovation and entrepreneurship.”
What brought you to Rakuten Group?
I'm from China, and I came to Japan to attend university. As a student, I started thinking that I would like to work at a Japanese company. I was particularly interested in the entrepreneurial stories of university alumni and was drawn to the fast-changing and evolving internet industry, so I started my job search in this direction. Two ideas characterized my ideal job: “I want to take initiative and responsibility in carrying out my own projects” and “I want to leave an impact on society through my work.” These two desires matched the corporate culture and business activities of Rakuten Group, which led me to join the company. I have been involved in group branding since my first year at the company, and now I am also working in management as a senior manager. This is all thanks to the environment at Rakuten, which allows me to face social issues with a diverse group of people from around the world and challenge myself professionally.
SCHEDULE
- 09:00
- Arrive at work and check the day's projects and tasks. Time to work and think while drinking coffee.
- 10:30
- Multiple internal and external meetings. Because we proceed as One Team, we place importance on the regular exchange of information and discussion.
- 12:00
- Lunch time. Check the news. I am interested in investing, so I check stocks that interest me at Rakuten Securities.
- 13:00
- 1-on-1 meetings with team members. We discuss ongoing projects, and I consult with them on any issues they have.
- 15:00
- Meeting with Mr. Kashiwa Sato. Discuss important creative endeavors, confirm initiatives and branding policies for the entire Rakuten Group.
- 16:30
- Prepare materials for self-proposed projects. I also take care of emails and minor tasks at this time.
- 17:45
- Leave the office. Enjoy happy hour with team members. On days off, I enjoy three things: competitive card games, good Chinese food, and chatting and drinking with friends.
*This article is based on information provided at the time of the interview.
RECRUITING INFORMATION
Business Positions
For those who want to deepen their understanding of the entire Rakuten Group and aim for versatile career development.
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- Design Specialty Hiring Track
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For those who aspire to become world-class engineers.
- Applications Engineer
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- Information Security / Privacy Governance Specialist
- Technology Management
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- Development Support（Q&A, etc.)
- Applications Engineer
- Infrastructure Engineer
- Data Scientist / Researcher
- Security Engineer
- Information Security / Privacy Governance Specialist
- Technology Management
- Product Management
- Development Support（Q&A, etc.)