Rakuten Optimism

Illuminating the path to Rakuten's largest interactive event

Even before the project’s official kickoff in January 2023, preparations were underway for a few months. Moyo, who was involved in managing the 2023 event, was inspired by participating in the 2019 event and decided to join the project. Having worked as a member of the online versions in 2021 and 2022, Moyo faced new challenges transitioning back to the larger, offline format. These challenges included setting targets, determining content, and collaborating with various stakeholders.

To showcase Rakuten’s vision for the future, the Business Conference organizers curated a lineup of industry leaders alongside speakers embodying Rakuten’s aspirations. However, scheduling these high-profile speakers from diverse industries proved extremely challenging, with negotiations often extending to the last minute.

In preparation for the Future Festival, Moyo’s team worked on preparing the festival content while meticulously refining the messages they wanted to deliver to Rakuten users and attendees. Approaching Rakuten business units for participation wasn’t always met with immediate enthusiasm. Recognizing the need for diplomacy, Moyo adopted a soft communication approach. Moyo’s team persevered in negotiations, finding creative solutions to ensure Rakuten’s vision and the business units’ goals could be achieved.

Beyond the Usual: How Rakuten Optimism Inspired Innovation

As the festival began to take shape in May, Wakana joined the project’s marketing team. Their mission was to leverage social media and email newsletters to attract customers and encourage festival attendees to immerse themselves in the festival experience fully. While this was Wakana’s first time in direct customer interaction, she found it highly interesting and fulfilling.

The Okaimono Panda Stamp Rally, which was planned by Wakana's team, was extremely well-received and enjoyed by many festival attendees.

Jon's contribution to Rakuten Optimism took a different path from Moyo's and Wakana's. He designed the festival's "Be The Moment" virtual sports experience. Jon's team leveraged a 3D imaging system to create avatars, allowing attendees to experience exciting moments by stepping into the shoes of Rakuten Eagles and Vissel Kobe players.

Securing player participation proved particularly challenging as the preparation period in June fell squarely within the baseball and soccer seasons. Further complicating matters, Jon, accustomed to handling projects involving overseas sports properties like the NBA’s Golden State Warriors and FC Barcelona, was now navigating the cultural nuances of working with Japanese sports teams. Through careful explanations of Rakuten Optimism’s goals, Jon eventually gained the understanding of the teams’ staff and secured player participation.

Jon and his team watched the attendees experience the most “exciting moments” of sports when their videos were displayed on a giant screen at the festival. The “Be The Moment” Virtual Sports Experience drew attendees' attention throughout the venue and proved to be a real crowd-pleaser.

Last summer, Jon lent his talents to the “A BETTER FUTURE TOGETHER Dance Project.” The project utilized the Ikenoue Youth Exchange Center’s basketball court, which was refurbished by Rakuten in collaboration with the city of Setagaya. Jon continues to contribute to Rakuten’s brand growth through innovative projects like this.

Powerfully communicating Rakuten Group’s message through groupwide collaboration

Rakuten Optimism shines as a unique opportunity for the entire group to come together for a major offline branding effort. While individual service departments engage in online branding effectively, overall group branding often requires a deeper level of understanding across all business units. The project team addressed this by holding meetings twice a month where representatives from each division and group company presented their activities, fostering an environment that strengthened mutual understanding.

Rakuten Optimism 2023 showcased the collective strength of Rakuten Group. The project team shattered attendance targets, welcoming approximately 106,000 participants to the five-day event. One key objective – fostering goodwill towards Rakuten – proved to be a resounding success based on positive survey results.

For employees, particularly in a time of digital communication, Rakuten Optimism provided valuable opportunities for face-to-face interaction with Rakuten users and business partners. Nearly 300 employees stepped outside their usual routines to contribute to the project. It not only challenged them with fresh experiences but also gave them opportunities to witness the joy their work brought to customers.

*This article is based on the information at the time of the interview.