"Shocking the World" The attitude of continuously challenging, cultivated over 15 years of dancing

– First of all, at Zeals, there is a wall called the "WILL Board" where everyone who joins writes their own WILL. What did Mr. Okawa write there?

"Shocking the World"

is what was written.

He wants to create a world where people around the globe use chat commerce as a matter of course.

He thought that if he could spread a product that people could say, "This didn’t exist before, but now it’s normal," it would be shocking.
The moment I started to become conscious of this was when my friend achieved third place in a world dance competition. I have also been continuing dancing for 15 years, and when someone close to me won such an award, I felt a pure sense of "amazing" mixed with the frustrating feeling of "what am I doing?" From there, I began to think that even if I lost in dance, I wanted to use something new as a weapon to become a presence that shocks the world starting from Japan.

– That’s interesting. You can see a definite resolve in the statement “Shocking the World.” What kind of personality do you think Mr. Okawa has?

I believe there are two fundamental traits.

① Competitive spirit
② Always challenging

This has been cultivated from the dance lessons I started in elementary school. Dance schools are environments where you can't stand out if you don't have dance skills. Because of that, the mindset of constantly pursuing "superiority, novelty, and fun" took root.

In the school, you can advance to a higher class if you pass an audition, but I wanted to reach the top class from the beginning of my enrollment. The opportunity came when I was in the sixth grade of elementary school. I was determined to "see it through!" and practiced for over three hours every day in front of the mirror after school, and I was able to pass successfully. This became a success experience for me and is one of the episodes I always remember to inspire myself.
In terms of career choices, I was able to demonstrate the attitude of "always challenging." Since I attended a school with a attached high school, there was the option of progressing internally, but I thought about what I truly wanted to do. The answer that emerged was, "I want to pursue English and a science pathway."

You only live once, so do what you love with all your energy

This motto helped me gain admission to Sophia University.

– Your determination is impressive! Why did you want to pursue a career in the sciences?

I want you to listen to my personal opinion, but Japanese language has ambiguous answers, while mathematics has clear answers. I liked the academic subjects where things are black and white rather than being evaluated based on expression of feelings and emotions. That’s why I pursued the sciences.

In college, I experienced the process of conducting experiments on things without answers and finding the answers based on the data that came out repeatedly. In one class, the professor commented on an assignment saying, "You don’t have to do it because no one can solve it," but I submitted my answer that I thought about in my own way a week later. I was frustrated to be told I didn’t have to do it because it couldn’t be solved (laughs). Apparently, I was the first student to solve it in 10 years, which really surprised them. I was glad I followed my intuition from high school.

The enjoyment of finding answers through verification for phenomena that have no clear solution

was a valuable realization during my student life.

– Did you continue to dance in college?

Of course. I joined a famous dance circle and practiced 5 to 6 days a week. It was tough for science students to balance research, but I managed because it was something I loved. However, unlike dance schools, there were differences in experience and motivation in university circles, so I actively tried to communicate and ensure a sense of "unity among everyone."

From the Aviation Industry to the Digital Advertising Industry: "Finding new solutions based on sound reasoning" The potential I felt in data

– How did you approach job hunting?

I started gathering information in the summer of my third year, and really started moving in March of my fourth year. Being in the sciences, attending graduate school was certainly an option, but as I listened to the stories of my seniors, I decided to steer my job search towards "gaining practical skills and making impacts by rapidly entering society."

However, the industry I initially considered was the aviation industry. I had aspired to it since childhood, and I actually wanted to become a pilot. But with the uncertainty brought on by COVID-19 and doubts about whether the job's content was really what I wanted to do, I reconsidered my direction. What became clear to me was

① An industry where new challenges can continuously be pursued
② A place where I can capture global needs and work worldwide

These were the two things. Among the various industries, I felt that digital advertising was particularly dynamic. Additionally, I began to think that being able to collect data in real-time and manage PDCA might fit my way of thinking.

– I see, that’s where your scientific perspective came into play. Why did you choose to join Zeals from there?

In my job search, I utilized agents, and I learned about Zeals through an introduction from my representative. When talking with other classmates, one of the exciting aspects was

the first impression of wanting to "decide to be here!"

That was one reason I felt that way, as during the interview, they really engaged with me as an individual. For example, they would say, "This company suits you, Mr. Okawa" or "I think Zeals' XX aspects would match you well," focusing on me rather than the company.

Also, the business itself was a major factor. I was given many opportunities to talk with numerous employees, and I learned not only that Zeals is building a No. 1 position in chat commerce domestically but also that they openly discussed business challenges.

Furthermore, unlike other advertising companies, it was attractive that user insights (zero-party data) could be obtained with consent. It was the first time I had heard of that type of data, but I realized that once utilized, the chat commerce business could provide a more personalized experience for each user.

Additionally, when hearing about data, I had the impression that it was emotionless, but I discovered that chat commerce excels at gathering things that are kind of a mix of communication (emotion). I’m really excited to be working on the front lines of the rapidly changing digital marketing.

Believing in the future of communication tech. Achieving outstanding results through advertising × chat commerce

– Finally, how does Mr. Okawa envision achieving Zeals' goal of "shaking the world from Japan"?

"I want to make Zeals a company that everyone knows, in order to shake the world"

The state of "everyone knows" refers to the idea that "life cannot be fulfilled without the services provided by that company" in the minds of people around the world. This autumn, I joined as an intern for prospective employees, and I am experiencing the growth speed of the business being much faster than I imagined.

– Where do you specifically feel this?

I am in charge of the area of advertising × chat commerce that was introduced in an article about JACK previously, and advertising operations are truly profound. Since it is necessary to deliver advertisements to users who need information based on various data, I feel a sense of urgency in the daily trial and error.

In chat commerce, the advertising domain serves as the first contact point for communication with users. Personally, as I work part-time at Starbucks, I

believe that the first impression determines the direction of future communication

I recognize the importance of advertising operations in chat commerce in terms of what kind of first impression we can give our customers. My immediate goal is to create advertisements that resonate with users. Moving forward, I want to become a person who can optimize communication based on the insights data I have collected.

Where data connects with people's hearts

Until the day I "shock the world"
I want to continue fighting on the front lines with my colleagues.