LAS VEGAS and TOKYO, Feb. 24, 2015 /PRNewswire/
-- IBM InterConnect 2015 – IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced its
collaboration with Shiseido Co., Ltd., a global cosmetics
manufacturer, to empower its nearly 10,000 Beauty Consultants in
Japan with mobile apps designed to
provide new customer services, customer-centric product
improvements and social innovations.
Shiseido Group, headquartered in Japan, manages businesses with operations in
89 countries and regions in Europe, the Americas and Asia, has come to represent the world's
highest standards of quality. With the global beauty care products
industry forecasted to reach approximately $265 billion in 20171, Shiseido
continues to make investments across its product lines and in
technologies, including Information Technology, to empower its
global brand ambassadors, Shiseido Beauty Consultants, to gain
market share and improve customer satisfaction.
Shiseido selected the IBM MobileFirst Platform to develop and
secure an enterprise app for its "Beauty Tablet." The mobile app
built on the IBM MobileFirst Platform has multiple modules and
increasing capabilities for internal operations. Integrated to
Shiseido's backend systems, this app is a Beauty Consultant's
one-stop mobile solution for communications, scheduling, reporting
and other tasks that increase productivity.
One module in the app creates a virtual community for Beauty
Consultants to learn from each other. By sharing photos, tips and
tricks, and commenting on each other's work, Beauty Consultants
across Japan build a greater sense
of pride and teamwork. Social data analytics identify best
practices and incorporate knowledge and know-how into future
training for Beauty Consultants. This module helps raise the bar
for building consistent service and skills among Beauty
Consultants.
"We are marking the 80th anniversary of the Shiseido Beauty
Consultant – a role that continues to transform the relationship
between the customer and our products. With new mobile apps,
Shiseido Beauty Consultants continue to engage customers with
'Omotenashi' (the Japanese spirit of hospitality) to differentiate
the Shiseido customer experience," said Chikako Sekine, corporate executive officer,
Shiseido Co., Ltd. "IBM is a valuable partner, supporting our
company's long term vision to continuously enhance our brand value
and drive growth and leadership in the global beauty industry."
Since deploying the Beauty Tablet in 2013, Shiseido continues to
support Beauty Consultants in Japan with the latest mobile enterprise use
cases. The IBM MobileFirst Platform enables Shiseido to continue to
provide Beauty Consultants with access to new services and allows
them to incorporate feedback into future product innovation and
increase collaboration. The IBM MobileFirst Platform is a long-term
solution for Shiseido in a mobile industry that is continuously
evolving with new form factors, operating systems and security
concerns.
"With more consumers expecting personalized experiences across
every channel, brands must empower their salespeople with the tools
and insight to provide greater customer service," said Phil Buckellew, vice president, enterprise
mobile, IBM. "IBM's partnership with Shiseido will help maximize
and accelerate its mobile strategies to drive greater brand
differentiation and higher levels of engagement."
For more information on IBM InterConnect 2015, visit
http://www.ibm.com/press/interconnect2015.
About Shiseido
Shiseido was born in Tokyo's Ginza district as Japan's first Western-style pharmacy in 1872.
Shiseido stepped into the world of cosmetics in 1897 with the
introduction of Eudermine. Since its foundation, the company has
been offering products with "Oriental style, Western learning" way
of thinking to lead the cosmetics technology and culture in
Japan. Today, Shiseido's business
has extended globally to countries and regions in Europe, Americas and Asia. Shiseido will continue to create and
offer the trend-setting beauty with the spirit of hospitality or
Omotenashi to fulfill expectations from its customers all over the
world.
About IBM MobileFirst
IBM's 6,000 mobile experts have
been at the forefront of mobile enterprise innovation. IBM has
secured more than 4,300 patents in mobile, social and security,
which have been incorporated into IBM MobileFirst solutions that
enable enterprise clients to radically streamline and accelerate
mobile adoption, help organizations engage more people and capture
new markets. Through IBM's partnership with Apple, the two
organizations are transforming enterprise mobility with a new class
of industry specific business apps. For more information on IBM
MobileFirst, visit the press kit or www.ibm.com/mobilefirst. Follow
@IBMMobile on Twitter, and see IBM MobileFirst on YouTube, Tumblr
and Facebook.
1 – Lucintel, "Global Beauty Care Products Industry
2012-2017: Trend, Profit, and Forecast Analysis"
Media Contact:
Mamoru
Kobayashi
External Relations Japan
Phone: 81-50-3149-2095
Email: KMAMORU@jp.ibm.com
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SOURCE IBM