An interview article has been posted featuring Associate Professor Shoo Okada, who joined the Faculty of Business Administration in 2025. In addition to his role in the Department of Markets and Management, he also teaches courses for the Global Business Program (GBP).

https://www.hosei.ac.jp/keiei/info/article-20251028123532

The English summary is as follows:

1. Could you please introduce yourself?

I am Shoo Okada, an Associate Professor in the Department of Markets and Management. In my seminar, we conduct research on branding. Our primary activities involve working on themes provided by real companies, where students collaborate in groups to develop branding strategies and advertising campaigns.

2. Please tell us about your career background.

After graduating from university in 2004, I joined the advertising agency Hakuhodo. I worked there for 21 years before joining Hosei University in April 2025. During my 21 years at Hakuhodo, I underwent several career shifts:

• PR Planner: For the first few years, I planned initiatives to get products featured in various media outlets.
• Brand Consultant: I transitioned into strategy, focusing on fundamental questions like “What kind of products should be created?” and “What should the future of this brand look like?”.
• Management: In my final years, I served in a management role, supporting team members and overseeing overall operations.

3. What was the most memorable project from your time at Hakuhodo?

It was a project to develop a corporate vision for a stationery manufacturer. Based on the concept of “envisioning the company 20 years into the future,” we spent three months conducting intensive meetings and workshops. The vision we derived was adopted by the client. Even though the phrasing has evolved slightly, the company still upholds that same vision decades later. I am thrilled that the original goal of “thinking 20 years ahead” has been realized.

While advertising campaigns often conclude in about three months, branding is a mid-to-long-term endeavor. It is rewarding to see work I did long ago still alive and relevant today.

4. What motivated you to transition from a corporate career to academia?

My undergraduate major was Education, and I have always enjoyed teaching. About seven years into my career, a senior colleague who was an adjunct lecturer at Hosei University’s Faculty of Social Sciences invited me to guest-lecture. Engaging with education again reminded me how much I enjoyed it, and I began to consider becoming a teacher someday.

A few years later, I enrolled in the Graduate School of Hosei University and earned my Master’s and Doctoral degrees while working. I eventually published a book based on my doctoral dissertation titled User Originator Effect: Marketing Communication

Strategy of the User-Generated Product (Sekigakusha, 2024), which received the “Japan Society of Marketing and Distribution Award (Encouragement Prize for Books)”.

5. Do you have a final message for Hosei University students?

University is a turning point where you transition from being a student to a working professional—from someone who is taught to someone who contributes to society.

If you have something you want to do, pursue it. If you haven’t found your passion yet, one approach is to focus on “earning power”. This isn’t just about money; it’s about the ability to apply your knowledge and skills to society in a way that makes people happy and earns their gratitude. In the process of developing that strength, you will naturally discover what you truly want to do. Regardless of the path you take, I hope you find work that feels personally rewarding.