[Case Study Interview Released] Sumitomo Forestry Co., Ltd. | Designing Internal Communication to Overcome Business Diversification
Linkssure Inc. has released an interview article on its internal communication support case for Sumitomo Forestry Co., Ltd. The project aimed to embed Sumitomo Forestry's long-term vision 'Mission TREEING 2030' and 'Wood Cycle' among employees, promoting their personal ownership and behavioral change through the introduction of interactive dialogue sessions.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 23, 2026 at 22:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 23, 2026 at 13:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 23, 2026 at 23:28 (9h 56m after Collected)
Linkssure Inc. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Hirohito Shirafuji; hereinafter, "our company") has published an interview article on its internal communication support case for Sumitomo Forestry Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Toshiro Mitsuyoshi; hereinafter, "Sumitomo Forestry") on our corporate website.
Click here for the interview article
## Project Overview
In 2022, the Sumitomo Forestry Group announced its long-term vision "Mission TREEING 2030" and named its unique value chain centered on "wood" as the "Wood Cycle," strengthening its internal and external communication. However, for a company with numerous business divisions and group companies both domestically and internationally, conveying the long-term vision attractively to employees and encouraging them to take personal ownership of it was highly challenging. They were in a trial-and-error state, wondering "how to proceed."
How did they promote "personal ownership of the Wood Cycle" from the perspective of internal public relations for each business division, which has different business environments and organizational cultures? We interviewed three members of the Corporate Communications Department who promoted the project, from analyzing the current state of internal communication to formulating a roadmap, and realizing the core policy of interactive event measures.
## Key Points of This Article
- Differences in "sense of distance" due to diverse businesses
With a wide variety of job types and locations, the sense of distance to the common concept of the "Wood Cycle" also varied among employees. To resolve this structural difficulty, interviews (diagnosis of 8 attributes) were conducted to listen to the real voices from the field. The differences in perspectives between the head office and the field were carefully unraveled, and a strategic roadmap based on actual conditions was formulated.
- From "air combat" to "ground combat"
Moving from the phase of "recognition and understanding" through existing powerful public relations channels (e.g., company newsletters, videos, referred to as "air combat") to a more in-depth goal of "personal ownership and behavioral change," interactive dialogue sessions called "Wood Cycle Dialogue Sessions" (referred to as "ground combat") were introduced, where employees directly conversed with each other. A strategy was formulated to elevate the communication phase.
- Implementing "trial runs" to overcome unprecedented hurdles
Initially, cautious voices were raised regarding the unprecedented real dialogue initiative. However, by empathizing with the culture and circumstances of the field, a realistic first step of "trial runs" was proposed. Through an adjustment process that was close to the field, overwhelming positive reactions (enthusiasm) were gained, leading to the realization of the main event.
- Pride and connection through personal ownership of the Wood Cycle
Through the dialogue sessions, the Wood Cycle transformed from a distant concept into an interpretation of "our work itself." Horizontal connections across business divisions began to emerge, and further dialogues will be accumulated around the Wood Cycle.
## Introduction of Related Materials and Case Studies
On our corporate website, in addition to this case, we publish numerous branding support case studies for companies and useful materials that contribute to solving management challenges.
Click here for case studies
Our company will continue to support the creation of stakeholder expectations for enhancing the corporate value of Japanese companies through internal branding support.
## Company Profile
- President and CEO: Hirohito Shirafuji
- Headquarters: Kabuki-za Tower 15F, 4-12-15 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
- Business Activities: One-stop support for corporate branding construction, primarily in the IR domain.
- URL: https://www.link-ss.co.jp/
Click here for the interview article
## Project Overview
In 2022, the Sumitomo Forestry Group announced its long-term vision "Mission TREEING 2030" and named its unique value chain centered on "wood" as the "Wood Cycle," strengthening its internal and external communication. However, for a company with numerous business divisions and group companies both domestically and internationally, conveying the long-term vision attractively to employees and encouraging them to take personal ownership of it was highly challenging. They were in a trial-and-error state, wondering "how to proceed."
How did they promote "personal ownership of the Wood Cycle" from the perspective of internal public relations for each business division, which has different business environments and organizational cultures? We interviewed three members of the Corporate Communications Department who promoted the project, from analyzing the current state of internal communication to formulating a roadmap, and realizing the core policy of interactive event measures.
## Key Points of This Article
- Differences in "sense of distance" due to diverse businesses
With a wide variety of job types and locations, the sense of distance to the common concept of the "Wood Cycle" also varied among employees. To resolve this structural difficulty, interviews (diagnosis of 8 attributes) were conducted to listen to the real voices from the field. The differences in perspectives between the head office and the field were carefully unraveled, and a strategic roadmap based on actual conditions was formulated.
- From "air combat" to "ground combat"
Moving from the phase of "recognition and understanding" through existing powerful public relations channels (e.g., company newsletters, videos, referred to as "air combat") to a more in-depth goal of "personal ownership and behavioral change," interactive dialogue sessions called "Wood Cycle Dialogue Sessions" (referred to as "ground combat") were introduced, where employees directly conversed with each other. A strategy was formulated to elevate the communication phase.
- Implementing "trial runs" to overcome unprecedented hurdles
Initially, cautious voices were raised regarding the unprecedented real dialogue initiative. However, by empathizing with the culture and circumstances of the field, a realistic first step of "trial runs" was proposed. Through an adjustment process that was close to the field, overwhelming positive reactions (enthusiasm) were gained, leading to the realization of the main event.
- Pride and connection through personal ownership of the Wood Cycle
Through the dialogue sessions, the Wood Cycle transformed from a distant concept into an interpretation of "our work itself." Horizontal connections across business divisions began to emerge, and further dialogues will be accumulated around the Wood Cycle.
## Introduction of Related Materials and Case Studies
On our corporate website, in addition to this case, we publish numerous branding support case studies for companies and useful materials that contribute to solving management challenges.
Click here for case studies
Our company will continue to support the creation of stakeholder expectations for enhancing the corporate value of Japanese companies through internal branding support.
## Company Profile
- President and CEO: Hirohito Shirafuji
- Headquarters: Kabuki-za Tower 15F, 4-12-15 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
- Business Activities: One-stop support for corporate branding construction, primarily in the IR domain.
- URL: https://www.link-ss.co.jp/