HITACHI

AXHUM has led a wide range of branding projects for the Hitachi Group.

Most recently, in line with Hitachi’s 2022 mid-term management plan and organisational restructuring, we supported the development of a new sector branding initiative.
This involved unifying seven industry-related companies under a single brand concept, and developing everything from the sector’s purpose and naming to its visual identity system.
We also planned and executed a global internal engagement programme and communication strategy for investor relations.

Mission

As one of Japan’s largest and most diversified companies, Hitachi faced a key challenge: its complex corporate structure was difficult for investors to understand, contributing to a so-called “conglomerate discount” in its market valuation.
In its 2022 mid-term management plan, Hitachi undertook a major organisational restructuring to simplify its structure into three core business segments.
Within this context, there was a need to define a clear brand concept and develop a new name for a newly formed sector that brought together Hitachi’s long-standing strengths in industrial products and services.

Solution

AXHUM developed the name “Connective Industries” for the new sector—expressing the idea that Hitachi’s seven industrial businesses could create new forms of value and synergy by connecting and working together as one.

To support internal understanding and engagement with the new name, we created a concept film based on interviews with the leaders of the seven companies. This film addressed a central question: Why are these seven businesses coming together as Connective Industries?
Upon launch, the film was released on a special internal site, receiving nearly 20,000 views in the first week. It played a key role in fostering employee understanding, anticipation, and a sense of purpose—contributing to stronger internal cohesion and supporting investor communications as part of the broader IR strategy.

In parallel, AXHUM also developed the branding for a sector-specific technology platform named TSS (Total Seamless Solution). This initiative gave tangible form to the "connective" concept, enabling its integration into business planning and on-the-ground operations.

The result was the creation of new cross-business initiatives and stronger financial performance across the sector. The streamlined transition from a complex conglomerate to a simplified three-sector structure was successful, contributing to a notable increase in Hitachi’s market valuation. The Connective Industries brand is now positioned for its next phase of strategic development.

Other Projects with Hitachi Group

AXHUM has supported a wide range of branding projects across Hitachi Ltd. and the Hitachi Group for over a decade. These include:
These include:
Branding for Hitachi’s internal IT division and group company Hitachi Systems
Concept development for the IoT platform Lumada
Naming for the co-creation methodology Nexperience
Vision and concept building for the R&D division
Development of a branding framework for the Design Division (now the Centre for Social Innovation)
Branding support for the merger with Swiss energy company ABB
Brand and naming development for group companies such as Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems and Hitachi Global Life Solutions
Internal communication strategies to embed long-term management vision