AXHUM’s Perspective on Identity, Branding, and Evolving

At the heart of our work lies the identity of an organisation. By designing and managing a company’s identity, AXHUM enables meaningful transformation and long-term evolution.
This evolution brings forth the organisation’s unique character and appeal, leading to sustainable growth and wellbeing for society—ultimately driving exceptional business success.

What is Identity?

Identity refers to one’s sense of self—individuality, autonomy, and the recognition of being oneself.
It also includes the feeling of being acknowledged and validated by others and by society. In Japanese, it is often translated as jiko dōitsusei (self-consistency: the alignment of thoughts and actions), or as proof of existence—being recognised as “truly oneself” by others. However, for a long time, this concept did not easily integrate with traditional Japanese cultural and social values.
In today’s globalised and increasingly diverse world, identity has become one of the most essential and fundamental concepts of our time.
Leading scholars such as E.H. Erikson and Erving Goffman have identified two core aspects of identity.

The first is the internal perspective: the alignment between one’s thoughts and actions, a personal sense of being true to oneself, and the ability to act with agency and uniqueness.
This is often referred to as ego identity—the individual’s recognition of being the same person over time—or as private identity: the subjective answer to the question, “Who am I?”

The second aspect of identity is the external perspective—how an individual or organisation is perceived, recognised, and accepted by others and by society.
This relates to what is known as social identity or public identity: the characteristics, personality, and distinctiveness as seen from the outside—the answer to the question, “Who is this person (or company) to others?”
True identity is established only when both aspects—ego identity (the internal, private self) and social identity (the external, public self)—exist in harmony.
At AXHUM, we place the strategic development and integration of both these dimensions at the centre of our work. In close partnership with clients and subject matter experts, we co-create branding solutions that are authentic, consistent, and future-oriented.

For a company to remain a sustainable and enduring presence—a true going concern—across generations and eras, its leadership must continually shape and reinforce the organisation’s uniqueness and sense of purpose through strategic identity-building.
That identity must then be realised through its businesses, products, services and management practices, and recognised and embraced by society at large.
To achieve this, companies must consistently strive to deliver value that exceeds the expectations of people and society.

AXHUM supports this journey by working as a long-term partner to leadership teams, helping to define, strengthen, and activate organisational identity—delivering tangible, lasting results.

What Organisational Identity Means

Organisational identity encompasses three core dimensions. When these elements are firmly established, a strong and attractive identity begins to take shape—becoming the catalyst for transformation and sustainable growth.

1. Autonomy and Uniqueness

   For an organisation—or the individuals within it—to continue existing and acting with purpose, it must operate from a place of autonomy.
   By recognising and embodying its inherent values, an organisation expresses its individuality and establishes its unique core identity.

2. Alignment Between Vision and Action

   An organisation’s sense of purpose and uniqueness must be expressed through its vision and philosophy.
   These must be reflected consistently in its operations, business strategies, and management systems. Maintaining this alignment over time—especially amid shifting social values—is essential for sustainable identity management.

   (Ego identity – E.H. Erikson)

3. Shared and Co-Created Value with Stakeholders

   An organisation’s unique initiatives must be recognised, understood, and embraced by its stakeholders.
   This external acceptance is what enables a compelling identity to emerge, fostering long-term development.
   When the organisation’s raison d’être and behavioural principles are aligned with those of its people, it generates strong synergy and seamless collaboration—transforming the organisation into a living, thriving entity.

   (Ego identity – E.H. Erikson)

At AXHUM, we offer branding consultancy as a strategic approach to redefining an organisation’s unique identity and maximising its corporate value.
In Japan, branding is often focused primarily on products. In contrast, AXHUM specialises in corporate and business-level branding.
Through long-term partnerships with executive leadership, we have delivered proven results in corporate brand consulting.

The word brand originates from “burned”—referring to the practice of marking property with a hot iron.

This act of branding was originally used to differentiate and individualise ownership. Over time, it evolved into a legal concept of trademarking—enabling the protection of proprietary value.
Branding has since developed into a strategic method by which companies create and dominate their own unique market spaces, thereby maximising their corporate value.

We define a brand as a “value promise.”

This value promise serves as a vital link between the value a company offers and the expectations held by stakeholders—customers, employees, and society at large.
Branding, in this context, is the strategic process of defining a company’s future-facing value promise and effectively delivering it to all stakeholders through brand experiences. It involves planning and executing investment strategies that inspire confidence and action.

Branding creates a compelling value narrative by deliberately investing in the company’s unique touchpoints.
At its core, branding draws on enduring principles—such as purpose and values—while simultaneously adapting to evolving societal expectations. It is grounded in the dynamic balance of “The True and The New”: the constant and the ever-changing.
Through forward-looking proposals that resonate with people, branding prevents obsolescence and drives sustained growth.

In practice, branding projects are shaped by each organisation’s specific needs and circumstances at a given moment.
These projects often revolve around clearly defined themes—reflecting the client’s distinctive character and aspirations. At AXHUM, we approach each initiative with a tailored branding process, consistently delivering original and meaningful outcomes.

Evolution is not simply a matter of incremental improvement—it is the opening of entirely new worlds. Just as life once transitioned from water to land, evolution signifies a fundamental, discontinuous leap forward.
At AXHUM, we co-create with our clients to enable this kind of transformation within their organisations.
The evolution of a company—its ability to redefine itself and unlock new forms of value—depends on how strategically it initiates and manages this process.
Maximising identity and brand value is inseparable from this strategic evolution. Traditional kaizen (incremental improvement) is no longer sufficient for meaningful growth.
Instead, organisations must define new identities through the pursuit of emerging business domains, technologies, and future-facing opportunities.
This is how they create new corporate value for the next era.