Kao Corporation

We ❤️ Pride! Last weekend, Kao colleagues, friends and relatives participated in the Darmstadt Pride Parade, celebrating the motto “Love is Love”. Following a collaboration of our Kao EMEA LGBTQIA+ All Stars Community and the Kao Germany Event Team, our colleagues enjoyed a two-hour parade walk through the city in good spirits, showing their support for the community. “It was a truly inspiring and connecting experience”, says Damian Spyrka representing Kao’s LGBTQIA+ All Stars Community. “The event brought together colleagues who had never met before, and it felt great celebrating as one team. We will definitely come back next year!” #Pride2024

Shaping the future of our industry together: we are excited to share that Kao Salon Division UK & Ireland has become a Patron of the British Beauty Council! With a mission to support the hairdressing industry's key challenges and enhance the sector's reputation, Kao and the British Beauty Council aim to drive joint initiatives and create opportunities. Millie Kendall O.B.E., CEO of the British Beauty Council said: ‘We are delighted to welcome Kao Salon Division as our latest Patron. Kao Salon’s wide reach and close relationships with its salon community and partners will undoubtedly aid in propelling the Council’s industry-defining initiatives to support one of the UK’s most loved industries. Its strong hold in professional haircare manufacturing and sustainability will enable the Council to engage with various areas of business and, alongside its other Patrons, continue its work as leader in change for the sector.’ #SalonBusiness #BeautyIndustry #Partnership #MakingLifeBeautiful

Did you know that in our manufacturing site in Germany, we produce over 90 million products each year? 💡 Discover more facts about one of our main production sites in Europe here: 🛠️ Agility: With over 4,000 different product types in bottles, tubes and jars and 21,000 tons of formulations produced each year, we manage a high level of complexity. ✅ Quality: With over 25,000 tests on raw materials and 90,000 tests on finished goods per year, we can truly say that quality is in our DNA. 🌱 Sustainability: We have reduced energy consumption by 31% since 2010 and plan to have a net zero production in 2030 – without any compensation. 🤝 People: We are proud of our engaged, international team of over 200 employees and regularly invest in their safety and education. If you are curious to learn more, check out the video in the comments! #Manufacturing #HairCare #Beauty #MakingLifeBeautiful 📷 Mario Andreya 

High quality meets hair care fun: We are excited to announce the launch of the new Guhl Kids line, expanding Kao's iconic Guhl hair care brand into the world of children's care products! Building on Guhl’s brand promise for quality that you can feel, the products are designed to meet the needs of parents and kids alike: - Certified as natural cosmetics - Mild, pH skin-neutral formulas - Free from silicones, mineral oils, and colorants - Playful design and creamy scent, making bath time a highlight for kids With the launch of the new Kids range, Kao builds on the successful repositioning of Guhl and further drives its consumer care strategy in the DACH region. "Guhl is about closeness and trust”, says Anna Katharina Strohm, Associate Director Marketing, Guhl Europe. “Our Kids line builds on this, expanding our range for those who value trust the most: parents and children. We aim to meet their highest demands with high-quality, certified products that are gentle on the skin and fun to use.“ “Guhl plays a key role in our consumer care business as one of our strongly positioned, iconic hair care brands”, says René Heiligenstein, General Manager Consumer Care Business DACH. “It is our aim to focus on brands and products that offer an added value for our consumers - and Guhl Kids fits in perfectly with this.“ #haircare #consumercare #productlaunch #makinglifebeautiful

How can hair care spark moments of intimacy? As part of the “Couples by John Frieda” campaign, four couples, including actors Matthias Schweighöfer and Ruby O. Fee, are sharing their everyday moments of closeness - and how they maintain a strong bond while preserving their individuality. The emotional campaign, which covers initiatives on digital platforms and in retail in Germany, is aimed at strengthening the emotional positioning of the brand and making it accessible to a broader target group. "With the ‘Couples by John Frieda’ campaign, we want to show that hair care is something that connects, but is also an expression of individuality," says Karina M., Senior Brand Manager Marketing John Frieda D/A/CH at Kao. "John Frieda stands for Premium Hair Care for individual needs and hair transformations - but we also want to express and strengthen the emotionality of the brand. We look forward to realising this together with our four power couples." #HairCare #BrandCampaign #JohnFrieda

“Good fortune is given only to those who work diligently and behave with integrity.” In his last will and testament, our founder Tomiro Nagase left these words to his family. They embody his lifework and vision and continue to serve as a guiding principle for us today: We will always choose the path of integrity, even when it is not easy. Integrity is deeply anchored in our Corporate Philosophy, the Kao Way, and an important part of our everyday work. We are very proud to have been included in the Worlds Most Ethical Companies® List by Ethisphere for a record 18th consecutive year as the only Asian company to have made the list every year since Ethisphere began its ranking in 2007. #Integrity #Heritage #JapaneseHeritage #CorporateValues

Confidence is Beautiful! Kao USA is honored once again to be a corporate sponsor for this year’s Look Good Feel Better® Dream Ball event on October 10, 2024 in NYC’s Gotham Hall. @LookGoodFeelBetter (LGFB) is the leading global charitable organization dedicated to supporting the self-esteem and confidence of individuals undergoing cancer treatment, enabling them to regain the sense of beauty, control and normalcy that cancer steals. The funds raised will help thousands more cancer patients look in the mirror and find themselves again, improving morale, sense of control and confidence during treatment. Celebrating its 35th anniversary, LGFB is proud to have served more than 2.4 million cancer patients in 27 countries across six continents. Since 1989, LGFB has provided free, empowering support programs and services that help people with cancer regain their sense of self through free in-person and virtual workshops and digital resources. The BeautyCares DreamBall raises crucial funds to support LGFB’s vital programs and initiatives, and Kao USA believes beauty industry support is essential to reach and empower even more people affected by cancer with important skills, a caring community, and a renewed sense of confidence and hope. To learn more about the BeautyCares DreamBall and how you can support, visit: https://lnkd.in/gWxXZNcQ

Quality is at the heart of our business at Kao, so we are excited to share that we recently celebrated 50 years of membership in the German Quality Association Deutsche Gesellschaft für Qualität (DGQ)! Joern Beister, Senior Director, Quality Management Global + Customer Logistics at Kao EMEA, says: "Quality is a top priority at Kao, throughout the entire product life cycle and an essential part of our work to develop innovative and sustainable products that offer real added value for our customers. We not only comply with the specified guidelines and laws, but also go above and beyond to fulfil our own high-quality standards.” He adds: “The DGQ makes a valuable contribution to quality work in Germany with its range of sound information, a variety of resources and cross-industry networking opportunities. We look forward to continuing to support this contribution as a member." Marking the 50 year milstone: Jürgen Freund (right), Head of the DGQ office in Frankfurt, presents Joern Beister with a certificate at Kao's Darmstadt office.  #Membership #Quality #Safety #MakingLifeBeautiful 

As we look back on Pride Month 2024, we are filled with gratitude for the incredible efforts of Kao PRIDE, the employee resource group in the Americas region and their enthusiastic engagement and demonstration of acceptance for all. Together, we created memorable moments filled with inspiration, community, and joy, reflecting our collective commitment to our journey toward a more inclusive and equitable future. We encourage everyone to continue to celebrate their PRIDE not only during the month of June but throughout the entire year. Every day is an opportunity to champion diversity, foster inclusion, and spread love. #KaoPride #Pride2024 #InclusionMatters

For us at Kao, the Japanese word Genba has a very special meaning. It describes the “actual spot” or "on-site", the place where we find knowledge, insight and innovation – both externally and internally. We think from the Genba and go to the Genba – whether this is about discovering first-hand what consumers need and how they are using our products or about trusting our local experts with their knowledge and experience. Genba is one of the core principles of our corporate philosophy, The Kao Way, that we apply every day to drive innovation and create solutions that truly meet consumer needs. #CorporatePhilosophy #Heritage #MakingLifeBeautiful