Battlefield and Marketplace: Applying War Strategies in Business Operations

Author: Qiu Qingjian, Wu Lun / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features:
Inter Group Construction Company's Virtual Name Change to Real Name
After World War II, Japan was in ruins. Building infrastructure, such as dams and power plants, rapidly increased Japan's construction demand, giving rise to a large number of construction companies. Among these, the five major companies—Kajima, Taisei, Shimizu, Obayashi, and Taisei—were particularly renowned. Inter Group Construction was a company specializing in infrastructure projects like tunnels and dams. Due to its lack of reputation, it could not secure large projects. Chairman Kanemichi Manosuke knew that if the company followed the conventional path of gradually accumulating capital and expanding, with its current strength, it would take a decade or more to achieve this. So, how could Inter Group Construction break into the ranks of top-tier companies and rival the five major construction firms? Kanemichi Manosuke pondered deeply, hoping to find a way to elevate Inter Group's reputation. One day, while reading China's The 36 Stratagems, the chairman had a sudden inspiration and decided to apply its principles in practice! Soon after, major Japanese newspapers received substantial advertising fees from Inter Group, with a simple yet novel request: when the five major companies advertised, their signatures should include "Inter Group," and when Inter Group advertised, it should be listed alongside the five construction giants. In all published articles—news reports, editorials, and reviews—any mention of major construction companies should replace the old term "Five Major Construction Companies" with "Six Major Construction Companies."
Backed by the hefty advertising fees, newspapers were eager to make this profitable deal. After the advertisements were published, whenever Kanemichi attended social events, he often faced sarcastic remarks from those in the know, but he paid them no heed. He found it quite pleasing when people greeted him as "Mr. Kanemichi, the owner of Inter Group, one of the Six Major Construction Companies." However, his subordinates were deeply troubled. After all, Inter Group still lagged far behind the five major companies, and there were many other construction firms above it. To be ranked as one of the "Six Major Construction Companies," Inter Group's capabilities were still far from sufficient. Such false advertising would not only invite ridicule but also label the company as a "braggart" or a "fraudulent enterprise." Kanemichi offered little explanation to his subordinates, as he had his own grand plan and remained stubbornly committed to it. Despite the mockery and criticism from those in the know, and the disruption to public opinion in the construction industry, Kanemichi had not miscalculated. He achieved his goal. The company's reputation soared, and unknowing customers flocked to Inter Group. The company's business flourished, its scale expanded, and its quality improved, gradually surpassing some of the firms that had once stood above it. Within just three years, Kanemichi's dream came true—Inter Group Construction had finally become Japan's sixth major construction company in name and reality. P5-6