2017 Zen Branding Project Zen Branding Team Research Plan Overview

　Based on the total branding plan for the global dissemination of Zen and the Mind, research carried out by Komazawa University, the Zen Branding Team is working primarily on the dissemination of four researches. In the 2017 academic year, we are building a website that will act as a platform for this.

　The Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)’s Private University Research Branding Project “provides integrated support for facility- and equipment-related costs, together with running costs for private universities, which are known for the high level of uniqueness they produce across the entire institution based on the distinctive research carried out by that university under the leadership of its president.” It takes improvement to the strength of the university’s brand as its aim, working for the survival of private universities. Based on this, interdisciplinary research is currently being conducted according to suggestions provided by researchers from our universities’ faculties and departments.

1. Purpose of the Zen Branding Project

　Here, “branding” refers to the names, words, signs, symbols, and design, or the combination of these, that are used to identify our university’s research and educational services and differentiate these from the research and educational services of competitor universities, based on the Zen mind and the Buddhism that are the principles that lie at the foundation of Komazawa University. The Zen Branding Project is an initiative working to build this in the form of interdisciplinary international research into Zen.
Ultimately, a brand is something that exists in the minds of stakeholders. It is considered a cumulative asset that exists outside, rather than inside the organization. In other words, the purpose of this project is to develop stogies to raise the level of awareness of and likeability toward our brand centering on the Zen at Komazawa University in the minds of stakeholders.

2. Concept and structure of the website

(1)Main targets for the website
　In accordance with the purpose of the Zen Branding Project (as outlined above), the main targets for this project are defined as follows, in order of priority: (1) students of this university, (2) students taking entrance examinations for this university, (3) the general public, both within Japan and internationally (including guardians), and (4) researchers based in Japan and internationally. We are investigating the formulation of a communication strategy based around a website for these target audiences.

(2) Purpose of the website
　The purpose of the website is to build a platform that serves as a place to disseminate information—what could be called a “face” that serves the purpose of raising the level of awareness of and likeability toward our brand centering on the Zen at Komazawa University.

(3) The gradual development of the website over five years
　Our plan is to develop the website gradually, starting with content for those who have no knowledge about or interest in Zen, followed by content for those who have a minor interest in Zen, then on to content designed for researchers. During the current academic year, particularly as this is the introductory phase, we will direct our work toward this lighter stratum by (1) announcing the initiatives of the project to the public, and (2) focusing on posting thoughts that will arouse the interest of those who have no knowledge about or interest in Zen.

　With the objective of publishing substantial content for the purposes of researchers in the concluding year of this project, we will (1) gradually upload results arrived at by the four research teams, starting from the first year and (2) upload materials relating to Zen at Komazawa University, commencing with the posting of commentaries on unique assets. We will continuously post news, events, and the announcement of research results related to this project.

【Leader】
KAGAMI Yoko (Professor, Faculty of Global Media Studies)

【Members】
・Faculty of GMS：KAGAMI Yoko
・Faculty of Business Administration：AOKI Shigeki, NAKANO Kaori, NAKAMURA Koichi,