Society
Society-Oriented Goals
Meiji Group 2026 Medium-Term Management Plan
- Data target range or company leading initiatives: Meiji Group Consolidated
Major initiatives | Metrics | Reference results | Targets |
---|---|---|---|
FYE March 2023 | FYE March 2027 | ||
Establish a responsible marketing communications policy and conduct employee education | Target year for policy establishment | N/D | During FYE March 2025 |
Number of education sessions conducted to disseminate policy details | N/D | Once per year or more |
Meiji Group 2023 Medium-Term Management Plan
- [ ] Scope of KPI
- Meiji G: the Meiji Group (consolidated)
- Meiji HD: Meiji Holdings Co., Ltd.
KPI | Results | Targets | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
FYE 3/2022 | FYE 3/2023 | FYE 3/2024 | FYE 3/2024 | |
Hold an ESG session for investors, and advisory board meetings at least three times annually [Meiji HD] |
ESG Session for Investors: One time ESG Advisory Board: Two times |
ESG Session for Investors: One time ESG Advisory Board: Two times |
ESG Session for Investors: One time ESG Advisory Board: Two times |
Three times annually |
All Meiji Group employees in Japan to participate in social contribution activities at least twice annually (at least once each 6-month period) [Meiji G, Japan consolidated] |
Participation rate at least once each 6-month period First half year term: 90%/Second half year term: 92% |
Participation rate at least once each 6-month period First half year term: 92%/Second half year term: 92% |
Participation rate at least once each 6-month period First half year term: 93%/Second half year term: 95% |
Twice annually (at least each 6-month period) |
Stakeholder Engagement
Promote Stakeholder Engagement
We take every opportunity and use every means to engage in communications with important Meiji Group stakeholders (“our customers,” “shareholders and investors,” “company employees,” “business partners,” “local communities, nature and future generations” and “government agencies , NPO/NGO and organizations”). In this way, we answer the expectations of our stakeholders and fulfill our social responsibilities.
Employee Engagement
To achieve the Meiji Group 2026 Vision and be a company that can grow sustainably, we believe improving employee engagement is essential. Therefore, we regularly conduct the “Employee Opinion Survey.”
Communicate with Shareholders and Investors
We hold briefing meetings, IR events, and publish an informative IR website to keep our shareholders and investors up to date on the direction and strategies of the Meiji Group.
Since FY2019 we have held a ESG meeting for investors on an annual basis.
Dialogues with External Experts
We hold dialogues with outside experts, reflecting their opinions and recommendations in our vision, upcoming fiscal year plans, and business tactics.
As of FY2021, we have established a new ESG Advisory Board that meets twice a year, an evolution of our dialogue with external experts that had previously been held once a year. At meetings of this organization, we will receive advice from external experts on the Meiji Group's initiatives and facilitate an exchange of opinions with the CEO, CSO, and other internal Meiji team members to further strengthen our sustainability activities.
Establishment of the ESG Advisory Board
Environmental Communication
Each plant and research laboratory conducts reporting seminars and study groups to highlight our environmental initiatives for local citizens, local governments, elementary schools, and middle schools. In addition to covering our initiatives for water and air pollution and CO2 reduction, we also listen to feedback to incorporate into future activities.
Providing Factory Tours for Stakeholders
FYE 3/2020 | FYE 3/2021 | FYE 3/2022 | FYE 3/2023 | FYE 3/2024 | |
Japan | 21.3 | 3.8 | 6.3 | 11.3 | 16.5 |
Overseas | 1.4 | 0.04 | 0.06 | 0.02 | 0.7 |
Factory Tours in Japan
Meiji provides tours of seven of its production plants in Japan, allowing visitors to see up close how the company produces delicious and healthy food products based on strict quality control standards.
Factory Tours in China
In China, we offer factory tours at three factories: Meiji Ice Cream (Guangzhou) Co., Ltd., Meiji Dairies (Suzhou) Co., Ltd., and Meiji Seika Food Industry (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
Plant Tours and educational visits for KM Biologics
KM Biologics offers tours of its influenza vaccine manufacturing plant for students. We also host educational visits where students can study basic knowledge of immunization and the importance of preventive measures against infectious diseases. We will contribute to improve knowledge and awareness of infectious diseases through plant tours and educational visits classes.
Communicate with Our Customers
Food Segment
Our Customer Service Center strives to ensure customer trust and satisfaction through prompt, honest, fair, and appropriate service. The center receives a wide range of inquiries regarding products and services. We use this customer feedback to develop new, and improve existing, products and services.
Customer Service Center
Our Customer Service Center uses a proprietary system to record and analyze customer feedback. The center strives to respond politely and provide useful information to allow customers ease of mind in using our products. The center also shares information with related departments to develop and improve products and services for greater customer satisfaction.
Content of Inquiries | Number of Inquiries | Composition Ratio |
---|---|---|
Product features | 27,852 | 27% |
Stores that handle products | 22,078 | 21% |
How to eat and store | 15,929 | 15% |
Food labeling and package design | 7,024 | 7% |
Sales promotion/campaign | 4,715 | 4% |
Foreign matter mixed in the product | 3,904 | 4% |
Others | 23,656 | 22% |
Total | 105,158 | 100% |
Investigation of customer satisfaction
Meiji’s Customer Service Center carries out customer satisfaction surveys with the aim of improving the quality of customer support.
- FYE 3/2024 Target: 95 points (out of 100)
FYE 3/2020 | FYE 3/2021 | FYE 3/2022 | FYE 3/2023 | FYE 3/2024 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Customer satisfaction points | 91.3 | 92.2 | 91.0 | 92.2 | 93.1 |
Example of improvement in response to customer feedback
Improvement of individual packaging for Meltykiss Party Assortment.
The design of the individual packaging for Meltykiss Party Assortment was changed in response to feedback from customers with color vision deficiency who found it difficult to distinguish the colors of the individual packaging.
<Details of improvement>
The visibility of individual packaging was improved by including flavor-inspired illustrations that are easily recognizable as well as switching to color tones that are also easily perceived by those with color vision deficiency.
Counseling Office for New Mothers
At Meiji’s counseling office for mothers with infants, nutritionist and national registered dieticians provide consultation on nutrition and childcare for babies and mothers. Making use of an abundance of information and experience, the counseling office gives valuable advice to new mothers, family members, and other persons engaged in childcare.
Content of Inquiries | Number of Inquiries | Composition Ratio |
---|---|---|
Breast-feeding | 2,172 | 47% |
Baby food | 1,620 | 35% |
Menstruation and health | 424 | 9% |
Growth and development | 185 | 4% |
Lifestyle and habits | 121 | 3% |
Mother and pregnant woman | 76 | 1% |
Others | 50 | 1% |
Total | 4,648 | 100% |
Pharmaceuticals Segment
Medicine Support Center
Meiji Seika Pharma’s Medicine Support Center uses a database to sort and analyze customer feedback. It takes customer feedback extremely seriously, and makes sure to share feedback with relevant departments to ensure better products.
Content of Inquiries | Number of Inquiries | Composition Ratio |
---|---|---|
Peripheral product information (packaging, expiration dates, insurance, etc.) | 6,376 | 28% |
Document requests | 4,824 | 21% |
Quality (quality, additives, stability, formulation changes, etc.) | 4,267 | 19% |
Efficacy (efficacy, dosage and administration, pharmacology, etc.) | 4,149 | 18% |
Safety (side effects, etc.) | 2,995 | 13% |
Requests | 327 | 1% |
Total | 22,938 | 100% |
Content of Inquiries | Number of Inquiries | Composition Ratio |
---|---|---|
Document requests | 347 | 43% |
Peripheral product information (packaging, expiration dates, insurance, etc.) | 192 | 24% |
Efficacy (efficacy, dosage and administration, pharmacology, etc.) | 152 | 19% |
Quality (quality, additives, stability, formulation changes, etc.) | 55 | 7% |
Safety (side effects, etc.) | 47 | 6% |
Others | 6 | 1% |
Requests | 4 | 0% |
Total | 803 | 100% |
Measures to improve quality of customer support
With the aim of further improving customer satisfaction, Meiji Seika Pharma has undertaken an external evaluation of over-the-phone customer support at its Medicine Support Center.
We are aiming to promote appropriate usage of our pharmaceutical products by offering prompt and accurate information at all times. Through this we hope to contribute to even better medical care.
- Medicine Support Center quality target: 70 points
FYE 3/2020 | FYE 3/2021 | FYE 3/2022 | FYE 3/2023 | FYE 3/2024 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
External evaluation score (out of 100 points) | 76.8 | 76.0 | 75.3 | 74.6 | 75.4 |
Example of improvement in Example of improvement in response to customer feedback (Meiji Seika Pharma)
Foreign Language Versions for the “Check MR-COV19 SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Kit” User Guide
Based on customer feedback, we prepared additional foreign language versions (English and Chinese) for the Check MR-COV19 SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Kit User Guide, These guides are currently available on our website along with the Japanese version.
Example of improvement in response to customer feedback (KM Biologics)
Discontinued shrink-wrapping of Byclot (dried activated human coagulation factor VII concentrate containing factor X)
(Customer feedback)
<Details of improvement>
We stopped shrink-wrapping the transfusion kits together with the pharmaceutical boxes.
Aiming to further improve customer satisfaction
Conducted by Nikkei Research Inc., we utilize the Brand Strategy Survey to understand the likelihood that consumers will recommend our brand. Our aim is to increase corporate value by creating customer loyalty for the Meiji Brand and maintaining and expanding our customer base over the long term. We share that information with related departments to develop and improve products for greater customer satisfaction.
2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Number of current user respondents1 | 697 | 686 | 663 | 688 |
Net promoter score (NPS)(%)2 | 51.9 | 50.9 | 48.4 | 46.7 |
Promote Social Contribution
Social Contribution Activities policy
In January 2021 the Meiji Group created the Meiji Group Social Contribution Activities Policy.
Our employees are helping to address various local issues, all the while contributing to sustainable development. It is our goal for each and every one of our employees to share a sense of participation in planning for society’s future.
Social Contribution Activities
Activities by Topic
Meiji Group is actively engaging in social contribution activities, based on our Social Contribution Activities Policy's three core concepts of "activities to nurture people", "activities to assist society", and "activities to continue the world to the future".
"Activities to nurture people": We pursue activities in nutrition, food culture and sports to support the healthy growth and intellectual development of the children and youth who will be leaders of the future.
"Activities to support society": We pursue activities needed to support the healthy and stable lives of people in local communities involved in our business activities.
"Activities to continue the world to the future": We engage in activities to preserve the natural environment, conserve biodiversity, and encourage recycling of resources, looking ahead to the sustainable development and future of earth. We also engage in activities that support research and development tied to the creation of new health value.
Click here for the data of Social Contribution Activities (to ESG data)
Activities to Nurture People
Nutrition education activities
Our food education seminars at elementary and junior high schools began in 2005. These make use of both in-person guest teaching at schools, as well as online-lessons.
Activities to Support Society
The Meiji Happiness Fund
Established in March 2020, the Meiji Happiness Fund aims to raise awareness of sustainability, and instill a feeling of individual connection to social issues. The fund raises money twice annually through the generous, entirely voluntary participation of Meiji Group employees. In September 2024, over 2,300 people from all across the Meiji Group took part. With funds raised, we donated approximately 93,000 Meiji confectionery and food products to "Kodomo-Takushoku-Ouendan" (a confectionery and food delivery program for children and families in Japan) in December 2024. Through this program, we will provide support to families across Japan facing lifestyle difficulties.
Cooperation with the All-Japan Food Bank Promotion Council
With rising prices and utility costs, more families than ever are facing economic hardship. In response, the Meiji Group, working in cooperation with the National Food Bank Promotion Council, donates snacks and food items on Children's Day, during summer vacation, on Christmas, and on other occasions in the hope of bringing smiles to as many children and their families as possible. The donation in December 2024 marked our sixteenth donation, bringing the total number of donated confectionery and food products to about 910,000.
Specialized formula business
We manufacture and supply a total of 20 types of specialized formula for babies born with congenital metabolism disorders that prevent them from drinking their mother’s milk, or regular commercial powdered milk. These include registered special milk, which is officially registered with the Japan Cooperative Project on Special Formula and subsidized by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, as well as other special formulas (non-registered, yet subsidized) designed for treatment of non-congenital metabolic disorders. We focus at all times on safe production and distribution.
Rare diseases drug for Dravet’s syndrome treatment, DIACOMIT®
Dravet’s syndrome is an intractable form of epilepsy occurring in infancy. The disease develops in one infant in every 40,000. The syndrome is a severe disease that has a major impact on patients and their families because it causes seizures, delays physical and mental development, and has a high mortality rate.
As there was no effective drug for Dravet’s syndrome treatment available, We launched DIACOMIT® Dry Syrup (oral suspension) and DIACOMIT® Capsule in 2012. We make efforts to provide accurate and timely information on the effectiveness and safety of this drug to healthcare professionals for the correct dosage to patients.
Wellness Stories: Hope for Patients with Dravet Syndrome
Contribution to the United Nations Population Fund
We established a partnership with the United Nations Population Fund Kenya office in November 2020. Between 2021 and 2023, we made financial contributions to a project supporting the economic self-reliance for 200 women and girls in Kibera, Africa’s largest slum in Nairobi.
<Project Achievements>
- 2021
- Trained approximately 150 women in soap making and business skills.
- Opened a store in Kiberaslam under the brand name "Feming'araisha".
- 2022
- 20 women learned to create new products and acquire accounting knowledge, and monthly sales doubled due to store expansion and enhanced marketing. In addition, 12 of the women started new individual businesses in addition to their soap business.
- 2023
- Monthly sales increased 40% compared to 2022 due to launch of website, refurbishment of shop, introduction of mobile payments, etc.
- Over a three-year period, proceeds from Femi ng’arisha sales have supported a total of 22 women establish or expand their businesses as well as one woman pay for her schooling.
- In 2023, the incomes of supported women had grown by 440% compared to 2020.
Sponsorship of Paralym Art
ParalymArt is an activity conducted by Shougaisha Jiritsu Suishin Kikou Association to provide artworks by persons with disabilities to companies and individuals, and to pay compensation to the artists. Its main objective is to support people with disabilities who are unable to participate in society and are suffering financially through art. The organization promotes social participation and economic independence for people with disabilities without relying on social security funds. Meiji Holdings Co., Ltd. has been a sponsor of this activity since 2021.
In FYE 3/2023, we sponsored the "Paralym Art World Cup 2023" and selected KOTO's art work as the "Meiji Award" from among 488 entries from 23 countries and regions around the world.
Activities to Continue the World to the Future
Paper Drink Carton Recycling Campaign
Our employees take part in the Paper Drink Carton Recycling Campaign twice annually. Through this campaign we are aiming to foster greater environmental awareness among our employees.
Biodiversity Conservation Activities
We are working together with various local governments and NPOs to conserve biodiversity, both in Japan and overseas. Our areas of activity include Meiji Group production sites, as well as the Meiji Group-owned “Meiji Group Nature Conservation Area Kumamoto Sunlight Forest.”