#Japan #Kyoto #Canva #Street Smart #Yojiya Group

Canva Implementation at Yojiya Group: A Rebranding Success Story

The Street Smart Company, based in Osaka, has recently published a compelling case study detailing how the Yojiya Group recognized for its 120-year history has integrated the design platform Canva into their rebranding efforts. With a commitment to transforming its image from merely a souvenir retailer to a cherished local brand, Yojiya has undertaken this significant branding journey emphasizing the theme of making Kyoto a place where everyone can find joy.

The Challenge: Inconsistent Brand Tone and Creative Production Speed

Yojiya faced the challenge of rebranding while shifting their focus from "Yojiya of oil blotting paper" to "Yojiya loved by the local Kyoto community." The company aimed to overcome issues of brand tone inconsistency and slow creative production processes common in the realms of social media and promotional content. Without structured guidelines, creative outputs relied heavily on the design department, leading to delays and an increased workload for the public relations and writing teams due to extensive checks.

Consequently, the company decided to implement Canva — an intuitive design tool capable of engaging every team member across the organization in the design process.

The Support from Street Smart: Ensuring the Tool's Adoption

Street Smart was selected as the partner to facilitate not just the introduction of Canva, but its sustained use within the company. Their support included:

1. Tailored Initial Settings: Streamlining administrator permissions and assisting with brand kit configurations to maintain the brand tone and standards.
2. Workshops for Practical Skills: Conducting hands-on training sessions that went beyond basic operations to help staff acquire usable skills for their day-to-day activities.
3. Ongoing Support: Addressing post-implementation inquiries and providing advice for more advanced usage of Canva.

Results: Enhancing Collaboration Across Departments

The results following the adoption of Canva were remarkable, bringing several significant improvements:

• - Dramatic Increase in Production Speed: Team members could now create designs promptly without waiting for external agencies or specialized departments.
• - Consistent Output Quality: By utilizing Canva's brand templates and kits, non-designers successfully created outputs while preserving the brand’s unique atmosphere.
• - Strengthened Interdepartmental Collaboration: Improved sharing and co-editing of designs minimized communication costs, fostering better teamwork.

A representative from the Yojiya Group shared how the introduction of Canva allowed previously centralized design tasks to be handled independently across various departments. The initial training by Street Smart helped create an environment where employees felt that engaging with Canva was enjoyable and accessible.

With pre-prepared brand kits and templates, staff began producing materials that aligned seamlessly with the brand tone, allowing for a smoother integration of Canva into their workflows.

About Street Smart

Founded in 2009, Street Smart was recognized as a Google Training Partner in 2014. They are a certified Google Cloud Partner in the areas of Work Transformation and Education. The company is dedicated to supporting digital transformation initiatives for businesses and educational institutions, and starting in 2024, they will undertake operations for Canva in Japan. Their expertise, finely honed through prior experiences, is now dedicated to assisting enterprises and educational organizations with Canva's effective application.

For inquiries regarding their services, please visit their website or reach out via email.