President's Treat

Japan has 2.24 million vending machines, making it the country with the most vending machines per capita.

Vending machines can easily be found on every street, in hospitals, office buildings, and even on the top of Mount Fuji.

On the other hand, the Japanese are constrained in communication and rarely start conversations with strangers. For example, in a work team it’s difficult to get into conversation and introduce colleagues if this does not happen at a table with alcoholic drinks after work.

Suntory (a Japanese beverage company) came up with a great idea: they launched an initiative called “Shacho no Ogori” or “President’s Treat.” The idea is simple: any two employees walk up to the office vending machine, swipe their employee cards, and each receives a gift. drink of their choice. While drinking, they talk to each other. The conversation goes deeper than basic greetings and small talk and doesn’t require as much effort as planning a dinner with coworkers.

A number of Japanese companies have reported that communication between their employees has improved significantly after implementing Shacho no Ogori.

Impressed by the thought process behind this idea, I was once again reminded how deeply ingrained business ideas are in culture.