Shiseido was started in 1872 by Arinobu Fukuhara as Japan's first western style pharmacy in Gizna, Japan's fashion and cultural hub. Shiseido started out as a pharmaceuticals company when herbal medicine was the order of the day in Japan. But it outgrew it initial business quite soon when it formulated the winning concept of blending oriental mystique and aesthetics with the technology and science of the western world. This combination became a strong advantage for Shiseido right from its early days. Soon Shiseido diversified from its pharmaceuticals business.
As early as 1888, it launched Japan's first toothpaste, and in 1897 it ventured into the cosmetic business by launching Eudermine, a cosmetic product. In 1918, Shiseido launched its perfume, and by 1937, it came out with its first line of cosmetics. Since then, Shiseido had transformed itself into a full fledged cosmetics company with a wide product line encompassing various aspects to cosmetics, from skin care, to beauty products to general cosmetics. By the late 1970s, Shiseido started penetrating foreign markets in Europe and the United States with specific product lines.
Though the unique concept of blending eastern aesthetics with western science provided Shiseido with a strong differentiating factor, it had to extend this beyond a mere concept. Shiseido relied on its core philosophy for guidance. From the very beginning Shiseido based its philosophy on five core management principles which were enunciated way back in 1921. They were: quality first, co-existence and co-prosperity, respect for customers, corporate stability and sincerity. Shiseido also crafted brand identities for all its products and aimed at positioning them towards different customer segments. |
