As one method to provide information on the safe usage of products, Sanyo has prepared a resource called the Tender Loving Care and Appliance Safety Tips, which is available on the Sanyo Website. In addition to this online information, Sanyo has also prepared the Tender Loving Care Guidebook outlining regular inspection items and precautions for the use of 28 different products. The guidebook is distributed to customers through retailers and repair personnel. Moreover, dedicated staff are available to provide the necessary information directly to customers who have contacted us through the Customer Center for questions about using their products.
Especially, announcements have been placed positively on our website to remind customers to stop using electric fans over 30 years old just before summer and to perform a self-inspection of their kerosene fan heaters just before winter. In any case, a toll-free number is set up to provide information on inspections and to answer customer questions. The Tender Loving Care Guidebook is also sent to customers to explain the self-inspections.
In the event that a product safety issue or other serious quality problem is discovered and confirmed, Sanyo's first priority is to ensure customer safety. The relevant information is immediately released to the public, and prompt measures are taken such as inspection of affected products, and repair or replacement of necessary parts. In this way, Sanyo strives to minimize any harm to customers. Important notices are also posted on the company Website detailing information on required inspection and repair. Based on the Basic Policy for Product Safety established, in the event of a product incident, Sanyo is making efforts to promptly notify customers of the proper information and response measures through the internal reporting channels. Moreover, if there is a major product accident, it is reported to the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and posted on the Sanyo Website, based on the Consumer Product Safety Law.
Sanyo sends lecturers to government agencies including Consumer Centers across Japan, to speak on topics such as using home appliances effectively, saving energy, and product safety. With the aim of contributing to consumer education, the company also produces instructional videotapes on the right way to use products and provides them to Consumer Centers, consumer organizations, schools, fire services, and other institutions. In this way, Sanyo is working to raise the awareness of as many people as possible concerning the importance of proper product usage. In the future Sanyo will continue to work with these kinds of outside organizations, while maintaining its efforts to increase understanding of product safety. Customers should be able to use their products with more confidence as a result.
Sanyo Group includes "Appropriate Publicity and Advertising" in the "Code of Conduct and Ethics" and promotes publicity and advertising activities accordingly. In particular, based on the publicity/advertisement related laws and regulations, the JAA (Japan Advertisers Association Inc.) Advertising Ethics, and other standards and self-imposed regulations for advertisement/broadcast provided by related organizations, we make sure that our publicity/advertising media do not include any displays and expressions that are not based on facts or that are misleading to customers.
Thus, we work to communicate appropriate product information. To promote such activities in a thorough manner, our advertisement department is in charge of all domestic advertisement related operations in terms of purchase of advertising media and advertising creation. In this way, we properly maintain a system to control advertising matters. Displays and expressions used in advertising matters are independently examined for their legality and appropriateness by multiple personnel in charge at the advertisement department. For those in charge of publicity and advertising of home appliances, an internal training session about the fair competition rules of the consumer-electronics industry is held, through which information such as revisions of the rules is disseminated without omissions and all businesses are conducted in compliance therewith. Further, for overseas operations, we collect information on the advertising related laws and regulations of different countries through advertising agencies and consult/confirm with agencies about the details thereof to conduct appropriate publicity/advertising activities.
Furthermore, we recognize that the main purpose of publicity/advertising activities is to communicate our development concepts and our messages put in the products, as well as product functions, in an easily understood manner so that our customers closely identify with them. For example, in a TV commercial for the waterproof "Xacti" digital movie camera, the point that the camera can be used in situations not possible for a conventional camera, was conveyed through the message that "Xacti" can capture the moment when a child opens his or her eyes underwater for the first time. This was meaningful to a lot of consumers, and sales of the camera rose as a result. In a commercial for the "eneloop" rechargeable battery, a child gave a simple talk on the economical benefits of reusing batteries, using a formula on a blackboard. In 2008, this commercial won the bronze prize in the TV commercial category of the 48th Contest of Advertisements that Enlighten Consumers, hosted by the Japan Advertisers Association.
