KAO Malaysia marked its inaugural participation at the eighth Sustainable Brands Conference by sharing its Kao Kirei Lifestyle corporate philosophy as well as plans for sustainability and the empowerment of women in Malaysia. The conference’s theme this year was “Regenerating Local” with renowned experts from all over the world weighing in on the meaning of “local” from a variety of viewpoints and touching on how brands define regeneration. For the first time, this conference also included hands-on workshops in addition to the regular plenary and panel sessions.
For their session, Ms. Tan Poh Ling, Vice President, Marketing, Kao Malaysia, shared Kao Malaysia’s efforts and initiatives to empower and support women, which have long taken root within local communities in Malaysia. Laurier has been a friend to many young Malaysian girls since 1994, and its “Yakinlah Menjadi Remaja” program, which supports and educates young girls about menstrual hygiene, has reached more than two million students in 8,000 schools.
“It was truly an honor for me to represent Kao at the Sustainable Brands Conference. As marketers, I firmly believe that we have a responsibility to integrate sustainable angles into our brand strategies. And the most impactful way in which to do that is by tackling issues that are most relevant to the communities in which we live and work,” Tan Poh Ling said.
“Based on our core value of walking the right path, and building upon the foundation of respecting human rights, Kao believes that women’s empowerment is essential for the company to grow, given that diversity is one of the most crucial aspects of human capital. It was inspiring to discuss this subject within the context of our Laurier Brand – in line with Kao’s Commitment to advocating confidence as a key factor in the development and success of women.”
The “Yakinlah Menjadi Remaja” program has since its inception continued to expand with the collaboration of the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) as a key delivery partner. Dubbed the ‘Laurier School of Confidence’, this initiative aims to not only instill confidence amongst young women but also reward eligible students with RM1,500 in the form of a National Education Savings Scheme (Simpan SSPN) account.
Commemorating 50 Years of Caring for Malaysians
Kao Malaysia earlier this year marked its 50th year of operations in Malaysia by bringing its Kirei Lifestyle plan closer to consumers. The Kirei Lifestyle Plan builds on Kao’s corporate philosophy—The Kao Way—with a clear-eyed view of the future and the role that Kao Corporation has to play for its customers, communities and the world at large. From introducing product innovations all the way to the environmental impact of the company and its products, these goals are further boosted through initiatives in line with various sustainability goals such as decarbonization, achieving zero waste, conserving water and preventing air and water pollution.
For these and other relevant efforts, Kao has successfully retained its recognition as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies (and the only Asian company to have made the list every year) for 17 consecutive years by the Ethisphere Institute, a leading US think-tank. KAO’s Kirei Lifestyle vision even reaches far beyond environmental concerns to include commitments on addressing health as well as social needs.
“Over the past couple of months, we have taken substantive steps in incorporating action points in our Kirei Lifestyle ESG strategy – chief achievements among which includes achieving Zero Waste and championing girls’ and womens’ empowerment in particular,” added Tan Poh Ling. “With the guidance of our Kirei Lifestyle Plan, we aim to develop our business, provide better products and services for consumers and society so that we may together create a beautiful life, today and beyond.”
For more information on Kao’s Kirei Lifestyle Plan, please visit: https://www.kao.com/global/en/sustainability/klp/