In 2011, Hawaii’s economy went into a tailspin as a result of the Tohoku tsunami and earthquake, which brought tourism from Japan to a halt.
Over at Clarence Lee Design, president and art director Kuni Yamamoto watched many small businesses suffer over time and two years ago began figuring out how his company might help to revitalize small local businesses. But why stop there? Why couldn’t one business make an impact on the entire economy and community?
As a result of his desire to create a "win-win-win" situation, the 111-Hawaii Project was born, a collaboration between Clarence Lee Design and Hawai‘i Tourism Japan. "111-Hawaii" stands for "1 Hand, 1 Home, 1 Heart" and had its launch Sunday at Akakura House, a footwear and made-in-Hawaii product boutique in Waikiki that now houses a small showroom for 111-Hawaii Project products. The products will be created by local businesses with a branding, packaging and marketing boost from Clarence Lee Design specialists.
Clarence Lee Vice President Laron Miyashiro explained, "In our business we have a lot of big clients, but we also have a lot of small-business clients who are just starting out. A lot of them have good made-in-Hawaii products, but they don’t get the attention they need to grow and succeed. The thinking behind the project is that, as a design company, we could donate our services to help them with their branding and design."
Knowing that packaging is only one step toward retail success, they partnered with retailers, Japanese-language media organizations, PR agencies and other professional service agencies to give participating businesses more visibility.
"There are a lot of made-in-Hawaii cookies, but when it comes to what visitors will buy, it’s probably going to be Honolulu Cookie Co. or Big Island Candies because of their high visibility," Miyashiro said. "But there are a lot of other good products people never see, that are not able to get out in the bigger picture because they don’t have the budget or the marketing."
Such services are worth thousands of dollars, and an application for interested business owners is available online. Miyashiro said the project’s aim is to help about 10 small businesses annually. A portion of proceeds from sales of 111-Hawaii Project products will be donated to nonprofits focused on environment, culture and the arts, "all the things that make travelers love coming to Hawaii," Miyashiro said.
Project beneficiaries will change annually. This year it’s Na Kama Kai ("Children of the Sea"), a nonprofit supporting programs that target ocean safety and conservation.
Behind the immediate, visible marketing and consumer aspects of the projects, Yamamoto explained that he wanted to do his part to help Hawaii as a whole, its businesses, people and environment.
Yamamoto follows the tenets of Seiwajyuku, an international group of business owners, who strive to do the right thing for people and the environment in their business practices.
"I’ve been a part of Seiwajyuku for five years now and have learned the importance having both a strong philosophy and also having a clear mission and purpose in whatever I do," Yamamoto said. "This is why I feel we have gained a lot of support from many different companies that share the same understanding."
Their first participating company is Big Island Kona coffee producer UCC Hawaii Corp., whose product was bound to be lost on Waikiki store shelves without a differentiation of product or packaging.
Where Kona coffee is usually sold in foil packaging with a Hawaii motif, new stark white-and-brown packaging now stands apart from the pack, and instead of typical brewed coffee, the company touts iced coffee as its Oahu icebreaker.
All 111-Hawaii Project products will be marked by the Diamond Headog or Diamond Headolphin logos that also grace T-shirts, tote bags, keychains and other items. More collaborative goods will be unveiled throughout 2015, a manifestation of the ideals of the group.
"If it was not for Seiwajyuku, I believe there is a strong probability that we would not have started this project," Yamamoto said.
Akakura House is at 280 Beachwalk Ave. No. 103, open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. For more information or to apply, visit www.111-hawaii.com/join-us.
