[Hong Kong On-Site Report Part 1] A Moment of Triumph! Winning Two Awards at Asia’s Premier PR Awards: “Culture” and “D&I” 🏆

Hello. This is Kawamura from Public Relations.

As we announced in our news release the other day, SUNNY SIDE UP GROUP achieved a prestigious double win at “PR Awards Asia-Pacific 2026,” an award that leads the PR industry in Asia! 🏆

So, I traveled to Hong Kong as a member of the Public Relations team to witness the moment when the culture we have all built together would be recognized at the awards ceremony held on June 9 ✈️

Although some time has passed, we would like to share with you once again the excitement of the awards ceremony and the story behind our wins—details that could not be fully conveyed in the official release—in this Hong Kong business trip report!

The Night Hong Kong Celebrated! A Report from the Triumphant Awards Ceremony

During this Hong Kong business trip, in addition to attending the awards ceremony, we also visited the offices of our strong local PR partner companies (Havas, PLUG, SPRG, etc.) and held meetings. (We will share details of the meetings at each agency in a separate follow-up report. Stay tuned!)

What new PR and communication initiatives can we launch across borders? How can we combine each other’s strengths? We passionately discussed these topics with PR professionals from each agency, losing track of time, and it was a valuable experience that left us overwhelmed by the immense power and energy of the Asian market.

And then came the night of the awards ceremony.

The venue brought together PR professionals not only from Hong Kong agencies but also from across Asia. We were able to deepen our connections with Japanese industry colleagues in a fresh and different setting.

We also saw agencies celebrating their joy together with their clients, which reminded us once again that “even across borders, strong partnerships with clients are the foundation of excellent PR.” It brought us back to the essence of our work.

As outstanding PR cases from various countries were recognized one after another, it was finally time for our category to be announced… Our hearts were pounding, our palms were sweating, and we were almost ready to pray as we waited for that moment.

“GOLD WINNER goes to SUNNY SIDE UP GROUP!!!!”

The moment our name was called, cheers erupted throughout the venue, and we were filled with joy and a great sense of relief.

(There was also a secret pressure that “we can’t go home empty-handed…!” (laughs))

With Christina Chan (Director of Communications – Budweiser China), who served as a judge for this award

I will never forget the emotion of that moment.

The two trophies we received each weigh approximately 2.5 kg. Their substantial weight seemed to contain the “joyful commotion” that all members of our group have created together, as well as our expectations for the future.

What is “PR Awards Asia-Pacific,” Representing the Asia-Pacific Region?

“PR Awards Asia-Pacific” is one of the most prestigious awards in the communications industry in the Asia-Pacific region, hosted by “Campaign Asia-Pacific,” a global advertising and marketing trade publication.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of this award, a major milestone. It reflects how the field of PR is evolving, and in 2026, a new “Artificial Intelligence” category was established to recognize initiatives that use AI thoughtfully and creatively, always evaluating cutting-edge communication.

In the “People & Company Awards” category of this prestigious award, SUNNY SIDE UP GROUP won two awards: “Best Culture of the Year“ and “Diversity and Inclusion Company of the Year“! Even more exciting, our group was the “only recipient in the Asia-Pacific region” in both categories 🎉

Why Were We Chosen? The Story Behind Our Entry

The two awards that were highly recognized on the Asian stage. What aspects were evaluated for each? We would like to share a glimpse of the story behind our entry, along with the content of our entry sheets.

🏆 Best Culture of the Year

Our organizational culture, which embodies our “GOOD IMPACT GROUP” commitment as a B Corp certified company under the vision of “Creating Hope for Tomorrow Through Joyful Commotion,” was highly recognized! Particular attention was given to our internal communication initiatives that respect the diverse values of our members. Our 32 Benefits, which include “egg freezing cost subsidies” and “recognition of same-sex partnerships”—both firsts for a Japanese company—as well as our “Otoshidama for Adults” program for spending on oneself or loved ones, and our “Friends & Family Day” event where members invite friends and family to the office, were recognized globally as unique aspects of SUNNY SIDE UP GROUP’s culture. The results of these initiatives—a low turnover rate of 8.7%, five consecutive years of increased profits, and record-high earnings—demonstrating sustained business growth, were also highly evaluated!

Friends & Family Day held in March 2026

🏆 Diversity and Inclusion Company of the Year

Under the leadership of our representative, Tsugihara, who serves as Chair of the Diversity Promotion Committee at the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren), our group’s strong commitment to D&I (Diversity & Inclusion) was the foundation of this recognition. Currently, women account for 62.0% of all employees, 44.7% of management positions, and 50.0% of executive positions! Furthermore, the male parental leave take-up rate has reached 28.6%! In addition, learning through our in-house educational platform “SUNNY UNIVERSITY,” implementation of unconscious bias training, and the establishment of the “AI Dialogue & Relations Team” with external advisors were decisive factors in recognizing our efforts to create an environment where diverse talent can continue to thrive as professionals in the new era.

An organization where over 500 members from diverse backgrounds gather

Continuing to Deliver “GOOD” Impact to Society

Realizing the well-being of each member and creating an environment where everyone can work and thrive as themselves. Encouraged by this recognition, we will continue to use the “joyful commotion” born from diverse individuality and challenges as our driving force to practice communication that creates new value for companies and society.

Please continue to look forward to our “GOOD IMPACT” expanding to Asia and the world! 🥚

Commemorative photo with everyone from other agencies at the same table