Issue:
May 2026
The best approach to endorsements and sponsorship: be true to yourself
On April 7, a panel discussion, the fifth in a series by the Club's Associate Members Liaison Committee, was held on the topic of endorsement strategy. Moderated by Randy Schmidt, first vice president of the FCCJ, the panel featured Club members Patricia Bader-Johnston and Midori Kaneko.
Bader-Johnston, founder and CEO of Earthberries Capital, Ltd., spoke about how endorsements need to be closely linked with an organization’s values. Firms seeking sponsorships and endorsements need to understand the organizations they are approaching and show that they share their values.
She also pointed out that however you look at endorsements and sponsorships, they are interwoven with commercial interests, in the sense that the reputation of a company is intertwined with those of the organization or individual they endorse. As a result, those who are seeking sponsorships must do a lot of homework to understand the priorities of their potential endorsers.
From a corporate perspective, Bader-Johnston pointed out that liaising with governments, which determine how products are sold and to whom, is particularly important in Japan. Without those regulations, there are no guardrails, she said.
Companies are sensitive about endorsing anything that might cross a line - especially regulatory ones - because the penalties in Japan, where regulations are followed to the letter, can be high. There can be no endorsement or sponsorships if regulatory compliance isn’t a priority, she said.
Bader-Johnston, whose experience spans leadership roles in Fortune 100 companies, chambers of commerce, and community organizations, has seen how social media has made the world smaller, and cautions that, in the age of artificial intelligence, there needs to be more fact-checking before an endorsement is made.
Midori Kaneko, a member of the board of overseers of Temple University Japan and chairperson of NPO Unleash Potential, emphasized the need to always show your true self to build respect and to work strategically with your sponsorship and endorsement partners.
Your principles should guide everything you do, said Kaneko, who has held executive positions at Nestlé, GE and Amazon, companies she described as having a strong belief in their mission and values.
When it comes to celebrity sponsorship and endorsements, shared values are vital, since the relationship often plays out in real time. Regardless of AI, Kaneko encouraged people to learn how to stay humble when deciding how to approach a potential deal, since that can often result in a fruitful professional relationship.
Schmidt pointed out that social media had made it harder to determine what constitutes good or bad behavior. The filmmaker and TV cameraman-editor-producer, who won an Emmy Award in 2022, is now involved in AI filmmaking. While algorithms are important in determining what makes popular content, such as podcasts, Schmidt said there could also be a place for best-practice guidelines.
David M. Umeda is the elected Reserve Director of the FCCJ Board of Directors and co-chair of the AMLC.
