Vol. 1 - Ch. 15 - People should not be trusted recklessly.

It was a bit different from the usual ambition talked about. The look in Oh PD’s eyes was more of curiosity than anything. Whether it was the CEO or a passerby bachelor, as long as the product sold well, that was enough; that was Oh Eun-Sun’s work philosophy. The product the CEO brought was sufficient to satisfy her curiosity.“It looks like you’ve already set your sights on this.”

“Mr. Min…?”

“Anything, Ms. Oh?”

“I think you came down to Content Team 1 because of me. Am I right?”

“You’re quite observant.”

“Well, nine years at Liv and one year here… By now, I can guess someone’s tendencies just by looking at their eyes, no?” Oh PD smiled faintly. It was the smile of a 10-year company veteran filled with experience.

There was no attempt to impress or butter up. She maintained a businesslike attitude throughout. Jae-Yoon felt a strange sense of stability and trust from Oh PD’s behavior.

Being a home-shopping PD required throwing your whole body into it. Irregular broadcasting schedules made physical management mandatory. Meeting so many people also often sapped your energy. The fact that she, a woman and mother of two, had survived a decade in this industry was proof enough of her reliability.

“I wonder what kind of personality I have. I’m curious.”

“Hmm. Someone who hides their true intentions well?”

“Hmm, vague…”

“From the beginning, you decided to work with me and led things naturally as if accommodating the team’s schedule. That built trust with Mr. Ha and the other team members.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“A mere PD complimenting the CEO? I couldn’t say something so presumptuous. I just stated facts.”

Jae-Yoon had one reason for considering Oh PD as a candidate: she handled people well. Surprisingly, the most important virtue of a PD was the flexible attitude needed to enable smooth collaboration.

This situation was no different. It was a typical housewife’s conversation skill. Subtly lowering oneself while sneakily making all the necessary points. Besides product planning, as a PD, building new relationships and managing coordination among show hosts, partners, staff, etc., during a project was part of the role.

Did that mean product planning wasn’t necessary? That was not the case.

“I’m curious what direction you will take with MilkBot, Ms. Oh.”

This was a slight note of concern.

He judged that Oh PD’s background made her reliable enough to leave it to her, but he had prepared materials just in case. It was a sort of test to read the practical worker’s mindset.

The time slot was hastily filled at the last minute with an insurance rerun. Understandably, she would not be thrilled.

For a PD, it would be more than just busy. Frankly, she would be annoyed. From a practitioner’s perspective, it was only natural that a product shoved in suddenly would not delight her. In that case, the result would inevitably fall far short of her usual capabilities.

“Before I show my way, there seems to be something we need to clarify.”

“Yes, please speak comfortably.”

“MilkBot. This product is designed to make a hit at Home Run, right?”

It was only natural that MilkBot, which Jae-Yoon brought in, caused quite a stir not only in the Planning Team but also in the Content Team. Employee gossip going up and down was unavoidable.

Jae-Yoon covered his prepared materials and asked back, “You know how this product was scheduled, right?”

“Well, roughly. Yesterday’s golden time slot was the General Teams’. Home Run. In fact, it’s rare to schedule such similar product categories back-to-back. That means the CEO has something particular in mind with this.”

“Something particular in mind… What could that be?”

“A clear contrast, isn’t it? Chinese vs. domestic, 200,000 won vs. 1,000,000 won. Even though they’re in the same category and product line, the target audience is completely different.”

Based on her notes, Oh Eun-Sun began a simple explanation. “MilkBot’s target customers are upper-middle class housewives with financial leeway. 3 p.m., that’s about when they would have returned from morning exercises and lunch, with time to leisurely watch TV. Other home shopping channels will probably be airing insurance reruns.”

“That would be the time.”

“The main target wouldn’t be interested in insurance broadcasts. They’re already insured and have prepared for retirement. They’d be bored. Yawning and flipping channels, they’d come across the MilkBot product.”

But that alone would not keep the homemakers’ attention.

Jae-Yoon gestured that he was listening and waited for what came next.

“Now, what we need to do next is this.”

Oh Eun-Sun PD’s plan was simple: Display a QR code on the screen during the broadcast that connected directly to installing the MilkBot app. Instead of explaining and showing MilkBot’s greatest strengths, she planned for customers to experience it directly.

“In your opinion, what are MilkBot’s selling points?”

“Quiet, Korean-made, composed of just the necessary additional items so there’s nothing to worry about for the next two years or so? Ah! Tower-type dust collectors are also popular these days. And… See for yourself.”

Oh Eun-Sun held out her smartphone to Jae-Yoon. The MilkBot smart app was open on it.

The biggest advantage of MilkBot? Apartments and villas with floor plans registered on Naver Real Estate could be entered into the device immediately, and cleaning could be started without any complicated settings.

“If consumers install the app with a QR code, they can set it up and participate directly, like with a shopping host. Please let the shopping host know, so that even seniors who are not good at using apps can follow along quickly.”

“A broadcast where consumers participate directly; would that be the right way to interpret it?”

A ready-made product, but a customized product just for you. Home appliances that made ordinary housewives special. The expected cleaning time and space-by-space settings were basic. In addition, for detached houses or spaces without floor plans, you could set them up by entering them directly or by walking around and setting them up yourself as before.

“A broadcast where the shopping host just repeats ‘Good, good,’ or ‘Buy, buy’ like a parrot is not fun, right? Home shopping should gradually become a broadcast that can be enjoyed. That’s exactly why I wanted to work together with you, Mr. Min.”

“What does an enjoyable broadcast have to do with me?”

Jae-Yoon shrugged his shoulders, pretending not to know. Maybe he was curious about Oh PD’s sincerity.

Oh Eun-Sun answered, brushing her hair back with an expression that asked why he was even asking such a question, “As the CEO, aren’t you someone who can make anything possible? I believed that you would accept any new plan or method that didn’t exist before with an open mind, as long as it helped the broadcast.”

“Wow.... You shouldn’t just trust people. Don’t you seem more naive than you look, Ms. Oh?”

“Called naive for a housewife who has been married for ten years. Should I be flattered by this?”

Their playful banter was likable. There were no barriers or formalities in their conversation. It was comfortable.

“A broadcast that you can enjoy. This is the motto of MilkBot’s live broadcast.”

“It was a short time, but you caught the point quickly. Don’t you need enough preparation time?”

“It’s something I do all the time. There may be times when I pretend to know something even though I don’t. Time is fine. Two weeks is enough.”

“There’s only one thing I want.”

“Yes. If you have any requests, please feel free to give me feedback.”

“Make the customer watching the broadcast feel like they are being treated. The shopping host is a character who is of a certain age and can be trusted. All you have to do is proceed with those two things in mind.”

Jae-Yoon smiled leisurely.

Seeing Jae-Yoon like that, Oh Eun-Sun let out an unconscious sigh of relief. It would have been a lie to say there was no anxiety. She had been prepared for a situation where she was just handed the product. After all, that was how it had been with all the high-ups she had dealt with before.

“I will draw a nice picture based on the materials you have provided. Thank you for trusting me.”

“Whenever you need anything, feel free to ask. Oh, and this…”

Jae-Yoon took out a card and handed it over. It was a personal card with Min Ho-Jun written on it. Of course, the color was black. { E/N: Black card… Hehe… }

“I have a team card.”

“Please use it when you go out to investigate the data. You can also get a caffeine transfusion when you have a meeting. When you work overtime, the meal support is only 10,000 won; it’s too tight, right? Don’t just settle for instant noodles, okay? Whether it’s for sampling competitors’ products or travel expenses, you can use it without needing approval. I know you’re already swamped, and it would be a hassle to go through unnecessary procedures just for using the corporate card.”

Taking a taxi after a meeting always felt scrutinized. Working on a project was like being on the same team. Wasting time on trivial things was the ultimate inefficiency.

“I’ll make good use of it.”

Watching Oh Eun-Sun’s departing figure, Jae-Yoon noticed the upright posture and confident stride.

The dice had been cast.

Home shopping was a one-hour art. Given only one hour, the product’s advantages and the show host’s abilities had to be maximally exploited for the greatest efficiency.

“Oh? Mr. Min? You’re working on the weekend. Hello.”

Deputy Manager Kim Tae-Hyeong greeted Jae-Yoon in a polar tee.

“You’ve worked hard. It’s such an anticipated product. Please do well on the broadcast today. Can you do 20,000?”

“Oh, wow. 20,000 units? Even if we digest 10,000, it’ll be a miracle.”

He waved his hand playfully as he joked, but Jae-Yoon knew. Promotional material that seemed to be aimed at MilkBot, the top-selling show host with the best banter at It’s Home Shopping, and a seasoned PD with twenty years of experience. The General Team had been grinding their teeth in preparation. More than 20,000 sets of products had already been received at the Icheon Logistics Center and were ready to be shipped out.

“Wow, 199,000 won. It seems like something that would come out in a dream.”

“The advantage of Home Run is the price. The goal is to appeal that it’s a steal.”

“The advertisement looks good from my view. Don’t you think so?”

The advertisement was fine. The disadvantage, noise, would be somewhat hidden by the idol’s music with a strong beat. The host would just parrot that it was an unbeatable price of 199,900 won.

“Shipping tomorrow?”

“Yes. We plan to complete the shipment of today’s sales by tomorrow without fail. I’ve taken care of the center, so you can hold onto your worries and crush them.”

“Please match the online sales as well.”

“I expect about 50% will be sold on air.”

“Oh, really? Then, 30,000 units? Sounds promising. Good luck.”

“Oh? Are you not going to watch the broadcast?”

“If I’m there, I’ll just get in the way. Monitoring is not to my taste. Take care then.”

Without the presence of Team Leader Park, Deputy Manager Kim Tae-Hyeong greeted Jae-Yoon with a seemingly more friendly tone.

Home shopping goods were picked up by couriers even on Sundays. That meant customers would start receiving their products from Monday morning. That meant...

Jae-Yoon came out of the control room and sent a message to Lee Hyun-Woong. S~ᴇaʀᴄh the NƟvelFɪre.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

[ Jae-Yoon: Mr. Lee, pls ask the customer satisfaction room manager to meet me when the driver comes Monday a.m. ]

[ Section Chief Lee Hyun-Woong: Yes. I’ve confirmed it. I’ll make it happen by 9 a.m. Monday. ]

After confirming the message, Jae-Yoon headed to the executive office. He launched the home shopping live on his PC. The purpose was to monitor the sales status with the eyes of a consumer, not a worker. High expectations could lead to great disappointments.

‘Let’s see how well they’ve prepared.’

The broadcast began with the lively greeting of the show host. The concept of the stage setup was clear. 199,900 won! 199,900 won! Since it was a cost-effective product, the strategy was different.

‘Bomb sale,’ ‘The CEO is crazy,’ ‘Closing down sale,’ etc. The studio setup suggested such phrases.

“Freedom from household chores for less than 200,000 won? Everyone, is this really possible?!”

“With Home Run, it is possible. Just 199,900 won. The burden of cleaning is not something that only homemakers have. Single-person households or office spaces also. It’s an opportunity to welcome an Auntie without any burden!”

Home Run’s call count increased rapidly from the beginning. The expected number of sales units was 20,000. Jae-Yoon also turned on the app and ordered one product. Yeah,199,000 won was irresistible. { E/N: Lol… }

Jae-Yoon looked at the monitor with interest and changed to consumer mode.