CH 12

September has arrived. The end of summer still seems to be nowhere in sight. The office is still working in air-conditioning. We are in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the city, in a 10-floor building, but we are still a small to medium-sized company.

I have been working for this stationery manufacturer for 10 years now. I was hired as a "general employee," which means that I had the possibility to experience all of the various departments.

I worked in sales for 5 years, product planning for 3 years, and now I am in my second year in the "sales promotion department," which is responsible for promoting the company itself. Unlike sales, sales promotion has a strong meaning of appealing the company. I thought it would be a lower hurdle than selling the company's products.

Stationery manufactured by this company goes to retailers via wholesalers. That is how they reach the consumer, and we are not selling directly to them.

Of course, sometimes we ship directly to companies without going through wholesalers. That is the job of the salesman, and that is how the companies interact with each other.

To return to the point, the job of sales promotion is to raise the company's name recognition. Consumers are no more or less interested in the products they buy at their local stationery store. They don't even try to learn about the manufacturing company.

So it is an incredibly deep and difficult job. It's often said that the opposite of love is indifference, and that is exactly true. The less interested people are, the harder it is to draw them in.

Besides, there is too much to do. I am often caught between outsourcing and internal boards, and I genuinely don't have enough time. So I have to work more overtime. I can't wait to move on.

--- And that's why I'm in the middle of my weekly meeting.

We were proposing ways to advertise each other for an exhibition in three months' time. It's an annual event where not only our company but also other manufacturers in the Kanto area gather. Well, it's a regular event.

"How about a poster or something?"

An employee named Fujiwara said sluggishly. He looks quite imposing for a third-year employee, but in terms of departmental history, he's even older than I am. It doesn't matter.

There are 15 people in the sales promotion department, including me, which is a little small for a company with 100 employees. We are a small elite group because we have various departments such as sales, design, and so on. I hear that's called "black" in Japan.

"Well, that's a safe bet. I don't know if it works."

No, that's what you should be most concerned about. I was about to snap at him, but I couldn't help but laugh at the laughing manager.

In this day and age, social networking is the way to go. When someone said this, everyone around me agreed with them. Even Fujiwara, who had suggested the poster. It's a sign that they didn't think much of it. It's true.

"But will it really work?"

"What's that, Araki? Can't you keep up with the youngsters?"

"I'm only 32, boss."

The only time I cared about my appearance was when I was in sales. The rest of the time I basically worked in-house, so the opportunities to stare at the computer increased rapidly. I think my eyesight has worsened.

I keep my hair short, but I don't cut it as often as I used to. Because of this, I am often told that I look old.

"Araki-san, the fastest way is to get people talking about it on SNS."

"How?"

"That's what we're all trying to figure out!"

If we could do that, we wouldn't have any trouble. You're a brainiac.

First of all, I don't understand why Fujiwara, who graduated from the College of Physical Education, is here. If you're going to assign him to a position, it should be in sales. Let him use his legs. I don't know what our upper management is thinking.

"But Araki, you have a point. In this day and age, a lot of companies are using SNS. It's not going to be such a hit."

Yamazaki said that, who is two years older than me. Her bobbed hair looks good for her age. She is a dependable senior who can see things calmly. She has been working in this department for a long time. She was our brain, replacing the department head, who could do nothing but laugh.

"If the corporate color becomes too strong, it might be judged as an advertisement and hidden."

"Actually, it's an advertisement."

Don't say that, Fujiwara.

"No, well, it is. In short, if you're going to use it, you have to do it for the long term, and for a company like ours, it won't take more than three months or so to penetrate the market."

Most users will not go through with it when they find an account of a small business that says "I started a social networking site!" Even I won't do that.

The main reason is that it's not interesting. There is no benefit to the user. It's not entertaining, it's not educational, it's not something you can talk about with your friends tomorrow. Then there is no reason to watch it.

It's easy to do, but if you mess it up, you'll end up making a big mistake. That is the existence of social networking. It is fine for individuals to do it, but if you are carrying the company sign, you have to think carefully about it.

"So, I guess it's posters," he said.

"But, that's what we did last year, too."

"We just need to change the content."

Yes, that's right. In the end, it all comes back to this point.

We are a company that still comes to work and holds meetings in spite of all the talk about DX and digitalization, and there is no way we could possibly understand what social networking is all about.

"I'd say we're going to change what's on it. ......"

The general manager let out a few words, but that was the opinion of everyone here.

If we were to make posters, we would have to ask an advertising agency to do it. There, you tell them what you want and they design it for you, but without that hope, it becomes too abstract. I know it's best to leave it to the professionals, but at the very least you'll need some ideas.

"--Such as using a celebrity?"

Yamazaki says. It would certainly be eye-catching. But there is a problem.

"Don't forget the budget. If we invite celebrities, everyone here will lose their salaries."

"Why don't the department heads just shoulder the burden?"

"I hope that covers it. ......"

Please don't say that because it makes me sad. I think it's hard to be caught between the company and the employee. But that doesn't mean you can't just laugh at them. Yes, I do.

The existence of a budget is common to all companies. It doesn't mean that you can do whatever you want for publicity. A company cannot exist unless it can make a profit commensurate with the amount of money it spends.

It is best to make a high profit for the amount of investment. The meeting was also a search for cost-effective means of achieving what is called cost-effectiveness.

From this point of view, using celebrities for posters is risky. First of all, there is the fee. Then, if you include the cost of hiring an advertising agency, printing, and photography, it is quite an investment.

In the first place, it's hard to imagine a famous person who is known by everyone decorating posters for a small business like ours. At best, it would be a model from a small local agency.

Even if we were to look for a celebrity who would be willing to be the main poster for a reasonable price...

"What's the matter, Araki? You're frozen."

"Oh, no ......."

She's not there. I don't know what she's doing now, but if she's freelancing, maybe. She might be willing to take on the job at a discount.

No, but, hey ....... It's also a risk to use someone who has been in the press. And I'm the one she's talking to. No matter how much the office denies it, it would rehash the fact of the news report. If that happens, there is a possibility of being exposed.

"Do you have a good idea?"

Yamazaki is terribly perceptive. He always offers to help me out when he thinks I'm being difficult to talk to. But this one time, he was being a nuisance.

If I said "no," the conversation would go back to the drawing board. It's like playing a game of slogan that never reaches the finish line. This is how people stop thinking. Only when it's important.

"Well, it's not like I don't have ......."

This is what is meant by a quitting departure. Not a good idea or anything. just an idea. I just said it as if I had just thought of it.

How about using Aimi Momoka?