PEOPLE
06
My Love for Television Stems
An open-minded environment where anyone can always take on new challenges.
I joined Dentsu Runway right out of university as the first generation of recruiting new graduates. One of the reasons I applied was that the company was part of the historic Dentsu Group and a recently established venture. I saw the opportunity to take on new challenges while utilizing the wealth of existing data and expertise amassed within our rapidly changing society. Another critical factor was something I heard from a senior employee before joining the company: “It’s an environment where you can take on any challenge you want.”
Furthermore, my lifelong love for television and hopes to work in the television industry influenced my decision. I had considered working for a television station, but Dentsu Runway appealed to me because it would allow me to learn about newly emerging media while being involved with television.
Six months after joining the company, I became involved in providing client-facing support, and I was a little surprised by how fast projects progressed. Today, I work on television commercials for clients in the pharmaceutical industry as well as transit advertising for clients in the travel industry, performing data analysis and schedule management.
What I heard before joining the company, I later found it to be true. Dentsu Runway promotes an open-minded environment where we are encouraged to take on new challenges. I can proactively and freely express ideas and opinions, and senior staff members will listen and advise accordingly. You can tell that they are excited and passionate about the job and are always smiling and enjoying the work. This has left a strong impression on me.
I always put the client first.
I have been assigned rewarding tasks since my first year at the company. A particularly memorable one was when I took over an advertising project targeting the wider Yokohama area, and we filled the transit system with advertisements. We placed ads inside trains and wraps on buses, and I led the project with the support of my seniors. In the end, I felt a huge sense of accomplishment when all the ads were up.
However, there were also times when I grew complacent, and the quality of my work suffered. In one project, after I drew up some materials to show the client, a senior on my team told me, “It’s not enough to deliver only what the clients have asked. We want to show them a proposal that exceeds their expectations by incorporating value-added suggestions.” That comment inspired me to remake the material, and I was praised by the client, who thanked me for how clear and well made they were. This made me realize that I had a great deal to learn from my seniors. They always approach the job with the spirit of putting the client first.
Drawing on that motivation, I successfully completed projects for my pharmaceutical clients by identifying their needs and goals and negotiating with the television stations to deliver the results they wanted. True to the company’s spirit, I was proud of myself for putting the client first.
Inputs are essential: Walk through the city and look around you.
I feel Dentsu Runway’s strength lies in the fact that we incorporate diverse media forms into our work. We have started a study group that periodically invites external companies to enhance our media literacy and obtain the latest media information. Many employees participate eagerly each time, as input is essential.
Furthermore, it is important to constantly be on the lookout for new information. For example, when some incident occurs, we may need to suspend a television commercial or take other urgent steps. Even in my free time, I have developed the habit of paying attention to advertising and other information around me when I watch television or take a walk.
The joy of the advertising business for me is seeing the things I planned and created come to fruition, released into the world in a visible form. It can touch and affect many people while solving the client's problem. That is what makes it rewarding.
This propels me to take on many more new projects while improving my skills. I also want to find new clients and try my hand at creative work. I like female pop idols, so I am interested in producing talent and conducting advertising campaigns with them.
I want to be more involved with the television media that I love so much. Some say the era of television is in decline, but I believe there is still a role only television can play. My love for television stems from the warm, cozy atmosphere a family creates when they gather to watch a variety show. I hope to develop advertising projects that can convey this warmth.