Chapter 5

***

'He flaunted all the arrogance he had.'

Jeon Cheonho thought of Kim Hanseong, who had been showing off in the waiting room.

In fact, the presentation he had prepared wasn't bad.

However,

'How to put it...'

"Once the casting of actors is completed, we plan to contact each agency... The casting press release will be coordinated with the agencies to provide only a brief description of the characters..."

To inform the public about the production and actor casting of the new drama,

"...The first image of the drama to be introduced to the public will be through press releases using still cuts... Posters will be shot in different versions, including main, group, and character versions..."

After distributing press releases using still cuts taken on set, the atmosphere will be refreshed by distributing posters, which are the basic promotional materials for video content.

"...A press conference will be held one week before the first broadcast..."

And, a large-scale press conference will be held for the media.

'Pretty standard.'

Anyone who has ever been involved in drama production, or even someone who is just interested in dramas, could have predicted this content.

"...That's all."

When Kim Hanseong's presentation, which lasted for about ten minutes, ended,

"May I ask one question?"

O Yeongseok's voice echoed in the quiet meeting room, and Kim Hanseong answered with a tense voice.

"Yes, CP."

"I heard your presentation well. However, I don't see any specific direction for the promotion of 'Your Home.'"

"Uh, we will review the promotional stages we have prepared... again..."

"Ah, what I mean is, what Kim Hanseong said... contacting and communicating with actors' agencies, distributing press releases, shooting posters, and holding a press conference... Isn't this just the general procedure for promoting a drama? Is there anyone here who doesn't know this process?"

Kim Hanseong's face turned red at the sharp criticism.

"Uh... When we look at the detailed plan we received from the planning team, there are many parts that haven't been decided internally yet..."

"So, because nothing is decided, there's no clear direction yet?"

Before Kim Hanseong could finish his answer, O Yeongseok's question continued, and the already quiet meeting room was filled with a cold chill.

Kim Hanseong, who looked panicked, stammered out an answer.

At this point, he had to make an excuse.

"Well... that's right. Once we receive the final casting list, we will prepare again..."

O Yeongseok clicked his tongue at Kim Hanseong's red face and then waved his hand to cut him off.

"Well, I'm not blaming you, Kim Hanseong. Our schedule was set too quickly. Anyway, it seems there's no specific promotional direction prepared for today."

Kim Hanseong, whose face had turned pale from O Yeongseok's criticism, bowed his head.

"I'm sorry."

"You don't need to apologize to me. My question is over."

O Yeongseok, as if he had finished speaking, turned his gaze away from Kim Hanseong, crossed his arms, and leaned back in his chair.

And a moment of silence.

Jo Seokjin, who had watched Kim Hanseong's presentation without any comments, whispered.

His voice was so low that only a few people nearby could hear it.

"Hyun Team Leader. If this is how it's going to be, I'll lose face by telling O Yeongseok CP that we're going to have two separate presentations."

"That's because, as you know, 'Your Home' is..."

"It's still in the planning stage. Do you think I don't know that? At the very least, you should have pointed out a few selling points and suggested a direction for future promotions."

"...I'm sorry."

Jo Seokjin, who clenched his teeth, turned his head to Hyun Jin-geon.

"Lee Team Leader."

"Yes, General Manager."

"Your thoughts on the bold and interesting content. Has it changed?"

"No, it hasn't."

"Even though he didn't say anything, Studio Y's President Yun Seokjin is here today. If this continues, the JWN Media Communication Team will be seen as a bunch of fools."

"That won't happen."

"...We'll see."

Although he didn't seem very confident, Jo Seokjin's posture suggested he would wait and see. Lee Hong-ju straightened his posture, aware of this.

'With this atmosphere, Cheonho will definitely draw attention.'

The content of the presentation that Jeon Cheonho had hinted at the day before flashed through Lee Hong-ju's mind.

'If it doesn't work, it's better not to do it at all. It's either one or the other.'

"Thank you for listening to Kim Hanseong's presentation. Next, we have Media Communication Team 1's Jeon Cheonho..."

Shin Jung-hyun, who was moderating, quickly grabbed the microphone and began to organize the room.

'Hmm.'

Lee Hong-ju glanced at the head seat at the far end of the meeting room.

He saw the indifferent face of President Yun Seokjin, whose thoughts were completely unreadable.

'He must have come here specifically for Cheonho. That final episode party...'

On that day, Jeon Cheonho, who hadn't mixed anything in his drink, had rambled on about the reasons why the drama had failed, as if he were crazy.

'It was really nerve-wracking.'

Thinking it would rain fire, he was surprised when President Yun only said, "He's an interesting guy," and left.

'And he said he would attend today's meeting.'

If he hadn't heard about President Yun's attendance, Lee Hong-ju would have firmly said "No" to the presentation content that Jeon Cheonho had prepared.

'It could be a surprise...'

Lee Hong-ju's intuition, which was well-regarded in the industry, leaned towards the idea that it would be good.

His gaze then followed Jeon Cheonho, who was walking up to the podium to give the presentation.

***

'How long has it been since I stood here?'

It's been more than ten years, just considering my previous life.

After becoming a team leader, I haven't managed a program alone.

My main job was to lead my juniors and deal with the media.

As I stepped onto the podium prepared for the presenter, I could feel dozens of pairs of eyes on me.

'Indifference, boredom... tension...'

The chilly atmosphere left by O Yeongseok CP's criticism of Kim Hanseong still lingered in the meeting room.

I put on a full business smile and began to speak.

"Hello, I'm Jeon Cheonho from Media Communication Team 1. I will now present the media communication strategy for JWN's special mini-series 'Your Home.'"

"Wait a moment."

Just as I finished my greeting, the voice of Channel Marketing Team's Chae Ye-jin Director flew in.

"Yes, Director. What is it?"

"I heard that Media Teams 1 and 2 prepared separate presentations today. However, after seeing what Team 2 prepared, it doesn't seem special. If it's the same content, there's no need to hear it twice."

It means, "If you're going to repeat what's already been said, don't waste our time."

"That's true," "It's not like there's anything new to say since production hasn't even started yet," the murmurs of the audience continued, and I could see Jo Seokjin, the head of the media department, tightly closing his mouth from a distance.

'If I mess up after Kim Hanseong's red face, it will be a complete disaster.'

I smiled and replied.

"No, that's not the case. Our Team 1 is not just presenting a typical promotional plan that follows the drama production schedule. We are proposing a new promotional direction to maximize the curiosity of potential viewers for 'Your Home.'"

"...Let's hear it."

O Yeongseok nodded, urging me to continue.

"Today, as the production team introduced, 'Your Home' is a story about people who have lost their families in an accident and don't want to return home, living together in a house."

This is a story that everyone in the meeting already knows,

"After reading the synopsis, I found it to be a highly engaging work. However, this type of drama is not easy to attract viewers in the early stages."

This is a bit of an uncomfortable topic to bring up.

"That's why our Media Team 1 is proposing a more strategic promotion for this work."

As I pressed the button on the remote control, two words appeared on the 120-inch white screen.

"Controversy."

Controversy, or issue-making.

Perhaps it was an unexpected and surprising statement.

"Huh," O Yeongseok let out a hollow laugh and raised his hand.

"Yes, CP."

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but I find it strange to propose controversy as a strategy. I thought the PR team hated controversy the most among us here."

That's true.

I nodded, agreeing with O Yeongseok.

"CP is right. Our PR team inherently dislikes being embroiled in controversy."

"Hmm... Didn't you just say you wanted to create controversy?"

"No, I said we should be at the center of the controversy."

O Yeongseok, who seemed to be wondering what the difference was, tilted his head.

"Being embroiled in controversy and deliberately creating controversy and walking into its center are two different things. The former is what we commonly call an 'accident,' while the latter is 'issue-making.' It's a kind of strategy."

As I touched the remote control, the word [Controversy] disappeared from the screen, and two English words appeared.

A quiet silence fell over the meeting room.

I looked straight ahead and spoke again.

"Our Media Team 1 believes that to promote 'Your Home,' we need to create controversy, to create issues."

Controversy.

As O Yeongseok pointed out, the PR team inherently dislikes controversy.

'But, do only PR teams dislike controversy?'

There is no word that makes the hearts of people in the entertainment industry sink more than the two words 'controversy.'

To what extent?

"...This recent issue, for example."

"Ah, there's a minor issue with our program..."

"It's a small issue, it will calm down soon."

Even though they mean it, they never say 'controversy' and instead use the industry term 'issue.'

'It's the same thing, but...'

If you say "controversy" in Korean, the nuance feels stronger and more unpleasant.

That's why, no matter what happens, only journalists use the phrase '### controversy.'

'If you think about it, controversy is the word journalists like the most.'

The same content, but headlines with provocative words catch the public's eye first.

And public attention means money.

That's why more and more provocative headlines dominate the main pages of portal sites.

'But the goal of PR is to attract public attention.'

As I thought this and looked around, I could sense small murmurs in various parts of the meeting room.

Except for Lee Hong-ju and Yoo Hee-jin, who knew the content of the presentation in advance, everyone looked slightly surprised.

Well, if the strategy is to "openly draw attention," it's understandable.

"Let me give you an example. Suppose KDS in Yeouido is launching a new weekend drama next month. What would you base your decision on whether to watch the first episode or not?"

To lighten the mood, I asked a question that anyone in the room could answer.

One by one, people started to give their answers.

"The script, of course!"

"Um... I'd go with the writer's previous work."

"Drama is a visual art, right? The director, of course."

"I'd look at the production company first."

"The broadcaster is important too. KDS is probably going to do a weekend drama or a historical drama, right?"

These answers revealed personal preferences and priorities.

"Oh, everyone. This is JWN. KDS's weekend slot is our direct competition. What's there to decide? First episode or not, we're not watching KDS's live broadcast this week!"

Everyone burst into laughter at Jung-hyun's quick remark.

I took the opportunity to send a light nod of thanks to him and continued my presentation.

"Script, writer, director, production company, broadcaster. All of these are correct. These are the things we usually consider. But do ordinary viewers do the same?"

Looking at the now quiet audience, I slowly shook my head.

"I don't think so. Ordinary viewers usually stumble upon news of a new drama while flipping through channels. 'Oh, my favorite actor is in it?' 'Oh, the writer is the queen of romantic comedies, Kim Hae-suk!' Only then does the viewer pick up their phone and search for the drama's title."

As I saw people nodding in agreement, I brought up a new window on the screen.

"As you know, this is all we can do to attract attention before the first episode. Sadly, there are only a few dramas a year that meet these conditions."

Does our drama, 'Your Home,' have any of these?

I didn't say it, and no one in the meeting room spoke, but everyone was probably thinking the same thing.

"I know it might be uncomfortable to hear, but as the PR manager for 'Your Home,' I had to analyze these things."

I could see the executives of Studio Y, centered around President Yun Seokjin, sitting motionless, their eyes fixed on me.

"Reading the synopsis, I felt a deep sense of experience in the writing of 'Your Home's' writer, Min Hae-yeon. I also know that the production team has high expectations for the appointed director, Lee Ho-yeon."

The first step in persuasion is to start with something pleasant.

"But."

Then, I delivered the real message I wanted to convey.

"Neither of them is a card we can play in our PR."

What drama would attract attention with a new writer and a new director?

Then, the always bored-looking programming director, Lee Jae-young, leaned forward about thirty degrees and asked a question.

"What about the actors? We don't know how the cast will be formed yet, right? The casting is still in progress... Is that not a possibility?"

'Actors...'

The audience's gaze turned to the production team.

However, casting director Kim Gil-hong, the team leader, spoke cautiously with a subtle expression.

"...The lead casting is currently under internal discussion. It's not at a stage where we can give a clear answer."

"But, I mean, what level of actors are we talking about..."

'Oh, he's clueless.'

Kim Sung-soo from the broadcasting team quickly tapped Lee Jae-young's thigh.

He was trying to stop Lee Jae-young from blurting out his thoughts without thinking.

'New writer, director with no major works, and a cable channel instead of a terrestrial network. Without magic, it's hard for 'Your Home' to attract top stars.'

"I'm personally looking forward to the casting. I hope we can cast actors who fit the work well. If we can get a hot actor who can help with the promotion, that would be great."

I winked, and O Yeongseok, who had been stiff, relaxed and chuckled.

"I agree with Jeon Cheonho's opinion that we need to create issues to attract viewers. However, over-the-top issue-making can have the opposite effect. What do you think about that?"

"Usually, that's true."

"Usually, that's true? Are you saying we're different?"

I gave a wry smile, trying to make it obvious, and looked straight at O Yeongseok.

"To be frank, the average rating of our drama that ended last week was less than 1%. Honestly, the drama was lacking, but..."

It felt strange to say something I had said half-drunk and half-dreaming while sober.

I could feel a hot gaze from behind.

'I bet Jung-hyun is yelling, 'Kid, cut it out!' in his head.' I tried hard to suppress a smile that was about to slip out.

"Not only viewers, but even entertainment reporters don't pay much attention to dramas on our channel."

'At this time, cable channels had higher ratings for variety shows than dramas.'

Hem-hem.

The fake coughing sound brought a subtle tension to the meeting room.

The high-ranking officials at the back of the meeting room were showing discomfort with my words.

'But it's the truth.'

"I'm not suggesting over-the-top issue-making. However, if we're too cautious, we might end up with a good work that is ignored by the public."

"Then, what do you think we should do to be chosen by viewers?"

Finally, President Yun Seokjin, who had been silent until now, spoke.

This time, it was in a sober state, not under the influence of alcohol or in a dream.

I looked at President Yun with as calm an expression as possible.

"We need to do everything we can. First, the casting should prioritize characters who fit the work and are good actors, but..."

I made eye contact with Kim Gil-hong, the team leader in charge of casting, who was sitting in front of President Yun.

"If possible, we should also find actors who have promotional value."

I turned back to the front.

Jo Seokjin, with an extreme expression, and Hyun Jin-geon, who was looking down with his head bowed, only showing the top of his head.

I addressed the people from the Channel Marketing Team, who looked interested.

"From a single still cut to a teaser video, highlights, and