Sanpo-yoshi Communication

President's Column] YouTube

I had heard that Gen Z (teens to around 25 years old) watches YouTube instead of TV, but according to the “2020 National Time-Use Survey” released by the NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute last May, 47% of 16- to 19-year-olds watch TV daily. Among those in their 20s, the figure stands at 51%, while internet usage reaches 80% and 73% in those age groups, respectively. When I asked our younger employees, it seems they, too, spend more time watching YouTube and Netflix, and it appears that terrestrial TV’s influence continues to wane. Perhaps it’s no surprise that several long-running programs have recently been canceled.

To be honest, I watch YouTube almost every day. I watch business lectures, as well as videos on legal reforms, religion, and other topics. During the winter, to avoid gaining weight, I used to watch yoga and aerobics videos on YouTube first thing in the morning. I apologize for being a bit crass, but there are many beautiful instructors (and some handsome ones, too) who post videos that are a real treat for the eyes. My wife and I watch live performance footage of artists from the past, and for some reason, we’ve even managed to watch every single episode of old popular dramas like *School Wars*. As for *Tokyo Love Story*, which everyone was obsessed with during our youth, they’ve slyly made only the first episode available for free, so the only way to see the rest is to buy the DVDs. I seriously considered buying the entire series. I think this is a new sales tactic. A few months ago, I was suffering from knee and lower back pain, but after searching YouTube for videos by orthopedic surgeons and chiropractors and trying a few of their exercises, my condition has improved significantly.

How should we, as small and medium-sized enterprises, respond to this trend? I think there are two ways.

One is using it as an advertising medium. Since the primary focus of media has shifted from terrestrial TV to the internet and YouTube, it makes sense to consider advertising and promotional strategies tied to these platforms. We haven’t fully mastered it yet, but I think YouTube ads are interesting. This is because they allow you to target specific segments and can be launched on a very low budget. While running TV commercials on broadcast television presents significant hurdles, YouTube ads—which can be implemented on a low budget—are accessible to all small and medium-sized businesses. Since you can target specific segments based on location, age, and other criteria, I believe this can lead to highly efficient sales promotion.

Another approach is that there’s always a certain demand for video content that solves specific problems. So, if your business has such elements, you can turn them into video content, distribute it, and use it as a lead generation channel to drive traffic to your company’s website or other platforms. We, for example, produced a simple video explaining the revisions to the rules for indicating the origin of raw materials, and even such a straightforward piece of content has garnered quite a few views. If your business has content that can solve problems for a wider audience, many people will watch it, and in some cases, you might even be able to generate ad revenue.

In any case, you can get started with minimal risk, so we’ll continue to explore ways to be of service to you. We’ve also added video production staff to our team, so please feel free to reach out to us.