The Importance of Steady Relationships and Greetings: The Real Story Behind the Social Shift

Hamano: Twitter took off because of the 140-character limit, right? It's shorter than a blog post, just a bit longer than subtitles. So even if it's nonsense, you can still read it quickly. Since nobody actually writes 140 characters solid, if something instantly strikes you as interesting, you reflexively retweet it or hit the "Favorite" button. The key point is that the reduced character count—meaning higher information granularity or modularity—made information easier to circulate.

I always feel that as social media becomes this widespread, it no longer fits the content frameworks established by traditional mass media—like "programs are one hour long, commercials are 15 seconds." Things like "programs are 1 hour, commercials are 15 seconds" are just path-dependent frames decided by the TV industry's past conventions. Before, you'd create a story for a 1-hour program at a leisurely pace everyone could understand. But now, people watch TV on their smartphones, search for things they don't understand, and see everyone's reactions in real-time on Twitter. So, just plodding along with a 1-hour video doesn't make sense anymore.

Instead, we need to rethink how we structure programming slots. Take a one-hour slot and slice it into tiny segments. Pack it with thousands of bite-sized, engaging stories, each just 10 seconds long. If even one of those sparks a tweet or reaction that goes viral, that's a win. We need to explore completely different approaches to programming slots.

Hirota: I see. If we're changing the programming style to better match the desires of viewers using social media, then creating an environment—an architecture—that makes it easier to quote, retweet, or bookmark program content becomes crucial too, right?

I sometimes think it would be great if programs or segments had permanent links. Links make it easier to share with friends, like saying, "Check out this show." Also, if we view television itself as a "massive social media platform" with millions or tens of millions of followers, it might be interesting if the TV side actively retweeted and responded to engaging user comments. People who get retweeted feel happy, so they spread it further. If we create an environment where this happens easily, it might change the viewing culture itself, including TV programming and systems.

Hamano: That kind of interaction is crucial as a form of "social engagement" in the social media era. It's essentially flattery, but it really resonates with each individual user.

Hirota: For example, on TV Tokyo's "World Business Satellite" program, there's a segment called "WBS Social." Every day, an economic expert appears, and they solicit questions for that person via Facebook.

If your question gets picked, it's featured exclusively on Facebook, complete with the expert's real name. They say, "Today's question comes from [Name]," and the expert answers it properly. Honestly, for the person whose question gets chosen, it's incredibly exciting. After the show airs, they might post something like, "Thank you so much for using my question!" And that spreads the word about the program even further.

Hamano: I think that's exactly where the real importance lies these days. It's not about being overly cool or having super-funny segments to wow viewers—though those things are important too. Surprisingly, it's the steady, down-to-earth interactions that matter most on social media.

And it's not about doing it grudgingly. People can instantly sense that "genuine" passion—like, "This creator is doing this with real enthusiasm," "They're serious about it," or "I'm happy they took the time to properly introduce this." That sincerity spreads, like, "This person is staying up all night updating even though they're busy!" (laughs). That kind of earnestness becomes contagious and builds into a real, passionate buzz. AKB is a perfect example of exactly that. The Olympics example is definitely like that too. I think social media really suits that kind of gritty passion, that sports-obsessed world.

Hirota: There are two essential elements for content to be loved. One is creating work with passion. The other is designing an environment where that work is easy to share once it's created.

Hamano: That's right.

Hirota: Even now, I think there are many wonderful programs and great commercials made with passion. But rather than ending the moment they air, combining them with mechanisms that make them shareable or easy to reference allows their quality to spread through social media, making it easier for them to reach people who will truly love them. Of course, it won't work if you start with social media as the primary focus.

Hamano: Another often-mentioned point is that successful content in the social media era starts out unfinished. Take AKB—they're still unfinished as talents, or rather, they're inexperienced girls. It sounds strange, but they weren't even that cute yet.

But it's fun for everyone to watch these girls grow through their daily lessons and efforts. It's not just watching; you can participate, or rather, help them along. By giving advice or praise to your favorite member at handshake events, you can participate in their production, even if just a little. In the social media era, where long-term, everyday "relationships" are built, it's precisely the unfinished, the immature, that holds tremendous value.

Hirota: Recently, even in the advertising industry, people often say storytelling is important. However, I think the kind of "story" demanded today differs in quality and structure from existing stories.

For example, in the past, the content itself was the entity that told the story, and the audience would empathize with it. But now, as you mentioned, what's perhaps being sought is something where the audience commits to an unfinished subject and actively weaves the story themselves. Not just passively consuming a given story, but actively participating in it.

Hamano: Yes, that's exactly how it is now. In that sense, overly polished content can feel burdensome. Even if the creator didn't intend it that way, it can come across as "pushy."

It might flip back again in a while, returning to an era where "highly polished works are what's truly great." But unfortunately, we're definitely in that phase now. There's no doubt that "highly crafted content," which was all the rage at least twenty or thirty years ago, has become significantly harder to pull off.

Hirota: So, it's not just about awareness anymore. We need to incorporate elements of involvement and achievement, where the sender and fans become one, creating a long-form story together.

Hamano: Involvement sounds cool and appealing, but it's really just about building relationships. Honestly, I keep thinking we're returning to something incredibly down-to-earth. When people try to objectify and glamorize successful social media examples, they often make it sound grand, but behind it, it's just sticky, human relationships.

Hirota: It boils down to the importance of greetings, right? (laughs)

Hamano: Exactly. Some people think that's good, others think it's bad. I'm actually the type who never really liked that sort of thing, so it felt awkward to me until a few years ago. I'm still the kind of person who only goes to unmanned gas stations, and even saying "Regular, fill it up" feels like a hassle. I was the type who thought, "Give me a break with this 'socializing' stuff" (wry smile). But then I found myself diligently attending idol handshake events and being incredibly attentive. I was surprised by this side of myself (laughs). I think this social shift means we're regressing to a society that values that kind of down-to-earth, attentive human interaction.

[ To be continued ]