Koichi Endo, President and CEO of TV Tokyo Direct Corporation and Senior Managing Executive Officer of TV Tokyo Holdings

Meeting people is a lifelong asset that creates new challenges!

President and Representative Director of TV Tokyo Direct Corporation and Senior Managing Executive Officer of TV Tokyo Holdings　遠藤孝一　(Endo Koichi)

■ Profile

Born in Tokyo in 1959. After graduating from university in 82, he joined TV Tokyo, becoming the head of the sales department in 08 and a director in charge of the animation and sales departments in 15. In 17, he became the representative director and president of TV Tokyo Direct. As a core company of the TV Tokyo Group, the company is responsible for all aspects of the commerce business. In 22, the company acquired Realmax Co., Ltd., a golf e-commerce company, under its umbrella.

TV Tokyo Direct is expanding its business into various fields, including food, travel, and golf. We interviewed President and CEO Endo about his motto from his days as a sales representative at TV Tokyo, his commitment to conveying the thoughts of producers, and his new business ventures.

■ Meeting people is a treasure trove of ideas

I studied at a somewhat unusual faculty, the German Department, in the Faculty of Foreign Studies at Sophia University. Everyone around me was serious, but it wasn't a time when university students really thought about contributing to society. So when I look at students today, I'm really impressed by how conscious they are of contributing to society. In my case, my university life consisted of either participating in club activities or studying. It wasn't until my fourth year of university that I finally started to think about employment. I was thinking about where to apply, and as I was interested in the media, I visited a senior from my club who worked at TV Tokyo and decided to apply for a job. Even back then, I found the idea of ​​communicating information to society very interesting.
After joining TV Tokyo, I was in charge of sales from the beginning. It wasn't the glamorous job you'd expect from a TV station, but I really enjoyed working in sales because I got to meet a lot of different people. It was through my work in sales that I was able to connect with people, and that has become an asset to me today.
I think I was given the opportunity to become the CEO of TV Tokyo Direct because they thought, "Endo seems like he'd do something new." Ever since I was in sales at TV Tokyo, I've always valued meeting people from a variety of fields, and by meeting people and talking about various things, I've been able to generate new values ​​and ideas. I think that's been put to good use here, where I was recognized as an idea man and was selected for the position.

■ The enthusiasm and commitment of producers moves the hearts of consumers

So-called TV shopping is a business that encourages impulse buying. Instead of selling products by saying, "This product is great, this product is cheap," our motto is to report on the key points of a product and the passion of the maker, and promote them through TV. In order to differentiate ourselves as much as possible from other companies, we are committed to carrying products that convey the passion of the producers. TV shopping is a business that stimulates viewers' desire to buy, but now, with stay-at-home consumption on the rise due to the COVID-19 pandemic, viewers tend to do their own research before buying, even if there is a lot of information on TV. At a time like this, we are selling products that highlight the commitment and passion of the producers, and I believe this is why so many customers are satisfied with our purchases.

■ Discover hidden charms in the region and create new businesses

Another thing I'm aiming for is to develop original products. I believe that the origins of such development lie in local areas. I'm currently producing and managing a program on BS TV Tokyo that broadcasts local information. My goal is to communicate with the local area, unearth attractive products that lie dormant in the area, and work with discerning producers to develop products for sale. It would be fantastic if we could combine our know-how in design and functionality with the traditional techniques of the region to create new products.
Additionally, we have a huge customer list, mainly consisting of seniors, that we have been building up over the years, so we plan to utilize this to focus on new businesses targeting seniors. Meanwhile, for younger people, we also plan to focus on TV Tokyo Honpo's business, which sells program-related merchandise. I myself used to work on anime, so I want to explore the possibilities and excitement of this business.

■ "People will always connect with each other"

My motto is "people will always connect with each other." When you meet someone, you will inevitably connect with them somewhere down the line, leading to new business deals and new opportunities. There are businesses that match people, but sometimes you go out for drinks with someone you meet, introduce them to other people, and new connections are made, and so the circle just keeps expanding. So I have connections with people from a wide variety of fields, and I consider this to be my greatest asset. On top of that, I always value being honest and never forgetting to say thank you. If someone thinks, "This person is shady," it's all over.
And when I hire, I want to hire people who are extremely sensitive and find the idea of ​​"selling things" fascinating. For example, I think the beer vendors at baseball stadiums are really talented. As they sell beer many times, they pick up on regular customers and always say a word to them. I think their ability to capture the hearts of customers is amazing. In this way, I want employees to value going out and meeting people. That's why I want employees to value opportunities to go out for drinks and meals and increase the number of opportunities to meet people, and I want to work with people who are highly capable of proactively going out and communicating.

■Message to university students

Our company does not recruit publicly, but instead selects a small number of people and conducts interviews, so if there are any students who are interested in our company, we would like them to actively approach us. In addition, the encounters you make with various people during your student days will definitely be an invaluable asset. Meet various people from your student days, accumulate that experience within yourself, and use it to match people with others.

Student Newspaper Online January 10, 2023 Interview by Misaki Otsuka, 4th year student at Tokai University