Unrequited Love Heartaches and Cafe Partnerships with Actors... A Startup Capturing the Hearts of the MZ Generation through Web Variety Shows

Interview with Lim Hee-jun, Vice President (CBO) of Why Not Media
Building Diverse Business Models with a Web Content Portfolio

Im Hee-jun, Vice President (CBO) of web content broadcasting station Why Not Media, explained that the Boradabang Project was planned to open an offline space, the background of ongoing content, for the experience-focused MZ generation. Photo by Yoon Jin-geun PD

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] There is a web drama that recorded 100 million views, centered on the MZ generation (Millennials and Generation Z born after the 1980s). "Jeonjijeok Jjaksarang Sijeom" (The Secret Crush Perspective) not only achieved high viewership but also drew support and empathy from viewers who said, "It feels as if my innermost thoughts were exposed." Im Heejun, Vice President of Why Not Media, which produced "Jeonjjaksi," focused on the MZ generation, who have loyalty to experiences, empathy, and their own tastes. With the goal of "offering a new experience to fandoms enthusiastic about content," they embarked on implementing offline spaces from the content. The "Boradabang" project, which was carried out in a parallel system of offline operation and content production from the planning stage, has recently received praise as "fresh" mainly from young subscribers.

Web entertainment "Boradabang," consisting of a total of 24 episodes, was planned as content that operates the space together for half a year. Vice President Im said, "Offline experiences in legacy media were operated as a way to utilize successful content by opening the set after the drama ended," adding, "In new media content, since viewers participate and communicate before the conclusion, we wanted to create a case where opinions were gathered and created together from the space to the cafe menu selection." Boradabang is structured in a format where actress Kim Bora operates a cafe of the same name in Yeonhui-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, together with her friend, actor Park Jibin. The segment communicating with listeners via phone calls during live broadcasts, known as the 'Cider Corner,' is very popular. Outside of broadcast hours, the cafe operates as a space where viewers can participate in the program in advance and is used in various ways.

The web variety show Boradabang has gained great attention as content that operates a space together for half a year. Actress Kim Bora runs a cafe in Yeonhui-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, together with fellow actor Park Ji-bin, and hosts a live radio broadcast content. Photo by Why Not Media

Established in 2016, Why Not Media is a mobile broadcasting station selected as an excellent company by the Seoul Business Agency (SBA). Content experts, including PDs of educational and entertainment programs and representatives of interactive content production companies, came together to challenge mobile content. Vice President Im explained, "We focused on the shift of platforms from TV to mobile according to people's changed lifestyles and jumped into producing web content suited to that," adding, "Why Not is a startup company that started from the consideration of drama and entertainment series optimized for the new media environment, targeting the MZ generation as the core audience."

As attention and empathy from MZ generation viewers grew, youth and romance genres were introduced. Representative works include "Jeonjijeok Jjaksarang Sijeom," the first web drama to reach 100 million views, the high-teen romance "Iljin-ege Jjikhyeoss-eul Ttae" (When You Got Tagged by a Bully), and the office drama "Office Watch." Vice President Im said, "We are building and expanding a universe where protagonists and narratives continue so that the emotional solidarity viewers felt in one work can carry over to the next," adding, "This secured universe becomes an intellectual property (IP) asset that creates a routine for content production." In fact, businesses that convert the interest of viewers who love and stay with the content into advertisements or products are also being attempted through various channels.

The web drama 'Omniscient Interfering View,' which recorded the first 100 million views, is regarded as content that demonstrated the scalability and potential of the IP. Photo by WhyNot Media

The content planning system centered on a single producer resembles a startup incubator. Vice President Im explained, "If TV dramas are writer-centered and films are director-centered content, our content is producer-centered," adding, "We are trying many light and diverse attempts to establish an independent production system from planning to production and post-production centered on the producer." When content started this way succeeds, the production system is expanded for full-scale content production.

Vice President Im said the goal is to franchise accumulated content such as "Jeonjijeok Jjaksarang Sijeom" and "Iljin-ege Jjikhyeoss-eul Ttae" to build a content-centered value chain. "If various universes are connected based on the IP we own and a new universe is established, various business challenges will become possible," he said, adding, "Based on this, we are planning to expand overseas market entry, focusing on Asian cultural zones including China and Southeast Asia."