"Young people are just different; they understand what young people think. We can't compete with him in terms of promotion; we have to admit that."
Standing on the periphery, watching the bustling Flash Motors exhibition area, unable to squeeze in, Dong Jinggui sighed to Zhang Congxun, who also looked speechless.
Yadi spent a lot of money hiring SHE, and some other manufacturers also hired big and small stars, but their combined popularity was not as hot as Flash Motors Technology.
They hired a well-known cyclist and a popular actor from the film and television industry, not to mention a famous singer, and they also created a sense of mystery with various promotions, building up a lot of hype and creating high anticipation.
This was simply unethical.
Zhang Congxun was even more helpless.
Among the three exhibition areas, theirs was the most deserted; for no other reason than that they didn't have an endorser, meaning no celebrity endorsement.
So he was the most depressed one; this new industry sales champion had no presence at all!
"Damn it, I'll go back and tell the marketing department to speed up. Even if it costs more, we have to sign Brother Long as soon as possible. Then I'll have an international superstar endorsing us; let's see how smug you can be."
Xinri wasn't unwilling to invite celebrities; they just didn't want to invite ordinary ones.
Their ambitions were not small, believing that ordinary celebrities didn't match Xinri's high-end positioning.
If they were going to invite someone, it had to be an international superstar!
However, it must be said that when it comes to pop culture and creating an atmosphere, young people like Tan Jincheng are more suitable than old folks like themselves.
It seems that in the future, for such events, they should listen more to young people's opinions.
The marketing department should also make some changes and hire more young people.
"We lost completely this time. All of us merchants were just supporting acts. Your company is fine; the endorser you hired brought some popularity. Jinlingyang and Huajue's money was completely wasted; they didn't get any popularity."
Jinlingyang hired Cao Ying, and Huajue hired Yuan Li.
In this era, they were considered famous actresses, especially the latter, whose role as Du Xiaoyue in "Ji Xiaolan" was deeply ingrained in people's hearts.
But unfortunately, those who came to the auto show were mostly young people, and older people didn't pay much attention to these TV actors themselves.
Compared to Yadi's SHE and Flash Motors' Liu Yifei, the popularity they attracted was not just a little bit worse, especially the former; her popularity did not reach that level, and she even attracted fewer people than Li Qiangzhong.
Li Qiangzhong was already a well-known domestic motorcyclist, with considerable fame in the cycling community.
After two months of cycling record videos, his online popularity rapidly soared.
In the words of later generations, he "broke out of his circle."
In Tan Jincheng's view, Li Qiangzhong's current popularity was not much worse than that of a certain UP streamer surnamed Xu on Bilibili in later generations.
Originally, Li Qiangzhong felt that a motorcyclist traveling on an electric vehicle was a bit beneath him, and he really only came for the money.
He never thought that after Flash Motors Technology's operations, his popularity skyrocketed, giving him a bit of a celebrity feeling.
On his cycling journey, fans would predict his route, wait to bring him food and drinks, and he would also be recognized by passersby, who would vie to take photos with him.
Some businesses even wanted to find him to place advertisements, inserted into his videos.
This greatly tempted Li Qiangzhong, but unfortunately, due to his previous contract, he did not own the copyright to this series of videos.
Even if he accepted advertisements, they could not be displayed in the videos, and the entire video was edited by the Flash Motors team.
But it didn't matter.
He had already opened a personal account.
He could accept any advertisements except for entire electric vehicle categories.
Flash Motors Technology did not prohibit this and even allowed him to use some clips from his cycling videos, as long as he obtained authorization.
From initially feeling it was a bit beneath him, to his current popularity and what he witnessed at the event today, Li Qiangzhong was somewhat grateful for the opportunity given by Flash Motors Technology and Tan Jincheng.
"Let's go, let's go, there's nothing more to see; the songs are over."
Zhang Congxun waved his hand and said.
He wished he hadn't come.
This was probably the most frustrating Shanghai Auto Show he had ever attended.
Not only was he constantly overshadowed by Flash Motors, a first-time exhibitor, but he couldn't even compete with the popularity of Yadi's booth.
A failure, this planning was truly too much of a failure.
"Aren't you going to watch anymore? I heard that the endorser girl will be dancing later."
Dong Jinggui said teasingly.
"What's so good about a young girl dancing? You're already old, and you still like this? Can we meet Tan Jincheng tonight?"
Zhang Congxun said grumpily.
Actually, he could privately get Tan Jincheng's contact information, but since Dong Jinggui had mentioned it, he might as well let him make the introduction.
Dong Jinggui was a bit surprised:
"Didn't you say to wait until the exhibition ends?"
"The company called, there's an urgent matter, I might have to go back. I might not make it back if I wait until the exhibition ends."
His Xinri headquarters had completely relocated to Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, becoming neighbors with Yadi.
Wuxi is one of Jiangsu Province's electric vehicle industrial clusters, with two to three hundred electric vehicle enterprises.
It's quite interesting to note that Xinri and Yadi both coincidentally chose Wuxi for their headquarters.
Xinri even moved from the imperial capital, while only Flash Motors set its headquarters in Yongcheng.
Two people from Anhui Province, one from Zhejiang Province, none of them chose their hometowns.
"Then you wait a moment, I'll call now."
Dong Jinggui nodded.
Old Zhang was anxious and wanted to go back to think of countermeasures.
But there was no need to point out such obvious things.
Last year, Xinri's actual sales were 126,000 units.
This year, their sales are still number one in the industry so far, but if Flash Motors shakes the foundation of their high-end vehicles, whether they can maintain that top spot is truly uncertain.
Since Flash Motors' production capacity increased, its upward momentum has been very rapid.
As of March sales, it has risen to fifth place in the industry, preceded only by Xinri, Giant, Luyuan, and Yadi.
The top four positions for domestic brands are almost predetermined.
Once it opens up the high-end market, it could be said to be hitting Xinri's main artery.
It's understandable that Old Zhang is anxious and returning early to think of countermeasures.
Unlike Xinri's ambitious goal of claiming the top spot, while Flash Motors poses a considerable threat to Yadi, Dong Jinggui's business philosophy is less aggressive; he just wants to proceed steadily and maintain a top-five position.
Yadi's goal for this year is not an issue.
Giant mainly sells bicycles, and their prices are relatively expensive, so growth will be somewhat limited in the later stages.
Giant's peak sales season each year is basically during the winter and summer holidays.
"Well, he's hosting a dinner for their endorser tonight, so it's a bit of a shame."
Dong Jinggui said regretfully after hanging up the phone.
The original appointment was after the exhibition.
Although young, he was still a big boss, so it was understandable that he couldn't make time for a temporary change.
However, Dong Jinggui was still a bit envious of Tan Jincheng.
While both had endorsers, the other party's endorser could stay at the exhibition for a whole day, while his own endorser only gave a few hours.
It seems that domestic endorsers are easier to manage; those from Hong Kong and Taiwan are too big, and the effect doesn't seem as ideal.
They should consider changing after the contract ends.
"Then there's nothing we can do, it's a bit regrettable, we'll just have to schedule it for next time."
Zhang Congxun understood, but still felt some regret.
At a dinner, he might have been able to get some of Flash Motors' plans, but unfortunately, he couldn't wait.
He had to go back and adjust the marketing strategy.
Who knows what changes would happen during the three-day promotion period.
At the same time, he had to speed up signing Brother Long.
He was already a year behind on endorsers and couldn't delay any longer.
Zhang Congxun realized that today's electric vehicle market was fragmented, and the barrier to entry was not high.
It was not difficult to make some money, but it was not easy to establish one's own brand.
Xinri, Yadi, and Luyuan all took many years for the market to recognize their brands, while Flash Motors only took half a year.
Does Flash Motors have any core technology? No!
If you really want to talk about core technology, it's their marketing, or rather, their endorsers.
Relying on being the first in the industry to use endorsers, and the market effect brought by celebrities, they quickly broke out, and when competitors were expanding the market, they quickly entered and took a big share of the profits.
Subsequently, many manufacturers followed suit, even Yadi hired an endorser.
Although their exhibition effect was not as good as Flash Motors this time, it must be said that it was precisely because of the endorser that Yadi's reputation further increased, and sales began to enter an upward trend.
The Olympic design plan could no longer surpass Flash Motors, but Brother Long, as one of the image ambassadors for the 2008 Olympics, might be a bonus.
This is one reason why Xinri has been fixated on Brother Long.
With his endorsement and influence, there might still be a chance for the designated Olympic vehicle.
There wasn't enough time to change the design, so utilizing the endorser's influence and further activities was the best countermeasure Zhang Congxun could think of at the moment.
Alright, now no one in the company should complain that signing Brother Long was just his personal preference, right?
The only downside was that Brother Long was too expensive, and he also had a very powerful management team and was not short of endorsements.
Negotiations would not give them any advantage.
They would inevitably have to spend a lot of money.
---
In the afternoon, the exhibition continued.
"Buy the Fengchi Fei Yi series on-site and get a personally signed autograph from Liu Yifei!"
A large banner was hung in the Flash Motors exhibition area after lunch.
Today, only the Fengchi Fei Yi series was directly retailed to ordinary consumers at the exhibition.
Other series, such as the Flash Motors series and the Guanneng series, did not accept retail, only orders of 100 units or more.
The Guanneng series was a pre-sale; orders placed now would be shipped in July.
For on-site purchases of the Fengchi Fei Yi series, if customers didn't want to ride them away, they could pick them up at a nearby store with their purchase voucher and invoice.
This promotion was only valid for this afternoon.
Liu Yifei, sitting below the stage, was somewhat depressed, but as she was in a public place, she couldn't show it and had to maintain a smile.
"I've become your company's sales associate. Brother, you're too mean. I think you're just tricking my mom."
Taking advantage of a break, Liu Yifei whispered to Tan Jincheng, who was sitting next to her, complaining.
"Don't say that, aren't you going to release an album? Just think of it as practice for a pre-release signing event."
Tan Jincheng said with a cheeky grin.
Doing business, to put it plainly, is actually quite simple: it's about showcasing your advantages in every possible way.
The Flash Motors series offers good quality and low prices, following a cost-effective route, while the Fengchi Fei Yi series takes the route of novel design coupled with the endorser's super high popularity.
Since the endorser was on-site, it was a rare opportunity, so why not seize it and make the most of it, no matter if she was a fairy or not.
So, during the lunch banquet, Tan Jincheng painted a grand vision for Ms. Liu, revealing that he was a small shareholder in an automobile company, namely Zhontai Auto.
He could then connect Liu Yifei to shoot commercials for Zhontai, and even discuss an endorsement.
The prerequisite was that Liu Yifei helped with the signing event in the afternoon, of course, the time wouldn't be very long, only three hours.
Ms. Liu definitely had to take this offer.
It was an automobile, after all.
Even if it was a domestic brand, its prestige was incomparable to a small electric scooter.
It's just three hours of signing; let her endure the hardship.
Originally, Ms. Liu stayed for lunch because she wanted to find out what Xu Wei's parting words meant.
He was a professional singer, yet he said that General Manager Tan's casual humming gave him a lot of inspiration.
Could it be that this person could also write songs?
However, before she could ask at the dinner table, Tan Jincheng threw a grand vision at her.
Compared to songwriting, the grand vision was obviously more appealing.
But Ms. Liu wasn't stupid; she couldn't ask herself, but her daughter could.
Anyway, they had each other's contact information.
So, taking advantage of the harmonious atmosphere at the dinner table, she had Liu Yifei call Tan Jincheng "Brother" to further close the relationship.
Now that she's calling him "Brother," you can't keep calling her "Miss Liu," can you?
You'd have to reveal something when she asks you questions, right?
How painful could three consecutive hours of signing on site be?
Liu Yifei would tell you, it was very painful, the most exhausting event she had participated in since her debut, without exception!
The boss of Flash Motors Technology was young, but he was also truly cunning.
When there was wool to be sheared, he sheared it to death!
Other manufacturers with endorsers, including Yadi, were full of regret.
They wished they had added this clause to their contracts, allowing their endorsers to act as salespeople for half a day too!
Selling a lot or a little wasn't important, but it could boost the on-site popularity.
But what they didn't know was that this was actually Tan Jincheng's temporary idea.
Which idiot celebrity would have this clause in their contract?
Whether it could be negotiated depended on your own ability.
It relied on persuasion; as long as you had the ability, someone would always buy into the vision you painted.
Of course, Tan Jincheng wasn't shooting blanks.
Zhontai would definitely have many advertisements to shoot later.
They didn't need to hire an endorser, but occasionally inviting a celebrity to guest star as the protagonist in a commercial was perfectly fine.
However, whether student Xiao Liu and her team could accept Zhontai's reverse engineering operations was not something he could decide or control.
Student Xiao Liu sitting in a Porchesai – just thinking about that scene is a bit exciting, haha.
"You've worked hard, you've worked hard. I guarantee there won't be a next time."
After the event, Tan Jincheng repeatedly comforted student Xiao Liu, who was constantly rubbing her wrist.
In the afternoon, to soothe student Xiao Liu's emotions, Tan Jincheng stayed with her the whole time, helping to hand water, block fans requesting photos, and acting as an assistant.
This work was indeed not easy; most people couldn't really do it.
Just maintaining a smiling face for several hours was difficult enough, not to mention constantly signing autographs.
"I don't believe your guarantee. I'm not completely clueless. Such exhibitions happen once a year. Next year, I'll definitely schedule my April full of work to prevent you from taking advantage."
Before, she thought Brother Chun, as an endorser, not coming to major events was a bit unprofessional, but now it seemed that not coming was the right thing to do!
"That's a bit difficult. Then you'll have to hide for nine years, and that won't be easy to hide from."
Tan Jincheng deliberately scared her.
"When I make money, I'll terminate the contract with you. It's just three times the penalty for breach of contract, isn't it?"
Of course, this was a joke.
No celebrity would easily breach a contract; that would be damaging their own reputation.
At most, they would just be uncooperative with promotions.
"Haha, then you work hard. By then, you'll have worked for me for free for several years. Not only for free, but I'll have made money too."
According to the career path designed for you by your agency, which only has you, your life will not be easy for the next few years.
All kinds of dirt will be thrown at you, and you won't make any professional progress.
Moreover, the film remuneration in the entertainment industry wasn't that exaggerated during those years.
In the era when coal bosses ran rampant, although they had money, they weren't stupid; on the contrary, they were more cunning and better at playing the game than internet capital.
A breach of contract penalty of over 80 million yuan would truly be a lot for you during a low point in your career.
"You two should go back and rest. I'll treat you to a nice dinner tonight. I'll have the staff send those reporters away first."
Exhibitors were leaving the venue in succession, but the reporters were getting ready to surround them.
Tan Jincheng recognized one of them—the entertainment weekly reporter who had tried to take advantage of him before.
Flash Motors Technology's exhibition area today gave these entertainment reporters a big surprise.
Not only did Liu Yifei endorse for a day, responsible for signing, but they also invited Xu Wei.
These were all hot topics.
It would be even better if they could get first-hand information.
Tan Jincheng also thought of this.
He had experience dealing with serious professional media.
In most cases, professional media would not ask random questions; they still had some dignity.
At least for now.
But entertainment reporters were different; they liked to ask gossip questions and even guide you to talk nonsense, and taking things out of context was very common.
One wrong answer could lead to a scandal.
Liu Xiaoli obviously had experience in this area.
Before, due to the crowd of car buyers and the protection of security, reporters couldn't squeeze forward, and even if they did, interviews were not accepted.
Now that the event was over, these reporters would definitely not miss the opportunity.
"GM Tan, you should also find a place to hide. You've been at the venue all afternoon, and they know your identity. They'll probably look for you for interviews."
She wanted her daughter to be close to the financial backer, but Liu Xiaoli still didn't want any scandals to spread, even if the backer was the same age as her daughter.
"Hmm, I know; don't worry, I won't say anything careless. I have a girlfriend, and if it weren't Monday today, I would definitely have brought her along."
Liu Xiaoli smiled,
"Yes, this person is so low-key, how could he allow himself to be entangled in scandals? I was overthinking it."
(End of chapter)