2003: Starting with Foreign Trade

Chapter 258 "A Young Person's First SUV!"

Ying Jianren felt a little regretful for not being able to gain relative control, but that was all he felt was regret.

In the absence of a dual-class share structure, the percentage of shares with absolute control is 67%, the percentage of shares with relative control is 51%, and the percentage of shares with secure control is 34%.

Ying Jianren did not obtain a proportionate control, but he did have operational rights and safety control over the branch companies.

He wasn't worried that the other party, who owned 41% of the shares in Beicang District, would directly seize control of his company. No local government would do that during the investment promotion process; it would damage their reputation.

This might be done in inland areas with poor business environments, but it's unlikely to happen in coastal areas unless your company is experiencing operational problems and the other party arranges a replacement for you out of consideration for stability.

Clearly, Xinchi Intelligent, holding a 10% stake, is the backup plan arranged by Beicang District.

However, at present, it does not threaten Zhongtai's control. First of all, Xinchi does not have the capability to manufacture cars. If it did, with the necessary automotive qualifications, it could have started its own business without having to come to us.

Beicang District was aware of this, Tan Jincheng was aware of this, and Ying Jianren was naturally aware of this as well.

Therefore, Ying Jianren does not need to worry about losing control of the Beicang branch for the time being. For him now, having obtained the production license, the most important thing is to do a good job in the market promotion of Zhongtai 001 and get consumers to accept this model.

At this point, he and Wu Jianzhong really didn't have the energy to worry about the equity of a branch company, and they could only accept the potential risks in the future.

Moreover, the current situation is very favorable to them. Although the production qualification is valued at 4000 million yuan, they do not need to pay a penny. They have also received an investment of 3 million yuan from the Beicang District Government, including land resources and cash.

A total investment of 3 million yuan is not small. In addition, there are a series of policy incentives, such as tax breaks and bank loans. By leveraging these factors, it is enough to build a new car factory and start a brand new production line.

For car manufacturers, having several hundred million yuan, plus support from the local government and favorable policies, is enough to get started. While the investment in car manufacturing is huge, the initial capital doesn't need to be particularly large. Back then, Chery started with just a few hundred thousand yuan.

Money is certainly important for car manufacturers, but this investment is ongoing and doesn't need to be a one-time thing. Instead, technical talent is what car manufacturers should focus on more. The reason why Zhongtai was able to replicate a small SUV so quickly is because they have an experienced R&D team.

These all come from the engineering team in Taiwan, who have extensive experience in car manufacturing. Without these people, you couldn't replicate them even if you had the money.

Tan Jincheng dared not start manufacturing cars at this time not only because of insufficient funds, but also because he lacked connections in the automotive industry and could not find a reliable and trustworthy R&D team.

Unfortunately, if he had been reborn earlier and made his fortune before Andar went bankrupt in 2003, Tan Jincheng might have dared to take over Yicheng Automobile Factory. Even if their technical foundation was weak, it would still be better than having nothing at all.

But that's nonsense. Before 2003, Tan Jincheng was still in high school and a minor, so being reborn wouldn't make any difference.

A high school student who is still a minor tells his parents that he is not going to study anymore, that he wants to go into business, and that he wants to build cars? He'll get slapped twice first.

"Sigh, the rebirth wasn't thorough enough. If only it were like in online novels, with a system that came with it, so I could get some blueprints and stuff. If that were the case, I could not only build cars, but I could even dream of building lithography machines!"

"President Tan, President Tan, wake up, what are you thinking about?" Tan Jincheng, who had been lost in thought once again, was pulled back to reality by Ying Jianren's voice.

Ying Jianren waved his arms in front of Tan Jincheng, looking at him with a puzzled expression.

Coming to his senses, Tan Jincheng smiled and said to Ying Jianren, "Ah, it's nothing, I was just a little distracted. I guess I've entered the car manufacturing industry and fulfilled another dream of a man, Mr. Ying?"

"Of course you count. Compared to your peers, Mr. Tan, you're almost an entire generation ahead, both in terms of wealth and achievements," Ying Jianren said with a sigh.

If there is one winner in this tripartite cooperation, it must be the young man who was just in a daze. He only paid for a birth certificate and got 10% of the shares of a car manufacturer with a registered capital of 4 million yuan.

Ying Jianren had no interest in investigating how he obtained the birth permit or how much it cost. The cooperation had been reached, and he wouldn't do something so meaningless.

"I am very grateful for Mr. Ying's guidance. Please do not hesitate to teach me if there is anything I do not understand in the future," Tan Jincheng replied humbly.

“Sure, Mr. Tan, you can come to Yongkang often in the future. I will also go to Beicang when I have time, and we can exchange ideas then.” Ying Jianren responded readily.

Today is the fourth day since Tan Jincheng and his group arrived in Yongkang. Ying Jianren has come to appreciate this humble young man. Over the past few days, Tan Jincheng has impressed Ying Jianren as shrewd in business but remarkably clean in his private life. Yes, clean; no other word seems to adequately describe this young man.

You can't see any bad habits in him. He is also very sincere. If he doesn't understand something, whether it's his team or his own side, he will ask questions without any shame.

You can't see any of the shyness or pretense of knowledge that young people usually talk about in him.

He's good-looking, polite, smart, and loves learning. From an elder's perspective, he genuinely likes this young man. It's a pity he doesn't have a daughter; otherwise, even if the elder had a girlfriend, he would still try to steal her away.

He just has a very low alcohol tolerance.

"Don't think about it too much. Today is a happy day. Let's go, the signing and press conference is about to begin." Ying Jianren patted Tan Jincheng on the shoulder and said.

The company is collaborating with the local government to build a branch factory, with a registered capital of 4 million yuan alone, not to mention the substantial investment. Such an important event naturally warrants a press conference, and the company can also leverage the media to promote its upcoming product, Zhongtai2008.

Oh, this name was chosen by Tan Jincheng, because he made the first model of Dezhongtai to be launched called 2008. Although he didn't understand why a car launched in 2006 would be called 2008, Tan Jincheng still suggested it with a slightly wicked sense of humor.

The explanation given was that 2008 was an Olympic year, and it coincided with the Olympics.

Whether it was Tan Jincheng's fabrication that had an effect, or whether Ying Jianren and Wu Jianzhong had truly intended this when they named their child in their previous lives, the two immediately agreed after hearing Tan Jincheng's explanation.

And the decision to include such a slogan in advertising has truly baffled Tan Jincheng.

In addition, Ying Jianren knew that Tan Jincheng was good at marketing, so he wanted Tan Jincheng to help him think of a publicity plan for the company's listing in 2008, and even asked if they should hire a spokesperson.

For small-displacement SUVs with 1.3L and 1.5L engines, priced at just over 4 to 6 yuan, why bother hiring a spokesperson? Car endorsements are different from electric vehicle endorsements. In Tan Jincheng's view, the role of car spokespeople is not as significant as one might imagine.

An electric scooter costs a few thousand yuan. Fans will choose the brand endorsed by their favorite celebrity based on their actual needs, and the difference between the two will not be significant.

However, most car buyers are quite rational. For them, who often spend tens of thousands of yuan or more, buying a car is as important as buying a house. They will compare various options and may even need to consult with their whole family. Celebrity endorsements don't really have much effect.

Tan Jincheng does not recommend celebrity endorsements. He suggests saving the endorsement fees and investing in higher-quality advertising and promotion, which would be more cost-effective. Regarding advertising and promotion, Tan Jincheng recommends focusing on economical, practical, fashionable, casual, and cost-effective options.

In addition, the 2008 model comes in a variety of colors. Tan Jincheng also suggested promoting it from the perspective of young people, emphasizing a youthful, fashionable, personalized, and diverse image to attract young consumers.

"For young people's first SUV, you can try this slogan; I think it should be effective." Tan Jincheng finally came up with this slogan.

Years later, a marketing genius in the mobile phone industry will use "the first smartphone for young people" to promote his brand. Tan Jincheng borrows it a few years in advance to promote the highly cost-effective Zhongtai 2008 small SUV. Isn't that reasonable?
He did not refuse Ying Jianren's request. In terms of marketing, Tan Jincheng brought his experience from the previous generation, coupled with the success of Flashspeed's promotion, so he was indeed quite confident.

Based on the idea of ​​win-win cooperation, Tan Jincheng genuinely hoped that under his influence, Zhongtai would sell better and have a smoother path, so that Ying Jianren wouldn't give up and try to cash out.

Tan Jincheng has no plans to make traditional gasoline-powered cars. The better Zhongtai develops, the more beneficial it will be for him. In the future, it will be easier for him to start a new energy vehicle business.

Tan Jincheng, from the future, is not afraid of competition. On the contrary, he is more willing to see the domestic car market flourish. He believes that affordable models like Zhongtai will be welcomed by the market as long as the quality issues are resolved and the company takes a steady and pragmatic approach.

Chery, which focuses on independent research and development, has brought down the high prices of joint venture brands. Geely and BYD's follow-up research and development and investment have finally given domestic cars a place in the gasoline car market.

If Zhongtai follows in the footsteps of these pioneers, step by step, instead of blindly copying them, its fate might truly change.

"A young person's first SUV? This is great, this is great!" Ying Jianren's eyes lit up and he shouted.

Others, including Wu Jianzhong and the people from Beicang, applauded after carefully considering the advertisement. As expected of someone who started in marketing, they had captured the consumer group with a simple advertising slogan.

Cultivating young consumers and making them remember and recognize the brand has always been what Tan Jincheng did with FlashTech, and now he's just applying it to Zhongtai2008.

At the request of group members, an extra chapter has been added. Today's chapter count is over 9000.
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(End of this chapter)