2003: Starting with Foreign Trade

Chapter 271 A succession of happy events
In real business battles, things are harmonious at the level of the boss.

Everyone sat together happily, chatting and drinking, and they also attended meetings organized by higher-ups.

On the 18th, Dong Jinggui and Tan Jincheng attended almost all the meetings together. As a senior colleague, Dong Jinggui also took the initiative to help introduce some industry professionals to Tan Jincheng.

See, it's harmonious when seniors guide juniors, isn't it?

Even though there was direct competition between CD and the Southwest market, their employees resorted to underhanded tactics to compete for advertising resources, such as deflating the tires of each other's vehicles.

But these are things that people either genuinely don't know or pretend not to know; no one will bring them up on their own initiative.

Even when faced with the sudden attack from FlashTech that hit him where it hurt, Zhang Congxun still maintained his composure when dealing with Tan Jincheng.

"If the electric vehicle market before 2006 was in its infancy and development stage, then all the data shows that starting in 2006, with the support of local policies and the rise in people's living standards, the electric vehicle industry will enter a period of explosive growth."

"I hope that in the new year, everyone will compete in an orderly manner, do a good job in quality control, and let the people feel at ease buying the electric vehicles you produce."

Tan Jincheng listened attentively. Unlike the other entrepreneurs present, he had memories of his past life. He could analyze whether the experts were right or wrong by combining his memories of his past life, and thus he was able to better grasp the overall situation.

The expert is probably right. After several years of market cultivation, electric vehicles have benefited from policy support and increased efforts to ban motorcycles.

Another factor is the increase in per capita income, but not to the point where people can afford to buy cars. Electric vehicles are convenient, practical, and cheaper than motorcycles.

Whether viewed from a macro or micro perspective, the electric vehicle market is about to enter a period of explosive growth, which will likely occur this year or next year, as evidenced by the sales figures released by various companies in the first quarter.

Competition is fierce, but the overall sales of each company are rising, which indicates that the market is growing.

"Is he such a serious person? Aren't young people supposed to dislike these kinds of meetings?" Tan Jincheng's attentive listening, and even taking notes, caught the attention of Dong Jinggui next to him.

"I'm new to this industry, so it's always good to learn more," Tan Jincheng replied in a low voice.

"There are plenty of newcomers to the industry, but not many are qualified to attend a meeting like this."

"It's all because the seniors have been accommodating."

Dong Jinggui pursed his lips. He had to admit that this fellow villager was indeed very humble and impeccable in his conduct, but he was also ruthless in business, never hesitating to seize market share.

Starting at the end of last year, electric vehicle brands experienced a collective boom, with thousands of brands appearing on the market. Flash Motors' exclusive celebrity endorsement advantage from last year also disappeared, but they were still able to maintain rapid growth.

In fact, Dong Jinggui really wanted to ask how many cities FlashTech has expanded into, how many stores it has, and how many service outlets it has, but he also knew that he couldn't find out by asking.

Just like Tan Jincheng asked him, he wouldn't tell him. To find out these things, you either have to wait for your competitors to announce them, or you have to investigate the market yourself.

At the same time, the booths at the exhibition were much quieter than yesterday.

FlashTech was better because they held a donation event with the Senior Citizens Association, which attracted more people than other companies. Since the boss was in a meeting, the on-site donation was handled entirely by the assistant, Zhao Xinyi.

A large-scale exhibition can provide a great opportunity for growth. Zhao Xinyi felt that she had improved a lot from this exhibition experience. At least now, the boss can entrust her with donation activities with peace of mind.

However, electric vehicle sales today are far lower than yesterday. Without a fan base, individual car buyers are those with real needs, and these people are much more rational.

But it's already pretty good. FlashTech invested a lot in organizing this exhibition, but yesterday's sales were enough to cover it.

FlashTech invests a significant amount in marketing. Apart from advertising on CCTV, the average advertising cost in county-level markets is about 10 yuan per vehicle, while it is much higher in prefecture-level cities, at about 70 yuan per vehicle.

To reduce marketing costs, boosting sales is the best way, which will spread out more marketing costs. This exhibition is a great opportunity to spread out costs.

There are too many foreign buyers who only look at the quality of your products. Their order volume and prices are also unmatched by the domestic market, and they make money in US dollars.

In order to sell cars, Tan Jincheng promised that no matter who sold a car at the exhibition, they would receive a corresponding commission for each car sold (except for Liu Yifei), and the commission would increase if the number of cars sold exceeded 100.

This led to the exhibition staff working very hard to promote their products; everyone was practically a salesperson. Even Zhao Xinyi, an assistant who didn't have much time, managed to sell two items.

The good news for Flashpoint Technology at this exhibition goes far beyond just sales and on-site popularity. The press releases from several media outlets, such as Times.com, where Tan Jincheng answered questions yesterday have already appeared online.

Print media are also speeding up the process of editing and printing, which shows the efficiency of online media. Before Flash Technology has even launched its large-scale online promotion, these free promotional resources have already been put into use.

Of course, while it's said to be free, it's not entirely free. FlashTech's marketing department will take care of all the necessary travel expenses; otherwise, they wouldn't have needed to rush your draft so quickly.

In addition, it's also important to cooperate with these media outlets in later promotions. Although highly specialized media rarely reach ordinary consumers, they possess unique authority within the industry, making it essential to maintain good relationships with them. After the morning meeting, Tan Jincheng, who is always attentive to public opinion, saw photos of the Fengchi Guanneng series on the Times website with the headline "FlashTech's New Product Exposed for the First Time!"

The accompanying text did not disclose the price of the Crown Energy, but it was full of praise, especially for its design, which was described as surpassing its competitors and establishing the design style of the Flash Spur.

"The publicity campaign may have started. In addition to the original publicity plan, we will also promote the name of Guanneng and promote it as a gift to the Olympics."

After seeing the article on Times.com, Tan Jincheng quickly issued orders to Zhou Ao, who was left behind in Beicang.

The internal management system responded quickly, and Zhou Ao replied shortly afterward, "Received!"

"Also, try to find connections to contact Jay Chou and Kobe's agents, see who can get in touch and submit the Guanneng spokesperson proposal."

"Wow! Boss, is this for real? I love Kobe so much! Sign Kobe, sign Kobe! Stop looking for Zhou the Stutterer!" Zhou Ao replied excitedly.

"Stop talking nonsense. You're a mid-level manager in FlashTech's PR department now. If this gets out, it will affect the company. If you can be 100% sure you've signed Kobe, then you don't need to contact Jay Chou. Otherwise, do as I say."

"Okay, okay, I was wrong. I got too excited. I'll be more careful in the future."

"Once you know, get on it. Be quick. Whoever you've contacted and who's interested, spread the word immediately."

"Huh? Why the rush? If we release information before the contract is signed, we'll be in a very passive position, and we might have to spend even more money."

"Just do as I say, don't ask so many questions."

"Okay, I understand. But boss, can I have a little personal motive? That is, to do everything possible to sign Kobe."

"You are allowed to have this selfish motive, but it must not delay things."

"Understood! Thank you, boss." Zhou Ao jumped up from his seat happily. That was Kobe Bryant! The company actually wanted to sign him as a spokesperson!
But why is the boss in such a hurry? Leaving rumors before signing a contract clearly gives the other party room to raise the price.

"Who says that just because we've made a claim, we have to sign a contract? If they really ask for too much money, we'll just say that we regret we couldn't sign a contract because of a conflict in commercial value."

When Zhao Xinyi asked the same question, Tan Jincheng explained with an air of arrogance.

"Can this still happen?"

This tactic would be considered outrageous or even shameless by today's standards, but it's nothing new in later generations. It's just playing with fans, and businesses and celebrities in later generations have mastered it.

The reason I'm in such a hurry is actually because of something Dong Jinggui casually mentioned today.

Dong Jinggui shared with Tan Jincheng the amusing story of him and Zhang Congxun watching the FlashCheer booth yesterday. Zhang Congxun said bitterly that what they lacked was a spokesperson, and this time they must find a heavyweight spokesperson to revitalize FlashCheer and Yadi.

Dong Jinggui's casual remark immediately reminded Tan Jincheng of Brother Long.

Although this guy is often criticized in the endorsement industry for his tendency to cause every endorsement to go bankrupt, that hasn't happened yet. Back in the early 2000s, Brother Long's influence was incredibly strong, and he was also one of the Olympic Games ambassadors.

An endorsement by a super popular international superstar would significantly enhance Xinri's brand image, and might even influence the selection of the official electric vehicle for the Olympics.

Tan Jincheng, who was also determined to become the official vehicle for the Olympics, immediately realized the crisis.

I've already taken almost 99 steps; I can't afford to give up on the last one.

You have an international superstar endorsement, so I need to find a spokesperson who is just as famous, popular, and influential as you. At the very least, the gap between us can't be too obvious.

The names Yao Ming, Liu Xiang, Jay Chou, and Kobe Bryant quickly came to mind.

These four people are the most influential people that Tan Jincheng can think of. It seems that they have no say in the first two endorsements and have to contact the General Administration of Sport, which is a very complicated process. In fact, this applies to all athletes in the national team.

Furthermore, FlashTech's advertising is not too excessive. After all, it's their own athlete, and if the advertising language is too over the top, it will easily be criticized.

The latter two don't have that concern. Jay Chou, as CCTV's "son," has undeniable influence, and his status as a singer makes it easier to promote himself. As for Kobe, he's an international superstar with immense popularity, and in this global village era, he doesn't need to worry about being criticized.

After figuring it out, Tan Jincheng left quickly, saying "Thank you, brother," leaving Dong Jinggui completely bewildered.

"What did I say? You're just thanking me?"

(End of this chapter)