2003: Starting with Foreign Trade

Chapter 276 Destiny is in your own hands

April 25th, 10:30 AM.

The RM lobby press conference hall was packed. Brother Long, who was half an hour late, appeared in front of a group of media accompanied by the chairman of Xinri Group.

Although he was half an hour late, the media seemed to be used to it. In the entertainment industry, being late is commonplace, and there's a feeling that the longer someone is late, the higher their status.

Brother Long walked into the venue with a relaxed expression, smiling and waving to reporters and fans who had drawn lots to attend the ceremony, which drew endless cheers from the fans and a frenzy of flashes from the cameras.

A simple endorsement press conference can attract dozens of media outlets, including print and photojournalists, not including the media arranged by Zhang Congxun in advance.

"Wow, this is really popular! Mr. Zhang is really generous," Tan Jincheng remarked with admiration.

Even though Brother Long is known in later generations for his endorsements causing companies to go bankrupt, you have to admit that in this era, his popularity alone is enough to influence the growth and rise of an unknown company.

Before its halo faded, its box office performance, industry standing, and status in the hearts of movie fans were unparalleled.

"Old Zhang ambushed us; I didn't expect him to unleash such a powerful move," Dong Jinggui said sourly.

Hearing that the two had come to the capital, Zhang Congxun invited them to attend the ceremony. There was a hint of smugness in his invitation, as he said that these days, their own brand ambassadors were the worst, barely better than those no-name brands, and even worse than some of them.

To put it simply, an electric scooter company called Bidevin has been spreading rumors that it's preparing to sign a contract with Andy Lau. You could say their girl group is Lala.

"Yeah, to actually choose to hold a press conference here, that's amazing. How did Mr. Zhang manage to do that?" Tan Jincheng didn't seem too concerned; he had a backup plan.

"Actually, it's not that complicated. You just need to make an appointment in advance. Apart from a few more requirements, it doesn't cost much." Dong Jinggui then explained the ins and outs to Tan Jincheng.

The hall has eight exhibition halls that can be rented out, including the press hall. Apart from having more rules and needing to make reservations in advance, the cost is actually quite reasonable.

"Oh, so all those celebrities who boasted about holding concerts in the auditorium were just bragging?" Tan Jincheng chuckled.

I had heard some things about it in my previous life, but I didn't pay much attention to it and didn't know much about the ins and outs.

To be honest, holding a concert in the Hong Kong Concert Hall is much simpler than holding one in the Hong Kong Coliseum, which is not a place that just anyone can hold.

"That's right, it's just a publicity stunt, and now Old Zhang is using it too."

Dong Jinggui also smiled and said, but then asked Tan Jincheng curiously, "No, Lao Zhang is holding a press conference at this time, which is obviously aimed at the Olympic Games selection. Brother Long's influence is still very strong. Why don't you seem to be in a hurry at all?"

"Why should I be in a hurry? It's no use being in a hurry. Can I go on stage and snatch his pen?" Tan Jincheng shrugged.

"So you don't have any way to deal with this at all?"

"What can I do? I can't bring Bruce Lee over, he's an international superstar. Besides, I believe my design is the best so far, and I also believe the team members will consider things fairly. I need to go find Brother Cheng to take a picture with him and get his autograph later. Are you coming?"

"If you dare to go, I dare to go. What's there to be afraid of?" Dong Jinggui said speechlessly.

"I can get a few more autographed photos then. My dad really likes watching his movies, so I'll get one for him too, hehe."

Tan Jincheng's attitude really baffled Dong Jinggui. As the first electric vehicle company in the industry to sign a spokesperson, he didn't believe that Tan Jincheng didn't understand what it meant for Brother Long to endorse Xinri.

The Guanneng series currently does not have a brand ambassador, and its brand influence is certainly not as good as the Xinri high-end series endorsed by Brother Long. As a large-scale event that attracts global attention, the organizing committee will certainly adhere to the principles of fairness and impartiality, but at the same time, it will also take brand influence into consideration.

Flash made so many preparations in the early stages, boasting about its sales and showcasing the yet-to-be-mass-produced Crown Energy series at the Shanghai exhibition. Then, it launched a large-scale promotional campaign under the guise of a gift to the Olympics.

All of this was clearly prepared by someone with discerning eyes for the design proposal on the 28th, but it was thwarted by the spokesperson of Xinriyong a few days before the official announcement.

But now there's no response at all, and they even want to ask the spokesperson of a competitor for an autograph?

That's a bit unreasonable, isn't it?

In fact, after the design schemes of various companies were announced, the most popular ones online were Xinri and Fengchi Guanneng series. Xinri is based on its reputation in high-end models, while Guanneng has the meaning of catching up.

There are only a few thousand vehicles for the Olympics. With FlashTech's current strength and more than two years until the official delivery for the Olympics, FlashTech is fully capable of taking on this sponsorship and competing with ChipSun.

"Don't worry, Mr. Zhang has connections, and I'm not without support either." Seeing Dong Jinggui's puzzled look, Tan Jincheng offered a small hint. The 08 Olympics was a grand event eagerly anticipated by the entire nation. As a domestic brand sponsor, FlashTech naturally couldn't even dream of becoming a top-tier sponsor like a global partner of the Olympics or a partner of the Beijing Olympics.

The reason is simple: we can't afford it. The threshold for becoming a global partner is US$6500 million, which is more than RMB 5 million, while the threshold for becoming a partner of the Beijing Olympics is RMB 3 million.

Even for sponsors of the Beijing Olympics, the threshold of 1.3 million yuan was unaffordable for FlashTech.

FlashTech is aiming for the fourth-tier sponsorship, which is an exclusive supplier position; well, they can afford that, with a threshold fee of 4100 million yuan. As for the lowest-tier ordinary supplier, 1600 million yuan is cheap, but meaningless.

If you're going to get funding, get exclusive supplier funding; otherwise, it'll be completely ineffective.

"Oh, you mean the Beicang District Government or the Ningbo City Government?" Dong Jinggui immediately understood.

The reason he seemed so indifferent to this design proposal was because the local government of Xishan District supported Xinri. Otherwise, do you think he didn't want to give it a try?

Olympic brand sponsorship is not only a way for companies to enhance themselves, but also an opportunity for local governments to showcase themselves. Zhang Congxun's activities will naturally be accompanied by Tan Jincheng's activities as well.

When Tan Jincheng expressed his intention to participate in the Olympic Games design competition, the district was very supportive.

Compared to the fierce competition between Xinri and Yadi in Xishan District, FlashTech stands out in Beicang District. As long as FlashTech demonstrates its capabilities and is shortlisted, Beicang District will do its utmost to support it.

"Yes, I'm not afraid of what comes next. I believe Mr. Zhang will compete fairly and squarely. As for the rest, let fate decide. There's no need to worry about gains and losses."

Upon hearing this, Dong Jinggui remained silent for a long while before finally speaking, "I didn't expect that a young person like you would think so clearly; indeed, it's good that you've done your best."
-
Fate? Of course, it's best to have it in your own hands!
Tan Jincheng used the same tactic he used when inviting Xu Wei to a commercial performance last time. After getting Jay Chou's contact information, he used the song "Galan Rain" to pry open his mouth.

It's said that songwriters have a habit of writing songs in advance and releasing them two years later. Tan Jincheng doesn't know if it's true or not, but he really wouldn't dare to take the risk of using classics like "Compendium of Materia Medica," "Blue and White Porcelain," and "Preface to the Orchid Pavilion."

So he chose a song that was released around 2010, four years later, called "Galan Rain," also known as "Fireworks Fade Easily." Tan Jincheng himself liked this song quite a bit in his previous life.

Four years apart shouldn't be a big problem, right?

He couldn't compose music, but he remembered the lyrics to this song he liked. As for whether he remembered them correctly, he didn't care. As long as he could remember them roughly, he would give them to Old Fang to fix.

As for the music, it seems he composed it himself; they'll figure something out.

The main selling point is that it's unprofessional; any bait will do.

Sure enough, by the time he sent it that night, it was already past midnight, and Tan Jincheng received a response: "Hey, not bad! How did you come up with these words? What kind of background would lead you to these words?"

"I also do some advertising planning. When I was promoting our Flash Electric Vehicles in Luoyang, I thought of some things from ancient times and just wrote them down. What do you think? Can they be used as lyrics? By the way, I'm a fan of yours, a real fan!"

"Why emphasize that they are real fans? Is there a reason behind it?"

"Oh, that's not important. What do you think? Is it okay? If it is, I'll give it to you, provided that you accept the endorsement contract for our company's Guanneng series products."

"That's true, I like the word too, but there are still some parts that need to be changed."

"If you want to change it, just find someone to do it. I don't mind. Consider this my sincerity."

"Haha, that's quite a show of sincerity. I already have a rough idea for the song, and I feel like it could be a hit. I'll look into your company's products tomorrow, and if there are no problems, I can be a spokesperson, but my endorsement fee isn't cheap."

"The product is definitely fine. Our product has participated in the Olympic design competition and has been shortlisted. It is currently very popular online. You can check it out online. In addition, our company has two other spokespeople. If you know them, you can also learn about the reputation of our company's products through their connections."

"As for the endorsement fee not being cheap, then you can lower it a bit. Considering how sincere I am, of course I won't ask you to lower it too much. Just give me your normal quote, as long as you don't rip us off. As a fan, I respect your commercial value."

"Okay, I'll talk to my agent tomorrow and discuss the lyrics with Vincent Fang. Don't worry, if I actually sing it, I'll add your name to the lyrics and co-sign it with Vincent Fang."

As the creator, he knows the quality of a song, and this song is similar to several songs in his album which he plans to release in September this year, all of which belong to the Chinese style and ancient rhythm.

If added to an album, it wouldn't seem out of place; in fact, it could even enhance the album.

"Wouldn't I become famous then? Haha, but compared to that, I'd much rather you sign a contract with us."

Tan Jincheng didn't say anything about refusing. Although it was a bit shameless to become famous by taking other people's things, he was already reborn, so why should he care?
Rebirth is the greatest shamelessness!
(End of this chapter)