Who said this top flow is crazy! This top flow is awesome!

Chapter 434 The Dior Contest
The atmosphere inside was rather quiet. The four-character actor and his agent stared at each other for a while before someone suddenly asked, "Then...then...what about the brand?"

"Ikeno suddenly made an official announcement; has the brand not reacted yet?"

"He has so many top luxury brand endorsements and fashion resources..."

"Yes, yes, what about the brand?"

The words were like a wake-up call. The four-character name and his agent also realized what was going on. The latter looked at the person who spoke, and sure enough, it was the senior executive in charge of endorsements within the team.

The executive looked at the two of them and said, “I’ve already contacted someone to ask. The incident happened so suddenly that many brands haven’t even had a chance to react yet, but that doesn’t stop us from taking the initiative. What I mean is, this is the time when we are most likely to be the first to get the ‘legacy’.”

They can't control the fans, they can't interfere with public opinion for the time being, and they don't even know whether the final outcome will be good or bad.

After all, from Chi Ye's perspective, he is no longer afraid of losing fans after the official announcement, because he is not an ordinary traffic star or top star, but has already formed his own capital and completed a leap in status.

In this situation, as long as he doesn't actually cross any legal boundaries, he can comfortably continue developing his career. The number of fans he has is only up to him and doesn't matter to the bigger picture.

However, the situation is quite different for brands and many endorsers. The reason why these brands and endorsers value Ikeno is that almost 99% of the manufacturers are drawn to his massive online following.

Now that Ikeno has made an official announcement, regardless of the outcome, his popularity will decline. Countless historical experiences and lessons have taught brands that an official announcement is tantamount to a collapse.

If that's the case, all those coveted luxury brands and endorsements that Chi Ye used to have are like a big cake, and whoever makes the first move will probably grab it.

—Most brands are probably in a hurry right now.

Singles' Day is almost here!

All the marketing and promotional plans that were originally set may have to be scrapped.

……

Zhang Mengmeng's company is in a real hurry. The meeting ultimately failed to take place because Chi Ye's official announcement was the biggest "meeting" for their company. How should they deal with this announcement?

Will the company continue to have Ikeno endorse its products?
After the official announcement, will Ikeno's fans still have the same overwhelming purchasing power as before?
In addition, will they continue to seek contract renewal from Ikeno?

They used to beg Ikeno to see them, but now…

"I think we need to prepare for the worst. For traffic stars, especially those of this level, making an official announcement is tantamount to suicide. Everyone, the issue now is not whether the contract can be renewed, but how to cut ties and how to find a new spokesperson."

At the meeting, a senior executive in charge of sales spoke with a firm voice, his face extremely grim. This was because Ikeno's official announcement was very sudden. It wasn't that he deliberately didn't tell the brand, but rather that if he did, the brand would try their best to stop him, and if they couldn't, it might cause other problems.

However, Coconut has revealed information about its closest partners, but it is still unknown how they will choose.

"But he's not a popular celebrity."

The person sitting at the top side is the company's second-in-command. He was supposed to be on a business trip today, but his trip was disrupted at the last minute, and he rushed to the meeting.

At this moment, he frowned and said, "Ikeno is different. Everyone says he is a top-tier idol, but in reality, his works are very solid. Compared to traffic and idols, he is more like an actor and artist."

"I agree with that, but what does that have to do with us?"

Another executive spoke up. He was the third-in-command and tapped the table: "His own career won't be affected. He's an actor, but after this incident, his popularity will definitely decrease. So what's the point of us looking for him again?"

"Furthermore, I want to remind everyone that in all these years in the entertainment industry, there has never been a celebrity who has been able to maintain their fan base after officially announcing their relationship. The most direct result is that the person will disappear. Chi Ye may not disappear, but he will definitely not be as resilient as before."

"...My suggestion is..."

Just then, the meeting door was pushed open, and the head of the foreign company's branch office hurried in. Everyone immediately stood up and looked at him: "General Manager Wang."

"Hello, Mr. Wang!"

"Mr. Wang, what brings you here..."

With a calm expression, President Wang strode briskly to the empty chair at the top of the table, then looked at everyone and said, "Enough with the small talk, Lin Yangqianrui's management team just contacted me."

Everyone was stunned.

"...This year's Double Eleven event was originally planned with Ikeno cooperating with us, but obviously, that won't work now. Besides Ikeno, the four-character name is the most suitable artist..."

The third-in-command reacted quickly, nodding in agreement: "I think we can get in touch with the fourth-character."

"Move quickly."

Mr. Wang acted swiftly and decisively, without any unnecessary words: "Other brands probably have the same idea as us. If we can come up with four words, why can't others?"

"Ikeno has fallen, and there are only a few artists on the market who are best suited to be his replacements. If we don't act quickly enough, we'll miss the best opportunity."

"understand!"

……

Mr. Wang from the foreign company is right. At the same time, several other large factories and companies also held emergency meetings.

The four-character team really acted quickly. Their reputation is well-deserved. They've managed to elevate him from a former boy band member to his current position. It's not as stupid as outsiders think.
They identified the biggest opportunity right now after Ikeno's official announcement, and the immediate benefit they could gain—endorsements and fashion resources.

Because of their status, there aren't many who can compete with the four-character name in this regard. Apart from Zhu Yaolin, there are only a few newly promoted top stars such as Xiao Zhan, Chu Hanzhou, and Tao Cheng.

In addition, female top stars are of course included, but most of Ikeno's endorsements are the most suitable for male top stars, otherwise the brands would not have chosen him in the first place.

Only the top luxury brands, such as Dior, hire global brand ambassadors. Each luxury brand can only have one ambassador of this caliber, regardless of gender. Therefore, many top female celebrities have also started to consider this option.

And once the thought arises, it is difficult to control, just like a wolf seeing a piece of meat, driven by the instinctive plundering and greed within its own territory.

……

Dior China Headquarters.

The Dior executive who had maintained close communication with Ikeno and was instrumental in bringing all of this together was now lighting a cigarette, staring at the scenery outside the window, and remaining silent.

Should we issue a statement?

The secretary standing beside him bowed and asked softly after a long while, "Many people are watching us. Taobao and JD.com have also called to ask if we need to change our personnel."

This year, Chi Ye is the chief spokesperson for JD.com's Double Eleven shopping festival, while during the 618 shopping festival, she was the global spokesperson for Taobao and Tmall's events.

These are all short-term events, but they pay well and the brands are stable enough, so after Ikeno became famous, she received these offers almost every year.

There are many similar top-tier resources. Insiders have jokingly said that this is not Singles' Day, but a competition to grab Ikeno.

This rule lasted for several years, and this year, it was thought that things would be the same as in previous years, but unexpectedly, this happened.

JD.com has now decided to replace Ikeno as its brand ambassador. This decision wasn't difficult; compared to other manufacturers who were completely clueless, they clearly had more direct data. Many Ikeno fans experienced very negative results from various big data analyses after the outburst, so JD.com immediately notified the major manufacturers involved in this year's Double Eleven shopping festival after making its decision.

Dior is undoubtedly the ultimate luxury brand, so it's only right to inform them.

While Tmall couldn't compete with JD.com this time, Dior also had a promotion, and Ikeno will still appear, so...

"If both JD.com and Tmall are saying this, then the situation is indeed not optimistic based on big data."

The secretary offered a professional assessment: "This is currently a huge challenge for Dior as well."

Dior and Ikeno are too deeply intertwined.

While other brands may have options or be able to respond quickly, Dior is undoubtedly in a much more cautious and awkward position.

Although they had received news of Ikeno himself beforehand, when the time came, they still felt flustered—mainly because they were very conflicted!

Indecisiveness wastes time, and hesitation leads to failure. The person in charge now feels like he has become an indecisive old woman.

Do you think we should also sever ties with Ikeno?

The person in charge finally spoke. The secretary was taken aback, lowered her head and thought for a moment, but still didn't say anything.

The person in charge turned and glanced at him: "Do you think it can be cut open?"

Can it be cut open?

If Dior wanted to, he obviously could; it's that simple.

On the other hand, regarding Dior's "sunk capital," they were among the true "ironclad friends" of Ikeno, betting on him when Ikeno's "Circle" was just gaining momentum.

As it turned out, Dior's gamble on this opportunity led to an unprecedented boost in its business and the brand's influence and prestige in the high-end market over the following years.

Especially in the Asian market, they are absolutely dominating other top luxury brands.

Never underestimate Ikeno's influence in the high-end market. There are too many wealthy people in China, too many wealthy people all over the world, and too many wealthy people, especially women, like Ikeno.

Following The Martian, this influence spread directly from Asia to the entire world.

After being nominated for an Oscar, Ikeno, Dior's global brand ambassador, truly lived up to her title, gaining widespread admiration even across the ocean.

During the most difficult stages of Ikeno's career, even when he was on the verge of death, Dio never wavered.

So now, are they going to waver?

After all, considering the lifespan of top celebrities and their spokespeople, what used to be called "related to life and death" is now, to some extent, the "grand finale," as they approach the end of their lives.

Should we continue to "persist"?

The person in charge was also confused. He had previously sent an email to headquarters, but the response he received was unexpected, telling him to consider it himself.

It was only then that he realized that the environment in the West was completely different from that in China, and that it was normal for celebrities to make official announcements. In their view, perhaps years of accumulation had made them used to believing in Chi Ye.

The deep association between the name Ikeno and Dior truly represents the "face" and image of Dior, the top luxury brand.

"Has there been any update from Coconut?"

"I asked before, and it hasn't... um... arrived yet."

The secretary glanced down, noticed the caller ID, and quickly answered, "Hello? Um... okay... well, we'll think about it."

After saying that, he hung up the phone, his face hesitant.

"what happened?"

"It was Coco who called. She said..."

……

More than ten brands chose to sever ties with Ikeno and suspend their contracts. Suddenly, artists like Four Characters, Zhu Yaolin, and Xiao Zhan were inundated with visitors, with their studios lining up to receive "Ikeno refugees."

The news broke shortly afterward, and once it gained traction, it spread throughout the industry and beyond.

Several major daily necessities manufacturers that had previously collaborated with the company were so eager to sever ties that they even issued statements directly on Douyin (TikTok), which is unprecedented, as people usually stir up trouble on Weibo.

However, the current environment simply doesn't allow it. Weibo hasn't recovered yet, and I heard that CEO Jia was so angry that he ended up in the hospital today, which is quite a new record in the Chinese entertainment industry.

At the same time, Chi Ye helped his colleagues in the industry vent their anger. After all, they usually only get backstabbed on Weibo, but Chi Ye's actions were much more satisfying. He not only crashed Weibo's servers for a long time, but also sent Jia Zong to the hospital. It was truly a spectacle in the Chinese entertainment industry.

"Bingbing, Bingbing, have you heard? Chi Ye lost more than ten endorsements in just one hour. This is a really big deal!"

At an event, Ling Bingbing had just finished filming when she noticed a group of people around her scrolling through their phones. She was relatively out of touch with the news because she had been filming in seclusion recently. The atmosphere on set was good, and the main creative team was very focused.

Today was clearly an exception; she received the news late.

But it was only a delay; it didn't mean she hadn't guessed beforehand. It was something she had thought about long ago, but she just hadn't expected it to happen so quickly.

"It's been officially announced?"

"You knew already?"

The director was shocked: "I didn't see you using your phone just now."

"Oh, it's nothing, I've heard about it before."

director:"?"

The way he looked at Ling Bingbing immediately changed.

The second female lead, who had spoken first, asked with great interest, "Do you think... Dior might cut ties with Ikeno?"

"I've heard that everyone's eyes are on Dio right now. That's the biggest prize he's after, but Dio's reaction is too slow; he hasn't responded yet."

"Dior probably wouldn't do that. They've been deeply tied to Ikeno for a long time, I heard they signed a long-term contract, which is unprecedented among top luxury brands. Cutting ties now would be bad for both sides."

"There's no such thing as both sides being at a disadvantage; it's only at a disadvantage for Ikeno. Dior is a manufacturer, and with Ikeno having such a large following, announcing her relationship, they definitely have to cut their losses in time."

(End of this chapter)