Rebirth in Hong Kong: From Dessert Shop to Industrial Empire

Chapter 131 Nights of Missing You (Third update of 10,000 words per day, please vote with monthly tickets and recommendations, and please continue reading)

The old Chinese medicine practitioners who relied on "family secret recipes" were rejected.

Chen Bingwen instructed Li Ming to find professors in the fields of food science and nutrition at the University of Tokyo or Waseda University, preferably those with some public recognition and an approachable image.

Produce several short 'health tips' videos, each about 5 minutes long.

The topics revolve around 'water and electrolyte loss under the pace of modern life', 'scientific recovery after exercise', and 'how to maintain energy when working late at night'.

Have the experts explain the principles in simple language, and then naturally lead to the point that there are already convenient drinks on the market developed based on these principles.

There's not even a need to mention the product name "Pulse," because the promotional video will naturally be preceded by an advertisement for Pulse.

Finally, Chen Bingwen specifically emphasized that it must be made into a short popular science article, not an advertisement.

In my previous life, Chinese television stations were filled with people wearing white coats and claiming to be "experts" late at night.

They confidently promoted various "miracle drugs" that could cure all diseases, including oral liquids, health products, plasters, and tonics. Their methods were crude but consistently effective, ultimately damaging the credibility of the entire industry.

Unlike domestic audiences who only became deeply affected by false advertising after television became widespread in the 1990s.

By this time, Japanese consumers had already experienced the harm caused by false advertising.

Having experienced the bombardment of exaggerated advertising during the period of rapid economic growth in the 1960s and 70s, Japanese consumers have long since developed a discerning eye.

People generally hold a high degree of vigilance and scrutiny towards endorsements from "experts" and claims of "miraculous effects."

The simplistic and crude approach of linking products to "ancestral secret recipes" or "cures for all diseases" will not only fail to work here, but will also immediately arouse resentment and skepticism, and may even attract strict scrutiny from the Consumer Affairs Agency and the Fair Trade Commission.

This is why Chen Bingwen so resolutely rejected the kind of advertising model that would become popular in China in the future, which would overdraw trust, and instead chose the "science popularization" path that was more in line with the characteristics of the Japanese market.

This is not merely a matter of moral fastidiousness, but rather a precise calculation based on the real-world environment.

Only sincerity and professionalism can build sustainable trust in this market, and trust is a brand's most valuable asset.

The time slot from 11 PM to 1 AM the next day is always considered a garbage time slot for television stations.

Upon receiving the proposal, the advertising manager of the Japanese television station was both surprised and delighted. He immediately offered to allocate the best late-night drama slots and special program sponsorships and promised to start scheduling immediately.

2 PM, Suntory headquarters conference room.

The atmosphere was more serious than yesterday.

Tanaka Ichiro now has two more senior executives by his side.

The managing director in charge of the sales network throughout Japan, Suzuki, and the head of the finance department.

Chen Bingwen arrived on time with Ling Peiyi.

Without exchanging pleasantries, he sat down directly and looked calmly at Tanaka Ichiro.

Tanaka Ichiro took a deep breath and said, "Mr. Chen, after all-night discussions and an emergency assessment, Suntory can accept your request."

Chen Bingwen felt a great weight lifted from his heart, but his face remained calm.

Tanaka Ichiro continued, "However, the conditions need to be adjusted."

In the first phase, core convenience stores and supermarkets in the three major metropolitan areas can be implemented according to your requirements. Initially, we can only promise a 30% deployment rate for vending machines (approximately 7-8 units). We need to rely on sales data feedback to decide whether to increase this to 50% or even higher.

“Okay.” Chen Bingwen nodded. This was a reasonable concession, as the logistics scheduling of vending machines was indeed the most complicated.

Saturation coverage also requires a process.

“Second,” the finance manager interjected, “we will sign a performance-based agreement. The sales target is 1.2 million yen over three months. If this target is not met, Chen Ji’s channel commission will be increased from 3% to 8%.”

“5%.” Chen Bingwen countered without hesitation, “This is our bottom line.”

Furthermore, if the target is exceeded, Suntory should reduce the channel commission for the excess portion by 1% as an incentive.

He added, "Our marketing investment will fully support the achievement of sales targets, and the risks will be shared."

Tanaka Ichiro and Managing Director Suzuki exchanged a glance, and finally nodded: "Okay."

"Third," Ichiro Tanaka concluded, "we hope to extend the licensing period for the bottle cap patent from five years to seven years."

“Okay,” Chen Bingwen pondered for a moment and finally agreed, “but in return, Suntory must also demonstrate the same long-term commitment to supporting Chen’s products through distribution channels.”

Within seven years, Chenji products must enjoy the highest priority in terms of display and promotional resources in the beverage category of Suntory's distribution channels.

Furthermore, we demand that Suntory clearly indicate the use of Chen Ji's patented bottle cap technology in its product packaging and advertising as an endorsement of quality.

“Of course!” Tanaka Ichiro finally smiled. “Cooperation is a win-win situation! We will ensure that the patent mark is reflected.”

The final agreement was thus finalized.

Suntory will leverage its vast distribution network to deploy "Pulse" to tens of thousands of retail outlets across three major metropolitan areas before the release of "Drunken Master".

Chenji, on the other hand, staked a huge marketing budget and made performance-based commitments, while extending the licensing of its bottle cap patent in exchange for a deeper connection with distribution channels and the added benefit of technological sophistication.

As I left Suntory's headquarters, it started to snow lightly again.

Once inside the car, Chen Bingwen gave orders to Ling Peiyi and Li Ming, "Director Ling, you will oversee the entire Suntory distribution process and ensure it is executed effectively!"

The display of vending machines and convenience store refrigerated cabinets, in particular, must be highlighted!

Li Ming, the TV commercial produced by Dongbao Donghe is already working overtime to ensure the accuracy of the scientific content and the professionalism of the visual presentation!

Three days from now, I will see the premiere of our 'Science Declaration' late at night in Tokyo!

"Understood!" the two replied in unison.

The clock hands have passed 23:00.

Tokyo's nights, amidst the shimmering neon lights, sink into an even deeper realm.

For certain groups of people, their "golden time" is just beginning.

Koji Yamada, a 28-year-old advertising company employee, dragged his leaden legs out of the subway station. The cold wind made his fatigue even worse. Back in his cramped studio apartment, he habitually turned on the television to dispel the silence with sound.

The screen is playing the ending theme of a late-night drama, and then the scene changes.

There are no exaggerated celebrity endorsements, and no dazzling special effects.

The scene begins with a close-up: glistening beads of sweat slide down the runner's forehead, drip onto the asphalt, evaporate instantly, leaving tiny damp marks.

The narration is in a deep baritone voice: "Strenuous exercise is accompanied by a significant loss of water and electrolytes."

The camera zooms out to show a real scene of a marathon runner panting and holding his knees after crossing the finish line.

He picked up a bottle of ice-blue beverage, the clear ingredient diagrams and content labels on the bottle flashing by.

The narration continues: "Scientifically formulated electrolytes to quickly replenish lost electrolytes—Pulse."

Yamada subconsciously licked his dry lips.

He had just finished a 12-hour overtime shift. Although he hadn't gone running, the feeling of dehydration was somewhat similar.

The advertisement didn't shout "Drink it and you'll be full of energy," but instead used scientific language to explain the body's needs.

The commercial breaks seamlessly transition into a late-night office scene, where a clerk rubs his aching neck, the stark white fluorescent light illuminating his slightly haggard face.

"Working for long hours depletes your energy."

He picked up the same ice-blue bottle, with illustrations and amounts of taurine and B vitamins at the bottom of the screen.

"Contains taurine and B vitamins, gently refreshes and relieves fatigue."

As Yamada looked at the young man on the screen who was in a similar situation to himself, a subtle sense of resonance arose within him.

Finally, there's the relaxed party scene, where young people raise their glasses and drink freely, emphasizing "refreshing and guilt-free" and low-sugar labels.

The core slogan is: After sweating, drink Gatorade! Choose the ingredients and start a new habit.

As the commercial ended, Yamada remembered that icy blue color, and the keywords "electrolytes," "taurine," and "low sugar."

Unlike previous beverage advertisements that rushed to sell "flavor," this one is more about popularizing a healthier way to hydrate and refresh.

He got up to get water from the refrigerator, his gaze sweeping over the empty freezer compartment, and for the first time, he felt curious about the name "Pulse".

At the same time, 35-year-old housewife Mie Sato was tidying up her husband's suit in the living room.

The TV was showing a short segment after the late-night news: "Health Tips".

The host introduced, "Today we have invited Professor Hiroki Tanaka from the Department of Food and Nutrition at Waseda University to talk to us about how to scientifically replenish water and energy in the fast-paced modern life."

Professor Tanaka was dressed in a well-fitting suit, with a gentle smile and an elegant demeanor.

He explained in simple and easy-to-understand language: "Do you all know?"

When we work, study, or sweat profusely after exercise for long periods of time, we lose not only water, but also electrolytes necessary for maintaining normal bodily functions, such as sodium, potassium, and magnesium.

Simply drinking water is not an effective way to replenish these lost electrolytes.

He pulled out a simple diagram: "There are some beverages on the market that are developed based on this principle. They scientifically combine these electrolyte components to help the body restore balance more quickly."

He then went on to talk about energy management when staying up late: "Caffeine can be energizing, but excessive amounts can easily cause palpitations."

Some natural ingredients, such as taurine, combined with B vitamins, can provide gentler, more sustained energy support and reduce fatigue.

Mei Hui listened very attentively.

Her husband works for a multinational company and often works overtime until late at night, always coming home exhausted.

She was always worried about her husband's health and tried buying all sorts of nutritional supplements, but she always felt that the advertisements were exaggerated and not very credible.

Professor Tanaka's words, without mentioning any brands, made her understand for the first time the physiological reasons behind her husband's fatigue and the concept of "scientific supplementation".

She remembered the terms "electrolyte balance" and "mildly refreshing," finding this explanation based on ingredients and principles to be far more reliable than promises of "you'll feel energized after drinking it."

The program ended, followed immediately by an advertisement for "Pulse".

As Mei Hui looked at the clear ingredient labeling in the advertisement and saw that it matched the points the professor had just mentioned, her trust in the beverage inexplicably increased.

She decided to go to the convenience store tomorrow and buy a bottle for her husband to try.

That night, in countless homes, apartments, and convenience stores in Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya, many people, like Yamada and Mie, were consumers.

Through the television screen, I first came into contact with a brand called "Pulse".

They may not rush out to buy immediately, but the name "Pulse" and the initial sense of trust have already been quietly planted.

They all thought the same thing: Pulse. Maybe we could give it a try?
The next day.

Lipohealth Marketing Department.

The market dynamics monitoring report from the previous day was placed on the section chief's desk early on.

The report details "Pulse's" advertising strategy, advertising time slots, advertising content details, and a summary of the accompanying science popularization program content.

"Scientific ingredients? Gentle energizer? Low sugar?" The section chief frowned. "They're playing the differentiation card, avoiding our strong anti-fatigue positioning, and trying to capture the market for daily scientific supplements and health-boosting products."

"The advertisement was very restrained, without exaggeration, emphasizing the transparency of ingredients and scientific principles, and even incorporating popular science from university professors. This was a very clever move."

One of the subordinates analyzed, "They are targeting consumers who are concerned about the medicinal image of our Advanced Night Repair serum, or who are looking for a gentler, healthier option, especially young people and women."

"The late-night campaign, which precisely targets the desired audience, seems to have a substantial budget."

The section chief tapped his fingers on the table. "Notify the sales department to closely monitor terminal sales and consumer feedback."

Inform the R&D department to assess whether we need to adjust our existing product line or launch new, gentler, lower-sugar products with more transparent ingredients to address this issue.

(End of this chapter)