How can you become a star without money?

Chapter 122 Three-Pronged Approach

Culture is a basket; you can put anything into it.

However, it must be admitted that the value of this basket varies from person to person.

For Zhao Xiufen and other typical older generation traditional industrialists, the usability of a product should be the most important thing. However, with the market economy and the diversification brought by foreign investment, their generation has been greatly impacted.

Products from the same production line, just with different packaging, can have prices that differ by several times.

Even more outrageous is that the more expensive foreign brands are, the better their sales are.

At first, they thought it was a packaging problem, but later they found that even changing to similar or even better packaging didn't work. Then they realized it was a marketing problem, so they started to learn from foreign companies and invest in advertising and celebrity endorsements. But even after spending money, the product still couldn't fetch a good price.

In the process of trial and error, in the past two years, with the return of a new generation of factory kids from studying abroad, the concepts of brand and culture have gradually become popular in the domestic industry.

Whether it's large state-owned enterprises or small private enterprises, they are all starting to develop their own brands, trying to create domestic brands that can compete with foreign brands.

However, the results were still minimal, and they could only compete for the scraps left over from the foreign brands' market share.

Over the years, Zhao Xiufen has attended many marketing-related "master classes," and those masters ultimately attributed the failure of domestic products to the fact that "domestic products lack culture."

But those masters couldn't explain what culture was, which only hurt the soft spot of these working-class women.

But today, she seemed to hear the best interpretation of 'culture' from Wang Yao, this young man.

Those two slogans were familiar to them when they were young. Although they couldn't quite explain what they meant, just hearing them felt like an endless surge of power within them.

Perhaps this is what they call culture?
"Does Mr. Wang understand how to build brand culture?" Zhao Xiufen asked with a hint of anticipation.

Older generations of factory owners have a natural affinity for brand culture.

Even ten years from now, the core theme of a marketing company's proposal will always be 'brand culture'.

So once the conversation gets to this point, factory owners stop worrying about costs.

After all, culture is priceless.

"Our company specializes in providing comprehensive brand management services, which naturally includes the brand culture aspect. However, the operating costs in this area are very high, and to put it bluntly..."
The brand belongs to you; we are only responsible for its development. If you decide not to cooperate with us in the future, our initial investment will be wasted.
Therefore, our fee is not an exorbitant price, but rather to protect the rights and interests of both parties. In business, you get what you pay for. Moreover, our company's three-year plan is to create a domestic brand in each field and then promote it for export to the world.

"Because I've always felt that Chinese products are no worse than foreign ones, and we have a 5,000-year-old cultural heritage. We're sitting on a gold mine, yet we've been letting foreign capital exploit our consumers." Wang Yao sighed softly, continuing to paint a rosy picture.

"President Wang has a magnanimous heart." Zhao Xiufen said with deep respect.

“I also admire Mr. Zhao’s company’s product philosophy, so I came here today to see if we can achieve in-depth cooperation. If it were just an e-commerce sales cooperation, I wouldn’t have come in person. This is the full outline I prepared for your company.” Wang Yao took out his laptop and began to present his lecture PPT.

"We position Magic Formula as 'the first skincare set for young people entering the workforce,' because your products are consumable masks, so you can't really go for a high-end route."

The raw materials you've chosen are too ordinary, such as mung beans, cherries, osmanthus flowers, and grapes. These don't sound like high-end products at all, unless you replace the mung beans with black truffles, gold, Alaskan snow crab, or astaxanthin—things that sound very expensive.

But Mr. Zhao shouldn't underestimate the power of a people-friendly approach. The target audience is huge. With nearly 7 million recent graduates each year, and including current university students, the basic, precisely targeted audience is a whopping 20 million, and the broader audience is nearly 100 million. Even assuming a 10% conversion rate and an average order value of 60 yuan, that's still a market worth hundreds of millions annually.

The concise and elegant PPT template on the screen, along with the vivid numbers, were stimulating Zhao Xiufen's eyes and heart.

This positioning is so good, so clear, it almost perfectly matches her expectations.

She actually knew who her products should be sold to, but she couldn't express it, while Wang Yao directly explained all the thoughts in her mind.

This is professionalism!
"Mr. Wang, it seems you've done a lot of research on our brand. Thank you so much," Zhao Xiufen said with emotion.

"Brand culture is composed of multiple dimensions, and its core is to use marketing to influence consumers' minds, which means leaving a stereotype on everyone from the very beginning."
"From now on, whenever people mention our brand, whether they've used it or not, they'll immediately think of its characteristics. For example, mentioning Helena Rubinstein evokes images of luxury, while mentioning Dabao means something you see every day," Wang Yao said with a smile.

"I understand, it's just a slogan, right?" Zhao Xiufen said.

"Slogans are one of the methods, and they are also a common practice in marketing today. The era of repeatedly brainwashing slogans like Brain Gold and Hengyuanxiang Sheep Sheep Sheep is over. Young people today are even somewhat resistant to them."

Therefore, the presentation format needs to change. Since our company collaborates with many domestic film and television companies, I believe that film and television dramas have a greater impact on our target audience.
Last year, the hit TV series "Meteor Shower" boosted sales for Metersbonwe, which saw its sales break records for three consecutive months. In second- and third-tier cities, almost every student would visit the store during their holidays.
So I've also connected our product with a few film and television projects. This one, 'The Temptation,' is an adaptation of a Goryeo drama and is a major production promoted by Hunan TV this year." Wang Yao briefly described the plot of 'The Temptation.'

Zhao Xiufen listened with great interest. Her age group was exactly the target audience of the original version of "Temptation," and she was particularly interested in the story of a housewife's counterattack and defeat of the mistress.

Ni Ni, who was initially amazed by Wang Yao's business negotiation skills and professionalism, suddenly realized...

?

Mr. Yao just talked so much about branding and professional packaging knowledge. Was he just trying to get sponsorship for "Return to Temptation"?
"This show is great! I want to watch it as soon as I hear the plot. It's sure to be a hit." Zhao Xiufen's eyes lit up.

"I plan to incorporate our main product this year into it. The major business battle after the female lead's 'resurrection' could be adapted into her working in a cosmetics factory and developing a new mud mask."
Finally, she made her fortune with this product, took revenge on her mistress and ex-husband, and then said that designing a touching line, such as "Don't underestimate the power of simplicity," would definitely resonate with the audience.

"The power of simplicity aligns with the all-natural nature of our products, which will shape brand perception and guide consumer awareness," Wang Yao said with a smile.

"Oh? Is that possible? We can just use our factory as the filming location. We already have all the products ready. Mr. Wang, your idea is brilliant! Is it really possible?" Zhao Xiufen immediately got into the mood.

“Of course, but this part of the plan is the optimal choice and requires an additional budget. Let me tell you about other options.” Wang Yao smiled.

“No need. I think if we’re going to do it, we should do it the best. How much extra budget do you need for this TV series product placement plan?” Zhao Xiufen interrupted directly.

“This kind of crucial product placement, with an average exposure of about 30 seconds per episode, would cost around 300 million. But if we were to integrate the brand name ‘Mofa Shijia’ into the storyline, that would involve sponsorship, which would probably cost around 1000 million,” Wang Yao pondered.

Soft product placement does not affect the naming rights of TV commercials, so this part of the sponsorship is equivalent to the production company directly amortizing the production cost.

"Ah, it's really not cheap." Zhao Xiufen was brought back to her senses by the amount.

"However, our e-commerce brand has one advantage: it can convert viewers quickly. Essentially, as soon as the TV series airs, combined with internet advertising, we can directly drive traffic to the store."
This is called 'event marketing' because we have quite a bit of experience in this area. Normally, sales will continue to be generated during the broadcast of a TV series, but we can't guarantee the sales ratio, since this is a kind of betting model.

Moreover, this drama is a co-production between China and South Korea, and it will not only be broadcast domestically, but also in Southeast Asia and other regions in the future, so its potential influence is quite considerable. Wang Yao smiled.

“I understand, I think it’s a good idea, but I still need to discuss this with my daughter.” Zhao Xiufen’s mind started to wander.

“Of course, if Mr. Zhao really does sponsor the show, he could make a cameo appearance if he’s interested. This would expose the founder and help with brand marketing.” Wang Yao nodded.

"I can even make a cameo appearance?" Zhao Xiufen was overjoyed.

Afterwards, the two sides chatted about some details of the cooperation. Wang Yao and his entourage took their leave. After watching them leave, Zhao Xiufen immediately called her daughter abroad. "Honey," she said, "Mom thinks this cooperation is worth a try. This Mr. Wang I met today is quite remarkable."

"Mr. Yao, can we really create a brand culture for Magic World?" Ni Ni asked curiously in the car.

"Brand culture is indeed crucial for brand building, but it's not the most important thing," Wang Yao said, shaking his head.

"The real way to achieve brand premium is always market monopoly. Since the 1990s, most of our domestic skin care and cosmetic brands have been acquired by foreign companies, such as Huagao, Dabao, Longrich, Xiaohushi, Dingjiayi, Meiji, Rejoice, Pantene and Head & Shoulders."

They used a "borrowing a chicken to lay an egg" model, first acquiring and buying up the production lines and assets of these domestic brands at bargain prices, with the aim of gradually replacing their products with their own by leveraging the existing offline sales channels they had established.
Why are there so many foreign products on supermarket shelves in recent years? In reality, they have been replaced. Foreign products have higher prices and higher commissions, so distributors are naturally willing to sell them. By using this method, they have basically affected more than 60% of the domestic offline channel market share. It can be said that they have left no room for domestic products to survive.

Do you think this kind of channel monopoly can be changed through brand culture or marketing?

Ni Ni was somewhat surprised upon hearing this. "Huh? Aren't those brands ours anymore?"

"You see, most people don't pay attention to this level of issue. Even when they find products getting more and more expensive, they assume it's due to inflation, but in reality, it's because foreign capital has monopolized the pricing power in the market."

And that's not the biggest problem. The biggest problem is, for example, in daily chemical products like shampoos, foreign companies have adjusted the ingredients, adding a lot of silicone oil-based raw materials. Silicone oil itself is not a problem as a lubricant.
"But if you use it excessively for a long time, it will cause an imbalance of water and oil in the scalp, which will lead to excessive oil secretion or increased moisture loss. Can you guess what the consequences will be?" Wang Yao laughed.

"Dandruff and hair loss?" Ni Ni has recently done a lot of research on daily chemical products.

"That's right. They can influence pricing power and also affect users' demand for products. If you have a lot of dandruff, they will release a corresponding anti-dandruff shampoo, which is 30% to 50% more expensive than normal, claiming that functional products have higher costs."

The same applies to skincare products. While it's undeniable that foreign brands have advanced advantages in raw material purification and application technology, discussing effects without considering dosage is misleading. They may be overusing certain ingredients.
"For example, Vitamin C is indeed a good thing for whitening, but excessive use can lead to skin sensitivity, redness, and damage to the surface structure. For you girls, this is unacceptable. Then you either use other functional products to repair it or go for medical aesthetic treatments. Doesn't that create a new profit model?" Wang Yao chuckled.

"No wonder my skin became more sensitive after I started using expensive skincare products. Turns out I was ripped off! Those evil capitalists!" Ni Ni was furious upon hearing this.

"Domestic brands like Mofa Shijia may not have much effect, but at least they won't have a negative impact. In fact, for young people under 25, as long as they don't have congenital skin problems, it's enough to do basic moisturizing and sun protection on their daily lives. There's no need to put all sorts of serums and moisturizing creams on their faces."

Everyone thinks Korean cosmetics are good because Koreans have good skin, but actually their good skin is due to medical aesthetic treatments, not skincare products. Think about it, if topical treatments could replace injections, what would be the point of medical aesthetic treatments?" Wang Yao smiled.

Ni Ni turned to look at Kim Ji-won in the back seat; Kim's skin was indeed in better condition.

"Looks like I'll have to think about cosmetic procedures in the future." Ni Ni touched her face.

“I’m talking to people about collaborating with medical aesthetic clinics. In the future, our company will be like Goryeo Entertainment, with its own medical aesthetic clinics. At least we won’t be scammed by outsiders. The medical aesthetic industry is even more evil than skincare products.” Wang Yao shook his head.

"So the main reason we went to discuss cooperation today is to attract investors for 'Temptation'?" Ni Ni blinked.

"Not entirely. As I said, offline channels are already controlled by foreign capital, but there are still opportunities in online channels. We can select a group of excellent factories in various fields and form long-term agency operation partnerships with them."
We can leverage our online model to support a number of domestic brands. Ideally, each brand should be associated with a celebrity as its spokesperson. They would be responsible for the funding, while we would handle the sales and packaging. It would be a win-win situation, and at least the products we sell would be good value for money for consumers.

"You should have understood my negotiation style today, right? Use this approach from now on," Wang Yao said with a smile.

The investment in physical factories is too heavy. The skincare and daily chemical industries are both online markets worth tens of billions of yuan in the future. Moreover, they are characterized by stability and high repurchase rates. Wang Yao plans to first lay out his plans and see how much market share he can capture.

Foreign brands are not interested in the profits from e-commerce channels for at least the next five years; they have plenty of time.

"Does it work for everyone?" Ni Ni asked curiously.

"I wouldn't say we'll take them all, we'll just say we'll select the best. If we can't reach Mofashijia today, we'll talk to Yujifang or other brands tomorrow. With our model, as long as the product is good, there's basically no such thing as unsellable stock," Wang Yao chuckled.

"Three tricks?" Ni Ni blinked.

"As long as it works, that's enough. There's no need for so many fancy features." Wang Yao shook his head.

Ni Ni, along with Ma Ruo and Kim Ji-won, continued to negotiate with the next brand. This trio could basically handle most small and medium-sized clients: a beautiful boss, a popular internet celebrity, and an overseas artist.

Although Kim Ji-won is not well-known in Korea right now, the "cool and aloof school beauty" persona that Wang Yao has been cultivating for her has begun to take shape this past month, thanks to the advertisement she filmed with BB.

After all, she's an artist who has filmed commercials for top international mobile phone brands like LG. With proper packaging and image management, her popularity and fame will automatically surge.

When Wang Yao returned to the company, Chi Xin was in the office entertaining Zhou Yougen and Yang Ying.

Upon seeing Wang Yao return, he quickly stood up.

"Mr. Wang, a belated New Year's gift." Zhou Yougen pointed to the Amani packaging bag on the table with a big smile.

Yang Ying stood obediently to the side and bowed to greet them. Today she was wearing a tight-fitting dress, her hair was tied in a high ponytail, and her makeup was exquisite, making her look somewhat charming.

It had been almost two months since we last met. At first, the other person seemed to be just a follower like me, but I never expected that he would become a big shot who could determine my future career development and even influence my life.

This contrast sparked her strong interest in Wang Yao.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, please have a seat." Wang Yao nodded and sat down opposite them. "How is Miss Liang doing?"

Zhou Yougen was sent to persuade Liang Luoshi, and she came today to report on the follow-up situation.

"She accepted all of Mr. Wang's suggestions and plans to make a comeback after giving birth. As for the Li family, they offered a substantial breakup fee."
The trust for the three children's future is all within Mr. Wang's expectations. Miss Liang asked me to convey her gratitude to you, and she will visit you in person when she is feeling better." Zhou Yougen said with a beaming smile.

She was a little worried that Wang Yao would mess things up when he took her swimming to Liang Luoshi's betrayal of the Li family, but she didn't expect that Wang Yao would actually be right.

Even if she gave birth to three sons, she would still be destined to be a concubine in the Li family. Liang Luoshi had no choice but to cooperate with Wang Yao, first taking the moral high ground to put the Li family father and sons on the spot. Although she did not get her wish to marry into a wealthy family, she did manage to get a considerable breakup fee.

If it weren't for Wang Yao's timely reminder, Liang Luoshi felt she might have suffered a great loss, so her goodwill towards this 'helpful person' increased even more.

Zhou Yougen has successfully taken over the business after Liang Luoshi's return. This collaboration is different from the past. Liang Luoshi's image of directly challenging the Li family has greatly increased her commercial value potential.

"As long as things are handled satisfactorily." Wang Yao nodded, then looked at Yang Ying, "How have you been lately, Miss Yang?"

"Thanks to Mr. Wang, I've recently received many collaboration offers, and my appearance on the show 'The Great Beauty' with Ms. Qu has also gained me quite a few fans." Yang Ying smiled, though she seemed a little flustered.

Before the Lunar New Year, she handed over her social media accounts, including Weibo, to Wang Yao. Watching him criticize Chen Weiting, she was genuinely anxious for several days, fearing that this kind of hype would attract malicious haters. However, she didn't expect to gain a lot of support from netizens, which made her realize that there was another way to build a persona.

You don't necessarily have to be a pure and innocent Xiao Chu girl to become the dream girl of male fans. Female fans are just as powerful.

　Thank you so much to Wang Gaojin, Wukong Wuneng Wujing, Xiatian Xiaozhu, Reba Xiongda Tirenhao Lianliang Meili, MC. Huier, Kunzai Shuyuzhe de Haizi, Mengxiangjia L, Hu Mengmeng, lyman2003, Yishi Fenghua, Donghai Zuiqiang, Tang Huangtian, Changchun Haorenduo Shuyou 20210301106606324752, and Shuyou 2025119020723269 for their monthly ticket support!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)