Business Closed Loop: Starting with Ringback Tones to Take Down Giants

"Boss? Are we going to use this to test our readers?"

Ma Xiaojun looked at the pile of things on the table.

A movie poster with curled edges, props covered in dust.

The treasures from ancient times belong to the Central Academy of Drama.

A stack of CDs containing all of Xianming's completed works, packaged in a disc bag.

"Which reader wouldn't withstand such a test?"

Jiang Yilei leaned closer, pinched his nose, and examined the items a couple of times: "Isn't this just junk from the warehouse?"

"We borrowed it when we were filming a charity event last time, and the old man was so eager to pay me to take it away that he practically offered to pay me to do so."

"Junk?" Wang Song stopped what he was doing.

He patted Jiang Yilei on the shoulder and wiped the dust off.

"Comrade Xiao Jiang, your thinking is very dangerous."

"What is this? This is a precious collection from the Central Academy of Drama since its founding. It consists of props used by countless artists and represents the spiritual legacy of the film academy."

Jiang Yilei looked down at the gray mark on his shoulder, his lips twitched, but he didn't dodge in the end.

"Take a piece of paper and write a few words," Wang Song gestured.

"I told them these were internal documents from the Central Academy of Drama, private collections that are not publicly available, but I'm making an exception today to share them with my fans."

"Let me tell you a story, and I guarantee he'll get into a good university next year."

"...You're really good at making things up."

"That's called operations," Wang Song clapped his hands.

Wang Song turned to Ma Xiaojun, "Where are your props?"

……

The next two days.

Jiang Yilei, along with several newcomers, smoothed out each poster and stuffed them into custom-made cardboard tubes.

Each tube also includes a handwritten bookmark.

They were all obtained by asking the teacher, and they even came with some inspirational quotes and the teacher's signature.

Why not leave your name behind?

It was even more lively on Ma Xiaojun's side.

The manufacturer that Wang Song contacted delivered a batch of custom-made props from the Tomb Raider Chronicles series.

A replica of a bronze bell, and the young man's knife.

There are even palm-sized corpse beetle models, which are quite expensive.

"Brother Ma, can this be given as a gift?" The newcomer touched the bronze bell. "It's too real, isn't it?"

Ma Xiaojun grinned, "This is called an immersive reading experience. Learn from it."

Liu Jianjun silently took notes: 50 bronze bells, 100 knives, 30 corpse beetles...

He looked up at Ma Xiaojun and said, "If you make a big splash this time, you have to treat us."

"Absolutely."

That evening, Ma Xiaojun sent a message in the reader group:

"Everyone, 'The Lost Tomb' has won the charts! Thank you all."

"The studio has prepared some small gifts as a token of appreciation. Quantities are limited, and they will be given away through a raffle."

Attached is a list of everything.

Wang Song originally planned to fight individually, but after thinking about it, he decided that since they were going to play, they might as well go all out.

There was a two-second silence in the group chat, then it exploded.

"Holy crap, Fourth Brother, are you serious? A bronze bell?"

"I want it! I want it! I want it!!"

"Central Academy of Drama props? The kind used in movies?"

"CDs? Fourth Brother, you guys make music??"

"They must be new here. The ringtones on the charts, like 'Wait a Minute' and 'Decent,' were made by their studio."

"It seems like three more songs have been released recently, right? @NorthernFourthBrother"

Ma Xiaojun was overjoyed when he saw the message, and he typed a line to add it.

"Young man, you're on the right track!! @稻米甲, here's the most expensive corpse beetle for you. Send me your address and DM me."

"Wow!! Thank you, Fourth Brother."

The group chat is getting bigger and bigger, and it's becoming more and more lively.

Taking advantage of the situation, Ma Xiaojun quickly issued an announcement.

"By the way, our studio is also having a giveaway on our video channel and in the comments section of our posts. The prizes are the same. Here's the link."

"What you're saying is very forward-thinking. Follow my advice, and you won't regret it. Trust me."

"You can participate in both; there's no conflict."

"Oh, by the way, our studio also has a copy of 'Joy of Life,' please check it out."

"Brothers, come with me, come with me."

"I've seen Papi Jiang's videos; she talks about movies, and she's really good at it. I didn't expect she's related to Brother Ma!"

"Joy of Life too?? You guys are that amazing?"

"I just got back from there. That social media video was quite interesting. Just how much work does your studio actually do?"

Ma Xiaojun gave a unified reply: "Our boss said it's called a content matrix."

He didn't actually understand what a content matrix or immersive reading was.

It sounded impressive when he said it, but now, he seems to understand.

"??????"

A series of question marks flooded the screen as Ma Xiaojun successfully completed his mission.

He turned to Jiang Yilei and shouted, "Vice President Jiang, get ready to receive guests!"

The comments section under Jiang Yilei's posts and videos also started to get lively.

She pinned the same content to the top as Wang Song had instructed.

"Reply to this post or follow the papi姜 channel on Tudou.com for a chance to win a prize in one week."

The data started to move.

Jiang Yilei stared at the backstage, watching the number of views rise from two thousand to four thousand to six thousand.

Comments also increased:

"I just came here after reading The Lost Tomb. Your studio is that amazing?"

"The video was really well done; this is the first time I've ever heard of the concept of self-media."

"I finished watching that Kung Fu Hustle video analysis, and there were so many details! Except for the slow internet speed."

"Giveaway! Giveaway! I want that bronze bell!"

Two hours.

She stared at the number, suddenly feeling a little dazed.

A few months ago, she was still in her dorm room worrying about editing software, wondering if anyone would watch what she made.

Now, she's discussing with thousands of people what self-media is.

She turned to look at Wang Song, her voice trembling slightly: "Boss, it's broken."

"How much damage?"

"...It's broken 10,000!"

Jiang Yilei took a deep breath and replied with another comment:

"Thank you for your support. We are still exploring the concept of self-media, and we welcome your feedback."

With the buzz generated by the two-way collaboration, the news began to spread.

Someone posted a screenshot on Tianya: "Has anyone investigated this Xianming Studio? It seems like they're everywhere."

Someone posted on Xici Hutong: "Ringtone + online article + video, all made by the same team? What kind of operation is this?"

Someone even posted on Douban: "Are students at the Central Academy of Drama this competitive already?"

One of the most professional comments was highlighted.

"As early as 2003, the Media Center of the Aramco Journalism Institute put forward a research report called 'We Media,' which gave a rigorous definition."

"What surprised me was that some students were able to astutely extract the most fitting explanation from the viral video: self-media. Kudos to the original poster! ^_^"

"What LS said is quite informative, but I'm actually more curious."

"Is a student studio a miracle of resource integration, or a new paradigm for innovation and entrepreneurship education in universities?"

Xianming Studio.

This created a wonderful convergence of three originally independent audience groups.

"Boss, boss, Tudou.com!! Tudou.com!!"

Wang Song walked over, and an email appeared on the screen.

We cordially invite Xianming Studio to participate in Tudou.com's first anniversary celebration and creator support program.

"We have noticed..."

"It aligns perfectly with our values..."

We cordially invite your team to attend and participate in...

"I look forward to further communication with your team..."

Jiang Yilei couldn't hold back any longer and grabbed Wang Song's arm. "Boss!! I'm really angry."

Wang Song let her sway, and smiled: "You have to capitalize on the hype you created."

Jiang Yilei released his grip and stared at the email: "Can I go?"

"If you don't go to the channel you created, who will?"

Jiang Yilei didn't speak, but his eyes were a little red.

Wang Song pretended not to see it: "Alright, stop being sentimental. Think about what you wore that day. As a student of the Central Academy of Drama, you can't embarrass the school."

That evening, Ma Xiaojun sent a message in the reader group:

"Brothers, the video has surpassed 20,000 views. Thanks for your support."

"The winners will be announced tomorrow. Don't be discouraged if you don't win; the studio will hold more events in the future."

The group chat erupted in excitement once again.

Liu Jianjun sat next to Ma Xiaojun, watching him type.

Suddenly he said, "Brother Ma, you're starting to sound more and more like a leader."

Ma Xiaojun was taken aback for a moment, then grinned and said, "That's right, I do have stock options now, after all."

He composed himself: "Jianjun, do you think our studio is really a done deal?"

Liu Jianjun thought for a moment, but did not answer.

But he looked up and glanced into the room.

Jiang Yilei was still refreshing data on his computer, while Chen Shu was revising the script with two newcomers.

Yao Bei and the others had just returned from the recording studio, still covered in dust from the equipment packaging.

Chang Sisi and Zhang Zhen were humming softly to a new sheet music in a corner.

The newcomers were busy with various tasks: some were browsing forums, some were writing scripts, and some were discussing music arrangement...

The room was messy and noisy, but everyone was doing their own thing.

Liu Jianjun looked away and said, "Anyway, it's better than before."

It was late at night, and most of the people had left.

Wang Song sat in front of his computer, his inbox overflowing with new emails.

Publishers have inquired about physical copies of "The Grave Robbers' Chronicles" and "Joy of Life".

Some service providers (SPs) asked about cooperation on ringback tones, and some forum moderators asked if they could do an exclusive interview.

Finally, my gaze fell upon the physical record company from Huayi.

"An even more domineering channel is coming."

March 2006, early spring.

Xianming Studio is no longer just a name found on campus.