Rebirth of the Industrial Tycoon

A woman is choosing a curling iron at a Yamada Denki chain store near a university in Japan. This woman didn't look very old, only about twenty years old. She should be a college student from a nearby university.

After a while, the female college student selected a Puppy brand curling iron.

The technical content of curling irons is not high, and the production process is not complicated. Puppy Electric has successfully developed it early.

Simple small household appliances like this have low cost, simple structure, and do not have high added value. They have no high-tech content and rely entirely on small profits but quick turnover.

Low value-added products are obviously not suitable for production in Japan. After all, Japan's labor costs are too high.

China's labor costs are much lower than Japan's, and the curling irons produced in China are naturally cheaper.

Relying on the lower price, Puppy Electric's curling iron has achieved very good sales since it was launched on the market, and quickly occupied a place in the Japanese market.

This is also thanks to the important sales channel of Puppy Electric, Yamada Denki. If it were other Chinese brands, even if it produced high-quality and low-priced products, there would be no channel to enter the Japanese market.

After all, it is difficult for non-Japanese brands to enter Japanese home appliance retailers.

In an era dominated by physical stores, the real kings of the retail industry are those offline retailers. As long as the products are promoted by retailers, they will often have good sales.

In the era of the rise of e-commerce in the future, offline physical retailers have become less important. If you have money, getting hundreds of thousands of positive reviews will be more cost-effective than advertising.

Of course, Japan's situation is quite special. Even in the Internet era, e-commerce companies in various countries have begun to rise, and Japan is still in an era where the physical retail industry dominates.

As school time approaches, the number of people in the store gradually increases, and most of them are female college students who go to school nearby. What they choose are simple beauty equipment such as curling irons, face slimmers, and so on.

"Thank you for your patronage, please go slowly!" Manager Hasegawa walked a female customer to the door and kept bowing. He didn't straighten up until the female customer walked away and returned to the store.

"Store manager, the sales volume of this curling iron is very good. We should order another batch of goods." The young clerk Kawada Taro said.

Store manager Hasegawa nodded: "Our customers here are mainly female college students, and this kind of small beauty equipment will sell better. As far as I know, in those shops near the living area, the customers are all married ladies. , they prefer to buy some more expensive beauty equipment.”

"Of course, housewives hold the financial power of the family, so they naturally have money to buy expensive products. For college students, many have to work to earn tuition. To buy a curling iron, you need to save money!"

Taro Kawada let out a long sigh and continued, "It's a pity that I don't have the opportunity to go to college and experience college life. Look at these college students, I really envy their lives!"

"Yes, college life is great!" Store manager Hasegawa said with emotion.

"Store manager, have you ever attended college?" Taro Kawada asked.

"No. Like you, I started working right after graduating from high school." Store manager Hasegawa shook his head.

Taro Kawada suddenly asked with a puzzled look on his face: "The store manager has never gone to college, how does he know that college life is good?"

"I also know not to be clingy!" Store manager Hasegawa laughed strangely.

The Asian financial crisis naturally had a severe impact on Japan's economy. Especially in the two years of 1997 and 1998, Japan's economy experienced a severe contraction.

However, the economic downturn has not affected the female consumer market. Sales of some products specifically targeted at women have increased instead of falling.

This is a very strange economic phenomenon. The worse the economic downturn, the more women will dress up and show off.

In the Japanese market, sales of cosmetics and beauty products have increased instead of falling, and the business of hairdressers has also improved a lot.

Puppy Electric originally entered the Japanese market with its beauty equipment, so it has achieved very good sales results in this recession.

What's more, Puppy Electric is also supported by Kimura Takuya's advertising.

Johnny \u0026 Associates is the most famous brokerage firm in Japan, and it was also the brokerage firm that discovered Kimura Takuya.

In the office, President Kitagawa looked at the TV, and Takuya Kimura's TV commercial appeared on it again.

I saw Kimura Takuya holding something similar to an electric shaver in his hand, but the head of the blade was filled with a red metal ring.

At this time, the narration’s advertising voice sounded: “The Puppy ACE Skin Beauty Instrument, a professional anti-aging expert, can effectively solve the problem of dry and sagging skin, facial sagging and external expansion, and eliminate static wrinkles, making the skin more hydrated, firm, and firm. Elastic and comprehensively improves skin texture..."

The advertisement was nothing more than bragging about how useful this skin-beautifying device was. However, President Kitagawa paid no attention to these advertisements. He kept his eyes fixed on the TV screen, looking at Kimura Takuya above.

"I haven't seen this advertisement. Is it Kimura-kun's new advertisement? Murakami-kun looks so young, like he looked a few years ago! No, this seems to be Kimura-kun from a few years ago!" President Kitagawa frowned Suddenly he frowned.

Kimura Takuya is the number one cash cow of Johnny \u0026 Associates. President Kitagawa is naturally very familiar with him, so after a closer look, he can recognize that this is Kimura Takuya from a few years ago.

"Judging from Kimura-kun's age, this should be an advertisement shot four or five years ago. Why is the advertisement four or five years ago only broadcast now?" Kitagawa was full of confusion.

He hesitated for a moment, then picked up the phone and called Miji Iijima.

Mitomo Iijima is Takuya Kimura's agent and the most capable person under President Kitagawa. President Kitagawa even plans to train Michi Iijima as his successor.

Thanks to Kimura Takuya's popularity, Iijima Mitochi is also known as Japan's first female agent. However, fans of Kimura Takuya do not like this person.

There are many reports in the Japanese media saying that the relationship between Mitsuo Iijima and Takuya Kimura is not good, and that they are exploiting Takuya Kimura.

For example, there are reports that Mitsuo Iijima deliberately prevented Takuya Kimura from accepting movies and instead asked him to shoot more commercials. It wasn't until the film director found Kimura Takuya in person that Kimura Takuya knew that he had the opportunity to be the leading actor in the movie.

In the entertainment industry of any country, movie stars are on a higher level than TV drama stars. Deliberately not letting Kimura Takuya make movies is obviously detrimental to his career development.

There are also reports that Mitsuo Iijima is very opposed to Kimura Takuya's falling in love, and even tried every means to break up Kimura Takuya and Kudo Shizuka.

If it weren't for Kimura Takuya being so famous, perhaps the moment he announced that he was going to marry Kudo Shizuka was the moment he was hidden.

Similar to the black information about Iijima Mitomo, the media reported a lot, but whether it was true or false, the parties involved have not responded. There are only revelations and interviews by so-called media people, and various rumors.

Mijima Iijima came to President Kitagawa's office. President Kitagawa pressed the repeat button, allowing Mijima Iijima to see Kimura Takuya's advertisement.

"This should be the advertisement Kimura-kun shot a few years ago, right?" President Kitagawa asked.

Mitsuo Iijima looked at the advertisement and replied, "This should be an advertisement shot by Kimura-kun in 1995."

"The commercial shot in 1995 was already four years ago. Why is it only being broadcast now?" President Kitagawa asked.

Mitsuo Iijima recalled it carefully, and then replied: "I remember that Kimura-kun shot several commercials for this brand, but none of the commercials were broadcast immediately. The fastest one was broadcast in 1996.

The reason given by the customer at that time was that their products had not yet entered the Japanese market and they were discussing channel agency issues with retailers, so the advertisements would be broadcast later. "

"Hasn't it entered the Japanese market? Is this a foreign brand?" President Kitagawa asked immediately.

Mijima Iijima nodded: "It is a home appliance brand from China."

"Chinese home appliances? Can they also be sold in Japan? Why do we accept advertisements from the Chinese? By the way, I remembered, they seemed to have given a double price at that time!"

President Kitagawa finally recalled what happened four years ago.

At that time, Li Weidong asked Kimura Takuya to shoot an advertisement with double the quotation. Mitsuo Iijima also personally asked President Kitagawa for instructions. Since President Kitagawa was greedy for money, he agreed and felt that he had finally caught a Kaizi. , If you don’t make money, you won’t make it in vain.

The double price made Johnny \u0026 Associates a huge profit, but President Kitagawa never imagined that the commercials shot back then would not be aired until now.

But now, when President Kitagawa saw the advertisement, he suddenly realized that he had suffered a big loss!

How can Takuya Kimura four years ago compare with Takuya Kimura now?

Four years ago, Kimura Takuya was just a newcomer with some achievements in the film and television industry. At most, he could be regarded as a potential future star.

Today, Kimura Takuya is the top superstar in Japan. His influence in Japan is unprecedented!

There is a huge gap in commercial value between the two.

Back then, for Takuya Kimura, shooting an advertisement only cost a few million yen in advertising fees. And now for Kimura Takuya, advertising endorsements start at 100 million yen.

Puppy Electric suppressed the advertisement until today, which is equivalent to using millions of yen in advertising fees to hire top celebrities with hundreds of millions of yen. This is definitely a huge profit.

For Johnny \u0026 Associates, this deal is definitely a huge loss.

President Kitagawa felt very unbalanced in his heart. How come I, a superstar with hundreds of millions, can only earn you a few million in advertising fees?

President Kitagawa took a deep breath and said, "Kimura-kun should not only create such a low value. This is also a huge loss for our Johnny \u0026 Associates. We must make up for the loss.

You think of a way to see if you can get another sum of money from this puppy appliance to make up for our losses! Anyway, they have made a lot of money through Kimura-kun's advertising, so they should cough up some of it! "

"President, is this appropriate? Advertising fees are settled immediately, and there is no precedent of asking clients for money in the future! And I'm worried that doing this will affect the reputation of our Johnny \u0026 Associates firm and affect other clients in the future. They will shun us!" Sanchi Iijima warned.

President Kitagawa curled his lips disdainfully: "If it is a Japanese home appliance brand, of course we cannot do this. We have to abide by the spirit of the contract. But the other party is just a Chinese home appliance brand, why should we abide by any contract and morals! It’s more important to get more benefits for the firm.”

"I understand!" Mijima Iijima nodded and continued, "This method is not impossible. If it succeeds, we may be able to make hundreds of millions of yen in profit.

But if the other party refuses to compromise and fights us to the end, we will also lose millions of yen, and may even file a lawsuit. "

"Fighting a lawsuit in Japan?" President Kitagawa asked immediately.

"Of course in Japan." Mijima Iijima nodded.

"Then there is no problem! When we go to court in Japan, are we still afraid of a Chinese company?" President Kitagawa showed a disdainful expression again, and then said: "Since the loss is only a few million at most, then let it go. go a head!"

He Anan put a facial mask on his face and leaned lazily on the sofa. "The Cut of the Pearl" was playing on the TV in front of him.

This was not the first broadcast of "Return of the Pearl", but a rebroadcast. As the most popular TV series at the time, even if it was rebroadcast, the ratings were still very good.

Li Weidong came over with a pot of tea, looked at Grandma Rong on the TV screen, and said, "Didn't you watch it once before?"

"I watched it before." He Anan put a mask on his face and his speech was a little slurred, but he seemed a little excited emotionally.

Li Weidong glanced at the TV again and found that Aunt Rong was holding the board. He immediately understood why He Anan felt so excited.

The villain getting beaten is indeed a scene that makes the audience happy.

Aunt Rong screamed as she was hit with a board. The queen finally couldn't help but jumped out and protected Nanny Rong who was being hit with a board.

I saw the queen say: "Don't fight anymore, let's die, Your Majesty!"

After hearing this line, Li Weidong almost spit out the tea he drank in his mouth. He really wanted to ask for the area of ​​​​the psychological shadow of Grandma Rong.

This is not here to save Grandma Rong. I simply can’t wait for Grandma Rong to die soon!

Aunt Qiong Yao's lines are indeed so magical!

He Anan obviously didn't get this, so she asked, "Why are you laughing?"

"I think this show is poisonous." Li Weidong replied.

From the perspective of future generations, "Return of the Pearl" is indeed a poisonous drama. Putting aside the plot level, several leading actors have more or less had troubles, and some are even bad actors and have been completely banned.

When I saw Grandma Rong pricking people with needles, I thought the old woman was really disgusting. But when I looked back twenty years later, I realized that Grandma Rong was right in pricking people!

At this moment, the cell phone rang, and Li Weidong quickly walked to another room and answered the phone.

The person on the phone said: "Chairman, there is news from the Japan office that Miji Iijima from Johnny \u0026 Associates came to us and asked us to pay an additional advertising fee for Kimura Takuya's advertisement!"

"When we asked Kimura Takuya to shoot the advertisement, didn't we already pay the advertising fee? And I remember it was double the market price at the time." Li Weidong said.

"At that time, Kimura Takuya was not popular, but now Kimura Takuya is the most popular star in Japan, and his commercial value has also increased. Johnny \u0026 Associates believes that Kimura Takuya was allowed to shoot commercials at such a low price, and they are still being broadcast now. For them, It has caused a lot of losses, so we are asked to compensate for some of the advertising fees," the phone call continued.

"It's true that people's hearts are full of insufficiency." Li Weidong snorted coldly.

The phone call continued: "Johnny's \u0026 Partners even threatened, saying that if we cannot meet their demands, they will not rule out using legal means."

Li Weidong frowned: "Even if this matter goes to court, they won't be able to take advantage! After all, we signed a contract when we shot the advertisement. We didn't pay a penny less, and we didn't breach the contract. I don’t believe they can win a lawsuit!”

"I think so too, but judging from the attitude of Johnny \u0026 Associates, they are very determined. They seem to have other trump cards!" said someone on the phone.

"They are not the only ones who have trump cards." Li Weidong snorted coldly, and then said, "Well, I'll fly to Tokyo in two days to have a good talk with Johnny \u0026 Associates!"

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