lcionline Chapter 35 I want to meet him
Chapter 35 I want to meet him
3 PM, conference room at P&G's Shanghai branch.
Ni Ni sat against the wall, a notebook open in front of him, taking meeting minutes.
Her direct supervisor, Fiona, Head & Shoulders' marketing manager, sat on the left edge of the long table, while Michael Chen, the vice president of Greater China, and a group of executives in dark suits sat at the head of the table.
The atmosphere had been tense for more than ten minutes.
"Ms. Yang, to put it bluntly," Michael Chen tapped the Got Talent proposal on the table, his tone curt, "Procter & Gamble is the lead sponsor of the USA Pavilion at the World Expo, and what we need is brand exposure that reflects a high-end lifestyle."
"Your program features migrant workers, homeless people, and street performers on stage, which is seriously inconsistent with our expected audience. We cannot afford to risk our brand image being lowered."
Across the conference table sat Yang Yuancao, the founder of IPCN International Media.
This capable woman, who had won the BBC News Young Person of the Year Award, had a furrowed brow. She had been speaking for forty minutes, her throat was dry, and her water glass was empty.
Yang Yuancao took a deep breath and was about to speak when the marketing director sitting to Michael's right added insult to injury.
"Moreover, the GG budget for China next year has already been distributed, and we simply don't have the funds to sponsor a variety show that hasn't been tested in the local market."
Upon hearing this, Yang Yuancao's expression froze for a moment.
Brand image is a subjective judgment, which can be argued, but lack of budget is an objective reality, so how can it be argued?
The meeting room fell silent, with only the low hum of the air conditioner breaking the silence.
Fiona kept her head down, her fingernails unconsciously picking at the corners of the folder.
Head & Shoulders has been losing ground to Liby and Nice in recent years, with its market share dropping from 50% to 42%, and the problem of brand aging has become urgent.
When consumers born in the 90s mention Head & Shoulders, their first reaction is "the one my mom uses."
Head & Shoulders needed a breakthrough, and "China's Got Talent" was that.
She knew all too well how successful the show was overseas; the example of Susan Boyle becoming a global sensation overnight was right there for all to see.
But when faced with these executives who had been brainwashed by elitism, she felt a sense of despair, like talking to a brick wall.
Fiona subconsciously flipped through the meeting materials beside her to hide her emotions.
She stopped when she turned to the last page.
There was a note covered in small writing tucked inside.
Fiona glanced at it, her pupils dilating suddenly.
She quickly read the entire page, then read it again from the beginning, her fingers even trembling slightly.
Just as the opponents were making their final statements and preparing to end the meeting...
"I have a slightly different opinion."
Fiona's voice abruptly interrupted the speech.
"I don't agree that grassroots equals low-end," she said, closing her folder. "The theme of the 2010 World Expo was 'Better City, Better Life,' but who is building those cities? It's 1.3 billion ordinary people."
Michael's brow twitched.
"Head & Shoulders' biggest challenge right now is that it's seen as a brand for the older generation by young consumers. We're too high-end. Why are Liby and Nice Group able to take our market share? Because they're taking a local emotional approach."
She paused for a second, her gaze sweeping over the group of executives beside her.
"In today's high-pressure social environment, the grassroots dream-making of 'China's Got Talent' is precisely the most scarce emotion in China. The story of ordinary people achieving miracles is a narrative that can resonate with the whole nation."
"We're not just sponsoring a show, we're sponsoring a group of talented contestants with dreams, which perfectly aligns with Head & Shoulders' brand positioning as a powerhouse."
Yang Yuancao's fingers suddenly clenched the hem of her skirt above her knees.
This is precisely the business logic she has always wanted to express, but has never been able to summarize so accurately.
The executives looked at each other, and some unconsciously leaned forward.
Michael took off his glasses and wiped the lenses, a habitual action he took when he was thinking.
"Fiona, your perspective is indeed novel. To be honest, I'm somewhat persuaded by what you said."
Michael put his glasses back on, but his tone remained firm: "But that still doesn't change the fact that we have no budget left."
Fiona's lips moved, but ultimately remained stuck on the wall.
That's all the information on the paper; I'm at a loss when faced with a dead end in the budget.
She subconsciously turned around and looked at Ni Ni, who was sitting against the wall behind her taking meeting minutes, her eyes full of pleading.
Following Fiona's gaze, Michael, Yang Yuancao, and everyone else present all turned their attention to the young girl in the business suit.
Ni Ni, holding her notebook, felt her palms sweating from the sudden gaze.
She bit her lip, and the scene from the coffee shop at noon suddenly flashed through her mind.
In the coffee shop, Ren Pingsheng's words lingered in my ears.
She turned around and saw him casually pick up a promotional brochure from the table and start writing.
I'm really sorry for inadvertently finding out about your company, but this happens to be within my area of expertise, so I can offer you some advice.
The man, who wasn't much older than her, spoke with a certainty in his voice.
"I don't understand P&G's internal reporting process, but I know where the 'Talent Show' segment you're going to discuss this afternoon is stuck..."
Ren Pingsheng spoke as he wrote, at a slow pace, trying to make sure Ni Ni could hear him clearly.
"The reasons for the opposition are nothing more than two: one is that the brand's image doesn't match, and the other is that they don't have the money. Saying that the brand's image doesn't match is just being stubborn and suffering for the sake of saving face. You all know the predicament that Head & Shoulders is in. All it's lacks is a stepping stone."
After Ren Pingsheng finished writing, he pushed the folded page to the side of the table. "The issue of tone is resolved. All that's left is the issue of money. I've written down all the methods here. You can pretend it doesn't exist, or you can slip it into the materials you prepared for the manager and take a gamble."
"The opportunity is yours; how you use it is up to you."
He leaned back in his chair, looking relaxed. "I've put my sincerity into this. If it helps you, I hope to see you again in Yanjing this weekend."
……
Everyone was waiting in the conference room.
Ni Ni took a deep breath and made up his mind.
She closed her notebook, stood up, and bowed slightly. "Excuse me, I have a somewhat immature idea regarding the budget."
Michael raised an eyebrow but did not stop him; Procter & Gamble's corporate culture encourages employees at all levels to speak up.
"The 2010 Shanghai World Expo was a once-in-a-century global event, with 246 countries and international organizations participating. Therefore, sponsoring the Expo was not just a simple promotional activity in the Chinese market, but also a benchmark for testing global strategies."
She spoke slowly, but pronounced each word very accurately.
"If the sponsorship of the Chinese version of 'Got Talent' is successful, P&G can fully leverage the 'Got Talent' IP and promote it in more than 40 countries and regions around the world that have the copyright to 'Got Talent'."
The breathing in the conference room became quieter.
"This is a project sponsored by China but with global benefits. If that's the case, could you leaders consider whether we have the opportunity to step outside the annual framework for the China region and treat it as a global strategy, then apply to the Cincinnati headquarters for support from a global marketing special fund?"
The last word fell, and no one spoke.
Michael dropped his pen on the table, but he didn't pick it up.
After a period of silence, the discussion naturally began. Several executives who had initially taken a hard line started exchanging opinions along this line of thought, and the atmosphere subtly shifted.
Ten minutes later, Michael took off his glasses. "Everyone, take a 30-minute break. I'm going to make a phone call to Mr. Shi."
The "President Shi" he mentioned is Shi Wensheng, President of Procter & Gamble Greater China.
The meeting was adjourned.
Fiona breathed a sigh of relief, walked to the corner, grabbed Ni Ni's hand, and said with admiration, "Well done, NiNi!"
Yang Yuancao also walked over and looked the girl up and down, who had a cool and aloof demeanor and remained calm in the face of danger.
"Fiona, are young people these days really this amazing? Not only are they beautiful, but they're also incredibly skilled."
The two of them, exchanging words of joy about the project's turnaround, expressed their delight entirely through praising Ni Ni.
Despite the praise from the two bigwigs, Ni Ni showed no sign of pride.
"Fiona, Mr. Yang, thank you for your praise, but these ideas weren't my own."
She lowered her head, then raised it again, her eyes extremely frank. "What's written on the note and what I just said in the meeting all came from a friend I met at noon."
"Your friend?" Fiona paused for a moment, then blurted out, "Someone from Ogilvy or Dentsu?"
The ability to seamlessly integrate P&G's global budget strategy with variety shows requires a seasoned veteran with over a decade of experience in the industry.
"Neither," Ni Ni shook her head and answered truthfully, "He's a web series director named Ren Pingsheng."
"Director?" Fiona looked incredulous.
Yang Yuancao didn't speak, but her brows furrowed.
Ren Pingsheng.
These three words swirled in her mind for a while, and suddenly it was as if a nerve had been touched.
"You mean Ren Pingsheng?" Yang Yuancao's voice changed. "Isn't he the director of 'Unexpectedly' and 'Men's Diary' from Sohu Video a while ago?"
Ni Ni nodded.
Yang Yuancao took a deep breath.
After graduating from Cardiff University and wandering around for so many years, she finally figured out one thing.
Being in the media industry is not just about creating content, but more importantly, about selling that content.
IPCN was founded to provide integrated business marketing services, bringing pre-matched Google solutions directly to both clients and service providers.
This content marketing model of "bringing GG to your door" is still extremely rare in the current domestic market.
But recently, she discovered a young man in his early twenties who, with just two web series, has mastered this business model—which, even in Europe and America, only operates in traditional media—on the internet.
And now, a few casual words of advice from this person almost helped her secure sponsorship for this talent show.
Yang Yuancao looked at Ni Ni, her tone unconsciously becoming anxious.
"Is your friend still in Shanghai?"
"I want to meet him."