Chapter 798 Everything is in place
On March 10, 1985, Pierre Cardon arrived in Beijing on an Air France flight.
The purpose of the master's trip is threefold.
First, as a special guest and judge, he came to participate in the "Second Splendid Oriental Model Competition" that started in April.
Secondly in June, he will hold the world's largest fashion show at the Workers' Stadium in Beijing, which is expected to accommodate tens of thousands of spectators.
Third, he also wants to take the opportunity of this model competition and fashion show to select twelve top models from the Republic to go to Paris to serve as models for his latest fashion show in the second half of the year.
For this reason, not only has the influence of this model competition been upgraded again, it has also attracted the attention of people across the country than the first competition.
The master himself has become a super VIP in the clothing industry and related foreign trade departments, competing to show his goodwill.
So don’t look at the master who came to the capital alone.
Compared with the last time a huge group came, it seemed to be alone and very low-key.
But the reception specifications have been upgraded.
Not only did Song Huagui personally drive to the airport to pick him up, the Ministry of Foreign Trade, the Ministry of Textile and the Ministry of Light Industry all sent people to welcome him. Many reporters who knew about the situation also went early and waited at the airport.
Even the airport has specially laid out a red carpet, prepared flowers and a welcoming ceremony, just like receiving foreign heads of state.
As a result, as soon as Picardon appeared that afternoon, he was immediately surrounded by reporters from various countries and immediately became one of the most eye-catching figures at the airport.
The reporters couldn't wait to launch a fierce "attack" on him at the scene.
If the average person is absolutely confused, they will definitely be in a hurry and overwhelmed.
But a master is a master.
Throughout the entire interview, under Pierre Cardon's silver-grey hair, his kind eyes always shone with wisdom, and he gave rigorous answers calmly.
While satisfying all reporters, it did not reveal too much inside information.
After the visit, the master even said to the reporters with a habitual smile, "I hope you can all wear 'PC' costumes when we meet next time."
These words to attract customers for his own business immediately caused a burst of laughter.
If nothing else, Pierre Cardin's clothing is really famous in the capital, and everyone knows that wearing this kind of clothes will look good.
How many people can afford to wear it at a price of one thousand yuan?
The reporters present knew that it was unrealistic and could only regard it as a beautiful blessing.
After that, after just one afternoon's rest, Picardon began his non-stop and intense schedule in the capital.
Attend the welcome banquet, hold a press conference, visit government officials at all levels, and learn about the preparations for the "Model Contest".
He even received an invitation to shoot a special report on national television, and an invitation to give a lecture at the Fashion Culture Correspondence Center, the only window in the domestic fashion industry to the outside world.
It is precisely because of this that Ning Weimin was particularly moved.
You know, just three days later, the master himself didn't even have time to take a look at the new location of Pierre Cardin's China headquarters and his beloved Maxim restaurant.
At Song Huagui's request, he dedicated an afternoon to Ning Weimin and listened to him face to face as he presented his detailed plan for deeply exploring the Chinese market.
This is enough to show the master's trust in Song Huagui and the importance he attached to Ning Weimin's proposal.
However, during the process of listening to the report, compared with Song Huagui's serious and nervous mood, and compared with Ning Weimin's carefully considered wording, the master himself was smiling and seemed particularly relaxed.
After listening to the report, he only asked some questions about the general direction, but did not mention the relevant operational details. In the end, he actually nodded and fully agreed with the plan.
It is decided that the business strategy of the Huaxia region can be adjusted accordingly and implemented accordingly.
He also fully delegated power to Ning Weimin, allowing Ning Weimin to take full control of the negotiations with Goldlion Company.
Even for Ning Weimin's idea of setting up a discount store in Tianqiao Shopping Center and his idea of making ice cream with Pierre Cardin's exclusive trademark, Pierre Cardon also personally praised and praised it.
He even laughed a little childishly, saying that he had authorized so many products, and Ning Weimin was the first to think of using his own brand to make ice cream. I can't wait, especially hoping to eat Pierre Cardon's ice cream as soon as possible.
But now, seeing the master agreeing so happily and acting so relaxedly, Ning Weimin himself hesitated.
He was a little worried that the master was not paying attention to what he said, or that he did not understand the subtext of his report.
So after thinking about it, I still felt that there were some things that needed to be said clearly, so I focused on the possible side effects of discount stores.
"Mr. Pierre Cardon, I don't know if I made it clear just now? This plan will have a major impact on our future brand positioning. At present, in the domestic environment where there is a lack of means to protect rights, we insist on the direct sales model of exclusive stores. It is conducive to timely adjustments in business methods. What is more important is that the supply of goods can be kept clear and controllable to avoid and reduce the negative social consequences caused by the proliferation of counterfeit goods in the future."
"It should be said that through this method. , we have performed well in maintaining the quality and reputation of the 'PC' brand. In just a few years, 'PC' clothing has become an absolute high-end clothing in the country. However, this positioning is inconsistent with the 'PC' brand in the international market. There is a gap in position. Considering the country's open attitude, considering that the 'PC' brand has too many licenses in the international market and the quality is uneven, there is no doubt that our company is the largest in the country and can earn excess profits. The situation cannot be maintained for a long time.”
“So I have to remind you that in my personal opinion, with the loosening of the domestic closed environment, more and more foreign clothing brands have entered the domestic market. , our 'PC' clothing will gradually return to a reasonable position for mass consumption. This process may take ten or fifteen years. We can only delay this process as much as possible, but cannot reverse it."
"Exactly. Based on this judgment, I proposed that the 'PC' brand lower its profile in disguise and use some cheap products to get closer to the public. Although this benefit will make the 'PC' brand more popular among the people, we can also earn more. But at the same time, this is also an act of overdrafting the brand and reputation. Although it will have some negative effects on the good situation of the domestic market, it will gradually cause real high-end customers to be disgusted and the brand value will be lost. Dilution. Real high-end brands won’t do this. Do you really know this?”
Unexpectedly, the old man smiled and nodded, and what he said made more sense than Ning Weimin himself. through.
"Ning, I understand all what you said. In fact, the reason why the French fashion industry dismisses my 'PC' brand is because I took the initiative to lower my status and turned the high-end fashion house into a middle-class consumer brand. Yes, I did take a deviant path and ruined my brand in the eyes of others.”
“In order to break the barriers of fashion, I took the lead in adopting the factory-based mass production of ready-made clothes. Selling design sketches directly to other factories requires only a small amount of OEM profit, so the French fashion industry's contempt for me was even greater. At that time, no one did this, because everyone knew that this would undoubtedly damage the brand. The status and identity it represents have become impure.”
“But I did it because I realized that classics are difficult to create, and fashion brands have a longevity. Clothing brand designers are different from painters. Painters usually become famous after their death, while fashion designers usually only have the best twenty years of their lives. Who can guarantee that their brand and works will survive for thirty or forty years. It’s not easy to be popular. The probability of making your name a brand that can be loved after the founder passes away is too low. So why shouldn’t I be able to make money? It is for this reason that I license my trademark to other businesses.”
“I don’t want to be an elite, I just want to be supported by the world. There are hundreds of types of products printed with the "PC" trademark, sold in hundreds of countries around the world, ranging from soaps, toothbrushes, bath towels to canned sardines. This is the public's love for me. You can say that my trademark is my visa. I'm not afraid of my name being synonymous with daily necessities, so if someone wants to pay to have the 'PC' logo printed on toilet paper, why not? Thanks to authorization, I can make a lot of money in the short term, and I can do more things I want to do in this limited life. Isn’t this a good thing?”
“So you want to open a store? , sell some 'PC' licensed products at a low price. It is helping me maximize the company's profits. Of course I want to support it. This is the original intention of my decision to license it. You also trust Song. You have run Huaxia Company beyond expectations. You even said that you should be able to maintain the high-end brand image of 'PC' in Huaxia for ten years. This is a blessing to me. ”
"Believe me, I certainly know the disadvantages of licensing. Although this method can help my popularity reach its peak. However, because there are too many categories and too many categories, consumers have no way to tell which product is authorized and which one is Counterfeit. To be honest, even if someone does print the 'PC' trademark on toilet paper without my permission, consumers will only think it is genuine. And I have never been able to solve the quality problem of these products. , but it’s different now. Ning, I didn’t expect that you actually found a way for me to effectively maintain the ‘brand’ benefits and reduce the side effects of licensing. ”
“ Yes, Ning, think about it, if I sign a licensing contract in the future and add an additional agreement that stipulates that authorized products can only be sold in 'PC' direct stores, then wouldn't I be able to intervene in the production of these products? 'PC' department store, this is such an exciting goal. This may be a dream that I can pursue in the rest of my life. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, my friend, I may never have to worry about others taking over what I should have. Although you are still young, your business talent is really dazzling. You have opened my eyes to a new world in the business field..."
At this point, Ning Weimin finally understood the master's thoughts.
To put it bluntly, the business philosophy followed by this old French man is actually very simple.
In our words, it is gold that is worth the night, not as good as the silver that is the same day.
But fortunately, the era when the master rose was not the information age after all.
Without the Internet and the communication channels of smartphones, if a brand is rotten, its reputation will not collapse so quickly.
So this method is applied on a global scale and is a very effective strategy for attracting funds during the early stages of a person's career
The master relied on this method to quickly monetize his brand and further expand it. own career. Originally, while enjoying this benefit, it was ultimately impossible to avoid the side effects of authorization.
The master himself has been mentally prepared for this, so he just wants to have no regrets in this life.
But thanks to the non-information age, the routine of running a brand in this era is not yet mature, and not many people are aware of the benefits of franchised stores.
Ning Weimin proved the benefits of this approach in China, and at this time the master had become famous and was no longer short of money.
This is equivalent to him discovering a remedy that may be effective and may extend the life of the brand.
One can imagine how happy Pierre Cardon would be when he realized this.
This is actually no different from just spending a lot of money that is painful, only to turn around and pick up a bag of gold from the road.
Of course the master has to express his gratitude to Ning Weimin, and the gratitude and excitement in the master's heart are still difficult to restrain. It makes him very excited, and it is not an exaggeration to say that he is elated.
No wonder he was smiling all the time while listening to Ning Weimin's plan today.
So next, when it came to the issue of compensation for the easy-to-draw tie patent, Ning Weimin took advantage.
When the master was happy, the price he blurted out was already different from what Song Huagui told Ning Weimin when he was making dumplings on the fifth day of the lunar month.
He actually increased the cash compensation to one million francs.
The compensation method for sales dividends has been increased from 15% of profits to a full 20%.
Obviously, the master is a person who can achieve a perfect balance between sensibility and rationality.
Even though he was so happy, he still remained wise.
The price offered was obviously tempting Ning Weimin to choose cash compensation.
Ning Weimin did not disappoint the old man. He chose one million francs and signed the document as he wished.
As a result, this seemingly foolish choice made Song Huagui frown.
After he finished signing, the eldest sister's expression returned to normal and she said congratulations to him for becoming a millionaire.
But there was a bit of disappointment and dissatisfaction in her eyes, but it still revealed that the eldest sister believed that Ning Weimin was short-sighted and wasted such a good opportunity.
In this regard , Ning Weimin can only keep it in his heart silently, and look for opportunities to repay his elder sister's kindness in the future.
He knew as if he had a mirror in his heart that this matter could only be accomplished without Song Huagui's good words for him.
Otherwise, no matter how particular the master is, it would be hard to imagine that he would rush to put so much money into his hands.
To be honest, he is not stupid. He does not know that long-term dividends will make more profits.
On the contrary, it is because he is also a sensible person. He is a mute and eats wontons, but he knows everything.
Think about it, he is going to Japan to cut leeks, what is he missing? Isn’t it just foreign exchange?
No matter how good the project of easy-to-draw ties is, in a domestic environment where counterfeit goods are rampant, it needs to be recycled slowly, and his expectations are not high.
Otherwise he wouldn’t have come out to save people in the first place.
In short, you can’t have your cake and eat it too.
For him, this million francs was like a pillow when he wanted to sleep, and it couldn't be more suitable.
This money will be taken to Japan, that is, a bag of sand and a house of gold.
How great would it be to be able to do at least several somersaults in a few years?
To be honest, in order to maximize profits, he even had the urge to propose another plan to Picardon.
He didn't want a penny of compensation, he just wanted to get more loans from Pierre Cardon.
A few years later, the principal was repaid with interest.
But then he thought again, the last time he borrowed money to buy paintings and calligraphy, he had been clearly rejected. The big boss seemed to hate this way of borrowing money.
It's better not to force others into trouble.
Don’t let the big boss mistakenly think that you are a greedy and reckless person.
But even so, his method of using this wealth more conveniently still puzzled everyone.
To be honest, he also made two additional small requests.
First, I hope that the master can convert the money into Japanese yen and temporarily store it in an overseas account for him.
Second, I hope this matter can be kept confidential and not let other people in the company know.
"Ning, I understand that you want to convert this money into Japanese yen. After all, you are going to Japan, and the exchange rate of the franc has been very unstable in recent years. But why are you unwilling to let the company's How much satisfaction will you get from pursuing success if people know about your achievements? Are you not willing to let others admire you? >Ning Weimin was speechless for a moment and didn't know how to answer.
This can only be said to be a huge surprise for Eastern and Western cultures.
Even an outstanding artist and businessman like the master does not seem to understand the simple truth that our country's wealth should not be revealed and that we should live in harmony with the world.
After thinking for a while, he came up with a more suitable explanation.
"Mr. Pierre Cardon, it is widely spread around the world that Jews are the best people in the world at doing business. Some people even say that they are the smartest race. What do you think of this view?"
"Of course, this is recognized in the world. Everyone recognizes the business wisdom of the Jews..."
However, Ning Weimin spread his hands with a somewhat disdainful look.
“But I think it was this sentence that killed the Jews. If the Jews did not make people all over the world aware of this, if they made money without making it public or showing off, and knew how to be like us Chinese people Maybe they wouldn't be so miserable during World War II, what do you think..."
What can the master say?
I am afraid that this is the first time even Song Huagui has heard such strange remarks.
So Ning Weimin's words not only made the master completely speechless, but also made Song Huagui's eyes widen and he almost spit out the coffee he just took a sip.
(End of this chapter)