Fu Ming was quick; he returned to Shanghai that afternoon. Fang Yang hadn't even finished get off work when Fu Ming rushed into the office, looking disheveled. "President Fang, I heard from President Yang that they're going to cancel our announcement?"
Fang Yang was reviewing documents when he was startled by the sound of Fu Ming barging in. He looked up and saw Fu Ming, and said irritably, "Are you trying to scare me to death by rushing around like that?"
Fu Ming, with his unkempt beard, looked genuinely anxious. "No, Mr. Fang, we're at a crucial moment in our promotional campaign. Suddenly canceling it would be a real problem."
“We know you’re anxious. The company has invested tens of millions in making a movie. Are you going to let the investment go down the drain? You’re a big director, and you still don’t have any composure.”
Fu Ming was almost in tears of grievance. The promotion in Fujian, Zhejiang and Guangdong provinces was going well, but as soon as he entered Chongqing, he was hit hard by another film crew. From the director to the actors, no one could compare to them. Even in terms of funding, they were far inferior. Suddenly, they were ignored in Chongqing. With no other choice, he called the company for help, but he was told to disband on the spot and rush back to the company. Was he being abandoned?
Seeing that Fu Ming still didn't understand, Fang Yang explained, "After your situation was reported to the company, the company decided to change the advertising model because the scope of your advertising was very limited. So the company decided to adopt a new advertising model, investing heavily to fully roll it out in third- and fourth-tier cities. Maybe we can open up a wider market. The reason we called you back is to hear your experiences along the way and see if the new advertising model is more effective."
Fu Ming hadn't heard what was said before, but he did catch the idea of investing heavily in promoting the film. "Mr. Fang, do you mean we should invest heavily in promoting this film?"
"Well, the initial budget starts at 200 million, but whether it can be developed into an effective plan depends on your reports on the journey. The marketing department will draft a preliminary plan, and if the plan is feasible, we will try to promote it."
With tears still welling up in his eyes, Fu Ming said, "Really? That's wonderful! I thought the company was going to give up on this film. After all, the competition was too strong. I was wondering if we should avoid it for the time being."
Fang Yang shook his head. "You need to have some confidence in yourself. Once a bullet is fired, there's no going back. Tonight, write a report on the gains and losses of this announcement. We'll discuss it tomorrow morning and come up with a feasible solution. Since it involves the collaboration of several departments, we need some data support. And since you've been running around for so long, you have more say in the matter."
"May I ask about the specific details of this project?"
Fu Ming asked nervously, knowing that he had no right to speak without understanding the situation. He wanted to know what exactly was going on with this plan that had prompted the company to invest heavily in it.
Fang Yang got up and poured Fu Ming a cup of tea. "Do you know about the great man's strategy of encircling the cities from the countryside?"
"Yes, I know. I learned about it in the history book."
"Do you know how many third- and fourth-tier cities there are in the whole country?"
"About one hundred and fifty or sixty."
What about first-tier and second-tier cities?
"More than forty."
"You're very good at geography!" Fang Yang smiled. "So, how many county towns are there?"
"There's still around two thousand seven or eight thousand."
Fang Yang looked at Fu Ming in surprise, "So amazing! Your grades in high school must have been excellent!"
Fu Ming waved his hand and said, "What's so great about me? My kid asked me this question a while ago, and I secretly looked it up online, so I only know a little bit about it."
Fang Yang chuckled. There was another reason for this, which Fang Yang only learned by searching on Baidu. However, the key point was not this, but the approximate number.
Fang Yang patted Fu Ming on the shoulder, "So that's the key point. 70% of the country's population is concentrated in the lower-tier cities. Why should we neglect the primary market for secondary ones? As long as we control the lower-tier cities, we control the absolute box office. I think that's why the great leader formulated the strategy of encircling the cities from the countryside—a large population base is the biggest box office advantage!"
Fu Ming stared at Fang Yang with his mouth agape. "Who came up with this idea? It's absolutely brilliant! The problem is, there are just too many cities below. Even if we wanted to escape, we couldn't possibly escape them all!"
The thought of the more than three thousand cities below made Fu Ming tremble. Human power has its limits and is beyond our reach. Some things cannot be done just by thinking about them.
"You don't need to think about that. Just write down what you've seen and heard along the way and give it to everyone for reference at tomorrow's meeting. As for the actual implementation, someone will take care of it."
Fu Mingda, what kind of company can have a nationwide presence and even coordinate planning at the county level? Come to think of it, there doesn't seem to be one. The biggest companies we've ever had are only in one region, planning for a few provinces!
The next day, Fu Ming, looking like he hadn't slept well, arrived at Fang Yang's office early. As soon as Fang Yang opened the office door, he saw Fu Ming, who looked haggard, walk in and frowned slightly. "Didn't you sleep well last night?"
Fu Ming scratched his head. "I was rushing to finish the report in the first half of the night, and I couldn't sleep well in the second half, so I woke up early this morning."
Fang Yang stepped aside and watched Fu Ming walk into the office. "You still need to take care of your health. It's just a small setback. Have you seen the struggle between Zheng Xiuli and Cang Mingyue lately? At first, Zheng Xiuli was completely at a disadvantage and lagged behind Cang Mingyue in every aspect. But in just one night, Zheng Xiuli turned the tide. So the overall situation is still uncertain, and you and I could both be dark horses! Don't take temporary gains and losses too seriously. Life has to go on."
Fu Ming said with a wry smile, "I've been either rushing to announcements or on my way to announcements lately, so I really haven't paid attention to the rivalry between Zheng Xiuli and Cang Mingyue."
Fang Yang started the fire to boil water, "Do you know how Zheng Xiuli's sales are doing now?"
Fu Ming sighed helplessly, "President Fang, how could I possibly be in the mood to pay attention to this? All I've been thinking about is how to promote this movie. It's such a good movie, and the subject matter is so novel. I can't let it be ruined in my hands!"
Fang Yang glanced at Fu Ming and said, "What I want you to focus on is not the result, but the process. In these days of being surrounded by enemies and a war of gods, Zheng Xiuli's album was able to stand out. The knowledge behind it is worth learning. Don't just focus on your own little corner of the world. You can learn from others. If you want to stand on your own, you still need to keep learning!"
Fang Yang's words were a bit harsh. He couldn't stand seeing someone so easily discouraged. A real man bleeds but doesn't cry. As long as you're strong, there's no obstacle you can't overcome.
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