The earliest wall advertisements were used to promote family planning and Party building policies. In 1982, the family planning policy was established as a basic national policy, and rural areas were filled with slogans promoting family planning, such as "Boys and girls are the same", "IUD for the first child, sterilization for the second", and "If one person has an extra child, the whole village will be sterilized".
Once the slogan was written, the villagers knew what the higher-ups meant without the women's director having to do any publicity.
Wall advertisements are not as high-end as television advertisements, nor as elegant as newspaper advertisements, but they are direct and effective. In the 1980s, quality education was not widespread, and there were many illiterate people in rural areas. They did not read books or newspapers, and there was no television to watch, but they would definitely be brainwashed by wall advertisements.
In the 1990s, some companies saw the potential in wall advertising and covered earthen walls along rural roads, utility poles, and even outhouses with advertising templates. This brainwashing-style bombardment led to the brand's annual sales approaching 10 billion yuan.
Mandarin's sales skyrocketed thanks to the promotion of its female calendars. Furniture stores have peak and off-seasons, and it's normal for sales to drop right after the New Year. But advertising needs to be planned in advance. By contracting out important wall advertisements in rural areas, they can do whatever kind of advertising they want in the future.
Shu Aiguo only half understood, "How do you contract it?"
"We contract out all the houses along the streets and roads, especially along the railway, where the advertising coverage is extensive. We sign contracts with farmers and pay them a certain amount of advertising fees every year. In return, the walls belong to us, and we have the right to change the advertisements. If the farmers build a house, we can use the walls of the new house as a roof."
When the market is not standardized enough, you have to seize the opportunity. If you wait any longer, you'll miss out on the best opportunities.
Shu Aiguo understood that Xibao was only part of Chuyu's plan. Even if Xibao didn't need this advertising wall, it could still use it for other advertisements.
By contracting out the wall space in advance, you can rent it out to others even if you don't use it yourself.
Putting everything else aside, the walls right next to the road have a huge advertising reach. You can see it when you're on a bus or a car passing by. One advertisement can reach at least several thousand or tens of thousands of people a day. And the number along the railway is even more immeasurable. How many passengers are on a train? Even if we only consider one-way passengers, there are still quite a few people. If several thousand people see it every day, what about a month or a year?
Shu Aiguo was thrilled, feeling that his niece was truly capable.
"Chu Yu, the new accountant at Xibao can help draft the contract, but what's a suitable price for the advertising fee?"
Rural residents have low average incomes, so the advertisements painted on the walls don't bother them much. The mud houses along the street are even less particular; anyone can do it if they pay. Chu Yu's idea was to calculate based on the size of the wall: ten yuan a year for a small wall and more for a large wall.
Shu Aiguo thought it was expensive; ten yuan was an exorbitant price. Farmers would definitely scramble to advertise, but they would suffer a huge loss. Advertising wasn't necessarily effective. Ten yuan per household, what about ten, a hundred, or a thousand households? That would be a considerable expense.
Since it was all his own money being spent, Shu Aiguo wanted to lower the price.
"Five yuan a year is enough. There's not much to it about houses in the countryside. You can advertise as long as you pay."
Uncle Shu was right, but Chu Yu was thinking that although the initial expenses were large, Chu Yu wanted to sign a long-term contract. In a few years, when money would be worthless, the advertising fees would be much cheaper.
In the long run, ten yuan a year is the floor price. The high price in the early stage is to seize the market as soon as possible.
"Second Uncle, let's start with the price I mentioned, beginning in Deyang. Focus on negotiating houses along the railway and bus routes. As for advertising slogans, let me think about it some more."
Chu Yu secured the rural advertising wall, which also served as an advertisement for Dai Donglin's Donglin Electric Appliances.
"Buy appliances at Donglin, buy furniture at Xibao." "Xibao furniture: high-end quality at affordable prices." "Xibao furniture: a brand that rural people can afford."
Xibao hasn't even left Deyang yet. Gaining market share and proving quality through the market are the most important things.
Chu Yu wrote dozens of slogans in a row, and Shu Aiguo nodded repeatedly as he read them. People who have been to school are different; each slogan is more brainwashing than the last, and you won't forget them once you've read them.
From three-year-old children to eighty-year-old seniors, even those villagers who had never been to school could remember everything clearly.
That's really brainwashing!
Shu Aiguo turned back to toast Huang Xingwang again. Huang Xingwang was the head of Shanguan Village. Ten years ago, the villagers would fawn over him for everything, all for the sake of the work points he had.
Work points are the lifeblood of rural people. Without work points, there is no money and no grain. Huang Xingwang is not a high-ranking official, but he controls the lives of hundreds of people.
Times have changed. After the land reform, the villagers contracted their own land and rarely sought Huang Xingwang's help unless absolutely necessary. Huang Xingwang himself farmed a few acres of land and, except during the busy farming season, spent his days wandering aimlessly around the village. He had lost his former prestige and instead appeared somewhat forlorn.
Huang Xingwang is a few years older than Shu Aiguo. He's not old yet, but he's too ashamed to start his own business.
If a brigade leader like him went to run a private business, people would laugh at him. When Aunt Tong asked Chu Yu about pig's head meat, Huang Xingwang felt uncomfortable, but he hoped that the villagers could live a better life.
"Aiguo, do you have any secrets to running a stall? Share them with everyone in the village."
Shu Aiguo, holding his wine glass, nodded repeatedly: "As long as everyone needs us, we will definitely say whatever we want and not hide anything."
With his guarantee, the villagers finally spoke up:
"Do I need a permit to set up a street stall if I love my country?"
Where's a good place to set up a stall in Deyang? What kind of stall can make money?
How much can you earn in a day selling snacks?
Shu Aiguo couldn't handle these questions, but Deng Fangping was quite blunt. She could answer ordinary questions, but when asked how much she earned in a day, she couldn't answer. How could she possibly keep the whole house? And someone even wanted to learn how to sell roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) from her? What's the difference between that and Shu Jiandang?
"Street vending is suitable at the entrances of large factories, department stores, and hospitals. You don't need a license to set up a stall, but you do need one to open a shop. However, to make money, you definitely need to maintain hygiene. As for how much you earn in a day, that depends on your skills..."
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