Other internet companies liked to hold press conferences as grand as possible. They hoped to have nothing less than tens of thousands of people.
The reason why Meng Chang chose to hold a small news conference first was not because he kept a low profile but because he felt that a large-scale news conference might not achieve the effect he wanted.
If the time was right, he would also get a large-scale venue to hold a press conference of ten thousand people.
For Internet ‘entrepreneurs’ like them, the louder their voices, the better.
The larger the scale, the more people would know about it. It would naturally have a marketing effect, bringing popularity and traffic to companies and products.
However, at the moment, it was not suitable to boast about Cold-Faced Lady’s awesomeness.
That was because investors were actually easier to fool than ordinary people.
That was because investors would be passionate about internet related opportunities and various high-end concepts while ordinary people would focus on the products themselves.
It was easy to persuade some investors to believe that this was an internet-based cold noodles opportunity, but it was difficult to convince ordinary people.
Therefore, Meng Chang’s plan was to first persuade some investors to get the money. Once the first shop of the cold-faced lady was opened, they could then publicize it to the general public through marketing.
Due to the small scale of the event, Meng Chang decided to hold the conference in a luxurious hotel in Beijing. There were only about a hundred seats.
They were definitely filled up even though there were not too many seats.
Everything was meticulously prepared without any regard to the cost, be it the decorations, the service of the staff, the signs and gifts on the table.
As for Meng Chang, he was still dressed in the same “exquisite and down-to-earth style” as when he met He Desheng. He was in a casual suit, a single-colored T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. He looked mature and steady, but also energetic.
Meng Chang smiled and chatted with the investors and company presidents at the entrance of the venue. He led them into the venue and got them to take their seats.
Most of the people who came to this news conference might be worth more than him, but Meng Chang did not have any stage fright or inferiority complex at all. Instead, he was like a host welcoming guests.
“Boss Li, Young Master Xue, please come in.”
When Meng Chang saw Li Shi and Xue Zhebin arrive together, he quickly went up to them with a smile. His attitude was obviously warmer even though he did not make it too obvious.
The ability to judge people by their appearance and actions was indispensable.
The people who came today were all invited by Meng Chang after careful selection. Meng Chang had already made sufficient arguments and preparations regarding the investment probability of these people and whether or not he should spend more effort to fight for it.
He knew very well that although Boss Li’s Fu Hui Investments could not be compared to the investment firms of some giants in terms of resources, there was still a high possibility for ‘Cold-Faced Lady’ to obtain an investment from him.
As for Xue Zhebin, he did not have many resources himself but he could obtain them from his father.
The most important thing was that both of them were avert followers of Boss Pei. There was a high chance that they would invest along with him as well, so it was worth it for Meng Chang to spend more effort on them.
After sending Li Shi and Xue Zhebin in, Meng Chang saw He Desheng and a long-faced man arrive.
Meng Chang quickly stepped forward. “Boss He! This… could he be the legendary Boss Ma? Please come in, come in. I’ve reserved a seat at the front for both of you!”
Actually, Meng Chang had not expected Boss Pei to come. He had just casually invited him.
If Boss Pei came, wouldn’t he be making a killing?
While Boss Pei was not here now, he had sent the mysterious Boss Ma, who used to be in charge of the investment department. Meng Chang felt that this was a pleasant surprise.
Thus, he specially arranged for the VIP seats in the middle of the first row.
There were two main reasons for this.
First, he wanted to express his sincerity to Tengda. After all, Tengda had given him the two million yuan that he had started the project. Second, he wanted to send a message to everyone else: I’m not scamming you. Tengda really values my project!
Therefore, Meng Chang was the most enthusiastic towards He Desheng and Ma Yang. He even personally led them to the first row of the venue. He ensured they were well settled in before returning to the entrance to welcome the others.
It was their first time meeting and Meng Chang did not understand Boss Ma. He did not know what Boss Ma’s exact attitude was.
However, he knew that it would be easy for him to fail if he cared too much about Boss Ma’s feelings, Thus, he tactfully used the excuse of welcoming the others to leave when he saw that Boss Ma had no intention of getting close to him.
Ma Yang picked up the 10 yuan bottle of mineral water in front of him and gulped it down in two gulps. He then wiped his mouth in a very ungentlemanly manner.
“What’s my main task today?” Ma Yang turned to look at He Desheng.
He Desheng said, “Boss Ma, it’s up to you. Boss Pei only asked you to attend on his behalf. He didn’t say anything else. You can speak if you want to, and you can remain silent if you want to. It doesn’t matter.”
“Oh.” Ma Yang nodded and silently played with his phone.
…
Soon, it was time for the news conference.
The list of guests had already been set since it was by invitation. Almost all of the seats were filled. Only a few bosses did not come because of their schedule.
The lights dimmed a little. After the countdown on the big screen, the promotional video for the news conference started playing.
The scene was a pure white background. Meng Chang appeared in the image in a sitting posture. He was still wearing that single-colored T-shirt. He confidently faced the camera and spoke the opening lines of the promotional video in English.
“Everyone knows that our country’s food and beverage culture has a long history.”
“The appearance of the ‘cold-faced lady’ would start a new style of consumption, and it would also be an opportunity to change the world.”
After a simple opening speech, the iconic logo of the cold-faced lady appeared on the white screen.
The film had been shot and edited in the past two days. As time was tight, there were not many fancy scenes.
However, the white background + BGM, Meng Chang’s relaxed attitude, confident body language, and extremely fluent English gave him an inexplicable sense of superiority.
The few investors sitting in the back row who had only wanted to join in the fun suddenly looked solemn.
After all, PPT was the core competitiveness of internet entrepreneurs.
Those who could speak and were filled with confidence naturally gave people a sense of trust.
Ma Yang frowned and his long face seemed to stretch even further.
“There are no foreigners here. Why speak English?” Ma Yang was confused.
He Desheng said in a low voice, “International thinking and vision is all the hype now. Fluency in English is a bonus in many people’s eyes.”
Ma Yang pursed his lips. He did not have a good first impression of Meng Chang.
The video was still playing on the big screen.
First, he talked about how the cold noodles made by the brand ‘Cold-Faced Lady’ were ‘fundamentally different’ from other cold noodles. He talked about its breakthrough in raw materials, standardized process, size, methods, and taste;
Then, he linked the internet to the brand ‘Cold Faced Lady’: Attention to the user experience in detail, a more advanced marketing method to close the gap with the user,
and a unique ‘Cold Faced Culture’ etc;
Lastly, he would talk about the subsequent expansion of the Cold Faced Lady brand. It would not only be limited to a food and beverage brand, but it would also expand into a lifestyle and concept. Finally, it would create a brand new business model.
The video took less than five minutes, so the content was very brief. However, one could tell that it was a summary of the entire conference.
The reason why it was placed at the front was to make a show of strength so that all the investors and bosses present would have a clear understanding of the contents of the news conference.
Everyone had different expressions after watching the promotional video.
Some people were watching with great interest and seriousness. Some looked confused, while others frowned.
However, no one was dozing off.
Whether they agreed to it or not, at least he had everyone’s attention.
Xue Zhebin frowned as well. He turned to Li Shi and whispered, “Create a ‘cold-faced culture’? ‘cold-faced business model’? Is that reliable?”
Li Shi did not comment. “Let’s hear what he has to say.”
Meng Chang walked onto the stage with a smile and a confident gait.
He scanned the entire venue and naturally noticed the expressions of the investors.
The promotional video had achieved exactly what he wanted.
The first task of marketing was to make everyone notice you. It was better to gain a bad reputation than to be not interesting.
Although the content of the promotional video was very exaggerated, it maintained a bottom line of restraint and did not appear too ridiculous.
Coupled with the excellent production and Meng Chang’s confident performance, it objectively divided the crowd.
Some people felt that the film was very high-class, that Meng Chang was very capable and particular; others felt that it was overly exaggerated, that some prospects were too far away, and that it was like an empty building.
However, that did not matter because Meng Chang had never intended to conquer everyone with a single publicity film and a press conference.
His scheme was interconnected. This was only the first small step.
Meng Chang scanned the crowd and smiled. “Many people might feel confused after watching this promotional video.
“Someone might want to ask, isn’t it just making cold noodles?”
“What’s the point of bragging about internet commerce and business models when it comes to cold noodles? Isn’t that nonsense?”
“Of course, I know that this concept would be difficult to accept at first glance. It would be more disruptive to our usual concept.”
“However, I want to ask everyone a question. If you hear an entrepreneur talk about a concept or model that everyone thinks is reliable, feasible, and absolutely successful, would you dare to invest?”
“I would not dare to invest in something like that if I were the investor.”
“That’s because a business model that everyone feels is reliable must be something that many people have already tried. The competition is extremely intense. There’s no point in entering as an entrepreneur now.”
“Therefore, the birth of a new business model is definitely accompanied by many doubts.”
“Please listen to me patiently. During this process, I will briefly explain every step of the ‘cold-faced lady’ brand.”
“In fact, you don’t have to rush to invest after I’m done with my speech. You can first observe.”
“Everyone can decide whether to invest once every step I take gradually comes true and proves that this business model is feasible.”
Chapter 732 - Good Answers
After Meng Chang’s opening speech, many investors, who had been frowning and thinking that it was unreliable, relaxed.
Everyone started listening intently.
Meng Chang was very relaxed and did not feel any pressure at all. He began to talk about the business model of ‘cold-faced lady’.
The overall content was similar to what he had told He Desheng, but the details were much more detailed.
That was because he had limited time when he met He Desheng previously. He could only compress all the content to within half an hour.
However, since it was a news conference now, there was definitely not enough time to produce results. Thus, Meng Chang extended it to nearly two hours.
All the content was divided into three parts.
The first part would explain the huge market demand for “cold noodles” and the changes that “cold noodles lady” would bring to the cold noodles and fast food industry.
The current market situation was still the same. The main problem was that the cold noodles were unhygienic, there was difficulty in ensuring its taste, and there were only a few variations. Selling through the internet and catering were a huge trend.
At this stage, the mission of ‘cold-faced lady’ was to create a brand concept that could be linked to the traditional food known as ‘roasted cold noodles’ through products and marketing. That was to make everyone subconsciously think of ‘cold faced lady’ when they heard the words ‘roasted cold noodles’.
In the second part, after the brand ‘Cold Faced Lady’ was established, it expanded around the concept of this brand and could also do the same for many Chinese fast food business models.
Producing fast food products such as rolls, roujiamo, side dishes, congee, cold noodles, etc.
These products would serve as supplements to the signature delicacy of the “Cold-Faced Lady”. The customers’ understanding of the “Cold-Faced Lady” would gradually evolve from a simple Roasted Cold Noodles brand to a fast-food brand.
The third part was, after the ‘cold-faced lady’ gained a firm foothold in the fast food industry, he would use this opportunity to embrace the internet ecology and open up the barriers between the online and offline, restaurants and the internet, users and platforms. That was the so-called ‘multi-dimensional fusion’.
That was because the ‘cold-faced lady’ represented a lifestyle surrounding the internet. Therefore, users would naturally accept this’ multi-dimensional fusion ‘model.
For example, they could make a central kitchen, take-out delivery, Gourmet Reviews, and other industries. Through the accumulation of content, they could continuously expand the concept and moat of the Cold Faced Lady brand.
In the process of explaining, Meng Chang explained some abstract concepts that were easy to understand. He even cited the famous words of many Internet big shots, causing many investors to nod frequently.
On the other hand, Meng Chang had explained some of the areas that might be controversial in advance and blocked the way for others to question him.
“Some people might ask, ‘Cold Face Lady’ is only making roasted cold noodles. You place so much emphasis on marketing and brand construction, and even plan to spend a huge sum of money on it. Is there any meaning to this? Are you creating a marketing stunt and hype?”
“I want to ask everyone a question: We all know that ‘products are king’. Who knows what the exact definition of ‘products’ is?”
“Some people think that marketing and products are polar opposites. You can’t make products after marketing. I think this perception is narrow.”
“Products are actually the sum of the physical item and concept.”
“Take POUIO cell phone for example. We buy both physical and concepts. If they don’t have concepts, their value would be reduced by at least a third.”
“Therefore, the reason why we internet companies value marketing so much is not because we want to hype it up and make it look bad, but because we want to create a business model with a moat. We have to balance the relationship between ‘physical objects’ and ‘concepts’. That is a good product.”
“If we combine the brand ‘Cold Noodles’ with the traditional roasted cold noodles, then we would create a moat. In the future, when customers w
ant to eat the roasted cold noodles, their first reaction would be to eat the roasted cold noodles made by Cold-Faced Lady. Of course, this marketing is meaningful. How could it be a publicity stunt?”
“Creating publicity stunts is a reckless pursuit of popularity and traffic. As for how to make use of this popularity and traffic, there is no planning. Our marketing is to create a brand concept, a part of our product.”
“Some people might ask that cold noodles are just a snack. No matter how delicious it is, it can only be eaten once a week at most. How can it be treated as a wholesome meal?”
“In fact, ‘cold-faced lady’ would never encourage customers to eat grilled cold noodles as a wholesome meal. That’s because it’s neither nutritious nor healthy, and it doesn’t fit most people’s eating habits.”
“The cold noodles used by ‘Cold Face Lady’ is actually just a signboard, a concept, a celebrity standalone product, and it is not the only one.”
“In the first stage, we will not only have various flavors of grilled cold noodles, but we will also have side dishes, porridge, cold noodles, desserts, and other side dishes. In the second stage, our goal is to create a Chinese fast food brand, including rolls, braised rice, and so on. These are all part of our meals.”
“Then, why do I keep emphasizing the concept of ‘roasted cold noodles’? That’s because ‘roasted cold noodles’ is our entry point.”
“If we insist on making Chinese-style fast food right from the start, we will definitely die a horrible death. There are too many competitors for Chinese-style fast food. We don’t have a main point that all consumers can quickly remember.”
“On the other hand, the concept of ‘Cold-Faced Lady’ would greatly reduce the difficulty to be remembered for consumers.”
“Our emphasis on ‘roasted cold noodles’ means that our direct competitor is not the Chinese food and beverage brands, but the unnamed and unhygienic roadside stalls. That is our advantage.”
“The first goal is to obtain customers. First, we have to differentiate ourselves and make them recognize and remember them. Then, we have to enrich our plan and think in the long term.”
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