OBS Chapter 1305 Another instance of branding
Chapter 1305 Another instance of branding
Chapter 1305 Another instance of branding
On the morning of the eighth day of the Lunar New Year, the lights in the Jinling County Guesthouse shone brightly before dawn. Qin Hao was writing furiously at his desk, his pen scratching across the paper, while the faint sounds of roosters crowing from a distant village drifted in from outside the window. Yang Xun had already packed his luggage and occasionally peeked out to look at Qin Hao, who was engrossed in his writing.
"Brother Hao, if we don't leave now, we'll miss our flight," Yang Xun reminded him for the third time.
Qin Hao didn't even look up: "It'll be ready soon. Go and get the car ready."
As the last page was bound into a book, the first light of dawn appeared outside the window. Qin Hao rubbed his sore eyes and solemnly handed the thick, twenty-plus-page "Jinling County Industrial Structure Adjustment Plan" to Xu County Magistrate's secretary, who was already waiting outside the door.
"Please make sure to hand it over to County Chief Xu personally," Qin Hao instructed.
On the way to the provincial capital's airport, County Head Xu eagerly flipped through the plan in the bumpy car. The more he read, the more alarmed he became—from agricultural industrialization to township enterprise reform, from light industry layout to foreign trade export planning, the plan was clearly organized, the data was detailed, and it even listed in detail the advantages and disadvantages of various industries in Jinling County and their transformation paths.
"Stop the car!" County Chief Xu suddenly shouted. He rolled down the window and looked in the direction the Crown had gone, his eyes flashing with a complex light.
The secretary had never seen County Chief Xu so out of control.
"County magistrate, what's wrong?"
County Magistrate Xu sighed deeply, "I was thinking, how wonderful it would be if we could keep him here."
He shook his head halfway through his sentence: "Forget it, this small temple in Jinling County can't contain such a great Buddha."
Meanwhile, Qin Hao had already boarded a flight to Hong Kong. Outside the window, the rising sun painted the sea of clouds gold. He closed his eyes to rest, his mind already planning his next business empire.
Conference room at the headquarters of Haoran International, Central, Hong Kong.
The heavy solid wood door of the conference room was pushed open by the assistant, and Qin Hao stepped in, dressed in a well-tailored dark suit. His steps were steady, and his aura instantly enveloped the entire room.
"Happy New Year, everyone! Please have a seat!"
Qin Hao's brief and powerful opening remarks immediately put the atmosphere in the meeting room on edge.
The projector lit up, and a set of astonishing figures appeared on the screen: 1981 sales target—$5 million.
A collective gasp filled the conference room. Marcos from the Philippines nearly slipped off his chair. Adjusting his glasses, he stammered, "Mr. Lei, we only made 8000 million last year... this..."
Zhang Li from the Singapore branch also stood up: "President Lei, the Southeast Asian market has limited capacity. Even if we give it our all, we can't reach $500 million in sales..."
However, Qin Hao ignored him and continued speaking.
"This is just the first goal! The second goal is to fully expand into the European and American markets within this year! I want Haoran International's products to fill the shelves in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. The third goal is that within two years, the name 'Haoran International' will appear on the trading board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange!"
Three goals, each so grand it was breathtaking. A deathly silence fell over the room, broken only by the faint hum of the air conditioning vents.
Several managers subconsciously adjusted their ties, feeling a tightness in their throats.
"Do you think the three goals I set are unrealistic?" Qin Hao asked calmly, as if he could see through everyone's doubts.
"Before coming to Hong Kong, I had already communicated with leaders of various ministries and commissions in mainland China. The mainland urgently needs foreign exchange. What does this 500 million in foreign exchange mean to them? It means a dazzling political achievement! For this, they are willing to provide unprecedented support—taxation, customs clearance, production coordination. As long as we place orders, they will mobilize all available resources to ensure that we 'bring in raw materials, ship products, keep costs down, and speed up operations'! This is a huge policy dividend and cost advantage! The Southeast Asian market is our core business. Last year, we were able to achieve 80 million, thanks to favorable timing, location, and people. This year, we are deepening our market penetration, expanding product categories, and strengthening our channels. Each of our three managers is responsible for a specific region, and considering the existing product lines and market capacity, we aim to achieve 300 million US dollars!"
He looked at the three core managers in charge of the Thailand-Cambodia, Malaysia-Singapore, and Indonesia-Philippines branches, his tone leaving no room for doubt.
Meeting Qin Hao's gaze, the three managers, despite feeling immense pressure, hardened their resolve upon recalling last year's achievements and the promise of support from the mainland. They nodded in unison, "Understood, Mr. Lei! We will do our best!"
Yang Xun quickly jotted down the allocated numbers, his mind racing with calculations.
“Three hundred million US dollars.” Qin Hao walked back to the head of the table, his gaze fixed on everyone: “We are still two hundred million US dollars short of our target!”
“This gap definitely can’t be filled this year by relying on the potential of the Southeast Asian market!” He turned his gaze to the other side of the map: “Therefore, expanding into the European and American markets is of utmost urgency! We must extract these two hundred million US dollars from the bones of these high-value markets! This is a crucial battle to fill the gap, and it is also the only way for our company to move from ‘regional trade’ to ‘global enterprise’ and achieve our goal of going public in two years! It is a springboard, but also a do-or-die battle!”
"Here, I solemnly promise everyone that as long as Haoran International can complete its listing, the company will award no less than 15% of its original shares to those present here, as well as to the outstanding contributors to Haoran International."
The atmosphere in the meeting room was ignited. Shock and pressure were replaced by a sense of purpose.
No matter how eloquently you speak, nothing is more inspiring than concrete equity incentives.
……
In March 1981, New York was still chilly in the air. The skyscrapers of Manhattan were partially obscured by a thin mist, and the concrete jungle was filled with the aura of money and power.
Qin Hao, dressed in a well-fitting trench coat, walked alone through the bustling streets and crowds.
In stark contrast to the Southeast Asian market where "low price is king," the pace here is faster, the eye is more discerning, and the standards are as strict as an invisible barrier.
Armed with a meticulously prepared sample booklet and brimming with confidence, he visited one wholesaler after another, the purchasing departments of chain supermarkets, and even promising large distributors. The sample booklet contained his "powerful weapons" that had conquered Southeast Asia: low-cost yet practical household hardware, basic agricultural tools, standard spare parts…
However, reality is a cruel and harsh blow.
"Made in China? Sorry, that's not for us." A middle-aged white man with slicked-back hair and an arrogant expression, who was the purchasing manager of a large supermarket chain, only opened the first page of the sample book, glanced at the country of origin label, and then closed it without any politeness, as if throwing away a hot potato.
"What we need is reliable quality and brand history. Made in China..."
An elderly boutique home furnishings buyer with white hair pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses. Before he could finish speaking, his disdain and distrust were already written on his face: "I'm afraid it doesn't fit our clients' spending habits. The risk is too great."
In the office of a sizable industrial goods wholesaler in Brooklyn, the bearded owner glanced at the samples a few more times, even tapping one with a wrench, but ultimately shook his head: "The price is indeed tempting, but... Mr. Lei, the factories we cooperate with are all German and Japanese brands, with stable supply and reliable quality. Your price is low? But with the possibility of returns, claims, and reputational damage, this 'low' could very well become 'high'."
As night fell, Qin Hao returned to his hotel near Times Square.
The neon lights outside the window flickered, reflecting in his slightly tired yet more profound eyes. Several days of setbacks and dozens of rejections had made him acutely aware of the inherent and heavy negative label that "Made in China" carries in the high-end market.
Behind those polite or perfunctory smiles lies a deep-seated skepticism about quality and reputation.
Qin Hao leaned against the cold windowsill, lit a cigarette, and through the swirling smoke, his gaze unconsciously fell on a pile of samples casually tossed on the table—a few simple wrenches, a few small wicker baskets, and a plain earthenware cup. Outside the window, a huge neon billboard flashed incessantly, "DESIGNED IN NEW YORK. QUALITY YOU TRUST," casting ever-changing light and shadow.
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning cleaved through Qin Hao's mind! Tag! Trust! A bold and adventurous idea grew wildly like weeds.
“Origin…Made in China…” he muttered to himself, his eyes growing brighter and brighter: “Labels can be put on…and of course they can be torn off or replaced!”
A few days later, an encrypted telegram arrived at Yang Xun's desk at the Hong Kong headquarters:
1. Quick setup: Register a wholly-owned shell design consulting brand company in Hong Kong. The exterior design must conform to European and American aesthetics and emphasize the concept of a 'simple and modern lifestyle'.
2. All goods shipped from China to the European and American markets will have their outer packaging immediately replaced upon arrival at the Hong Kong warehouse. This includes all text-based markings such as cartons, labels, and instruction manuals. The original "Made in China" label will be completely removed! All product labels, shipping marks, and brand placement will be replaced with the new brand "Harmony Living," and the place of origin will only be marked "Hong Kong."
3. Adjust product structure: Suspend the plan to import existing Southeast Asian main product categories into Europe and the United States on a large scale.
4. Immediately initiate dedicated development for the three core product lines:
High-end ceramics: Immediately contact top ceramic factories in Tangshan and Jingdezhen to produce samples based on the latest modern minimalist European and American design drawings provided by us! The product line must include: high-end bone china tableware and coffee sets, with a focus on adding: European-style ceramic toilets and matte/glazed wall and floor tiles. Requirements: Quality control must be extremely stringent, adhering to European hygiene and environmental standards!
Eco-friendly bamboo and rattan woven products: Contact local bamboo and rattan weaving factories. Eliminate all traditional basket shapes! Design highlights: lightweight, foldable, tightly woven and intricately detailed, adorned with canvas or leather accessories. Repositioning concept – “Eco-friendly picnic basket,” “Stylish shopping basket,” “Multi-functional storage basket.”
Retro mechanical alarm clock: Must be manufactured by Tianjin Seagull Factory or a manufacturer of equivalent quality. Design highlights: Retro appearance, internal timekeeping mechanism ensures accuracy.
The mainland responded very quickly. Under the coordination of leaders from various ministries, a large number of top talents in the industry were mobilized to improve the three flagship products set by Qin Hao. In just one month, they met Qin Hao's requirements, and some designs were even better than Qin Hao had imagined.
The facts have proven that the mainland is not lacking in talent, but rather that its potential has not been fully realized.
The "OEM strategy" acted like a ray of light, piercing the ice of perception that "Made in China" was foreign to the European and American markets. The three flagship products, now rebranded with foreign names, seemed to have donned magical armor and began to knock on the doors of the European and American markets.
Samples from the high-end ceramics line arrived fastest. A set of pristine white, sleek bone china coffee set, paired with stylish matte black glazed floor tiles and a modern minimalist toilet model, were first brought by Qin Hao to a mid-sized home furnishing chain buyer who urgently needed high-quality, low-priced goods to replace their original Japanese suppliers due to poor management.
When the samples were carefully displayed on the showcase table, the "Hong Kong" label was prominently displayed, and the buyers' eyes immediately changed.
"Very modern... simple lines... wait, this toilet..."
The buyer ran his fingers over the smooth ceramic surface of the toilet, his fingers lingering on the delicate flush button.
"The texture is very good. And the price is one-third of similar Kohler products?"
When Qin Hao announced the price range, the buyer's eyes lit up with immense surprise and shrewd calculation.
A week later, a trial order of $500,000 was faxed to the Hong Kong headquarters! The first brick was successfully laid in the high wall of the European and American markets!
Eco-friendly bamboo and rattan woven products also found a niche. When the brightly colored and ingeniously folded "Eco Picnic Basket" appeared in the window of a boutique that emphasizes a lifestyle concept, its eco-friendly concept and practical aesthetics instantly attracted middle-class consumers who appreciate natural living. The shop owner keenly sensed the customers' interest, quickly placed an order, and proactively raised the price of the basket to the maximum suggested by Qin Hao—$24.99 USD, yet it still sold out quickly.
Soon, the "Shopping Basket" and "Storage Basket" series, designed for different scenarios, were continuously replenished on the shelves.
Orders started at small boutiques and spread like ripples to larger lifestyle chain stores.
Retro mechanical alarm clocks precisely target another group of price-sensitive customers who need reliable timekeeping tools.
When Qin Hao repackaged the Seagull alarm clock, which cost less than $2 to produce, and labeled it Harmony Living, and then placed it on the negotiating table of Target's suppliers at a retailer's retailer for $12.99, its sturdy and durable performance, along with its irresistible price, instantly crushed competing products.
An annual framework agreement for two million alarm clocks was quickly signed amid expectations of huge profit margins from both parties.
This simple product, known as the "Seagull Warrior," has become the key to unlocking the channels of large supermarkets!
"Mr. Lei! You're a genius! My boss loves you to death!"
"A distributor representative who had negotiated a large order for ceramic floor tiles with Qin Hao at a furniture show in New York patted him on the shoulder, his face beaming like a blooming chrysanthemum."
This representative had scoffed at "Made in China" a few weeks earlier.
The foreigner's attitude towards someone who could make him money changed so quickly that it was astonishing. He wished he could immediately enshrine Qin Hao in a shrine of wealth and burn incense in worship, while eagerly urging for more "good stuff".
Orders flew back to Hong Kong like snowflakes via telex and overseas phone calls.
Yang Xun was under immense pressure yet incredibly excited as he managed the massive back-end operations at the Hong Kong headquarters: coordinating overtime production at mainland factories, ensuring that products from North China to South China could be smoothly gathered at the Hong Kong transit warehouse, supervising the relabeling and OEM process at the Hong Kong warehouse, arranging international shipping space... the entire Haoran International supply chain was running at high speed.
With hard work and wisdom, remarkable results have been achieved.
In just six months, thanks to its OEM strategy and the precise positioning and strong breakthroughs of its three core flagship products, Haoran International's sales in the European and American markets have exceeded an astonishing $100 million!
With the Southeast Asian market achieving its target of $1.5 million in sales, Haoran International's total global sales for the first half of the year reached a staggering $2.5 million!
We've achieved half of our annual target of 500 million!