Chapter 89 – Television Advertisement
With Feng Yu’s careful planning and execution, Tai Hua Premium Cooking Oil became very popular in Bing City. But the response in other places in Longjiang Province was lackluster.
After all, Tai Hua Premium Cooking Oil was priced more than double of regular soybean oil. Not many are willing to spend so much on soybean oil. Although there were some effects from the soft-sell advertisements, the TV stations started a series of programs to explain the leaching process. Even the workers at the soybean oil factories are eating those oils. If there are indeed problems with the oil, why would the workers still eat them?
If it’s only the Bing City market, Tai Hua Factory can surely make money. But Tai Hua Trading was not making much money. They had given out too many free samples, and the price they were getting from Tai Hua Factory was higher than the market rate.
As such, Feng Yu decided to increase the advertising efforts to let more people remember Tai Hua Premium Cooking Oil. When people buy cooking oil, they will remember his brand.
His goods were distributed to the whole province, but the quantity was low. One-third of the oil that was produced these few days remained in Bing City, one third was sent to the cooperatives in other places within the province, and one third was given out as “samples.”
Other than the cooperatives in Bing City bought the oil directly, the other cooperatives were getting the oil on consignment model. It was due to the prices set by Feng Yu. Those cooperatives did not think that these oils will sell well. These oils really did not sell well. Despite the advertisements on the papers every day, there were very few people who bought these oils.
……
“Tai Hua Premium Cooking Oil, made from high-grade natural soybeans. Pressed using the most advanced Soviet Union machines. No chemical additives. The chosen oil used in the European Nobles’ kitchen!”
A 20-year-old girl, wearing an apron with Tai Hua Premium Cooking Oil’s logo printed on it, was stir frying prawns and there was masculine voice reading the advertising message. The last scene was the young girl holding a 1.5 liters bottle of Tai Hua Premium Cooking Oil.
Somehow, Feng Yu felt some regrets. There was not high definition video camera yet. If he can produce “A Bite of China” (China’s first documentary about Chinese Cuisine filmed using high definition video cameras in 2012), the effect would be better. But neverminded. Feng Yu was still quite pleased with this.
This advertisement had highlighted the concept of natural food products. Now, no one understands this concept yet but it stills gives people the impression of high-grade food products. Together with the advertisements on natural food products in the papers, natural food products were popularized.
The ten seconds advertisement was aired 3 times a day, on the provincial TV station. Once at noon, once in the late afternoon and once during the prime time at night. This era, the television advertising fees were quite expensive. But it was the CCTV that was high, and the provincial TV station advertising airtime was still not that high.
Just like now, 3 advertisements for 1 year, only cost Feng Yu a few hundred thousand. But Feng Yu had added a clause in the contract which was the advertisement can be changed anytime. A few days later, when the packaging for the sugar was ready, he would do a round of promotions for his sugar.
If it were in Feng Yu’s previous life, this advertisement would not be allowed to be aired. “The chosen oil used in the European Nobles’ kitchen.” was a lie. Europe doesn’t use soybean oil in this era. But how many people in China knew about this? Most people in this era believed everything that was aired on TV!
Feng Yu’s advertising message highlighted how precious the premium oil was, coupled with the scene of a young lady cooking with the oil, had created a deep impression on the audience.
The young lady cooking was his sister, Feng Danying. Feng Yu wanted to let his sister have a feel of being a commercial star. He hired a makeup artist from the TV station to put on light makeup for his sister. This was very different from the makeup trend in this era, where everyone put on thick makeup and bright red lipsticks. Many people thought that his sister did not put on any makeup.
Feng Danying was young and pretty in the first place and after putting on light makeup, she was not any inferior to any movie stars. Li Shiqiang was also at the scene of filming, and he was smitten by the beauty of Feng Danying.
The day after the advertisement was aired, Feng Yu’s mother called him and asked him if the person cooking was his sister. After getting the answer from Feng Yu, her tone changed and said: “She can get to star in the commercial just because she can cook? Is her cooking better than me?”
Feng Yu quickly explained to her that it was because of the lack of time. Next time, he will get his mother to star in the commercial.
The advertisement can be changed after one month. A middle-aged woman cooking might have better effects. But now, he only wanted to attract the attention of the viewers and his sister’s image was more suitable.
……
In the Northern region, Jia City, two women in their 30’s were walking towards the cooperative after work.
“What are you buying?”
“Tai Hua Premium Cooking Oil. What about you?”
“Me too. This oil was made using the most advanced technology from the Soviet Union, and it should taste good.”
“Not only it will taste good, but it is also made naturally with no chemical additives. My son had just attended school and should not be eating those cooking oil made from chemicals.”
“That’s right. Even though it is more expensive, but it only cost slightly more. Even the nobles in Europe are using this type of oil, and now we can also experience being a noble too!”
This type of scenes were common in many cities of Longjiang province, and these cities were different from Bing City. These cities had a lower level of acceptance. The sales of the big bottles were low in those cities, but the sales of the small bottles were not bad. Many were just buying the small bottles to try it first.
But Feng Yu knew that when the TV commercial carries on airing every day, people will get used to Tai Hua Premium Oil, and they will continue to buy Tai Hua Premium Cooking Oil. The taste of their oil was indeed better.
Now, Tai Hua Factory had hired a lot of workers under Feng Yu’s instruction. The factories in the cities were operating in 3 shifts, but at Tai Hua Factory, the workers were working in 4 shifts.
Firstly, these people were farmers. Even if operating the machines were easy to pick up, they had a lack of concern for safety compared to those working in factories for some years. Also, working with machines had some danger. For instance, adding the raw materials into the machines and fire safety.
These people did not have a serious view on workplace safety. They might get seriously injured or even die if there were any accidents. If that happens, no amount of compensation would be enough.
This was especially important as their district only had a population of 20,000. If there were any accidents in the factory, the news would spread quickly, and the reputation of the factory would be tarnished.
Feng Yu also decided to headhunt two management staffs from the city. But the ones he targeted had rejected him despite offering them more than double their existing salaries. They wanted to remain in the state-owned factories as it was considered an “iron rice bowl” to them. Why should they go and work in a small factory in the countryside? They would not leave even if they were offered 3 times their current salaries!
Feng Yu was disappointed. He can only train his staff himself. He hired those retired factory supervisors to conduct classes on workplace safety for the workers at Tai Hua Factory to raise their safety awareness.
This period, they had purchased almost 100 tons of soybean and had produced 15 tons of soybean oil. Just with soybean oil, Tai Hua Factory had made more than 15,000 RMB.
It was only a short period of time, and they could earn so much. Feng Xingtai was overjoyed. Based on this result, just by soybean oil, the factory could make about 40,000 RMB a month and close to 500,000 RMB a year!
Now, he was convinced of what his son had said. 3 years to turn 1,000 RMB into 10,000 RMB. But at the same time, he was also worried. They had produced so much sugar, but it was still not sold to the public. Could it be this sugar was unpopular? Why not sell off these sugar production machines and get more machines to produce soybean oil. These soybean oils were popular and can earn more money!