Rebirth Tokyo 1986

Chapter 250 I’m tired and sleepy, drink...

In the blink of an eye, it is already July, the summer vacation.

Masato Takeshita sat high up in the main seat, examining the management of Matsumoto Manufacturing.

"Are you all ready?"

"Ready!"

Everyone responded in unison, their eyes full of confidence.

"very good."

The young man was very satisfied and said loudly: "I declare that the Pulse Energy Drink will be officially launched from now on."

"Hi!"

At the command of Masato Takeshita, the Mizone energy drink production line began to operate on a large scale.

Cans of drinks are quickly packed and sent from the production workshop to the freight center.

Then early the next morning, they are put on display in major convenience stores, shopping malls and supermarkets in Japan.

In addition, of course, you can't miss the vending machines that are scattered throughout the streets and alleys of Japan.

Matsumoto Manufacturing reached a cooperation agreement with the relevant property rights holders early on, and then incorporated Pulse into it.

"Hey, there's a pulse?"

Jiro Yokoyama is a freight driver for a 711-Eleven convenience store and one of the first volunteers to drink the Pulse energy drink.

As a drink specifically designed to relieve work fatigue, it is very effective.

When he drives a truck at night, drinking a can of it really makes him more energetic and effectively reduces fatigue driving.

Of course, the humanized ashtray design of Pulse is also the reason why he likes Pulse.

It is troublesome to carry an ashtray in the car, so it is better to use a Pulse metal can directly.

Sadly, the drink only lasted a few months before disappearing from the public eye.

This time, I finally see you again.

"Yes, it just came online today. Do you want to try it?"

"Okay, give me five cans first."

"Okay, 5 cans for 1000 yen."

The price of an average drink in Japan is between 100 yen and 150 yen.

Considering the lack of demand, energy drinks are slightly more expensive.

People who drive large trucks generally have more assets and don’t care about the price at all.

Soon, Pulse energy drinks became a hot seller among truck drivers.

It was a big hit among truck drivers, and the effect spread to the taxi driver group as well.

These people are not short of money.

The Japanese, who were in the midst of that era, had not yet realized that the bubble had burst.

Most people think this is a short-term economic adjustment.

It’s time to eat, it’s time to drink.

Countless Japanese continued to wave tens of thousands of yuan bills to hail taxis.

Taxi drivers are rich, so they naturally don’t care about a 200 yuan drink.

Because Pulse Energy Drink is effective in replenishing energy, I bought the whole box directly.

If energy drinks did not have strict drinking restrictions, they could probably be drunk like mineral water.

The transportation industry has previous accumulation, but other industries need to be developed bit by bit.

What Matsumoto Manufacturing needs to do is to advertise as much as possible.

That classic phrase, "When you're tired and sleepy, drink so-and-so!"

Directly designated by Masato Takeshita as the global promotional advertisement for Pulse Energy Drink.

Pulse energy drinks are still very weak, so in terms of publicity.

In addition to the regular magazine, newspaper and TV ads, you also need to find corners that Pepsi and Coca-Cola don't care about.

For example, sponsoring movies and TV series.

"I heard that a TV series about the struggles of local people in Tokyo will be launched in January next year, and I bought the beverage advertising rights for it."

“We need to promote the beverage with stories of struggle.”

The story of struggle always involves hard work and overtime.

In this way, the Pulse drink can be naturally integrated without disrupting the plot and causing dissatisfaction among the director and the public.

"Hey, what's that ad?"

"Hmm, let me think about it, it seems to be called 'Tokyo Love Story'."

"Tokyo Love Story", a hit Japanese TV series in 1991.

It is not only the ratings champion in Japan, but also popular in other Asian countries.

If Pulse Energy Drink could become a commercial insert, the promotional effect would be absolutely first-rate.

"Yes, I'll do it right away."

In addition to Japan, propaganda in Hong Kong and the United States cannot be left out.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Hong Kong films were very popular in Southeast Asia, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea.

Spending a little money to insert advertisements in movies can also achieve a small-scale, big-win effect.

On the American side, a two-pronged approach is needed.

Commercials are inserted in movies and TV series as well.

Although it costs more, the effect will also be improved.

Matsumoto Manufacturing's annual goal is to spend all of its $2 million advertising budget.

This is only the first year.

If the sales of Pulse are good, the advertising costs will increase year by year in the future.

There is no way, the entry threshold for energy drinks is too low.

If you don't spend a lot of money on advertising to consolidate your market, you will easily be replaced by latecomers.

In its previous life, Red Bull spent 25% of its sales on advertising every year.

The Pulse of This Life is no exception and requires huge advertising expenditures.

Of course, we cannot forget the sponsorship of extreme sports.

These places are the corners forgotten by Coca-Cola and Pepsi, and also opportunities for Pulse to rise.

“Also, find a way to give free refrigerators to convenience stores, and put Pulse in prominent places.”

The most unpretentious business war in later generations was to buy refrigerators and freezers for convenience stores.

Then put your own products and products that do not compete with your own products in a prominent place.

Those that form a competing relationship are either placed at the end or simply disappear from the freezer.

The only similar product you can buy is Pulse, so sales naturally increased.

This is the real business war, the simplest and most effective business war.

"understand!"

After Kobayashi Hiroaki left, the young man was a little worried about his future.

For now, a freezer or refrigerator at a convenience store will suffice.

In the future, you will have to pay to buy a spot every month.

This is still a requirement for others.

If you offend a convenience store, you will die in minutes.

"No, Xinghai Group must spend money to acquire a convenience store chain group."

“We can’t be without channels, and we can’t be blocked by channels.”

Supermarkets in the United States and Europe are more developed, so Matsumoto Manufacturing has nothing to worry about.

After all, Xinghai Group has investments in several emerging supermarkets.

It is different in Japan, where small convenience stores are far more developed than supermarkets.

If you don’t want to be squeezed out by local giants, you must have your own terminal channels.

"Well, find an opportunity to buy some shares of Dayong Supermarket."

Daiei Supermarket is a retail giant that emerged in Japan in the 1990s.

Later, it even surpassed Mitsukoshi Department Store to become the largest retailer in Japan.

Lawson, one of the three major convenience store brands in Japan, is owned by it.

Masato Takeshita planned to let Matsumoto Manufacturing buy some Daiei Supermarket shares, and he was targeting Lawson convenience store.

The main reason is that although Dayong Supermarket has achieved rapid expansion with the help of capital, it will soon be on the verge of bankruptcy due to blind expansion.

If you want to compete for such a high-quality property as Rosen, it would be best to become one of the shareholders.

In fact, what Takeshita Masato wanted most was 711-Eleven, the world's largest convenience store chain. But 711-Eleven's parent company, Ito Kayodo, was not listed, so Matsumoto Manufacturing naturally had no chance.

Lawson is still better. As long as you have enough money and political influence, you can spend money to get it.

Soon, the first month sales of Pulse energy drink were released.

2000 million cans.

It was a very good start.

"Great sales, thank you all for your hard work."

Monthly sales exceeded 40 billion yen, far exceeding Masato Takeshita's expectations.

His psychological standard is 500 million cans, and anything over 1000 million cans would be a great success.

All we can say is that he underestimated the potential of the energy drink market.

"It's not hard. This is all thanks to the president. We just did what we should do."

Kobayashi Hiroaki and others were beaming, and even Suzuki Zensuke was in high spirits.

If it was in 1989,
With such good news, the stock price could increase by at least 5000 billion.

Unfortunately, Japanese stocks are currently in a downward cycle, and Matsumoto Manufacturing's market value has only increased by 1000 billion yen.

"There is no need for everyone to be modest at this time."

"Yes, the president has made great contributions, and so have everyone else."

"Excessive modesty is a different kind of pride."

Zensuke Suzuki was a little grinning.

Now that the company has the energy drink business, it is finally not just standing on one leg.

As for the previous clothing industry, it was only sold in large supermarkets and was not considered a serious business at all.

He just used his status as a shareholder to become a middleman.

Unlike energy drinks, this is a newly developed industry for Matsumoto Manufacturing.

If it is done well, it may become another Suntory.

Yes, Zensuke Suzuki’s biggest goal for the company is Suntory Japan.

As for reaching or approaching the level of Coca-Cola and Pepsi, it is something we wouldn’t even dare to dream of.

No one could have imagined that the small energy drink market would have a capacity close to half of the cola market.

This industry can even give birth to a beverage giant that is almost as big as the two Cokes.

"Okay, everyone, stop flattering each other."

"Sales in the first month are so good. Let's study when to expand production capacity."

"The market we have developed may not be snatched away by those international food giants."

The future market potential of energy drinks is tens of billions of cans. The monthly sales of 2000 million are not even a fraction of what they will be in the future.

It is necessary to increase investment and expand production capacity more quickly.

Masato Takeshita paused for a moment, then tapped his fingers on the table and asked again.

"How many cans of beverages can our existing factory produce in a single month?"

"If we run at full capacity, we can produce up to 7000 million cans per month."

This 7000 million production capacity includes not only Pulse Energy Drinks, but also the products originally sold by these companies.

Excluding these miscellaneous brands, it is estimated that there is only 3000 million growth space at most.

The young man frowned after hearing this.

"Too little."

"From now on, the factory will give priority to the production of energy drinks."

“Once I switched to energy drinks, I ditched all those miscellaneous brands.”

Matsumoto's beverage business is a world-class giant, so there is no need to own these scattered businesses.

Even if we expand into new beverage markets in the future, we will need to develop new formulas.

There is no need for all of the small company brands that were acquired previously to exist.

"Yes, President!"

After talking about the existing production capacity, the young man took the initiative to talk about the expansion of the factory.

"What ideas do you have for new factories besides the existing ones?"

Kobayashi Hiroaki tentatively replied, "The company plans to wait and see if sales continue to grow rapidly."

"When monthly sales reach 4000 million cans, the company will build two factories in the United States and Japan, and then build one in Canada and Mexico."

Masato Takeshita thought about it, then agreed and said, "It's a good idea. When the market is still uncertain, investment does need to be conservative."

But soon, he changed the subject.

“However, we cannot be too conservative in our development.”

"Once the monthly sales of energy drinks exceed 4000 million cans, they will become a hot commodity."

"The United States needs to add at least six factories, Japan four, and Canada and Mexico two each."

The US and Japanese markets are huge and require more factories.

Although the markets of Canada and Mexico are quite different, one has a developed economy and the other has a large population, and both have high capacities.

"time does not wait."

“If we don’t capture the market, someone else will.”

It’s a profitable business, and countless people will try their best to get in.

It is necessary to rely on scale to gain a foothold and make large companies feel that it is not worth it.

As for small companies, it is difficult to compete with Matsumoto Manufacturing in terms of publicity.

Not many companies can afford the huge advertising budget of $2 million in the first year alone.

"Hi!"

Kobayashi Hiroaki quickly wrote it down to avoid any accidents.

The young man took a sip of tea and asked again casually: "How do you plan to complete the construction of the factory?"

Kobayashi Hiroaki said in advance: The company's plan is to focus on acquisitions and supplemented by new construction. "

Masato Takeshita nodded subconsciously.
"Well, keep talking."

"Hi!"

With the president's approval, Kobayashi Hiroaki suddenly gained confidence and began to elaborate on his revised new plan in detail.

We acquired a factory in each of the three regions of the east, west and south of the United States for rapid transformation to meet market demand as soon as possible.

As for the remaining three factories, time is not so urgent and they can be built from scratch.

It is indeed a bit longer, but it can be repaired to be safer and more advanced, thus saving production costs.

"For the Japanese market, we built two new factories and acquired two factories."

“It is also to build a more advanced factory while meeting the needs of expanding production capacity.”

The new factory has advanced technology and will not only be safer and more hygienic, but will also reduce production costs.

Over time, Matsumoto Manufacturing will eventually phase out all of its older factories.

"A very good idea."

Masato Takeshita was very satisfied, and then asked in an affirmative tone.

"Then Mexico and Canada are one new and one old."

"Yes, President!"

"Very good, that's what I want."

"However, when building factories in the United States, we must also take national conditions into consideration."

"We'd better find a force that invests in our fund so that we won't be dragged out."

When it comes to Americans’ work efficiency, everyone can understand it.

If you don’t find the right person, the factory may still be overgrown with weeds three years later.

"Yes, please rest assured, President!"

Hiroaki Kobayashi has been the chairman of Matsumoto Manufacturing for more than a year and knows Americans very well.

Even if the young man didn't say it, he would choose carefully.

In the South, they cooperated with the Bush family, and in the West, they looked for local bosses.

The situation in the east is more complicated, but Matsumoto Manufacturing has also found many reliable partners through its trolley suitcases.

"That's good. Foreign factories must be prepared to give up and find a new location at any time."

"There are already some problems right after the factory was built. There will definitely be more problems in the future."

The Tesla factory in Germany in later generations is the most typical example.

Either the environment is polluted here today, or it is not environmentally friendly there tomorrow. Something is always happening.

(End of this chapter)