The world begins with Hong Kong movies

Chapter 386 In the end, it all comes down to culture! (Seeking monthly votes)

The late 1980s and mid-1990s were the most glorious and influential period for the Hong Kong film industry.

To put it simply, in terms of influence and the power to influence fashion trends, Hong Kong films, at their peak, were far more powerful in mainland China and even Southeast Asia than those in the United States.

It wasn't until large ships opened up the mainland film market and Southeast Asian countries began to implement self-protection measures for their films that Hong Kong films gradually declined. In addition, with the rise of the Internet, Europe, America, Japan, and South Korea surpassed Hong Kong Island in terms of influence over fashion trends in mainland China.

Having a voice in fashion trends naturally translates to having pricing power for luxury brands in mainland China, as well as the final say in interpretation.

Damn, a so-called limited edition watch customized by a master craftsman costs tens of millions of RMB. Anyone who hears that would be stunned for a moment.

Yet, some people online actually think it's normal.

Normal my foot!

This is just another example of how the pricing power of luxury goods is in the hands of others.

In 1990, the luxury goods market in Europe and America was in a state of gloom and despair.

The bipolar rivalry is so intense that even the United States is on the verge of collapse.

In Western Europe, the economies of various countries have also fallen into difficulties.

That was the era when workers and people in Europe and America had the best living conditions!

Luxury brands are on the verge of collapse.

In France and Italy, so-called century-old brands are everywhere, so cheap that they are almost unbearable to look at.

Swiss mechanical watches also faced a fierce challenge from quartz watches.

Apart from a few brands that can still hold on, the companies behind the rest of the watch brands are all selling their products at rock-bottom prices.

With just a few million dollars, one could easily acquire several century-old stores with their own brands.

Don't view European and American luxury brands of this time through the lens of hindsight.

That was truly as terrible as it could get.

Even top-tier car brands like Rolls-Royce are struggling to stay afloat, let alone ordinary luxury brands.

The indigenous people of Europe and America don't have such a strong bias against these so-called luxury goods.

If you can afford it, buy it; if you can't, don't buy it!

It wasn't until the global economy improved and new economies emerged rapidly that these luxury goods found a suitable environment to survive and generate profits.

That's right, we're talking about mainland China!
Bags costing tens or hundreds of thousands of yuan might not have much of a market in their country, but they are extremely popular in mainland China. Sometimes people even grit their teeth and buy one even if they have to max out their credit cards.

Putting aside other matters, Wu Feng was inspired by a Hong Kong business novel he had read in his previous life and decided to try his hand at the watch business.

The result was surprisingly good.

It makes sense when you think about it; Hong Kong Island is a world-class watch manufacturing center, with all kinds of international watch brands.

But ironically, they don't have their own watch brand!

Anyway, he didn't have a very good impression of her.

What a waste of the precision watchmaking instruments provided by the Russians; Wu Feng felt they were utterly useless.

Indeed, upon closer examination, Hong Kong Island became the world's watch manufacturing center starting from the time when the Russian army was stationed in Annam.

Otherwise, where would they get precision watchmaking instruments under the blockade imposed by Europe and the United States? Despite the great reputation of big brands like Rolex and Patek Philippe, their sales in Hong Kong at that time were quite ordinary.

Rolex goes without saying; it's the exclusive domain of gangsters and the super-rich, and it never lacks fans or sales. But for top-tier watches like Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin, there aren't many people on Hong Kong Island with the spare cash to buy them.

Coupled with the global watch industry's downturn, the absence of conglomerate-level watch companies and the improbability of monopolistic watch brands, this provided Wu Feng with an opportunity to profit from the chaos.

To be honest, no matter how sophisticated the internal structure of a mechanical watch is, there can't be any leaps in improvement. In the end, it's all about the concept.

The so-called concept is actually just storytelling.

By giving a watch brand a story or concept, it becomes more than just a tool for telling time; it gains an added layer of prestige.

When it comes to playable concepts, Wu Feng is truly not afraid of anyone.

The so-called concepts, and the stories that follow, can all ultimately be encompassed by the word "culture".

Fortunately, Chinese culture has a long history and an inexhaustible cultural treasure trove.

But European and American watch brands can only focus on the mechanical aspects.

While the storyline is somewhat lacking, with its elements of rare materials and immunity to harsh environments, it inevitably falls short in terms of narrative depth.

That's why Wu Feng thinks the watch industry in Hong Kong is disappointing.

They've become a world-class watch manufacturing center, would it kill them to start their own brands?

Even if it doesn't develop into an intercontinental watch giant, becoming one of the top local watch brands in Hong Kong Island is still not a problem.

As long as you catch the wave well, once the mainland economy develops, it will be an easy thing to take off together.

Wu Feng was just the first to try something new, and the result was a very good return.

Indeed, when it comes to the "Talented Scholar" series, China is second to none.

There were many famous talents in ancient times. They could have used their fame to create one thing and their dynasty to create another, without hindering students in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and mainland China from following them.

Wu Feng even believes that if the youthful and fashionable watch series can enter the Xiao Rizi and Universe countries markets, it will definitely have a large following.

It wouldn't work in Europe and America. You can't exactly put the portraits of mathematicians and philosophers on a clock face, can you?
Students were already tired of seeing their pictures on the school walls every day, but now their watches are still covered by them. Which student would be happy about that?

Besides, how can a portrait that looks like a photograph compare to a freehand figure painting with Chinese characteristics created by top artisans in mainland China?

In short, the watch shop's opening salvo was very loud!

Given the soaring sales figures, the outside world is optimistic about the watch shop's future and is eager to inquire about investing in it.

The most enthusiastic was none other than Pan Disheng, the owner of D&B Film Company.

This man's experience is quite legendary. His company is the sole agent for many international luxury brands, making him a well-known rising star among Hong Kong tycoons.

Ironically, this man was one of the Hong Kong watch industry tycoons whom Wu Feng greatly despised; in the Republic of China era, that would be called buying or selling.

This guy is very good at business promotion. Whether it was to promote his girlfriend or to promote the luxury brands he represented, he partnered with Hong Xinbao to start Debao Film Company.

As a result, D&B Films became a huge success, becoming the most prominent new film company in Hong Kong before Wu Feng's Sharp Films rose to prominence.

Through the high-quality films produced by the company, the international luxury brands it represents have been successfully promoted and have generated considerable profits.

It can be said that this person is the most successful at combining movies with brand product promotion, but even he was stunned by Wu Feng's actions this time.

How can a new watch brand do this so successfully and make such a splash?
(End of this chapter)