America: My Time

Chapter 478 The Mad Neon Lights

Chapter 478 The Mad Neon Lights
After John left with Naoko, Akio Morita sighed and said, "You both saw it. John simply didn't accept our 'good intentions.' He has his own concerns. The United States is not Japan. He doesn't dare to fully control the important components of personal computer production. As for the automotive industry, he won't participate either, because his focus is not in the United States, but in the Middle East. Bentley's sales in the Middle East are enough to make any automotive giant envious. However, no other car company can replace Bentley's position. Mr. Toyota should be very clear about this!"

"Indeed, Bentley is the mainstream car brand in the Middle East now. With royal endorsement, it naturally gains more recognition. To be honest, Toyota also wants to enter the Middle Eastern car market, but we can't. Bentley now controls most of the Middle Eastern car market, making them incredibly profitable every year. If I were in Mr. John's position, I wouldn't participate in the battle for the North American car market and waste my time and energy."

Currently, the vast majority of wealthy Middle Eastern buyers purchase cars from the Bentley Motors Group, which also provides them with the best and highest quality service, thus gaining their recognition in the shortest possible time.

Just as a person's energy is limited, so too is a company's. At present, Bentley's largest market is the Middle East, so it is natural to provide them with the best service and a perfect experience. Only in this way can it occupy this market that all car companies covet and obtain the huge profits it desires.

"Actually, we did gain something from this conversation. At least John pointed us in the right direction: publicity. We need to increase our publicity efforts in the United States. We shouldn't be concerned about short-term gains or losses, but rather think long-term. I think Toyota should do the same. Perhaps you should listen to John's advice and speed up the construction of the factory. Don't worry about short-term gains or losses. We also need to increase our advertising plans. We have cooperated with Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Group more than once, and we understand their integrity. So in this respect, we are already ahead of other companies."

Upon hearing Akio Morita's words, the Japanese officials frowned. While Sony and Toyota were indeed doing relatively well in North America, many other Japanese companies did not have such support, especially Toshiba, which was relentlessly attacked. Whenever Toshiba had a problem, all the American media groups would report on it frantically, including Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media. Even if they held back, they would not give Toshiba any face.

The reason is simple: Toshiba's advertising investment in Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media was insufficient, only a symbolic investment, so it was impossible for it to receive any help from Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media.

"Alright, this is not something we can handle. Everything depends on your decision. The semiconductor industry will inevitably be affected by the agreement. How to make changes requires official guidance. As for home appliance companies and the automotive industry, we also need to save ourselves. The ever-increasing costs will seriously affect the profits of companies, and even their survival. We need to make changes!"

What changes Akio Morita was referring to was, of course, overseas expansion and the transfer of production. The ever-increasing costs were becoming unbearable for Sony, and the appreciation of the yen also affected Sony's interests, prompting them to consider other options.

Upon seeing Akio Morita's decision, Eiji Toyoda nodded in approval. Toyota had also taken this step, starting to build a factory in the United States. As long as Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Group cooperated fully, their pressure wouldn't be too great in the short term. At least the factory construction would calm those frenzied companies down. It would also make Ford, GM, and Chrysler more restrained.

Where there are people, there is a social dynamic, and Japan is no exception. Not all Japanese companies are willing to cooperate with Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media, and not everyone believes in the power of these two media giants. Although Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media can collect an astonishing amount of advertising revenue from many Japanese companies every year, it is only a small part of the overall Japanese economy.

The trade friction between the United States and Japan is escalating, which has given John an opportunity and an idea. He intends to increase advertising revenue for Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media. As long as Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media do not directly suppress Japanese companies, they will gain their 'approval' and he can obtain more advertising revenue.

With the intelligence of people like Akio Morita, they could naturally see through John's scheme, but what good was it if they could see through it? They had no way to stop it; they could only accept this "good intention." Sony's annual advertising expenses in North America were not a small amount, as were those of Toyota and the entire Japanese corporate sector.

Compared to other media groups, Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media are more trustworthy. At least they don't target their advertisers. Even when new car-smashing incidents occur in the US, they proactively avoid advertising with companies that advertise under their umbrella. Although it's a small gesture, it has earned the approval of many Japanese companies. While Toyota is undoubtedly the most popular brand in Japan for car-smashing, these scenes are never detailed; they're just side-view photos, and the brand of the car being smashed isn't mentioned, only vague terms are used. It's precisely because of this 'good' reputation that more Japanese brands are willing to advertise with Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media.

Of course, this behavior drew ridicule from other media groups, but Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media didn't care. Making money isn't shameful, and they were merely blurring the brand's lines; they weren't refusing to report on it, but rather dragging the entire Japanese media into it. However, they showed no mercy to companies that didn't have advertising partnerships with them, and would still report positively as needed.

Although many media groups look down on Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media, it cannot be denied that they have the highest profits and the highest advertising revenue of all media groups, and their efforts have been rewarded accordingly.

"Neon is not a place to stay for long. After the semiconductor crisis passes, we should leave as soon as possible. These guys in Japan have become a bit crazy. Nobody knows what they will do next. Perhaps soon these bastards will enter a crazy counterfeiting mode to reduce costs." Even Toyota is getting restless, which shows how much cost pressure the manufacturing companies in Japan are under and how dangerous the situation in Japan is.

The spirit of craftsmanship may have disappeared from Japan with the advent of the bubble economy. How could a chaotic and restless society possibly have the spirit of craftsmanship? Moreover, with the appreciation of the yen, the production costs of enterprises are constantly rising, and even survival is a problem, so how can we talk about the spirit of craftsmanship?

The more John learned about the current situation in Japan, even just walking around Tokyo and seeing the crazy nightlife, the more he couldn't help but shake his head. Nowadays, not many people are willing to study technology; most are focused on enjoyment. Businesses also don't have much capital to invest because they are facing difficulties due to the double pressure from the appreciation of the yen and the United States.

That's how scientific research works. Without sufficient investment, there will be no returns. Japan's economy may seem to be developing rapidly, but this is not normal development. Instead, it contains far too many bubbles. When the bubbles burst, the entire Japanese economy will fall into a trough, and countless employees will lose their jobs.

Many college graduates who seem to be doing very well now will be laid off. Companies simply don't need so many employees, and their abilities don't match their salaries. It can be said that this frenzy has caused turmoil within many Japanese companies. People who have worked hard for more than ten years don't earn as much as a young person who has just entered the industry. Who can accept that? If they had such abilities, they would also be recognized. But they don't, or at least most of them don't have such abilities. The so-called talent war is just hype.

Most importantly, the mentality of young people in Japan has become more impetuous. Few people are willing to work hard to hone their skills. Perhaps this is the result of companies giving too much, making them feel that money comes too easily and causing them not to cherish what they have. It can be said that the whole society in Japan is very impetuous now.

Only by personally visiting Tokyo can one truly appreciate its restless atmosphere and its frenetic side. This applies to all walks of life; people talk about nothing but enjoyment. This unhealthy trend has exacerbated Japan's own crisis and led more Japanese people down a path of no return.

With the appreciation of the yen, the Japanese economy is in a period of high bubble, and it is only natural that people's hearts have become restless. Even John's company in Japan has shown such signs. In such a crazy social environment, how many people can keep their original intentions? With such crazy changes, more Japanese people are willing to invest their money in the stock market and real estate investment. However, working people do not make as much money as they do by trading stocks at home, and it is not even as fast as the appreciation of real estate.

It was precisely because of the madness of these housewives that the frenzy in the Japanese stock market was accelerated, the value of Japanese real estate was increased, and the expansion of the Japanese bubble was amplified, creating a more terrible impact on the whole of Japan. With the entire country caught up in such crazy investment, who had the mind to work or do research and development? So Japan is turning into its most crazy era, but this change is coming a little too fast, leaving people with little time to react!

(End of this chapter)