498: Chapter 498 The higher the profits! The worse the reputation! Moral blackmail!

Chapter 498: The Better the Profits! The Worse the Reputation! Moral Kidnapping!

"By the way, President Yu, how much did we spend on this trending search?"

Yu Siying said with a smile, "We hardly spent anything. This topic hit the netizens' sensitive spots perfectly. We didn't even have to try, and the popularity just kept soaring..."

"As expected of the boss!"

"Mm!" Yu Siying agreed. "The marketing for Nine Fragrance Hotpot shouldn't exceed twenty million, but the effect is better than spending a billion on advertisements. However, this is all thanks to the hotpot restaurant's solid foundation, and the boss's ability to seize the moment and capitalize on trending topics!"

Ji Guoxiong exclaimed, "That's true!"

Their marketing indeed hadn't cost much; they were almost entirely piggybacking off Guodilao's popularity!

In the evening, the lights were still brightly lit in Guodilao's headquarters.

Lei Mingwei finished reading the report and looked at the trending topic 'Nine Fragrance Hotpot Waiters Get Double Days Off and Monthly Salaries Over 10,000.' His expression grew increasingly grim.

He had calculated everything, but he never expected that even when Guodilao released its performance report and news of its overseas expansion—intended to showcase the strength of a powerful company—it would still be exploited by Jiuxiang for clout!

Not only was their popularity leeched, but because of the generous employee benefits Jiuxiang had revealed, Guodilao's 'good-looking' profit performance was made to look even more hideous, appearing more and more like unscrupulous capital.

If Guodilao were in the mechanical processing industry and didn't face the general public, it wouldn't matter.

But they were in the catering industry, which needed a mass base of support more than anything!

Having traversed the business world for decades, he was a seasoned veteran.

Yet he had rarely encountered such a dense and interlocking series of marketing offensives!

It was like a combination punch that left the entire Guodilao company dazed!

Leveraging Guodilao's criticism of Jiuxiang, then everyone's curiosity about Jiuxiang, then Guodilao's performance report... they hit yet another wave of trending searches.

The rhythm of the promotional marketing was incredibly smooth, coming wave after wave!

Moreover, the other party seemed to have successfully anticipated Guodilao's reactions; they seemed to have fallen completely into Jiuxiang's promotional rhythm!

He knew very well that Jiuxiang was building its brand image!

He clicked on the news about 'Nine Fragrance Hotpot Waiters Get Double Days Off and Monthly Salaries Over 10,000.' It was a report from a well-known media outlet in Shancheng, stating that through journalist interviews, it was learned that many waiters at the Shancheng Jiuxiang Hotpot Restaurant had earned monthly salaries exceeding 10,000 in May.

What surprised the journalists most was that in addition to social security, the waiters at Jiuxiang Hotpot Restaurant also had two days off per week... even better treatment than that of the domestic catering giant, Guodilao!

Later, the journalists visited Rongcheng and Lin City, finding that waiters in many stores there also earned monthly salaries of over 10,000...

Lei Mingwei took a deep breath, feeling that the marketing team behind Jiuxiang Catering had timed this trend perfectly!

This kind of news was indeed the easiest to trend and the most concerning to ordinary people nowadays.

Besides public attention, even official sources were quite supportive!

After all, they needed positive energy... and to encourage people to 'shed the long robes'!

Stories like making a million in three years as a delivery driver, earning a hundred thousand a month from a street stall, or making over ten thousand a month by working three jobs...

Lei Mingwei naturally knew about the salary and benefits of Jiuxiang Hotpot Restaurant employees; May had a Golden Week!

Jiuxiang Hotpot Restaurant waiters would receive triple pay, and with a base salary of around six thousand plus a share of the store's profits, it was entirely possible to earn over ten thousand if the restaurant's performance was particularly explosive.

In other months, Nine Fragrance Hotpot waiters wouldn't be able to earn a monthly salary of over ten thousand!

But Jiuxiang Hotpot Restaurant chose to hype it up exactly in June.

The timing, the location, and the sentiment in June... it seemed like everything was on Jiuxiang's side!

Vice President Liu Jianyun said in a low voice, "President Lei, I just received word that the MCNs we work with all say they can't continue to criticize Jiuxiang for the time being..."

"I know!"

Lei Mingwei knew very well that in the current public opinion environment, Nine Fragrance Hotpot was in an invincible position for the short term!

Any attacks or criticisms against the Jiuxiang Hotpot Chain could trigger a backlash from fanatical netizens!

Those self-media bloggers didn't even dare to take their money.

Unless Guodilao also raised waiters' salaries, gave them a share of store profits, and gave them double days off like Nine Fragrance Hotpot... but was that possible?

He was just a high-level employee; he didn't have the authority to make that decision!

Unless the owners and shareholders were willing to cut their own flesh!

"President Lei, what should we do now?" Liu Jianyun said softly. "Public opinion isn't very favorable to us. The achievements we made in overseas markets and the profits we gained... they seem to have had the opposite effect!"

"Let's stay still for now!" Lei Mingwei hesitated for a moment and said, "Let's take down... our trending searches!"

Because of the contrast with Jiuxiang Hotpot Chain in the same industry, the higher their profits were, the worse their reputation became!

"Alright!"

He thought for a moment and looked at everyone. "We should consider how to deal with Jiuxiang. I feel that if we don't act now, it might truly rise, and then it will definitely affect our domestic performance!"

Another Vice President, Gao Yan, said, "Jiuxiang's marketing is indeed very strong, but water can carry a boat, and it can also overturn it. Perhaps we can try to use public opinion to coerce Jiuxiang into raising its operating costs!"

Lei Mingwei asked curiously, "How so?"

"Don't they pride themselves on being a conscientious enterprise?" Gao Yan chuckled in a low voice. "We can guide public opinion to demand that Nine Fragrance Hotpot implement an eight-hour workday... if they agree, it will greatly increase their operating costs and slow their expansion. It will also draw dissatisfaction from other peers... if they refuse, their image as a conscientious enterprise will be shattered!"

The other executives nodded, feeling that this was a good idea.

At least it could reduce the halo surrounding Nine Fragrance Hotpot!

Lei Mingwei nodded with a smile. "Moral kidnapping? It's worth a try!"

Liu Jianyun said, "They're marketing so hard; given Jiuxiang Catering's style, they should be entering an even more frantic expansion phase. They might even take the opportunity to open up franchising... that's when they'll likely show weaknesses!"

"Indeed!" Lei Mingwei nodded. "As long as they expand, weaknesses will definitely appear. If they open up franchising, there will be even more!"

"They will definitely open up franchising!" another executive said solemnly. "This period is their best chance for expansion. Their goal is likely to go public as well!"

An executive laughed lightheartedly, "After all, it's easier to make money from franchisees. Who doesn't like money?"

Hearing these executives' words, Lei Mingwei also said with certainty:

"Nine Fragrance Hotpot definitely wants to go public. To go public, they must have a certain scale. With Jiuxiang Catering's style, they will surely be more aggressive than ordinary companies!"

"No one will turn down money, and no enterprise can refuse the temptation of an IPO to raise funds and harvest leeks... In the process of their frantic expansion, we will surely be able to find weaknesses!"

"In addition, we must also try to coerce Nine Fragrance Hotpot through public opinion, either raising their operating costs and causing dissatisfaction and boycotts from other peers... or shattering Jiuxiang's image as a conscientious enterprise!"

"In short, I feel that Jiuxiang will be one of our great enemies in the future. Everyone must pay close attention!"