Back to 80: My literary life

Chapter 293: Advertising

"How is that possible!" Wang Yu couldn't help but exclaimed: "He is bragging!"

My own proposal to increase magazine sales to 24 copies within three years was actually a bit exaggerated, but the other party actually increased it to 30 copies in two years!

Hu Cai laughed after hearing this and said: "At first we thought Fang Minghua was talking big words and asked repeatedly, but he was confident and said that the sales volume would not reach 30 copies within two years. He did not need to wait for the expiration of the three-year contract. He took the initiative Resign as editor-in-chief.”

Before Wang Yu could speak, President Wang next to him pointed at a paragraph in the report and said, "Old Wang, look at this sentence again."

"In three years, the magazine's gross profit will be increased from the current 20% to 35%!"

Increase to 35%?

Wang Yu was stunned and immediately said: "No way? Now the price of each issue of our magazine is 35 cents, and the 7% profit is nearly cents. How is it possible to increase the price by cents? Is he going to increase the price of the magazine? ?”

"No, he said it was based on the current price."

"Reducing printing costs? Paper quality? That's just drinking poison to quench thirst! Chairman Hu and President Huang must not let him do this!" Wang Yu was a little excited.

"Okay, I'll wait for your reply."

Everyone joked for a while, and Fang Minghua motioned for everyone to go to work. After all, it was still working time.

"Brother Yuemin, is your comrade Director Wu still in Xijing?"

"I'm still very optimistic about Minghua, he will bring us miracles." Hu Cai said with a smile.

Before I finished drinking the cup of fragrant tea, the phone rang. It was Song Yuemin's call back, saying that he had contacted his comrades, and it was scheduled to be at Xijing Restaurant at 6: tonight.

"What are you still doing? Minghua, you have already competed for the position of editor-in-chief?" Song Yuemin asked on the other side of the phone.

"Well, the unit just had a meeting, and Chairman Hu of the Writers Association has announced it in public."

The call was to my uncle Song Yuemin.

"Forget it, your magazine is just a Qingshui Yamen. It costs too much, and you, President Huang, are also worried. My comrade is the deputy director of the winery in charge of sales. These expenses can be easily handled."

Fang Minghua hung up the phone and brewed himself a cup of Longjing tea newly launched this year - Mingqian tea from Hupao Spring in Hangzhou.

After everyone left, Fang Minghua thought for a while and picked up the landline phone on his desk and dialed a number.

At this time, Fang Minghua returned to his office, and a group of editors who usually had a good relationship with him were congratulating him.

"My comrade-in-arms said that he will be hosting tonight. Congratulations on your promotion to editor-in-chief." Song Yuemin said with a smile on the other end of the phone.

Li Li has now gone to England to study, but Song Tangtang still got the Hupao Spring Longjing from Hangzhou through her second uncle.

"Old Wang, what are you thinking about? How could Minghua do this? He also said that our current paper printing is not exquisite enough. Since it is a national-level magazine, it must look like a national-level magazine." President Huang said with a smile.

Ever since Li Li brought the Longjing tea from Hupao Spring from his grandfather's house in Hangzhou two years ago, Fang Minghua has fallen in love with the taste.

"Then how can he increase profits? Reduce the number of employees in the magazine? Reduce personnel costs? It's impossible to fire everyone else in the editorial department. Can he do it alone?" Wang Yu murmured.

"Then why are you embarrassed? I agreed to treat you, and Director Wu is willing to advertise in our magazine. This is a big help to me!"

Putting down the phone, Fang Minghua crossed his legs, picked up the enamel teapot and drank slowly.

"Okay, okay, then it's better to be respectful than to obey."

"Okay, I'll contact my comrades now. Where is the place? How about going to Xijing Restaurant?"

How to increase magazine profits?
Of course it's just for advertising.

It's the mid-1980s, and advertising in magazines is nothing new. Advertisements in popular popular magazines such as "Popular Films" and "Mystery" are already overwhelming. Advertisements in serious literary magazines, "Yanhe" is still the first Home.

There is always the first person to eat the crab.

In Fang Minghua's impression, many purely literary magazines such as "Flower City" and "Contemporary" have successively published advertisements, but it seems that only one magazine has always refused to advertise.

"reward". It is said that "Harvest" magazine had the idea of ​​publishing advertisements at that time, but Palladium replied, "You can survive without relying on advertisements."

He did not want literature to be tainted with commerce, and wanted to preserve this pure land of thought and culture.

I admire Palladium Lao.

However, this does not mean that "Harvest" has an easy life. It still has to rely on government subsidies. "Harvest" is backed by Shencheng, the largest city in the country.

And who is behind Yanhe magazine?

Qin Province is a culturally rich province but an economically poor one.

The annual subsidy is pitifully small. It can only maintain the basic salary. Don’t think about bonuses and benefits. You can earn them by yourself, and the subsequent subsidy will only become less and less.

It’s better to find your own way out as soon as possible.

Since you want to advertise, it is best to find a well-known brand with excellent product quality and a good reputation among the public, so as to avoid product quality problems that will affect the magazine itself.

These days, there are still many well-known brands in Qin Province, such as Butterfly watches, Shandandan washing powder, Huashan cameras, Huanghe color TVs, etc.

Although these brands began to decline in the 1990s and eventually disappeared, they are still very popular in the 1980s.

Fang Minghua once asked Zhao Hongjun to find several well-known manufacturers to inquire about whether they needed to advertise in "Yanhe" magazine. The unexpected answer was almost unanimously declined:
“The products produced by our factory are in short supply and many people can’t buy them through the back door. Why are we advertising?!”

shit
Mistake.

It just so happened that Fang Minghua and Song Tangtang went back to their father-in-law's house for dinner a few days ago. At the dinner table, Song Yuemin accidentally mentioned that he had a comrade who was from Hanzhong in Qin Province and was also a regiment-level cadre. He transferred back to the local area the year before last. He worked at a place in Hanzhong called Chenggu Wine. The factory serves as deputy director of sales.

Chenggu wine sells well in Hanzhong and has a certain market in Xijing, but it is always outnumbered by Xifeng, so he, a comrade in arms, brought a few people to Xijing to open up sales.

When Fang Minghua heard the news, his heart moved.

How about advertising this Chenggu Liquor?

He once drank Chenggu Tequ once, and it tasted pretty good.

After he told Song Yuemin what he thought, Song Yuemin told his comrades, who agreed wholeheartedly.

It's a good thing to be able to advertise in Yanhe magazine.

However, the results of the competition had not yet come out, so Fang Minghua had to wait for the results.

Now that everything is settled, we can discuss business with Director Wu.

But alone.

"Closing mountains to cultivate forests" is not allowed to drink alcohol.

After thinking about it, he picked up the phone again, this time calling the novel team.

"I'm Fang Minghua, is Bai Miao here? Ask him to come to my office now."

Within a few minutes, Bai Miao knocked on the door and came in with a smile on his face: "Minghua, now that you are the editor-in-chief, do you want to treat me?"

I#￥%……

Fang Minghua's mouth twitched, but he still said: "It's a treat, not mine, it's someone else. Come with me tonight."

"Yes? Pingwa?" Bai Miao asked curiously.

"No, a friend of my uncle." Fang Minghua briefly explained the cause and effect of the matter.

"What?! You want to place an advertisement in Yanhe magazine?" Bai Miao was stunned after hearing this.

(End of this chapter)