Chapter 524: Shooting an Advertisement

“Has there been any word on Tuanbao Net?”

“No, customer service lines are down. We don’t even know where to seek justice!”

“I’ll never hoard coupons again.”

“The merchants who didn’t receive their payments are the real victims…”

The Tuanbao Net owner fleeing incident continues to ferment. The group of rights defenders is growing, with merchants who haven’t received their payments being the most affected besides consumers.

Due to its egregious nature, this issue remains highly discussed on forums and social media.

Everyone is awaiting a statement, but what they get instead is not an apology or compensation from Tuanbao Net, but a different piece of news.

24Coupon’s business in Xiacheng has collapsed, leaving over one hundred twenty employees blocked at the company’s doors demanding salaries, but the city manager hasn’t shown up.

“Another one running off!”

“You really can’t trust group purchases, one after another. It’s terrifying.”

“Luckily, I didn’t hoard too many coupons. So many people got conned!”

“Mom says there are many bad people online, she’s certainly not wrong.”

“How many group buying sites can still be trusted now?”

“Don’t trust any; they’re all cut from the same cloth, constantly offering discounts but eventually the cost falls on us!”

“It’s a phishing site, initially offering discounts to bait you, then once they’ve gained your trust, they take the money and run.”

“I’m from the City Newspaper. Does anyone have insider information on this? I’ll follow up on this story, perhaps I could help with getting some justice.”

The tumult never subsides, a new wave arises, and the group purchase market is beginning to look messy.

Affected websites are stepping forward, starting to manage public relations to regain their reputation.

LaShou Network directly disclosed to the media about their second round of financing, pulling in Alibaba’s name as an endorsement for their own credit.

Nuomi’s tactics are similar, partnering with Baidu and hiring several top celebrities for advertisements.

Unfortunately, the effect was underwhelming as Baidu doesn’t hold much credit in consumer’s hearts…

Dianping went further, introducing a post-paid monthly settlement service.

They’ve essentially reversed the consumer sequence, eliminating the fear of being conned by voucher hoarding.

Dianping’s strategy gained favorable reception from consumers, and orders surged.

Although such practices have their merits, they undeniably add intense pressure to their cash flow and operations.

Surprisingly, Pine Group remained quiet during this period, focusing on building their supply chain and planning their penetration into lower-tier markets.

It seems the explosions of Tuanbao and 24Coupon are just signs of the industry stabilizing.

An exuberant market was initially sustained by burning cash. As the spending lessens and the market shrinks, collapses happen. If not Tuanbao, then Tuanbei; if not 24Coupon, then 25Coupon.

Explaining every issue exhaustively isn’t sustainable for the industry.

Jiang Qin hopes to establish a strong, firm image for Pine Group, one that earns consumer trust without much ado.

“How’s the supply chain in Shanghai progressing?”

“It’s set up. Zhu Jinfu handles the day-to-day operations now and Xu Kaixuan specifically oversees this business. They’re doing quite well.”

Hearing this, Jiang Qin nods, “With Zhu Jinfu and Xu Kaixuan, it’s unnatural if Shanghai isn’t making money!”

Wei Lanlan giggles lightly, “Boss, you’re already very wealthy.”

“Still not enough. There’s so much money worldwide, it’s heartbreaking to see it homeless.”

“The boss’s heart is truly benevolent!”

Wei Lanlan bursts into laughter before speaking, “Boss, about this Tuanbao Net scandal, are we really not going to respond? Tan Qing mentioned that our orders have indeed declined significantly.”

Jiang Qin takes a sip of tea, “When consumers are agitated, they react impulsively. I’ve seen several fixed IDs in the rights group that are the most aggressive. Guess how much they were conned?”

Wei Lanlan guesses, “Thousands?”

“Not a cent!”

“What?”

Jiang Qin recalls, “They say they weren’t conned, but are just very angry on behalf of those who were. Tougher than my mouth.”

Wei Lanlan thoughtfully ponders, “So when consumers are agitated, responses are futile?”

“Pretty much. Consumers aren’t blind. Once the storm calms, they’ll discern which sites are the most trustworthy.”

“Got it, but I think shooting an advertisement wouldn’t be bad either.”

Jiang Qin strokes his chin, pondering, “An ad update is due. Can’t always go DuangDuangDuang, need something more high-end.”

Wei Lanlan nods, “We Pine Group never released an official advertisement nor hired a spokesperson. Perhaps it’s time we did.”

“Alright, handle this then.”

“Sure, I’ll discuss it with Wenhao.”

After speaking, Wei Lanlan leaves Jiang Qin’s office. Meanwhile, Boss Jiang logs into WeChat and posts a series of racy images, all handpicked by Wenhao.

The frequency of insults in the group lowers, several typing visibly slower, probably busy with just one hand.

“Damn, who’s this dream of nine hundred million girls posting racy images? Not even fighting for rights, kick ’em out!”

“Exactly, if they’re not fighting for rights and just causing trouble…”

Why would I kick? I’d fight you over it!”

“We’ve been conned and can’t even enjoy racy images? Where’s the justice?!”

“Brother, post more, love it!”

Jiang Qin opens a folder and sends out numerous photos of feet, keeping the group preoccupied, thus concluding the day’s rights defending.

At that moment, Dong Wenhao enters, “Boss, I heard from Lanlan we’re shooting a new ad?”

“Yes, Wenhao, Lanlan and I discussed updating the advertisement.”

Jiang Qin clasps his hands, “Always that DuangDuangDuang can be visually tiring. The group purchase market’s recent turmoil makes this a good time for a new ad as a lateral response.”

“Can we hire a celebrity spokesperson?”

Jiang Qin gives him a look, “We’ve made so much money, don’t be so cautious. Hire two!”

Dong Wenhao perks up, “I’ll call Sister Sun at Hua Ying Entertainment to help us make contacts.”

“Hmm, Wenhao, you’ve got these connections now?”

“Last time at the campus beauty contest, we picked three national campus beauties, and later Hua Ying Entertainment signed them through our official authorization.”

“Alright, leave the ad shooting to you.”