Chapter 551: The Road to Branding
Chapter 551: The Road to Branding
Monday, January 2023, 10.
At 8:35 in the morning, the sky in Chengdu still had the coolness of the early morning.
Metro Line 1 slowly stops at Financial City Station.
Zhang Yunjing walked out of the subway exit and headed towards the company building.
She is 29 years old and is a product manager at an Internet company. She likes clothes, food and limited edition cups.
A heavy user of Xiaohongshu, he likes to record life details and share dressing tips.
Two songs by Su Yu were playing in my headphones, and I scrolled through my circle of friends. The Yintai Center office building came into view.
Take the elevator to the company, clock in, and sit down at your workstation.
"Yun Jing, a coffee shop just opened next door. It is said that the environment and food are very good. It opened last week. It has been promoted on TikTok these past two days. The photos are so good! Shall we go down and try it?"
Zhang Wenwen, a colleague sitting opposite me, came over with a smile, her tone full of excitement.
Hearing this, Zhang Yunjing instantly perked up, "Okay, let's go."
Visiting shops and checking in is one of her hobbies, especially a boutique coffee shop with exquisite style like this.
After packing up my things, I took the elevator directly to the first floor.
Walking around the atrium and passing through several brand windows, a cafe with a great sense of design appears before your eyes.
【Glimmer Coffee】
Located at the corner of the first floor of the building, the large floor-to-ceiling windows are bright and transparent, through which you can vaguely see the exquisite interior decoration and wooden tables and chairs under the soft light.
Pushing open the brown glass door, soft jazz music slowly flows out, and the air is filled with the aroma of coffee and the faint burnt fragrance of desserts.
Open bar, operation room, cache area, office area, seating area...
The wooden table is warm, the sofa is soft, the gray and white main color scheme is matched with warm yellow lighting, exuding fashion and sophistication in the modern feel.
First impression, very good.
Zhang Yunjing took a quick look around and judged that the store was at least 200 square meters in size, with standard boutique business coffee shop configuration, which completely hit her G-spot.
Because it was a new store and the customer flow was not large, the two of them randomly chose a seat by the window and sat down.
Zhang Yunjing ordered a cup of the signature "Weak Light Special", blew on it gently, and took a sip.
It has a smooth taste and is full of aroma.
"It's delicious!"
She couldn't help but sigh, then took out her mobile phone, opened the camera app, and started taking photos of today's check-in.
Just as she was immersed in the ritual of clocking in, a crisp sound of footsteps came from the door.
"Da da da--"
Then, a gentle but powerful voice sounded: "Good morning, two beauties. We have an event in our store right now. If you take a photo and check in and share it on social media, you can get a croissant for free. Welcome to participate."
The two looked up and saw a tall and sexy figure.
She is dressed in an intellectual and elegant manner, with bright facial features, long black hair draped over her shoulders, delicate makeup, and a dignified temperament.
She looks like a female CEO who came out of a TV drama.
Zhang Yunjing was stunned for a moment, then quickly nodded and responded: "Okay, thank you, is Xiaohongshu ok?"
"Of course." The woman raised the corners of her mouth and nodded with a smile.
Then, a waiter walked over quickly.
Zhang Yunjing heard the waiter address the other party as "Mr. Xie" with a respectful attitude. It was obvious that this person should be the boss.
I have to say that this appearance and temperament are very consistent with the tone of this store.
I showed my notes and got the croissant smoothly.
While eating, Zhang Yunjing searched curiously on the Internet.
Only then did I realize that this is actually a national chain brand.
The headquarter is located in Yancheng, and currently has branches in major first-tier cities, which are opening one after another. The one in Chengdu is the third flagship store of Weiguang Coffee, which is decorated to the highest standards.
No wonder it’s so particular!
Chatted with colleagues for a while.
Zhang Yunjing opened Xiaohongshu and refreshed the homepage.
Then, a note caught her eye.
Title: "The Chinese brand name of HEYI STUDIO is decided by you! Shareholders, come and choose the name"
The main picture is a brand’s LOGO, which is beautiful, exquisite and eye-catching.
However, Zhang Yunjing was not very interested in this kind of content. Just as he was about to swipe away, his eyes suddenly stopped.
Noted the author of the note.
"April?"
This is a very familiar ID.
She was one of the earliest followers of the other party. When she left her first note, she left a message: [No matter how you change, it will be useless if you don’t lose weight. Lose weight first].
During this process, she also became a fan and cyber strategist of "April", and often left messages and interacted with her.
I have witnessed with my own eyes the counterattack and transformation of this "electronic pet" into a male god, from single-digit fans to over 3 fans. It can be said to be extremely shocking.
I also gained a great sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.
The main reason was that his changes were so obvious and successful that she felt like she had used cheats to complete a game.
As a product manager, she is very sensitive to operational logic.
According to the normal development path, "April" should have turned to selling goods or advertising and become a stable small internet celebrity.
If you can earn over ten thousand per month and continue to develop, it can become your main business.
But unexpectedly, when he was at the peak of his popularity, he suddenly started to update his blog in a very casual manner, and even stopped updating at the beginning of last month.
Like other fans, she sent private messages asking for updates and left comments, but to no avail.
Gradually, it faded out of sight.
Now this name suddenly popped up again, making her extremely curious.
Quickly tap into your notes.
The main text content comes into view.
[HEYI STUDIO is a mid-to-high-end brand for women. Its style tends to be simple, high-end, and light luxury. I hope you can help me think of a suitable Chinese name... Once adopted, you will get our first batch of free clothing trials, co-creation commemorative cards/badges...]
There are a few more pictures above, all of which are the [HEYI STUDIO] logos from various angles.
This note was posted this morning.
So far, there are more than 1000 likes and more than 400 comments.
The netizens below were very active, offering suggestions and comments from various angles.
【Lina: “I think ‘Heyi Clothing’ is great. We gathered the opinions of our military advisors and suggested a slogan: Military advisors carefully selected, refunds if you fail! (#狗头)”】
[Designer Xiao Wang: "This LOGO is really awesome. You can tell at a glance that a lot of money was spent on it. It seems that April is serious about this."]
...
Among them, the ID with the highest number of likes is particularly eye-catching.
[Su Yu's April: "Professional party voted for 'fitting'! HEYI transliteration + 'fitting' meaning, and can also play with the concept of 'cooperation with users', which is more in line with the positioning of the training system than a name that is forced to sound high-end."]
This comment comes with a picture, which uses a sketch to draw the name "Heyi". It has certain design elements and is very cool.
Zhang Yunjing is very familiar with this ID.
She remembered clearly that when "April" was first published, her figure could be seen in almost every note.
From hairstyle suggestions to outfit recommendations, from skin care tips to fitness plans, she is always the first one to respond seriously, and will even @ other fans to discuss together.
Later, during the "April" break, she was the most active, urging for updates so frequently that she was almost as persistent as following a serialized novel.
I opened April’s personal homepage and quickly saw the note he posted the day before yesterday.
6000+ likes, 2000+ comments, and nearly 1200 collections.
There is no doubt that this is a huge hit content.
Zhang Yunjing looked through it curiously for a while, his eyes widened and his face full of disbelief.
The colleague who had just posted on WeChat Moments noticed her abnormality and asked curiously, "What's wrong, Yunjing?"
Zhang Yunjing raised her head, took a deep breath, and said with a hint of excitement that was hard to conceal: "Do you remember the Xiaohongshu blogger I told you about before?"
"Oh~ April! That's the handsome guy with the abs who made a comeback. Hehe, his photo is still in my album." Zhang Wenwen covered her mouth and chuckled. "What happened to him? Did he resume updating? Are there any photos that are inappropriate?"
"Go to hell, that's too frivolous." Zhang Yunjing smiled and shook her head. "We all thought he was just an ordinary programmer, or at most an inspirational blogger. I didn't expect that he has started his own business and is now a boss. And it seems that he is doing very well. He has started his own clothing brand and even invited netizens to come up with ideas and witness the growth of the brand."
Zhang Wenwen looked at the notes on her phone and frowned. "Wait, are you sure this isn't a marketing ploy? There are so many examples of people's image collapse like this. An ordinary programmer who hasn't updated for more than half a year suddenly says he started a business and built a brand, and it's doing well? It sounds a bit fake."
As an Internet product operator, she is exposed to various Internet gameplays and traffic operation routines every day, and is naturally wary of this type of "comeback story."
Hearing this, Zhang Yunjing also had some doubts, "This..."
Zhang Wenwen continued to add: "Could it be that some small brand is looking for him to cooperate, hoping to use his 'cultivation personality' to promote products? After all, this wave of interaction is too strong, and it is easy to be led by the rhythm.
If I guess correctly, the next step may be to announce that he will become the brand manager and promote his elite entrepreneurial persona.”
Zhang Yunjing did not respond immediately. Instead, she lowered her head and flipped through the "April" notes again. Her fingertips gently slid across the screen, looking back at the past scenes page by page.
Fat loss, fitness, dressing, skin care, body training...
He carefully implemented and responded to every suggestion from netizens and almost never did it perfunctorily.
What he shares is never "pretentious" or "showing off", but real records of his growth.
It is this attitude that makes these cyber strategists feel fulfilled and involved.
After a few seconds of silence, Zhang Yunjing shook her head and said, "No, I think he is real."
"You have developed feelings for him, huh? Are you really treating him like a 'tamoji'? And now you want to upgrade him to a 'cyber shareholder'?"
Zhang Yunjing's lips curled up slightly, with a hint of excitement and satisfaction in her eyes: "Yes, and it's an early-stage investment."
After saying that, she put down the coffee in her hand and started typing.
Under the note about the Chinese name solicitation for [HEYI STUDIO], I left my own suggestion:
“I think we can call it ‘He Yi’, which means prominent and high-end, and has the temperament of an independent designer brand, which is suitable for the future brand image.”
The "electronic pet" raised online has actually started a business making women's clothing and even invited them to create it together.
This is not just an interaction, but a brand new "cultivation game".
Her dressing style and consumption level almost perfectly match the target group of "HEYI STUDIO".
Wearing clothes of this brand in the future will surely bring great satisfaction and pleasure.
Thinking of this, an inexplicable excitement and anticipation surged in my heart.
...
at the same time--
In high-end restaurants in Shanghai, in office buildings in Hangzhou, on crowded subways in Shenzhen, in university dormitories...
In every corner of the city, "cyber strategists" join in and offer advice.
Among them are office workers, students, content creators, freelancers, and even...celebrity artists.
In a small circle.
【HEYI STUDIO】This brand has quietly spread.
……
5:37 in the morning, Yanjingtian City.
It was still pitch black outside the window and the city had not yet woken up.
The fine raindrops hit the glass windows, making a slight "tapping" sound.
Tang Song slowly opened his eyes, and a familiar and charming body fragrance lingered around his nose, a mixture of the coolness of autumn and the unique warmth of a girl's skin, which instantly woke him up.
Zhao Yaqian in his arms was still sleeping soundly. The faint light outlined her silhouette lying on her side, quiet and gentle.
Tang Song couldn't help but lean over and kiss her soft cheek, then leaned close to her neck and took a deep breath.
The body fragrance optimized by [Phantom Fragrance] is really irresistible.
Tang Song got out of bed quietly, looked at the rain outside the window, and walked into the cloakroom.
After changing clothes, he got up and went to the study.
First, he took out the treasured guitar that Su Yu had given him.
Turn on the lights and adjust the color temperature and angle.
Then set up the sports camera and adjust the angle so that it is aimed at the balcony window.
Tang Song walked in front of the camera holding a guitar and sat down.
Against the backdrop of the night, lights and rain outside the window, it becomes a silhouette.
Although his appearance is not clear, his tall and handsome features are clearly visible. Against the backdrop of his lazy and elegant temperament in the morning, he is full of charming charm.
The white and slender hands were shining as they danced on the dark guitar.
A gentle melody flows from your fingertips.
The sound of rain outside the window gradually became louder, and the dripping sound seemed to add a layer of background sound to the song.
Tang Song's voice is deep and magnetic, and with the accompaniment of guitar, the whole room is immersed in a warm and slightly melancholy atmosphere.
The four-minute-plus singing and playing of "Rainy Night in Manchester" ended.
Tang Song picked up the camera, previewed the shooting results, and nodded with satisfaction.
After exporting the video, editing it on the computer and adding filters, he directly posted the entire singing and playing video to TikTok. It has been a long time since he posted on TikTok, so he started with the most familiar place to make his account active.
Then it was Lamborghini and Xiaoxue's turn to come on stage.
In addition, he also plans to buy a high-end motorcycle.
One is because of my own interests and hobbies, and the other is to better operate the account.
Finish these.
Tang Song turned around and went back into the house, picked up his cell phone and looked at it.
Two unread messages came into view.
[Lingling: "Today is October 10, Tuesday, light rain, 17~14℃, the dressing suggestions are as follows..."]
[Lingling: "Senior, the pattern of the dress you designed has been made. I will go to Huashang Clothing to make the sample today."]
Tang Song raised the corner of his mouth and replied, "Thank you for your hard work, Lingling."
[Lingling: "It's not hard. Senior has paid the fee, so he must enjoy the highest VIP treatment! Junior will respond to any request! (#wink)"]
With a chuckle, Tang Song said, "That's great, then take a photo, the sexiest one."
【Lingling: knock (emoticon)】
After a while.
【Lingling: photo.jpg】
Tang Song clicked on it and took a look, and sure enough, it was another fitness photo of his junior high school classmate.
This time it is indeed much sexier than before.
The top was lifted up, revealing her slender waist, which formed a strong contrasting curve with her plump hips.
I fought with Lingling over emoticons on WeChat for a while, and the sky outside the window gradually brightened.
The rain was still falling, but it was becoming less frequent.
Tang Song stood on the balcony admiring the morning rain, thinking about the details of the [Third Phase Growth Plan Task] in his mind.
HEYI STUDIO has been established, a design team has been formed, and a supply chain and OEM system have been established.
It would take at least half a month from design to production for the first batch of clothes.
As an enterprise, Songmei Clothing can only promote this new brand on a large scale after the product is launched.
His advance promotion and co-creation on Xiaohongshu is also a process of deepening brand awareness, which complements each other.
【①Branding】 should be completed soon.
In addition, [③ Capital Hunter] Shen Yuyan will accompany the team to Hangzhou today, so Yimai Technology should be safe.
Next, after he finishes the work at hand, he can accompany Wen Ruan to Guangzhou.
When thinking of Guangzhou, one can’t help but think of Zhang Yan.
Take a deep breath.
Tang Song put away his phone and walked towards the master bedroom.
The room was still dark, Zhao Yaqian probably hadn't gotten up yet.
Tang Song walked into the bathroom with light footsteps.
As soon as I took a step into the door, a sweet and crisp "Ha!" suddenly rang in my ears.
The sound is not loud, but enough to scare people!
Tang Song turned his head suddenly and saw a figure hiding in the corner.
Her long burgundy hair was draped over her shoulders, messy but sexy, and there was a sly smile in her eyes.
It is worth mentioning that she was only wearing a long tulle top and nothing on the lower body.
The snow-white and delicate wine glass legs have a soft luster under the light, with smooth lines and charming curves.
Tang Song patted his chest and said in an exaggerated tone: "Are you trying to scare me to death?"
Zhao Yaqian covered her mouth and giggled, and said coquettishly and proudly: "Haha, you were scared by me, Brother Song. Humph, who told you to scare me last night."
Tang Song raised his eyebrows, reached out and pinched her thigh, then slowly slid upwards.
Zhao Yaqian's face turned red, and she threw herself into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist.
When their eyes met, her eyes were full of love, like the stars twinkling in the morning light, gentle and passionate.
The two of them fooled around for a while.
Stand in front of the mirror and start washing your face and brushing your teeth together.
During this period, Zhao Yaqian always did some naughty little actions.
I secretly hugged him from behind while he was brushing his teeth and deliberately threw a towel on his face...
Laughter echoed in the air.
After washing up, the two went into the kitchen to make breakfast and eat together, and then sent Tang Song out to work.
……
It's around 9am.
Yunxi Building, Songmei Clothing.
"Qiuqiu, good morning."
"morning."
"Good morning!"
...
Warm greetings from colleagues rang out in the office one after another.
Cheng Qiuqiu responded one by one. She has gradually adapted to this environment and learned to express kindness in the simplest way.
Sit down at your seat, turn on your computer, and log in to the internal collaboration platform.
A new message popped up: "About the preliminary requirements for the express packaging design solution of [HEYI STUDIO]."
There are also attachments below, including reference pictures of competitor packaging, logistics cost analysis tables, and user survey data.
Cheng Qiuqiu browsed through it carefully for a while.
My fingers slide lightly across the tablet, and my thoughts quickly turn into sketches.
With a complete "visual identification system", the design of express packaging will be much easier.
She had some ideas in mind.
10: am.
"Ding Dong——" the WeChat notification sound rang.
[Brother Junfeng: "Qiuqiu, are you free this weekend?"]
Cheng Qiuqiu pursed her lips and replied, "If you don't work overtime, you should be free. What's the matter?"
[Brother Junfeng: "Our company leader has recently become very interested in motorcycles. I plan to buy one and occasionally accompany him for a ride. You are an expert in this area. Please recommend one to me and accompany me to pick up the motorcycle on the weekend."]
After seeing the message, Cheng Qiuqiu hesitated for a moment and replied: "Okay, send me your budget and requirements, and I will help you choose when I have time."
She knew that Gao Junfeng was now the assistant to the vice president of Zhongcheng Group and had a bright future. He bought the motorcycle to expand his network and social circle.
As a friend, it is natural for her to help.
I don’t know why, but I always feel uneasy.
【Brother Junfeng: "OK, I'll send it to you later."】
Just then, footsteps came closer and closer.
"Tap tap tap——"
Cheng Qiuqiu looked up and saw Sun Youguang from the Finance Department coming over.
"Qiuqiu, Mr. Tang has finished his meeting and wants you to go to his office."
"Oh, okay." Cheng Qiuqiu nodded quickly, picked up the USB flash drive prepared on the table, and walked towards the president's office.
Yesterday morning, Tang Song assigned her a task.
She was asked to organize the brand visual identification system of [HEYI STUDIO] into a 3:4 ratio promotional picture album, each of which was marked with usage scenarios and design logic.
"Boom boom boom——"
"Please come in."
The familiar and magnetic voice made her heart beat faster.
Pushing open the door, Cheng Qiuqiu immediately saw Tang Song sitting behind the desk.
An indescribable joy welled up in my heart.
It seems that as long as I see him, even if I don’t say anything, I will feel safe and happy.
"Come here, Qiuqiu." Tang Song waved at her.
"Yes." She responded softly, walked to the desk, and handed over the USB flash drive in her hand. "This is the visual recognition system information you asked for. I have sorted it out."
"Thanks for your hard work."
Tang Song took the USB drive and plugged it into the computer.
Qiuqiu hesitated for a moment, bit her lip, and walked over to his side. She bent down slightly, pointed at the screen and whispered, "It's this folder."
As she approached, a faint, warm fragrance lingered in his nose. Tang Song's eyes slightly turned and he couldn't help but look at her again.
The loose long-sleeved T-shirt still couldn't hide the voluptuous curve of her D-cup chest, and the tight pants perfectly outlined the lines of her perky and full buttocks.
She just stood quietly sideways, and every inch of the curve from her soft shoulders to her slender ankles seemed just right.
Sensing Tang Song's warm gaze, Cheng Qiuqiu felt a hint of unnaturalness in her eyes and she subconsciously lowered her head slightly.
Tang Song smiled, stretched out his left hand very naturally, and gently placed it on her slender waist.
Cheng Qiuqiu's body trembled slightly, the blush on her cheeks became more obvious, and her plump lips moved a few times, but in the end she didn't say anything.
He was helping himself adapt to close contact with the opposite sex and treating sexual frigidity and mental illness, which was a good reason.
Feeling Qiuqiu's soft waist.
Tang Song opened the folder and started browsing.
His brows furrowed higher and higher, and a satisfied smile gradually appeared in his eyes.
There are 8 pictures in total.
From LOGO evolution, color matching system, font standards to auxiliary graphic applications, everything is included.
Not only is the content complete, but the aesthetics are online and the details are handled very well.
Noticing Tang Song's hand moving slightly, the atmosphere became more and more ambiguous.
Qiuqiu's throat rolled, and she subconsciously changed the subject: "Mr. Tang, do you want these design drawings... to make a proposal presentation to the client?"
"Not exactly." Tang Song shook his head, and his fingers on her waist rubbed it lightly as if unintentionally. "I plan to record the complete process of our HEYI STUDIO branding on Xiaohongshu, and invite netizens to participate and witness it together."
"Little Red Book?" Cheng Qiuqiu was slightly startled, then said seriously, "Then...can I take a look? If needed later, I can adjust the artwork according to the style of Little Red Book."
Tang Song nodded happily: "Of course, I will send you the ID on WeChat later."
His next note is to record and display HEYI STUDIO's visual identification system in detail, so as to enhance netizens' sense of involvement and participation.
The subsequent telling of the brand story also requires a large amount of visual materials. With the direct participation of designer Qiuqiu, the efficiency and quality will undoubtedly be greatly improved.
The two of them looked at the pictures in the office for a long time.
It was not until HR came knocking on the door that Qiuqiu hurried away.
Not long after I returned to my workstation, I received a message from Tang Song on WeChat.
"April?" She whispered the name, and a ripple appeared in her heart.
I quickly picked up my phone and entered this ID in the search box of Xiaohongshu.
The corresponding account was found quickly.
When she saw the number of fans and profile, a look of surprise appeared on her face.
What? Tang Song is still a little internet celebrity? And he listened to advice and reformed?
This feeling is like discovering the idol's hidden identity, the contrast is extreme.
Soon, she found Tang Song's first note and looked at the pictures and content on it.
Eyes widened, mouth slightly open.
[I am very disappointed with myself at the age of 25. I hope to change and listen to advice]
Qiuqiu held her breath and read through the pages one by one.
From weight loss, work and rest, diet, dressing, hairstyle, lifestyle habits...
The more Qiuqiu looked, the more shocked she became, and the more she admired him.
During this process, an ID account came into her sight.
【Su Yu's April】
It was obvious that the other party was a fan of Su Yu and Tang Song.
This account is extremely active in the comment section of Tang Song. She appears in almost every note, with witty comments and high number of likes. She has also established a fan group and is poised to become a "fan leader".
As a veteran member of the fan club, Qiuqiu smelled the scent of "like-minded people" and her eyes lit up.
I decisively clicked the follow button and sent a private message: "Hi, I'm a die-hard fan of April and would like to join the fan group. Is that okay?"
(End of this chapter)