Chapter 18: The 100,000 Copies Plan

"That's right, it's free distribution!" Xia Yu declared decisively.

"But boss, there have been precedents of free newspaper distribution before, and it's proven to be ineffective. Moreover, it could provoke collective suppression from competitors, which is very dangerous for our newspaper…" Sun Changfa questioned, puzzled.

"The previous failures were because the boss wasn't me!" Xia Yu said with confidence, smiling.

Seeing the confident look on Xia Yu's face, Sun Changfa and the others were astonished, exchanging glances with one another, feeling somewhat silent.

The boss was clearly in high spirits and very confident. None of them wanted to be the ones to dampen his enthusiasm.

"Don't worry about the suppression from competitors. I'm not planning to make 'Jiu Ding Daily' free forever; it's only free for seven days as a marketing strategy," Xia Yu continued, disregarding their unusual reactions.

That's a bit better!

Sun Changfa and the others felt a slight relief upon hearing this; at least the boss wasn't completely out of touch with reality.

"And do you think giving away 100,000 copies of the newspaper is simple?" Xia Yu continued, glancing at them.

"Does giving away newspapers for free need a strategy? Isn't it just about handing them out? What's so difficult about that?" The seven of them had a fleeting thought, looking at Xia Yu with puzzled expressions, eager to hear his insights on the matter.

"Think about it. With hundreds of thousands of people in Hong Kong, we could say that they are all potential users of our newspaper. But if we just distribute randomly, 100,000 copies would be like a drop in the bucket. It would take hundreds of thousands or even millions of copies to make an impact. This requires a huge amount of manpower and financial resources."

"Why am I only offering 'Jiu Ding Daily' for free for seven days? What is the purpose of giving away free newspapers? Have you thought about it?" Xia Yu suddenly asked Sun Changfa and the others.

"Of course, it's to get citizens to subscribe to our newspaper and become our users!" Zhao Cheng answered promptly.

"Exactly!" Xia Yu gave Zhao Cheng an appreciative glance and continued. Before they could say more, he continued speaking.

"So, the 100,000 free newspapers must provide value, maximizing the chance that people who read the free papers will subscribe to our newspaper! We need to convert potential customers into actual subscribers as much as possible."

"So, if we want to achieve the greatest effect with the smallest cost and improve the subscription conversion rate as much as possible, what is the simplest method?" Xia Yu asked again.

Hearing this, the seven began to understand. Sun Xin, with his sharp mind from years of gathering news, had already roughly guessed Xia Yu's idea and answered, "Identify the most valuable potential customers, as they are the easiest to convert into real customers."

"Very good, you're right!" Xia Yu smiled approvingly at Sun Xin, making him straighten up proudly.

"So, Sun Xin, now think about which potential customers are the most valuable, how to find them, and how to get the newspapers into their hands?" Xia Yu asked again, giving Sun Xin an encouraging look to continue.

"White-collar workers and stock investors often subscribe to newspapers and have money. So, we could distribute newspapers specifically to white-collar workers and stock investors," Sun Xin said excitedly. He enjoyed the feeling of impressing the boss and showing off in front of his colleagues.

"Good, you're on the right track. 'Jiu Ding Daily' relies on financial, commercial, and novel content as its core, so stock investors and financial industry professionals are key customers we need to attract. Any other ideas?" Xia Yu asked Sun Xin, but seeing Sun Xin shake his head, he turned to the others for their opinions.

After some thought, Sun Changfa, the head of the distribution department, said, "People who buy newspapers are the most valuable potential customers. The newspaper stall owners who interact with them could help distribute the newspapers."

"But why would the newspaper stall owners help distribute the newspapers for free? It's not only a waste of their effort but also affects the sales of other newspapers. Why would they do such a thankless task?" Xia Yu countered.

"Uh… Well… I thought wrong, boss…" Sun Changfa said awkwardly, sweating slightly.

"No, you didn't think wrong; it's just that your thinking needs some expansion. The starting point is fine, but perfecting this idea requires some skill." Seeing Sun Changfa's anxious self-reproach, Xia Yu smiled and eased the mood, allowing Sun Changfa to relax.

"We can offer free newspapers to the stall owners, allowing them to sell them at the set price. Compared to other newspapers, our papers cost them nothing, and the profit is several times higher than with other newspapers. Don't you think the stall owners will place our newspapers prominently and recommend them enthusiastically?" Xia Yu said with a smile.

Hearing Xia Yu's explanation, Sun Changfa suddenly understood and was in awe of Xia Yu. Comparing his own thoughts to the boss's ideas, he felt the gap.

The others also looked at Xia Yu with admiration. According to Xia Yu's approach, even if they were stall owners and knew it was a marketing trick, they would still willingly promote 'Jiu Ding Daily' because it was a straightforward strategy. For stall owners, selling any newspaper was the same, as long as they could get more profit. 

Moreover, even though the stall owners would be selling newspapers rather than giving them away for free, they wouldn't forget that the real aim of the free distribution was to convert potential customers into subscribers after seven days.

But if the users could willingly buy 'Jiu Ding Daily' from the start, wouldn't that be even better?

"Alright, with this explained, you should have a clear understanding. Time is of the essence, so let me outline the general execution plan," Xia Yu said, clearing his throat to focus their attention and start planning.

"Tomorrow, after the newspapers are printed, prioritize delivering them to newspaper stall owners. Explain to them that 'Jiu Ding Daily' will be provided free for seven days and set a price for them. Encourage them to sell as many as possible. Once they are sold out, they can call for a restock, and we will deliver more promptly."

"Of course, the strategy of free distribution remains unchanged. Assign at least two people to each of the four major stock exchanges to distribute newspapers. After finishing at the stock exchanges, distribute newspapers at major companies and stores with high foot traffic. Avoid distributing too close to nearby stalls to ensure their enthusiasm."

"Sun Changfa, you and the distribution department will be the main force tomorrow. Employees from other departments should assist actively. The entire company must mobilize. If there aren't enough staff, find temporary workers to help with distribution. Each department should finalize their tasks and plan the detailed execution for tomorrow."

"Zhang Lei, supervise the printing work closely. As soon as you receive printing instructions, print the required quantity immediately. It's a heavy task, so be prepared."

"Sun Xin, finalize today's news and hand it over to Zhao Cheng. Zhao Cheng, you need to have the first edition of 'Jiu Ding Daily' printed and submitted for my review before 4 PM. Once confirmed, hand it over to Zhang Lei immediately."

"Everyone clear?" Xia Yu asked, his face serious after assigning all tasks.

"Clear!" Everyone shouted in unison.

"Good, now get to work!" Xia Yu waved his hand.

Immediately, everyone rushed out to implement their tasks, working fervently.

With that, Xia Yu relaxed slightly, took a sip of tea, and continued to busy himself.