▲ "Three Vibrant Old Men" in the live broadcast room
Red Star News reporter | Lu Yanfei Photographer | Wang Hongqiang
Editor | Guo Zhuang Editor | Wei Kongming
When the "Three Vibrant Old Men" were live broadcasting in the office building, there were production facilities about 100 meters away The workshop is in full swing.
The temperature outside is close to 0°C. There is no air conditioning in the live broadcast room, but the greetings from "fans" make this winter no longer full of chill. The clothes of the workers in the workshop read "If you can't stay at the top, then you will go back to the way you came." This kind of sentiment and courage supports "Vitality 28" to continue to move forward with its head high.
"It is the 'fans' that have made us what we are today.", "There is no repayment for the contribution of the 'fans'"... Talking about this redemption from the dead, Hu Wenzhong, deputy general manager of Chengdu Yizhong Laundry Products Co., Ltd., could not hide his heart. of excitement. In June this year, when Hubei Vigor Group laid off all its employees, Chengdu Yizhong, as a foundry, also fell into trouble. "We originally planned to stop working at the end of the year and lay off employees, so I laid off all of myself."
Surprisingly, the layoffs at the end of the year turned into employee expansion. Summarizing the live broadcast experience in the past four months, Hu Wenzhong said that he must first remain honest, just like the company now encounters no matter big or small, he will communicate to more than 7 million "cloud shareholders" through video (Note: Hu Wenzhong refers to fans as " "Yun Shareholders") report and solicit opinions; secondly, we must respect "fans" and cannot tell lies to sell goods. "Be true to yourself so that someone can resonate with you."
Today, this "miracle" created by "fans" is still going on...
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3 old men in their 60s
live broadcast Selling laundry supplies "accidentally" became popular
html In early September, Yizhong Laundry Products Co., Ltd., located in Qingbaijiang District, Chengdu, invited several young people to try the live broadcast business and make a final effort to save the company."This method is wrong. You have to interact with fans." Wan Zhong ("Glasses Uncle"), assistant general manager of the factory, said while giving a demonstration to the employees. At that time, there were more than 8,000 people online. Wan Zhong had no live broadcast experience before and had only watched Internet celebrities bring goods.
What they didn't expect was that the three 60-year-old men they liked in Chengdu later became Internet celebrities, and attracted more than 7 million "fans" with their relaxed and humorous language.
recalled the scene when the live broadcast first started. Hu Wenzhong, deputy general manager of Chengdu Yizhong, said that it was all taught by more than 7 million "cloud shareholders". "There are many masters, and no matter how stupid the disciple is, he will still learn something."
▲Office building of Chengdu Yizhong Detergent Products Co., Ltd.
What impressed Hu Wenzhong deeply was that on the evening of September 13, some netizens were worried that "late arrival will result in compensation." Failure to close it would cause problems, so tens of thousands of netizens refreshed their screens to remind the anchor to turn off the limited-time delivery button. "We didn't know how to operate it, and the 'fans' were very anxious at the time. Finally, they called the Chengdu Qingbaijiang Industrial Park Management Committee and 110, and three people from the management committee came to help us turn it off."
was not available during the live broadcast. One week, on September 17, "Vitality 28 will refund 10 yuan for 230,000 orders of laundry detergent" was trending on Weibo. Hu Wenzhong told the Red Star News reporter that during the delivery inventory, it was found that the price of about 230,000 units of washing powder was increased by 10 yuan. "At that time, there was a young salesman in Shanghai who was selling at the original relatively expensive price. After placing the order for 230,000 items, we argued all night and finally decided to return what should be returned because we were doing future business. , it’s not what I see in front of me, it’s right, and I don’t regret it.”
But when it comes to refunds, there are still many “fans” who don’t want them, and so far only more than half of them have been refunded. "The 'fans' are very kind, and many don't care about the ten yuan." Hu Wenzhong said that he was often moved by the enthusiasm of the "fans" and even couldn't help crying during interviews. "Some 'fans' sent us fruits some time ago. They may have sensed the sincerity from the uncle, and we also felt warm. Even if these fruits are from the 'fans', we still have to pay for the postage."
has After becoming famous, many "fans" and anchors came to visit, and some took photos to gain traffic.In order not to affect the normal production of the company, security at the gate has also become stricter. When entering the park, workers must be led by workers and detailed registration must be done.
A netizen who calls himself "Fan Baby" sent a greeting card, which reads, "Since September, I have met the uncles, seen the sincerity, met the simplicity, and felt the warmth of the Internet... I hope the uncles will accompany us, Let's accompany Vitality 28 together and witness its glory again." This card has been placed on the table in the live broadcast room to encourage the uncles doing live broadcasts. Some netizens sent a handmade apron with a bottle of Vitality 28 laundry detergent painted on it. Warehouse manager Wan Jie put it on and showed it to reporters, and then smiled happily.
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is worried that the product quality cannot meet the needs of users.
pressure and anxiety will follow. After
became popular, it brought them not only traffic, but also huge pressure and anxiety. Now the company has to implement three shifts 24 hours a day to produce non-stop. At the same time, it faces problems such as difficulty in recruiting workers, cost control, and fake goods.
"The biggest pressure is still worrying that product quality cannot meet the needs of all users." Hu Wenzhong said frankly that after so many years in the industry, he can understand customers' requirements for subtle differences. For example, some people may like different flavors than others in the family. Some people like more bubbles, others like less. "Although the most important thing about washing products is to wash them clean, people now have more needs. The smell they like must be comfortable, and individual differences are huge."
In order to overcome the problem, Hu Wenzhong said that all the income generated now is Invest in research and development. "These subtle differences have a great impact on the product. There are more than 1,000 choices for the scent of lavender, and the standard of scent depends entirely on the nose."
▲ Workers in the production workshop are busy packaging
At present, according to consumers According to feedback, Chengdu Yizhong is optimizing some issues.
However, Hu Wenzhong is still very confident in Chengdu Yizhong's detergent products. "There is no problem in cleaning our products because they comply with national standards. This is one of the reasons why Vitality 28 continues to maintain its vitality. Only by investing profits in research and development can we truly retain traffic." According to Hu Wenzhong, Chengdu Yizhong has already established a R&D team in Guangzhou, and more new products may be launched in the future to meet the needs of different users. During
's live broadcast on September 14, the number of people online reached its peak with 296,000 people. Later, there was a decline. Currently, the number of people online at the same time during the two-hour live broadcast in the evening remains at about 10,000. So will the "three dynamic old men" also become "passed Internet celebrities" one day? Hu Wenzhong has also thought about this issue, but he is not worried about it. He respects the opinions of consumers and sends a video every night to say hello to his "fans" and report on production and sales. "Chengdu Yizhong is truly self-produced and self-sold without any middlemen, so the competitiveness is very high."
The laundry detergent produced by the factory is 9.9 yuan for 4 pounds with free shipping nationwide. So far, more than 8 million bags have been sold online. . "We don't have any marketing expenses. Except for the newly established e-commerce department that needs to pay wages, all other profits are given to consumers, so our prices are very affordable." Hu Wenzhong said that Vitality 28 is very cost-effective among washing products. High, "But it doesn't mean that it's cost-effective because it's cheap. Providing good services also satisfies consumers' cost-effectiveness."
"When more than 200,000 people were online at that time, we didn't have the goods later, and we also brought them to the factory. It’s a lot of pressure and I can’t breathe because I can’t produce.” Hu Wenzhong said that it is normal and rational for thousands of people to be online now. "I like this stability very much."
In order to ensure delivery to "fans" on time, Chengdu Yizhong has been working 24 hours a day. If the order volume increases again, Hu Wenzhong is worried about "making mistakes while busy."Facing the future, he said that as long as product quality continues to improve, traffic can truly be turned into "retention"
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ushered in a turning point in the live broadcast
The company did not shut down its employees and expanded to more than 400 people
Shen Jun is the factory representative of Hubei Vitality Group in Chengdu. During the live broadcast, he was called "bald uncle" by netizens.
He has been working in Hubei Dynasty Group for nearly 45 years and has been in Chengdu Yizhong for three years. After retiring last year, Shen Jun was unexpectedly hired back by Chengdu. He is 61 years old this year.
Vigor Group was formerly an oil and electricity company founded in 1950. It mainly produced edible oil and electricity. Later, the edible oil business was separated. The company began to get involved in ordinary laundry soap, and then gradually started to produce laundry detergent.
When Shen Jun came to this company in 1979, it was at the time when the washing powder was being upgraded.
▲Encouragement cards sent by "fans"
"In 1982, the company was doing activities in Hong Kong and saw a foreign-funded enterprise bringing a patented washing product. This was a compound powder that broke the traditional laundry products . At that time, the company leaders purchased the patent for this washing powder. At the same time, they saw that Hong Kong was full of vitality. When they came back, they were thinking about what to name it, so they simply borrowed the word "vitality". So what is vitality? The youthful age of 28 is The most energetic age, so we named the product 'Vitality 28'." Shen Jun said. After the product
came out, the market effect was very good, and later the company name was changed to Hubei Vitality Group Co., Ltd.
In 1991, Vitality 28 became the first company to advertise laundry detergent on CCTV, and sponsored the Spring Festival Gala in 1993. The slogan "Vitality 28, Shashi Daily Chemical" spread throughout the streets and alleys.
By 1996, Vitality Group had financial problems and its sales of washing powder also declined. In order to obtain more financing, Vitality Group chose to be acquired by the German Bundt Company that year and became a Sino-foreign joint venture. Also in this year, Vitality 28 was officially listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange.
However, due to the lack of awareness of brand protection, Vigor 28 caused the loss of its own brand during the joint venture process. In February 2001, Vitality 28 was delisted and suspended after only five years on the market. In 2008, the Jingzhou Municipal Government introduced investment from Hubei Daohuaxiang Group and obtained the 30-year operating rights of Vitality 28 in the form of lease. "The management of the latter company was not that good." Shen Jun said that he served as the assistant general manager of Hui Hui Group in 2015 and saw the decline of this company with his own eyes. In 2016, Hui Hui Group's factory in Jingzhou was renovated. It became a dock and embarked on the road of OEM.
In the 1990s, Hu Wenzhong was the sales manager of Vigor Group's detergent products in Sichuan Province, and later resigned around 2000. Chengdu Yizhong has been engaged in OEM production of washing products for other brands since 2011. In 2020, it won an order from Hubei Vitality Group and officially became the foundry of Vitality Group in Chengdu. Shen Jun has also been working as a factory representative since then. Got here.
In June this year, Li Jianfei, chairman of Vitality Group, sent an open letter of "dismissal of employees" to all employees through the company's mailbox, saying that starting from June 1, all employees of Vitality 28 will stop working and suspend their wages, terminate their labor contracts, and the company will issue a resignation certificate and termination agreement. Notice. This open letter caused quite a stir.
“So another opportunity for us to sell goods live is that after the employees were disbanded, Huohuo Group was facing bankruptcy and reorganization and needed to form a new team. However, there was no one in the offline market, or they couldn’t care about it at all, so Chengdu was interested in getting sales. After authorization, online sales can only be carried out with the help of online platforms." Hu Wenzhong said that there were only more than 100 workers left in Chengdu Yizhong in June, and life was very difficult at that time. "Originally, we basically planned to quit by the end of the year. We had to lay off employees, so I laid off all of myself."
But after struggling to save it through online live broadcasts, today, four months later, Chengdu Yizhong has not only not closed down, but also On the original basis, the number of employees will be expanded to more than 400 people.
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’s contribution to “fans” cannot be repaid.
The company will solicit the opinions of “cloud shareholders” on all matters
. After the “Vitality” three old men became popular, many “fans” and anchors came here because of their fame, and the security guards were also strengthened. .
Currently, Chengdu Yizhong's production capacity is at full capacity, producing five to six hundred tons of detergent products every day. Shen Jun said that now four hours of live broadcast every day can just meet the production volume, and more "salvation" needs to be said to extend the time.
According to data from Vitality 28 online live broadcast, the age of consumers is mainly concentrated in 18 to 35 years old, and women account for more than 60%.
"After the live broadcast started on September 13, the 'fans' have now reached a fanatical level and are very supportive of domestic brands." Shen Jun said, "The difference between us and other live broadcast rooms is that we are sincerely saving a company, and we also have previous suppliers. and employees come to buy products. After the company generates profits, it will have money to pay everyone's wages."
"Many anchors constantly call on their fans to buy buy buy when they bring products, but we don't do this. We just have enough at home. Why are you hoarding so many goods? Buy a bag and use it up before buying again later. We promise not to raise the price." Shen Jun said that the more this happens, the more "fans" buy, and he has to advise everyone to "be rational." Consumption".
▲ Warehouse manager Wan Jie tries on an apron sent by a "fan"
On November 28, during the Chengdu Yizhong team building event, more than 20 nearby "fans" were invited to the site for communication. To the surprise of the anchors, they found that these "fans" were ordinary citizens. Each of them had stocked up more than 800 yuan worth of products on average, saying that they would support the recovery of domestic brands and establish this brand.
"It is the 'fans' that have made us what we are today." Shen Jun said that he is very grateful to the "fans" for their sincere support. "'The fans' have helped us create one miracle after another. We are so moved by them that we have no choice but to do it from beginning to end. Invest a penny in traffic fees."
As for the contribution of "fans", Hu Wenzhong said frankly that he can't repay it yet. Hu Wenzhong said that in the past, fans were required to give gifts to "fans" during events, but the "fans" did not want them. "They said it was not easy for us to make money and we could not donate the money we earned. They asked us to buy employee uniforms, improve meals for employees, and increase benefits. ."
Later, the money from the rewards and part of the company's profits did buy clothes for employees, with the words "If you can't stay at the top, then go back to the way you came." A Red Star News reporter reported in Chengdu Yizhong on December 18 During the interview at the factory, I saw workers busy packing and transporting.
Currently, the "Vitality 28 Clothing Cleaning Flagship Store" has 7.58 million "fans". No matter whether the company encounters big or small events, Hu Wenzhong will solicit opinions from "cloud shareholders" through videos. Hu Wenzhong admitted that compared with joint venture brands, the quality of domestic detergent products is still far behind, but they will strive to catch up.
summed up the live broadcast experience in the past four months. Hu Wenzhong said that first of all, we must be honest, and secondly, we must respect "fans" and don't tell lies to sell goods. "Be true to yourself so that others can resonate with you."
Looking at the words on the work clothes, Hu Wenzhong believed that in the near future, Vitality 28 will reach its next peak - and this is also their common hope .
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