novellhall Chapter 192: The Masses Join Weibo! [5000 views]
Chapter 192: The Masses Join Weibo! [5000 views]
Chapter 192: The Masses Join Weibo! [5000 views]
Just as I hung up the phone, Robert called again.
"Global Times contacted me!"
As soon as the call connected, Rob got straight to the point: "They saw the reaction on Chinese social media, as well as the exposure data from Haidilao's activities."
"Global is willing to cover 40% of the cost of your personal investment!"
"Would these capitalists be so kind? This wasn't even in the movie's promotional budget."
Chen Xun was looking at photos of hot pot posted by his fans on Weibo when he heard this and was taken aback.
"The results are even better than any deliberate advertising!"
Rob put it bluntly: "Greg showed me the data: after the event started, the attendance rate for Fast & Furious 5's midnight screenings in China rose from 91% to 97%, and some cities even added screenings at 2:30 a.m.
"The most important thing is the word-of-mouth effect! The idea of having hot pot after watching the movie is so catchy. Now it's not just movie fans talking about it, even people who don't usually watch action movies know about it."
Chen Xun thought for a moment: "They want to use this as a marketing case study?"
"Yes, and we want to expand."
Rob relayed Universal's message to Chen Xun: "Since the results are so good, why not involve the entire Fast & Furious franchise?"
"He proposed that Universal contribute 50%, and the remaining 50% be split among the five lead actors: you, Van, Paul, Gayle, and Tyrese, each contributing 10%. This would make the concept of 'Family' more complete."
Chen Xun smiled.
Universal means they want to buy his marketing campaign ideas.
If Chen Xun were just a nobody, Universal might have simply adopted this marketing tactic.
But Chen Xun not only has amazing popularity, he also holds a significant position in the "Fast & Furious" crew.
This is essentially a way to gain favor and facilitate future cooperation!
This is very much in line with the usual practices of capitalists!
When they see a good marketing idea, they immediately want to scale it up and tie it to the entire IP.
"Do the others know?"
Chen Xun found it somewhat amusing.
The others were essentially forcibly tied to his chariot.
"Universal will communicate with them, so there shouldn't be any major problems. I wanted to ask for your opinion first, since you initiated this event."
"I'm fine!"
Chen Xun readily agreed: "Haidilao should be happy to accept!"
"Haidilao has no reason to disagree. It's a brand upgrade, going from collaborating with you personally to working with a major Hollywood studio and the entire cast."
After hanging up the phone, Chen Xun browsed Twitter.
Sure enough, #Fast5HotPot# has become a trend.
Because it happened in China, its ranking isn't very high, but it's starting to gain popularity.
Clicking through, I saw someone had posted photos of the scene at Haidilao, with the caption: "After watching 'Fast & Furious 5,' I got a free hot pot meal just by showing my ticket stub. Chinese fans are getting such great treatment!"
An American netizen commented below: "Why don't we have that? I also want to watch a movie and get a free pizza!"
"Because this event was organized by Chen Xun personally, and he is extremely popular in China."
"I'm so envious. In America, you can only buy a bucket of popcorn for $15 at a movie theater."
Chen Xun smiled and continued scrolling down.
Two hours later, his phone started vibrating repeatedly.
Vin Diesel's text message: "Chen, I just heard about the hot pot from Greg, it's so cool! This is what a real family is all about! Count me in, I'll pay 10%. Do I have a Weibo account? If not, help me register one, I want to post something."
The second one is from Paul: "Bro, this move is brilliant! My agent just sent me the data, and the growth curve in the Chinese market is like a racing car's accelerator. I'll participate, and the money will be deducted from my salary. Can you teach me a few Chinese phrases? I want to use them to post on Weibo."
"Chen, I just finished a call with my agent. This event is very meaningful, and I'm willing to participate. But could you first explain to me what Haidilao is? Why didn't you take us there to eat back then?"
Gail's text message sounded more like an accusation.
At 8 p.m., Universal China officially contacted Haidilao and proposed a new cooperation plan.
Universal Pictures contributed 50% of the funding, and the five lead actors each contributed 10%, sharing the event costs. In exchange, Haidilao was required to cooperate in joint promotions and allow the use of the Fast & Furious 5 IOGO and the lead actors' images.
Haidilao responded very quickly.
Agreed, but requested that the event duration be extended from seven days to ten days, and that themed store events be added, with Fast & Furious 5 elements displayed in designated stores in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Chengdu.
The two sides hit it off immediately!
At 10 p.m., Chen Xun received a @ message on his Weibo account.
He clicked on it and was stunned.
It's a newly registered account, named Vin Diesel, and the verified information states that he is a Hollywood actor and star of the "Fast & Furious" series.
The profile picture used is a hard-hitting photo of Fan Bingbing with a shaved head.
The first Weibo post was in English, but included a Chinese translation: "I heard our brother Chen Xun did a fantastic event in China! Family means supporting each other, so Paul, Gale, Tyrese, and I decided to join in. Enjoy the movie, enjoy the hot pot! #FastFurious5HotPot# @ChenXun@"
Paul Walker's official Weibo account @Gal Gadot's official Weibo account @Tyrison's official Weibo account
A picture is attached below.
The photo of Van, Paul, Gale, and Tyrese was probably taken in Los Angeles, and all four of them are giving a thumbs up.
Within ten minutes of this Weibo post, the comment section exploded: "Holy crap! Vin Diesel opened a Weibo account?"
"Is it really me? This verification speed is incredible!"
"Family! It really is Family!"
"So now the entire Fast & Furious cast is treating?"
"This is such a grand display!"
Twenty minutes later, Paul also posted his first video on Weibo.
In the video, Paul is sitting in his car, struggling to speak in broken Chinese: "Thank you—Chinese—fans, I love you all, having hotpot—is so much fun!"
He was a beginner, his pronunciation was awkward, but he was very sincere.
At the end of the video, he also made the classic driving gesture from the movie "Fast & Furious".
Gal Gadot's Weibo post was more elegant, featuring a beautiful photo of herself with the caption: "Thank you to the Chinese audience for supporting Fast & Furious 5. I'm so glad to participate in this special event. I look forward to visiting China someday to try hot pot! #FastFurious5HotPot#"
Tyrese Gibson takes a comedic approach.
He posted a short video of himself at the gym, lifting weights and saying, "I heard hot pot is delicious, but very spicy? Whatever, for my Chinese fans, I'll eat it even if it's spicy! Count me in for the event!"
The simultaneous opening of Weibo accounts and the posting of messages by four Hollywood stars is almost unprecedented on Chinese social media.
Weibo's servers experienced a temporary lag!
#Fast & Furious Family Treats#
#HollywoodStarsOpenWeiboAccounts#
#PaulWalkerChinese#
Three topics simultaneously surged into the top ten trending searches.
Wang Feng, who was preparing to release a song at that moment, saw the frenzy on Weibo and secretly felt lucky.
Fortunately, he has been keeping up with the buzz surrounding the release of "Fast & Furious 5" these past few days, which has delayed his plans to release his new song.
Otherwise, it wouldn't even make a ripple!
Chen Xun retweeted everyone's Weibo posts and added a new one: "Thank you brothers for joining! This is the meaning of Family – sharing the good times together. The event has been extended to ten days. More details will be announced later. A reminder: safety first, consume rationally, and enjoy the movies and food."
Haidilao's official Weibo account quickly followed up with a new version of the event poster.
The poster design is even more exquisite!
Besides Chen Xun, the image also features portraits of Fan, Paul, Gayle, Tyrese, and the Universal logo.
The event period has been extended from 7 days to 10 days, and information on themed stores in four major cities has been added.
The fan community is in an uproar: "This has escalated from an individual act to an official action!"
"Global Times' move was commendable; they reacted quickly!"
"So now it's a Hollywood studio and the five lead actors treating us to hot pot?"
"This might be the most fan-friendly event in Chinese film history —"
"Even non-fans are moved, I'm going to buy tickets to support them."
The media also began to follow up with reports.
The entertainment section of the Beijing News published a news flash: "The cast of 'Fast & Furious 5' has joined in local customs and participated in a Haidilao (a hot pot restaurant chain) event, creating a new marketing case through Sino-foreign collaboration."
The Hollywood Reporter's Asian edition also published a short article: "Fast & Furious 5 comes up with a new marketing strategy in China: the lead actors split the cost of treating the audience to hot pot, and the social media response has been enthusiastic."
The funniest thing is that a fan made a cost breakdown diagram for hot pot:
Universal Pictures: 50% (approximately 4000 million RMB)
Chen Xun: 10% (800 million)
Vin Diesel: 10% (800 million)
Paul Walker: 10% (800 million)
Gal Gadot: 10% (800 million)
Tyrese Gibson: 10% (800 million)
Total: Approximately 8000 million RMB, equivalent to about 1160 million USD.
The comment below reads: "This is what real crowdfunding looks like."
"$1160 million for a dinner party, Hollywood blockbusters are really extravagant."
"The key is that it was worth the money; this level of exposure is something you can't buy even with a Google Play store."
"Chen, I just looked at the data."
Fan's voice was excited: "The Chinese box office has surged again because of this event! Greg said it could eventually break 15 billion, approaching 20 billion! That's over 3 million US dollars! That's higher than in North America!"
"The Chinese market has always had great potential!"
Chen Xun knew that in a few years, China's film market would completely surpass North America's!
"I knew before that the Chinese box office was important, but this time I truly felt it! Those fan photos, those videos, those people gathering to eat and chat because of our movie—"
Fan seemed somewhat moved: "Thank you for initiating this event, which allowed me to see another side of film."
The "Fast & Furious 5" movie's Haidilao (a hot pot restaurant chain) promotion in China continues to be a hit.
Various Chinese netizens have also started sharing photos of themselves using VPNs in the United States!
An American blogger working in China, @ChinaMike, posted a tweet with a nine-grid photo collage:
Long queues formed outside Haidilao late at night, young people holding tickets for "Fast & Furious 5" waited for a table, close-ups of boiling hot pots were shown, and fans raised their glasses for photos.
The caption reads: "Just experienced the craziest fan event in China! After watching 'Fast & Furious 5,' I got a free hot pot meal just for showing my ticket stub! When will American fans ever get this kind of treatment?"
This tweet was initially retweeted within a small circle, but it quickly caught the attention of several influential film and television bloggers.
One blogger, @FilmGeek, reposted and commented: "Seriously? Free hot pot just for watching a movie? Has Chinese movie marketing evolved to this level?"
Another user, @Bo.OfficeTheory, analyzed the situation from a data perspective: "Fast & Furious 5 has already grossed over 9 million RMB in China and is about to surpass North America to become the world's largest box office market. This kind of fan activity has obviously boosted the box office, and the distributors should learn from it."
One netizen even made a comparison picture: "On the left is Chinese fans who get to eat hot pot for free and get merchandise after watching 'Fast & Furious 5', while on the right is American fans who have to queue for half an hour in the parking lot to leave after watching the movie and then go home to eat microwave popcorn."
A large line of text appeared in the middle: "Are we on the same planet?"
Two more pictures were added to the tweet:
On the left is a bustling scene at Haidilao, and on the right is an empty parking lot of an AMC cinema late at night.
The post quickly garnered over 10,000 shares, and American netizens began expressing their discontent in the comments: "Why is it always China that has special events?"
"We paid for our tickets too, you know!"
"Has Chen Xun forgotten his American fans?"
Where is equality in America?
"I watched 'Fast & Furious 5' three times, contributed $45 to the box office, and didn't even get a poster!"
"Hollywood should learn from this!"
Someone tagged Chen Xun's Twitter account, @Universal Pictures, @Vin Diesel, and @Paul Walker.
Noon the next day.
#Why is it always China?#
#American fans matter too#
Two topics trended on Twitter.
Chen Xun saw comments from netizens on Twitter while working out, and he was both amused and exasperated.
This was originally just a personal act of gratitude to Chinese fans, but Universal Pictures amplified it into a marketing campaign, and now American fans are using it for comparison.
He took a few screenshots and sent them to Rob: "Did you see the reactions on Twitter?"
Rob quickly called back: "I saw it. I was just about to tell you. Universal also noticed it. Greg called me ten minutes ago to ask if we could hold a similar event in the United States."
"Universal said that since Chinese fans receive special treatment, American fans should also receive it, otherwise the pressure from public opinion will only increase, especially since the North American box office of 'Fast & Furious 5' is still rising, and they can't let the domestic market cool down."
Chen Xun thought for a moment: "So what are their thoughts?"
"There's no concrete plan yet, but they're willing to pay. They want you to plan it because they think you understand what the fans want better, especially since you initiated the events in China and they were very effective."
Chen Xun never expected that this matter would be pinned on him.
Are all the marketing people at Global Times just sitting around doing nothing?
"I need to think about it."
Chen Xun was caught off guard: "Fan culture is different in China and the US, so you can't just copy it directly."
"They understand. Greg said he'll have a video conference this afternoon to talk to the people from the global marketing department."
The video conference started on time at 3 p.m.
On the other side of the screen, besides Greg, there was Sarah, Senior Vice President of Global Marketing, and Tom, the manager in charge of digital marketing.
"Chen, first of all, congratulations on the success of the event in China!"
Greg cut to the chase: "We've seen the data. The social media buzz and the box office boost have been excellent, but now American fans are complaining, and we have to respond."
Sarah chimed in, "We analyzed it, and the core of the American fans' complaints isn't about wanting free food, but about wanting to feel valued. Chinese fans get special events, but they don't, so they feel ignored."
Tom added, "Besides, you're a Chinese-American actor, and your main focus is now in Hollywood. If you only cater to Chinese fans and ignore American fans, it won't be good for your long-term development."
After listening, Chen Xun nodded: "I understand. So, what do you plan to do?"
"We want to do a reciprocal fan event in America."
Greg stated magnanimously, "Budget is not a problem; Universal will provide the funding. However, you need to be involved in the planning of the content, and it would be best if other lead actors could join as well. The core concept is still family, but it needs to adapt to American culture."
Chen Xun thought for a few seconds: "I have a few ideas, you can listen to them."
He considered it briefly at noon, referring to the model of setting up a street stall in his previous life.
"The United States doesn't have a nationwide chain of hot pot restaurants like Haidilao, and there aren't many restaurants open late at night, so the model of getting a free meal after watching a movie is hard to replicate."
"Fans here value experience and exclusivity more. They want something that others don't have. If you make it the exact same model, they might feel it's perfunctory."
"The final activity should be simple and not too complicated!"
Sarah nodded: "That makes sense. So what exactly is your suggestion?"
Chen Xun directly stated his idea: "We can do a 'Fast & Furious 5' movie party + food truck model. We can hold midnight screenings in one IMAX theater in each of the five major cities of Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Houston, and Atlanta. The ticket price will be slightly higher than the regular screening, and it will include priority seat selection, limited edition merchandise packages, Q&A with the lead actors after the screening, and free food from the food truck outside the theater."
"A food truck?" Tom asked.
"Yes, every city in America has those trendy food trucks that sell hamburgers, hot dogs, fried chicken, burritos, and so on."
Chen Xun explained, "We can partner with a well-known local food truck, and audience members can get a free meal by showing their movie ticket stubs. This solves the problem of free food and also incorporates local specialties."
Greg's eyes lit up: "This is a good idea. The cost is controllable, and it has localization elements."
"in addition----"
Chen Xun revealed his trump card: "We can organize an online collaboration. After the event in the United States starts, Haidilao stores in China can play short videos of the event in the United States. The event venue in the United States can also display photos of Chinese fans eating hot pot, emphasizing the concept of global family."
Sarah laughed: "You're taking family marketing to the extreme!"
"That's the core theme of the movie, after all."
Chen Xun shrugged.
The meeting lasted forty minutes, and the plan was basically finalized.
Let's follow Chen Xun's plan!
Universal was responsible for site selection, negotiating with cinemas, and finding food trucks.
Chen Xun was responsible for contacting the other lead actors to participate in the online event and promoting it on social media.
The event will take place from next Friday to Sunday.
For three consecutive days!
After the meeting, Chen Xun immediately sent messages to Fan, Paul, Gale, and Tyrese to explain the situation.
All four of them readily agreed!
Since it's just a video call, I don't need to go out, and I can still maintain my exposure, so why not?
That evening, Chen Xun tweeted: "I saw everyone's comments. Fast & Furious Family knows no borders. Starting next Friday, we'll be in Los Angeles, New York..."
Special events are planned in five cities: Chicago, Houston, and Atlanta. Details will be announced tomorrow.
Thank you to all the fans who supported Fast & Furious 5, wherever you are.
#FastFiveFamily#
>