HPDBC Chapter 39: The First Encounter with SP
Chapter 39: The First Encounter with SP
With the commemorative edition MP3s delivered and funds recovered, a weight was lifted from my shoulders.
After a brief celebration, preparations for the music festival have entered the final sprint. However, a crucial step in Lin Feng's entrepreneurial plan—the collaboration between "Lilac" and a ringback tone service provider—has yet to be finalized.
The ringback tone experience station is also the most commercially forward-looking part of his planned "Digital Music Carnival".
At the end of 2003, mobile value-added services were just emerging, but the barriers to entry were very high.
Nationwide, there are only about 10 companies that hold a "Value-Added Telecommunications Business Operating License" and have partnered with mobile operators to launch ringback tone services. Even fewer have teams and distribution channels in Chengdu.
After making inquiries from various sources, Lin Feng identified a target company called "Xunji Audio". This company had a deep partnership with the mobile company, and its business scope included "color ringtone content cooperation and promotion".
Before visiting the company, Lin Feng made some preparations.
He used audio editing software to carefully edit a 30-second clip from Tang Lei's latest recording of "Lilac Flower".
He listened to it repeatedly and finally chose the chorus, from "flowers bloom in front of the grave" to "from now on, there is no need to worry anymore".
This melody is the most catchy, and the lyrics are the most memorable.
Afterwards, he went to the mall and bought a suit. He couldn't change his appearance instantly, but he wanted to at least make himself look more mature.
"Swift Sound" occupies an entire floor in an office building in downtown Chengdu.
The receptionist was a pretty young girl who gave Lin Feng a professional smile.
"Hello, do you have an appointment?"
Lin Feng handed over his business card: "Hello, I'm from Fengchi Digital Studio. I'd like to discuss a collaboration on ringback tone content with your company's manager in this area."
The receptionist glanced at the business card, which read "General Manager Lin Feng".
"What specific area of cooperation are you referring to? We have a dedicated marketing department."
"It's about licensing and promoting an exclusive original song as a ringtone, which I think has the potential to become a hit. It would be best to talk directly with the person in charge of content acquisition or business cooperation."
"Hold on."
She picked up the internal phone and whispered a few words. After hanging up, she said, "Mr. Lin, our business manager, Mr. Zhang, happens to be available. Please come with me."
Lin Feng was led to a small meeting room.
A few minutes later, a man in his thirties, also wearing a suit, walked in.
"Mr. Lin, is that right? Hello, hello, please have a seat." Manager Zhang extended his hand and shook hands with Lin Feng, then quickly looked Lin Feng up and down.
Lin Feng sat down opposite him and handed him his business card.
Manager Zhang took the business card and glanced at it: "Fengchi Digital Studio, General Manager Lin? You're so young..." Although it was a compliment, there was a hint of disdain in his tone.
"Mr. Lin, what brings you here? Please speak."
Lin Feng cut to the chase and asked, "Manager Zhang, have you heard of a popular online song called 'Lilac Flower'? It's very popular among college students right now."
"Lilac? Never heard of it." Manager Zhang shook his head.
Lin Feng took out his MP3 player and played "Lilac Flower" for the other person.
Manager Zhang put on his headphones. A melody flowed, Tang Lei's voice hoarse and soulful. He listened attentively, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the table.
After listening, he took off his headphones.
"The song is alright," Manager Zhang commented. "You just said this song is popular online? On which platform?"
"It mainly circulated on university forums and some music websites, and the response was particularly enthusiastic among university students." Lin Feng put away his MP3 player.
Lin Feng confidently stated, "This is just natural dissemination. This song has the potential to become a phenomenon, especially among young people, due to its emotional resonance. And ringtones are currently the fastest way to directly transform this emotional resonance into commercial value."
Manager Zhang smiled noncommittally, leaned back in his chair, and adopted a posture that suggested, "Let me tell you about the industry."
"Mr. Lin, you might not be aware of this. The currently popular ringback tone market features hit songs by A-list stars like Jay Chou, S.H.E., and Stefanie Sun. They're either catchy or funny. And yours... what's it called again?"
"Lilac Flower"
"Yes! 'Lilac Flower' is more of a folk song and more melancholic, so its audience may not be that wide. Students liking it and being willing to pay to set it as their ringtone are two different things."
Lin Feng added, "But this song has great potential; in the future, it will be just as good as songs by top-tier stars in the ringtone market."
Manager Zhang shook his head, clearly not believing what Lin Feng said.
"Even if a song has potential, promotion requires resources. Mobile companies' recommendation slots and online and offline promotions all cost real money. We are generally quite cautious with new artists and new works."
"I understand your concerns." Lin Feng met the other person's gaze. "Therefore, I've brought not only a piece of music, but also our promotional plan."
"Oh? Tell me about it." Manager Zhang gestured for him to continue.
"Next week, on Christmas Eve, December 24th, our Fengchi Digital Studio, in conjunction with the Digital Music Club of Xichuan University of Technology, will host a large-scale 'Digital Music Carnival' at Mingde Square of Xichuan University of Technology."
The event is expected to draw tens of thousands of people. Tang Lei, the original singer of "Lilac Flower," will perform the song as a guest.
At the same time, we will set up a "ringback tone experience zone" on-site, allowing students to try out ringback tones using real devices. This is the most precise and direct scenario for attracting seed users.
Manager Zhang tapped his finger on the table again, this time at a slightly faster pace. "Campus activities... how long can the hype last? A flash in the pan won't do."
"This is more than just a campus event. It's the launch event we've planned to generate buzz for this song. Following that, based on the initial buzz and user data, we can coordinate online forum discussions and promotional activities with university alliances."
My goal is to make "Lilac Flower" a well-known song among university students in Chengdu within three months, and for a significant proportion of them to choose it as their ringtone. This is the promotional plan we've developed for this collaboration.
Manager Zhang remained silent for a few seconds, seemingly digesting and evaluating Lin Feng's plan. This young man before him had his own understanding of the promotional logic for ringback tones.
"That sounds interesting." He finally loosened his grip a bit, indicating his intention to cooperate. "So, Mr. Lin, how would you like to cooperate? A buyout, or a revenue-sharing arrangement?"
"We'll split it up," Lin Feng said without hesitation.
"Regarding revenue sharing... according to industry practice, for new works by newcomers that have not been validated by the market, we will not offer a high percentage of revenue sharing."
Typically, after deducting mobile channel fees, based on our service provider's revenue, the portion that content providers, i.e., you, receive, is roughly within this range.” He wrote a number on a piece of paper and pushed it towards him.
Lin Feng looked at it: 12%-15%.
"This ratio includes both the copyright of the lyrics and music and the revenue of the singer," Manager Zhang added.
Lin Feng had expected this, but seeing the number still made him indignant.