Sony Group’s US corporate headquarters is located at 550 Madison Avenue in Manhattan, New York City, with a total of 37 floors.
In addition to the exhibition hall on the first floor, the upper floors are Sony's office departments.
However, although it is called the Sony Building, it was actually opened less than 2 years ago. Sony bought it the year before last and changed the name of the original AT&T Building.
If Fang Zhuo's impression is correct, this building will be sold off after Sony suffered losses for several years to improve the company's financial results.
Third-rate enterprises sell products, second-rate enterprises sell services, first-rate enterprises sell standards, and super enterprises sell buildings.
Global megacorporations like Sony have sold more than one building.
Fang Zhuo suddenly thought of Zhang Chaoyang again... um...
If you are doing well in your main business, it is better to buy a building early. Yike can also build a building in Shanghai. Well, Sina can build a building in Beijing. Bingxin can also build a building in Luzhou. As for Yike in New York
Well, you can wait until the price of the Sony building in front of you drops.
Stringer noticed Fang Zhuo's appraising gaze and said with a smile: "Fang, this is your second time here."
Fang Zhuo nodded and smiled back: "Yes, but some people seem to know me too. I saw them looking at me."
Stringer did not ignore Ms. Yu, who had left a good impression on him during the afternoon tea. He responded to Mr. Fang with the words he said to her: "Yu, this is your first time here. You may not understand that quite a few of our Sony employees admire Fang very much."
.”
“His judgment on players a few years ago also amazed me.”
“Many people from Sony Electronics have made suggestions to me to strangle Yike, and such suggestions come out of respect from the bottom of my heart.”
Yu Hong was shocked. Stringer's tone was very light, but the content was quite cold.
With the expression on her face unchanged, she corrected: "Mr. Howard, I have actually been to the Sony Building more times than Mr. Fang. It is I who promote and implement the specific cooperation between Yike and Sony Music."
Yu Hong paused, thinking that the topic had reached this point, so it would not be rude to ask: "Then why did you decide on the cooperation between Sony Music and Yike?"
Stringer looked at the calm Fang Zhuo and said with a smile: "Fang, why do you think so?"
"This sounds scary, but it's hard to say whether Sony can concentrate its efforts." Fang Zhuo smiled slightly, "Even if Yike falls, there will still be Apple eyeing it. According to my observation, Sony Electronics, a subsidiary of Sony America,
Most of them are still implementing local strategies.”
Stringer looked appreciative.
Fang Zhuo continued: "Sony's corporate strategy is obviously divided into two parts: hardware and content. The United States is responsible for the latter function, which is what Stringer is particularly good at."
“The merger of Sony Music and Stasman, this is music content.”
“I heard that Sony Pictures is also planning to acquire MGM Films. Can it be finalized this year? This is film and television content.”
“Music, film and television, and Sony Entertainment content strategies are very dazzling under the current decline of Sony Group as a whole.”
Stringer was not only appreciative, he did not expect that the young president would manage Sony so clearly. Regarding the cooperation between Sony Music and Yike, although there had been objections from Sony (USA) Electronics before, it was precisely because he only did
The things I'm good at are decided by the flow.
Sony (USA) Electronics is certainly under the control of Sony (USA), but more of its execution comes from the Sony Group, and it has always been proud of its hardware.
Stringer still stayed out of the affairs of Sony Electronics (USA), but ignored their suggestions and gave Sony Music a backhand.
He has quite legitimate reasons. As Fang Zhuo said, the market is not only dominated by Yike, but also Apple. Simply rejecting Yike cannot solve Sony Electronics' plight. The current problem lies with Sony's local side.
The elevator goes up and stops slowly.
Stringer invited two executives from the partner company into the chairman's office.
In just a few steps, Yu Hongpin’s words had different meanings. Fang always had an underlying meaning. Even if Stringer’s intervention in Sony Electronics was effective, it would not be successful. He must take credit for continuing his content strategy.
Stringer asked his secretary to pour three cups of coffee. After the secretary gently closed the door and left, he sat in his seat and said calmly: "I respect and thank Mr. Dahe very much. He made the decision to acquire CBS. About Sony Group
To this day, I still agree with its positioning.”
CBS is Columbia Pictures. At that time, Sony spent a lot of money to acquire CBS. It was through this that Stringer entered Sony and gradually became the chairman of Sony (USA) today.
It can be said that it is precisely because of the transformation and promotion of Sony through music and film that it has truly become a multinational giant with a global reputation.
It was Norio Ohga, the head of Sony, who made such a strategic plan at that time. He also appointed Stringer, an American from the UK, as a director of Sony. This was very groundbreaking for Sony.
“I like Mr. Dahe’s style of running the company very much.” Fang Zhuo answered after taking a sip of coffee.
Stringer paused as he put down the coffee cup, looked at the young CEO in astonishment, and couldn't help laughing.
He looked at Yu Hong while smiling and asked: "Is Fang's style what you like?"
Yu Hong really didn't understand the meaning of the boss's brief sentence and didn't understand why Stringer was laughing. She didn't have time to think about it and answered vaguely: "Mr. Fang is the founder of Yike. He has led us to where we are now. Yike and
Squares are always inseparable.”
Stringer was noncommittal and said to Fang Zhuo: "Fang, you know Sony very well. I thought that a young and successful person like you wouldn't be interested in the old past."
"There is a saying in China: learn from the past to understand the present, and learn from the past and examine the future." Fang Zhuo translated the meaning slightly, knowing that the topic had progressed to a good level, "The management process of a giant like Sony is something that Yike needs to learn and be vigilant about.
In particular, changes in companies in the Internet era will be even more rapid."
Stringer nodded: "Fang, what do you think is Sony's current problem?"
Yu Hong speculated in her mind what the boss's answer would be, although she was not asked this question.
However, Fang Zhuo’s words were unexpected again.
“Sony lacks a group chairman like you who can firmly hold power.” Fang Zhuo opened his mouth and spilled the beans about the successor of Sony Group.
Yu Hong didn’t think that the boss and Stringer were really familiar with each other, but Stringer looked interested.
Fang Zhuo continued: "Mr. Idei bears an unshirkable responsibility for the current situation of the Sony Group. I know that Mr. Ohga wants to turn Sony into a company driven by both hardware and content. However, Sony's wrong strategies in recent years have made Sony
It’s out of balance.”
“The Internet era requires not only dual drives, but also the integration of the two, which requires a powerful chairman who can combine the two.”
“Stringer, what do you think?”
Fangzhuo stared at Stringer.
Stringer did not avoid Fang Zhuo's eyes. He was silent for a few seconds and suddenly smiled: "I think we at Sony really need to improve our management level, and we need a foreign director with a keen eye like you."
Generally speaking, the management reform that Japanese companies are trying now is to bring in the leaders of several other well-known companies to serve as foreign directors. For example, Sony’s current foreign directors include Okada Akishige, chairman of Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, and Fujifilm’s
Chairman Yotaro Kobayashi and others.
Sony has carried out corporate management reforms, reducing the number of directors and increasing the share of foreign directors. However, its foreign directors are all heads of Japanese companies and are the internal circulation of the Japanese business community.
With such a board of directors structure, Stringer is undoubtedly weak. Even if he controls Sony (USA), he cannot shake the strategic direction decided by the Sony Group's board of directors.
Fortunately, the group also knows that the entertainment strategy must be dominated by the United States, and is very supportive of Stringer's actions.
But, in other words, Stringer's actions in other directions are also not supported.
This situation is turning around with the decline of the group and the performance of the United States.
However, Stringer did not expect that Fang Zhuo seemed to know the internal context of Sony very well in just a few words.
Hence, he made a clearer statement, saying that Sony, not Sony Music, needs outside directors.
Once Stringer takes power, Sony's board of directors will inevitably be moved, and it is impossible to continue to circulate the selection of foreign directors within the Japanese business community. His plan is to select well-known business leaders in the United States.
Speaking of business leaders
A young business leader who is using the Internet to transform the traditional track, a president of a listed company in Japan who is famous for warning Sony a few years ago, a partner who has benefited from Sony Music...
This seems like a very suitable candidate.
Despite the difficulties of competing for Sony's chairmanship, Stringer does consider what may happen in the future.
"I think there is a lot of room for cooperation between Yike and Sony." Fang Zhuo did not rejoice because of Stringer's words. He first pointed out his identity as Yike's subject, and then continued, "But if I can do it for you
I will also be very happy if Sony provides suggestions, and I have always been grateful to Sony Music for working with Yike to fight against the Apple camp."
Now, I don’t care about Sony’s foreign director. I really want to go because Stringer needs advice when he takes power. It is based on our friendship, not Sony.
I, Fang Zhuo, am a person who repays kindness. When Sony Music stood up for you, and now if Stringer speaks out, I will definitely help you with this favor.
Stringer understood what Fang Zhuo meant and smiled: "I will talk to Bertelsmann about Sony Music's cooperation with them. Yi Ke is willing to join in, which will definitely inject new vitality."
“Well, I also have this confidence.” Fang Zhuo agreed, “Just like Sony Music had the same confidence in Yike.”
Communications between CEOs are not stubborn about details.
Stringer called his secretary in to change the coffee, and casually asked about the young president's interest in sports. Fang Zhuo attributed this to the Eastern giant Yao Ming's landing in the NBA.
The two of them chatted about the business operations of sports.
At 5:30 pm, Fang Zhuo and Yu Hong ended their visit to Sony Building.
The two took the elevator down to the exhibition hall on the first floor. Fang Zhuo did not leave immediately, but still browsed the various Sony products displayed here with great interest.
Yu Hong could only keep her doubts to herself and watched movies, game posters, and classic Walkman prototypes from past generations.
After finally leaving the building, she immediately went straight to the sentence that stuck in her mind the most.
“Mr. Fang, what is Dahe’s style?”
Fang Zhuo pretended to be surprised: "Are you still thinking about this? Oh Norio, he is an art student and has many names, such as 'Designer of Sony', 'Father of CD' and 'Unusual Enterprise'"
Home' and so on."
He continued: "But there are still people who regard him as the cold north wind."
Today is a light rainy day in New York, which is suitable weather for afternoon tea.
But now it is getting late, and a cold and wet wind blows by.
Yu Hong almost immediately sensed Norio Ohga’s corporate management style from her boss’s words.
“Let’s go and drive.” She breathed out, going to drive and chat in the car.
Fang Zhuo stretched out his hand to feel the drizzle in New York and insisted: "It's good to just walk and talk like this."
Yu Hong hesitated and said: "Where is the car?"
“Stop there, find someone to drive back when the sun comes out tomorrow.” Fang Zhuo finalized the cooperation intention with Stringer today. He was in a good mood and was not bothered by the cold drizzle in New York in the evening.
"Okay." Yu Hong stopped insisting and asked, "He is strict in management? What does this have to do with Stringer? It can't be because you complimented him."
“The Sony controlled by Dahe is his arbitrary Sony.” Fang Zhuo explained the core point.
Yu Hong suddenly realized.
Fang Zhuo smiled and said: "It can be said that only those who like Dahe can become directors."
He glanced at Xiao Yu who was thinking, saw the rain on her hair, took off her coat and handed it over, making a metaphor: "For example, I like you, I let you join the board of directors, that's it."
Yu Hong took the coat without politeness and put it on: "Is this a metaphor? If your director can't even understand what you say, how can he implement the strategy?"
"Yeah, Stringer is the first American to join Sony's board of directors. That's because Dahe likes him." Fang Zhuo smiled, "Well, Dahe, he controlled Sony for too long and actually destroyed Sony.
The previous operating system.”
“Sony’s Ibuka is in charge of planning, and Morita Akio is in charge of implementation. This was an early tacit understanding.”
“Dahe put an end to this situation. He has been the general manager for more than ten years and is too powerful.”
“In Japanese companies, the general manager actually had more power than the chairman in the past, but here in the United States, the CEO is responsible for operations. Even though Sony has carried out operational reforms, its power distribution is still, well, a bit strange.”
Fang Zhuo didn’t make it too clear. This is a long story.
“Can Stringer succeed? Can he control Sony as you suggested?” Yu Hong asked with a frown.
"Sony's current situation cannot be completely blamed. It is because of Dahe's large-scale mergers and acquisitions that Sony has taken on a lot of debt. It has to rely on strict performance and financial assessments to cover up profits and increase its stock price." Fang Zhuo shook his head.
, “Stringer must fight if he wants to stay in power.”
“Even if he wins the struggle, his Western-style management will probably have to continue to make short-term comments on financial reports. This is forced by power. Does Stringer, an American, still want to inherit the Sony spirit?”
“Stringer will win, but Sony won’t.”
Fang Zhuo gave a judgment.
Yu Hong pursed her lips, looked sideways at Fang Zhuo, who was meditating in the rain, and asked, "Have you studied a lot about Sony?"
"It's okay. If you want to eat something, you have to know where to eat it." Fang Zhuo smiled and said, "What's for dinner? It's your treat. It's up to you."
“Why do I always treat guests?” Yu Hong was puzzled.
"If you want to arrest this man, first arrest his stomach." Fang Zhuo said seriously, "Don't you want to invite me?"
"I'll give you my coat back. Take a taxi. It's very cold." Yu Hong stretched out her hand to stop the car. "Take a taxi and drive my car back. I don't worry about leaving it alone."
Fang Zhuo was stunned. He has come this far and is he going back?
This woman's thoughts are more complicated than Sony's during the changing situation.
This chapter has been completed!