Chapter 323 International Entrepreneur Consulting Conference
The call Ronald received was from the board of directors of Coca-Cola. Their vice president, Donald Keogh, wanted to find time to interview Ronald about some matters. He also said that he could communicate with Buffy. If Ronald wanted to, he could
Determine the details during the interview. If Ronald is not interested, it can be regarded as an ordinary visit by the vice president to important shareholders.
"Hello, I'm Ronald, please pick up Mr. Buffy for me."
Concerned, Ronald called Warren Buffy, who was now in Omaha.
"Ah, Ronald, how is David's situation lately?" Warren Buffy first chatted with Ronald about his younger son's work situation in Hollywood, and then immediately turned to specific business matters.
"Coca-Cola has to ask you to do a favor. Now it seems that only you can do this..." Buffy quietly told Ronald a secret.
It turns out that some American entrepreneurs are very wary of Japanese manufacturing. They want to find a country that can replace Japan in manufacturing. Now they have two candidates, one is Poland and Czechoslovakia in Eastern Europe, and the other is
Korea in East Asia.
But both candidates have their own problems. Some entrepreneurs who are naturally adventurous have set their sights on the country on the other side of the Pacific that has the largest population in the world. Even if he is still facing sanctions...
Similarly, on the other side of the Pacific, the city where Xujiahui Film Studio is located also hopes that Western entrepreneurs can lend them management experience and business vision as outside brains.
Just last year, they reported for the first time that they would establish an International Entrepreneur Advisory Committee, which would be hired by the mayor to provide suggestions for development. The final approved name was called the "Mayor's International Entrepreneur Advisory Committee."
The first session of this consultation meeting was held quietly in the Xijiao Hotel. Representatives from ten multinational companies attended. Only four of them were entrepreneurs who went to the meeting in person under pressure.
They are Morris Greenberg, chairman and CEO of American International Group (AIG), Edgar Bronfman Sr., president of Canada's Seagram Brewing Company ((Seagram)), and Gallo, executive vice president of Italian Fiat.
Ph.D., and Dr. Shi Deli, President of Continental Grain.
All four have received generous returns, and AIG is now negotiating the possibility of returning to the market. Seagram's wines are allowed to be sold in foreign hotels, Fiat has begun trying to find joint venture partners, and Candy Grains has begun looking to
License to operate outside the southern provinces.
Anything that can replace Japan's productivity is an invisible and intangible potential. However, the huge returns these consumer goods and financial companies have gained in a market of one billion people have made all companies covetous.
The same goes for Coca-Cola. Although they returned to this market as early as 1979, the two bottling plants in the south and the north are only for filling, and the concentrated juice has to be shipped from Xiangjiang and other places. They have long wanted to build it locally.
The bottling factory had no choice but to keep the formula secret, so they wanted to hold 100% of the shares but failed.
Seeing that several bold entrepreneurs have received huge rewards from becoming consultants, Coca-Cola also became greedy and wanted to send heavyweights there to mix things up. The location they were looking for was in Xujiahui
The city where the movie studio is located.
But even so, Coca-Cola is different from these risky entrepreneurs. They are global companies, and to some extent Coca-Cola has become a cultural symbol in America. At this time, send someone at the level of a vice president or above to go there
, will cause unnecessary trouble.
How to find a heavyweight who can represent Coca-Cola to some extent and gain their trust is a problem Coca-Cola faces.
Finally, Buffy, their largest shareholder, recommended a candidate to Coca-Cola's vice president, his fellow countryman and friend, Donald Keogh... Ronald.
"Mr. Keogh, nice to meet you..."
Ronald received Buffy's fellow Omaha fellow at home.
"Call me Donald, can I call you Ronald?" Although Keough is the vice president, he still maintains a particularly straightforward Southern style.
"Of course, I am willing to be a messenger for Coca-Cola, but I don't understand Coca-Cola, what can I do for you?" Ronald already knew that the second International Entrepreneur Consulting Conference there would be held in advance in March.
Held. There are big international entrepreneurs there who are currently in a stage of thirsty for talents.
"Ha, you don't understand Coca-Cola? I don't believe it. The best advertisement in the history of our Coca-Cola was shot by you. The effect on sales was very immediate..." Keogh began by praising Ronald for fucking Coca-Cola.
Several advertisements for knives.
"Also, I just recently learned that you insisted on keeping the product placement of Long Wei Boy. There is also an actor who refused to cooperate with our Coca-Cola because of this. I think he will regret it..." Keo said
It was Eastwood who angrily refused to continue cooperating with Coca-Cola because his son was rejected by Ronald.
The two had a great chat, and Keogh particularly appreciated that Ronald had confidence in Coca-Cola and bought their shares to become a shareholder. Ronald actually bought shares earlier than Buffy, and he happened to get Coca-Cola shares.
rising dividends.
Seeing that Ronald agreed to be a special envoy, Keogh did not hold back and expressed his considerations, "Actually, you don't have to do anything. We have professional people to communicate with us, and we also have candidates for cooperation in the grain and oil company over there.
, it’s just that this time we need someone with status to express support for them...but it can’t be a real senior manager, do you understand? Ronald, we are an international company and cannot take risks like AIG.
"
"But I don't have an identity either? I'm not your Coca-Cola employee. I'm just a shareholder who bought your shares in the open market." Ronald wanted to know what return Coca-Cola was willing to give them.
"We can hire you as Coca-Cola's marketing consultant, which is equivalent to the vice president level. That's how they understand it..." Keogh blinked.
"Of course, if you are willing to make this title real, we can also talk about cooperation after you come back." Keogh put forward a long-term plan. Ronald, as a sign, would attend the meeting as a sign of support. If
Having opened up the market, it would not be an exaggeration to give him a reward.
"In addition, one of our seventeen board members will retire this year. If you are interested..."
"Ah? But I only have less than 0.6% of the shares..." Ronald didn't expect that Keogh would throw out the bait of being a director, like Joan Crawford, and also a coca-cola crazy sponsor in Hollywood.
Directors of large companies are still very attractive.
By then, my position in Hollywood will become much stronger.
"We mail quarterly reports to our shareholders every quarter. You may not have read carefully. The charter of Coca-Cola's board of directors only requires 100,000 shares to serve as a director. It is only necessary to be nominated by a board member and voted on by the board of directors. Warren and I
Can……"
The retired shareholder Keogh is talking about is Lettie Evans, the first female board member in the history of Coca-Cola. Moreover, there will be changes in the chairman and CEO this year, and Keogh is a strong competitor to take over the CEO position.
It is very appropriate to have one more vote from his side on the board of directors.
"Then I'll give it a try and see what I can do..." Ronald agreed. Isn't it just a trip to have a meeting? It's definitely not possible for him to do any movie business in the short term.
But I still have a factory in Minhang, and being an advisor to the mayor is also very beneficial to my business.
Coca-Cola wants to take advantage of its semi-official status. Of course, it can also take advantage of the reputation that can only be given to a large company like Coca-Cola as a consultant. It will only benefit its own business and not harm it.
"Then I'll be waiting for your good news..." Keogh said simply. In a market with a population of one billion, the local concentrated juice factory was opened under his operation. It was also a very powerful influence for him to run for the next CEO.
score.
…
In preparation for this visit, Ronald asked personal lawyer Lindsay Dole, Los Angeles barrister Mitch Kanter, and Ed Bastian to get him a lot of business materials on China and have them sorted out.
After that, I can read it on my own and pretend to be an expert.
"Interim Measures for the Registration and Management of the Establishment and Change of Foreign-Funded Enterprises. Well, who can tell me what a foreign-funded enterprise is?"
The two lawyers went to Ronald's mansion and explained to him the translated version of the laws there.
"Darling, Mr. Coleman is here, you..." Diane came over, greeted Lindsay, and then said to Ronald.
"Ha, my dear lawyers, let's change our minds and go meet my teacher, Mr. Coleman."
The two lawyers also put down a lot of investment guides, sorted out the compilation of Hollywood intellectual property laws placed nearby, and went to the adjacent conference room with Ronald.
"Ronald, Diane..." Roger Coleman was very satisfied with this reception room. Ronald did not do too many luxurious decorations, only some log Chinese furniture, a large bookshelf on the wall, and
A latest Sony television and video recorder.
"It seems that Ronald still retains his frugal nature." He nodded with satisfaction.
"Roger, I'm so happy to meet again. I've been too busy recently. You see, Lindsay has to fly from New York to meet my schedule. Attorney Kanter also dropped what he was doing and came over. I can only ask you to come.
…”
Ronald put the documents in hand on the Qing Dynasty huanghuali desk, then sat on the Ming Dynasty hardwood chair, and asked the helper to get some green apples shipped from Japan. This late-ripening new variety tastes very good.
.
"I invited you here because I have a movie project that I would like you to shoot." Ronald put the "Fantastic Four" comic in the file on the table and pushed it over.
"Oh, this is a movie adapted from a comic book, you want me to shoot it?" Roger Corman put on his glasses and took a look. He was a little confused as to why Ronald asked him to shoot it.
"This is a very demanding film project. The script has not yet been completed, and no big star has agreed to star in the casting. It needs to be filmed very quickly, otherwise the adaptation rights will expire..."
Ronald did not hesitate to tell Roger Corman the requirements for filming Fantastic Four. The term of the adaptation rights refers to the first adaptation. If the film is produced and released in theaters
Movies and Marvel can't take back the adaptation rights and sell them to others.
This is the result of careful research by the two barristers and their team. When Minahan Golan signed the agreement with Marvel, there was no reference. They got the contract signed by Salkind and his son and D Export Comics.
For reference.
Many clauses changed the name of Salkind and his son to Minahan Golan brothers, and changed DC to Marvel. The text of many clauses remained unchanged.
This gave Ronald a loophole. When the Salkinds made "Superman", they obtained the long-term adaptation rights at once. Only in five years did they make the first movie to be released in America.
Only then will the adaptation rights be taken back. If a movie is released in theaters, even if it is only shown in one theater, it can be automatically renewed for five years.
"How much budget can you afford to make?" Roger Corman was delighted. Is this the most suitable movie for him to make? Small budget, comic adaptation, science fiction theme, biubiubiu's green laser, okay,
It’s been a long time since I’ve had such a fun movie.
"It's not me, but our friend Minahan Golan. My company is responsible for small-scale distribution. Because if he doesn't make it, the adaptation rights will expire."
Ronald corrected Coleman's statement. When he saw the cunning Roger Coleman looking at him in disbelief, he immediately added the source of his interest.
"I am actually interested in two other scripts from Warner Bros., but they would rather keep them locked in a safe than transfer them to me. So if they are willing to exchange the filming rights for Fantastic Four, I will give this movie to
give them……"
"OK", Roger Corman raised his eyebrows. I bet this movie might not be released yet.
"Of course, I will make a guarantee. Even if Warner Bros. is not willing, I will buy the video rights of this movie with an advance payment of 500,000. Plus Minahan's 500,000, it will almost be enough to make the film.
It's a B-level science fiction film. The only requirement is to film it before it expires and release it immediately.
If you think the budget is not enough, I can add more. However, the date cannot be changed..."
Ronald said what he could, including the reasons for asking Roger Coleman to take action.
"No problem, if you want better effects or stars, you need more budget, but if it's just a proper B-movie, that budget is enough.
As for the completion date…”
Roger Corman smiled confidently, "I have been in the industry for so many years, and I only know one way to make movies, and that is to make movies quickly!"