Episode 60: Media Play
Lee Chang-jin gathered the sales employees and distributed products while explaining.
“First, give the products for free to the professional bath attendants. We need to hear their expert opinions. If there are any areas for improvement after actual use, we will immediately reflect those changes. Also, starting today, hand out promotional items to people visiting the bathhouse every morning at 6 AM.”
The bathhouse owner introduced a total of 35 locations. Lee Chang-jin limited the promotional quantity to 100 sheets per day. Manager Gu looked puzzled by the unexpectedly small quantity.
“Are you saying to limit the promotional quantity to only 100 sheets per day?”
“Yes, exactly 100 sheets. No more.”
“But isn’t 100 sheets per day too little? Wouldn’t it be better to distribute as many as possible? The more people use it, the more they will recognize the product’s value.”
“Haha, even free items shouldn’t be given out too easily. If people think the item is limited, its value goes up, but if they think it’s easy to get, they lose interest.”
Three days later, promotional staff wearing red vests with Daese Textile’s logo tied green exfoliating towels around their foreheads and handed out promotional items in front of the bathhouses. Initially, people weren’t even interested in taking them, but once they used the towel, their opinions changed.
“Hey, have you tried the Italian towel that Daese gave out this time? It’s much more comfortable than the existing products.”
“Yeah, it doesn’t hurt while scrubbing, and it works smoothly. My kid also felt refreshed when I gently scrubbed him. It seems like a newly developed product.”
“I want one. Where can I buy it?”
“They say it’s not for sale yet. They only give out 100 sheets in front of the bathhouse every morning.”
“For free? Then I should go get one too.”
As the Daese product gained word-of-mouth popularity, people started lining up in front of the bathhouse from early morning to get a towel. As hundreds of people gathered to receive a single exfoliating towel, the media began to take notice.
“What’s happening in front of the bathhouse from early in the morning?”
“The new Italian towel is praised for its quality, surpassing the original…”
“Daese’s towel gaining tremendous popularity”
Journalists who heard the buzz requested interviews with the bath attendants who had used the product.
“The Daese Italian towel is gaining popularity recently. How do you find the product after using it?”
“Daese’s product? It’s softer and scrubs better than other companies’. Once I used it, I couldn’t go back to other products.”
“It’s much less effort to scrub, and the fabric is tightly woven, so it doesn’t wear out easily. They said a master craftsman made it, and it’s truly on another level compared to other products. It’s a product that reflects craftsmanship.”
As even the bath attendants praised the quality, social interest grew significantly.
At the time, such a promotional strategy was rare, so the promotional effect was tremendous.
After the promotional season passed, Italian towels were placed in large stores and bathhouses nearby.
The Italian towels produced by Daese were continuously praised upon release.
The towels, released in three colors: green, yellow, and pink, sold like hotcakes. Conversely, the sales of Taebang Textiles, which originally sold Italian towels, plummeted. Chairman Kim Taebang, who was reviewing the performance as usual, was greatly alarmed by the declining sales figures.
“How did this happen? How can the market share drop by 15% in just two months?”
“Well, Daese released a new product this time, and its popularity is no joke.”
“What did you say? Bring it to me immediately.”
Taebang, who thought it was merely a crude imitation, had been complacent. However, upon examining the product, it was found to lack nothing compared to their own in terms of finish, color, and quality.
No, in fact, its quality was even better than the product made by Taebang.
Moreover, the back of the delicately stitched Italian towel had the name ‘Daese’ engraved in a classical font.
Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Kim Taebang asked,
“How much does this product cost?”
“16 won per sheet, about 80% of our company’s product price.”
“Damn, they really mean business. What a mess!”
For Kim Taebang, who was planning to sell the company at a high price once the utility model patent expired, this was an unexpected obstacle.
“This won’t do. Call the reporters!”
“What are you planning to do?”
“How do you think they copied our technology? This is 100% plagiarism. They stole our product and copied it. We need to show these bastards a lesson.”
The angry Kim Taebang called the reporters he knew.
He invited them to a high-end entertainment establishment named Taejin-gak in Ikseon-dong, Jongno-gu.
Welcoming Ha Il-seon, a reporter from ‘Hansung Ilbo,’ who got out of a black formal car in front of the impressive blue-tiled hanok, Kim Taebang greeted warmly.
“Oh, Reporter Ha! Thank you for coming.”
“Oh, thank you for inviting us to such a place. It’s a bit overwhelming.”
“Reporter Yeon, you still look great. Is it because you recently got remarried? You look younger.”
“What are you talking about? I’ve gained weight and am not the same as before.”
Though they spoke humbly, Reporter Yeon seemed pleased. Normally, the overbearing attitudes of reporters would be annoying, but Kim Taebang, who had a purpose, was busy flattering them.
“You always go through great lengths for small companies like ours. I’m sorry for the lack of proper hospitality lately. Please, come this way.”
Inside the luxurious hanok-style private room, the table was filled with delicacies. Taking seats on silk cushions, more than 30 dishes, including steamed king crab, sashimi, and royal cuisine, were spread out on the mother-of-pearl table.
As Kim Taebang clapped, employees in hanboks walked in gracefully. They were all elegantly beautiful.
In one corner of the room, a woman with her hair in a chignon and wearing a splendid hanbok began playing the gayageum.
As the drinking party progressed, a five-drum dance performance was held.
After the performance, beautiful young women performed a fan dance.
About 30-40 minutes of performance later, it was time for the main drinking and singing.
“Nice!”
Thanks to the geishas pouring drinks and chatting, the atmosphere was harmonious.
However, the host, Kim Taebang, was drinking silently.
Noticing this, Reporter Ha subtly approached him.
“You seem to have a lot on your mind. Is there something troubling you?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
“It looks like something is bothering you. Why don’t you tell me? There’s nothing to hide between us.”
After pretending to hesitate for a moment, Kim Taebang spoke.
“The truth is, recently someone copied our company’s product. Because of that, our sales aren’t what they used to be.”
“Are you talking about the Italian towel? That product’s patent hasn’t expired yet, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct. There’s not much time left, but still, isn’t it too much? Isn’t there a business ethic?”
“Who are these bad guys? Who did it?”
“It’s a new company called Daese Textile.”
“Daese Textile?”
Reporter Ha asked again, surprised.
Daese. It was a familiar name.
“Do you know the name?”
“I’ve heard a similar name. Is the president of that company Lee Chang-jin by any chance?”
“Yes, you know well. That’s correct. I heard he runs a machinery company, but I don’t know why he’s extending into textiles…”
“Hmm, I’ve met people from that industry during interviews before. I didn’t expect them to expand into this business. It’s a notable new company in the heavy machinery industry.”
Then Reporter Yeon chimed in.
“People like that are good at image-making. Of course, there are exceptions like our ethical Chairman Kim here.”
“Thank you for saying that. Anyway, for small companies like ours, this is incredibly unfair.”
“Then we should give them a good beating so they won’t pull such stunts again.”
The reporters’ eyes gleamed as if they had found good prey. For reporters looking for a good story and in need of some extra cash, this was a great opportunity.
After the gathering ended, Kim Taebang handed each reporter a thick envelope.
“This is a small token of my appreciation. Please use it for your travel expenses.”
“Oh, you didn’t have to.”
Although they said that, the reporters naturally took the envelopes as if they were their due compensation.
“Please take care of this matter. Companies like ours need to survive for the economy to develop.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it.”
“Haha. I’m counting on you.”
A few days later, an aggressive article appeared in the economic section of ‘Hansung Ilbo.’
“Lee Chang-jin of Daese Industries: The Two Faces of a Young Entrepreneur, Inventor or Swindler?”
The article was full of criticisms of the Italian towels developed by Daese Textile.
The main point was slandering that it was a copy of the original without the owner’s permission.
“No, how can they publish such baseless slander as an article?”
“Isn’t this completely intentional? These guys are really bad.”
“Exactly. Are there any other scoundrels like these? We should punish them immediately.”
Just like Manager Gu Chang-dong who was fuming, all the employees were unable to contain their anger.
However, Lee Chang-jin alone remained calm, as if he had anticipated this situation.
“It’s not something to get so worked up about. Let’s wait and see.”
But a few days later, the suspicions only intensified. Following ‘Hansung Ilbo,’ other newspapers like ‘Choguk Ilbo’ and ‘Donghwa Ilbo’ began to pour out similar suspicions. Most of the articles claimed that Lee Chang-jin had stolen the patent from Taebang without permission.
The persistent attacks from the yellow press made the office atmosphere unbearable. Unable to watch any longer, Yoon Jung-pil spoke up.
“The public opinion is really bad. Don’t we need some countermeasures?”
“Boss, shouldn’t we clarify immediately? Since Director Hwang is the real patent holder, if we issue a rebuttal article, it will subside.”
“It’s not the right time yet. Just wait a bit longer.”
As Lee Chang-jin remained unresponsive, Taebang Textile became even more aggressive.
Kim Taebang even appeared on TV, tearfully appealing.
“Small companies like ours have no choice but to fall victim to patent theft with our eyes wide open. Citizens, is this right? How can they steal technology that others worked hard to develop? This is absolutely outrageous.”
Whether his appeal worked or not, the negative public opinion towards Lee Chang-jin started to boil over. The radio and all kinds of media were filled with malicious articles. As the situation worsened, Daese Industries’ office received a flood of abusive and threatening calls.
The office was paralyzed by the constant interview requests and protest calls from reporters, leading Daese Industries to take the drastic measure of disconnecting the phone lines. Secretary Yeo Jin-ju shook her head and said,
“For now, I’ve turned off all external lines except for internal ones. We can’t work otherwise… We’ll have to handle things through documents for a while. But what should we do about the media requesting interviews?”
“Don’t respond to anything. I’ll take care of it. Just wait until I sort things out.”
Lee Chang-jin made sure the employees didn’t leak any unnecessary information outside.
With reporters camped out in front of the office, blocking the exit, Lee Chang-jin stayed in the office for a while, handling meals and lodging there. Thanks to the burly employees taking turns guarding, the reporters eager for a scoop didn’t dare enter the workshop.
After some time, Jin Seon-ah, seemingly worried, visited the office to see Lee Chang-jin.
“Seon-ah, what brings you here?”
“Chang-jin, are you okay? Strange articles keep popping up lately, and I couldn’t reach you. I came to see if I could help.”
“Haha, don’t worry. You came at the right time. I’m in a bit of a bind to make outside calls. Can you connect me with Reporter Joo Young-mi? I want to hold an exclusive press conference, and I’d prefer if ‘Kyeong-un Ilbo’ took the lead.”
“That’s easy. Leave it to me.”
Soon after, Lee Chang-jin scheduled a press conference at the Plaza Hotel in Myeong-dong. Hearing that Daese Textile had requested a press conference, reporters flocked there, eager for an exclusive.
- To be continued in Episode 61 -
