Chapter 1184 – National Debate

“Tai Hua E-Cigarette is not a cigarette, but you can still smoke.”

“Groundbreaking new technology. Tai Hua E-cigarette has no tar.”

“The top choice of billions. You should own one.”

Advertisements like this appeared on media all over the US. Many people are curious about E-Cigarette. What is it?

Electronic cigarette means it should be using electricity. But cigarette is something that you put in your mouth. Many people’s first reaction is smoking E-Cigarette is equivalent to eating batteries!

Feng Yu saw the advertisements in the newspapers. Gerstner had started advertising on the newspapers, and TV stations, online, magazines, etc., should follow.

But the next day, Feng Yu noticed something is amiss. Why are there articles criticizing E-cigarettes appearing in the newspaper? The article states that electronics and cigarettes cannot be merged. The E-cigarette is a fraud.

What’s going on? Is Gerstner hated by so many people? He had only introduced a product, and people started to criticize him. Gerstner is still the Chairman and CEO of IBM. Why do these people hate him?

Immediately after those articles, Gerstner’s tobacco company issued a statement to retort those articles. It states that this product is a replacement for cigarettes, reducing the health risks of smoking.

At the same time, the article also listed the composition of cigarette and E-liquid to compare. It also stated that e-liquid is invented by a pharmaceutical company and is used to help smokers quit.

The company that invented e-liquid is the same company that invented Viagra. China’s Bing City Pharmaceutical Group.

Viagra’s sales in the US this year had reached another peak. Although Pfizer had changed the formula and developed a drug similar to Viagra, those with health conditions felt it took too long to take effect. The healthy ones felt that the drug effect lasted too long and affected their daily lives.

That’s why Bing City Pharmaceutical Group’s Viagra is still the top choice for most people. A German company has also developed a drug similar to Viagra. But that added some other components. Their drug’s effect is between Viagra and Pfizer, and they are Viagra’s main competitor.

Nevertheless, Viagra is the forerunner and is the most famous. When people want to buy such drugs, their first choice will be Viagra.

Viagra is supposed to be a prescription drug and is regulated in many countries. But those are only for show. Sleeping pills are also a prescription drug, and people can still get them without prescriptions. Pharmacies want to make profits from selling Viagra, and they will prepare fake prescriptions to show the authorities.

This is more common in the US than in China.

The popularity of Viagra has made Bing City Pharmaceutical Group famous, and it helped with their health supplement products’ sales too.

Bing City Pharmaceutical Group had taken over a pharmaceutical factory in Canada to manufacture health supplement related drugs and Viagra for the North American market.

Feng Yu knew this article published by Gerstner is according to their contract. He must promote Bing City Pharmaceutical Group when he is marketing the E-cigarettes.

Tai Hua brand is unknown in the US. Still, the article had mentioned Tai Hua E-cigarette is a subsidiary of Tai Hua Holdings.

Although <Fortune> does not want it to happen, Tai Hua Holdings entered the Fortune 500. Many people felt that many of Tai Hua Holdings’ subsidiaries are not listed. If they got listed, Tai Hai Holdings would be ranked much higher.

Of course, if <Fortune> knows Tai Hua Holding is the major shareholder of Sina and Sohu, Tai Hua Holdings will not be ranked in the bottom 50.

Feng Yu felt Tai Hua Holdings can easily enter the top 50 of Fortune 500. Those top companies are worth over 10 billion USD, but those are overvalued.

For example, Enron was also once listed as one of the top companies in Fortune 500, and it showed the problems with this ranking. <Fortune> had ranked companies based on what they see without checks.

If the Chairman of Tai Hua Holdings is not Feng Yu, they might not even get into rankings.

Bing City Pharmaceutical Group and Tai Hua Holdings had made many people curious about Tai Hua E-cigarettes. But they also felt electronics and cigarettes cannot be combined. Have you ever heard of E-yogurt?

The following few days, a debate started in the newspaper. One side says E-cigarette is a scam, and the other side is a new technology that perfectly combines technology and tobacco.

……

“Boss, what is Gerstner doing? Why did he let a debate over E-cigarette stared?” Ralph is unhappy and felt Feng Yu had chosen the wrong distributor.

Gerstner is old now and is not as vigorous as before.

Feng Yu replied with a smile. “Didn’t you notice that this debate over E-cigarette is increasing our Tai Hua E-cigarette’s popularity? Although there are different views over E-cigarette, our sales are still increasing.

Ralph is confused and asked. “Boss, are you saying Gerstner had purposely allowed this debate to happen?”

“Not only that. I suspect the first article and those articles criticizing E-cigarette are written by Gerstner. Have you realized that many people had joined the debate? Even online news, online forums, and even TV shows are all talking about E-cigarette. More and more people have noticed this new product.”

The internet has an advantage. News will spread faster on the internet. The more people are discussing E-cigarette, the more popular E-cigarette will be.

Even Feng Yu is impressed with this marketing strategy. Gerstner is terrific!

Ralph is no longer angry with Gerstner. These are all of Gerstner’s marketing strategies.

“Boss, should we give him a hand?”

Feng Yu shook his head. “No need. Gerstner had done well now, and he is in control. If we interfere, we might mess up his plans. Oh, has Gerstner released that piece of news?”

“Yes. We will know about the reaction tomorrow morning. Boss, will this really let other people imitate?”

“Everybody will be curious. Also, have you noticed that the youths here like ‘freedom’ and do whatever they want? That’s why the percentage of young smokers is much higher than in China. We must make them interested in our E-cigarette. After all, the e-cigarette is better than a cigarette.”

Feng Yu thought to himself. I will try out this marketing strategy here.

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