It has to be said that Chen Hero’s four-year contract with Nike for three million euros a year was quite sensational. First, the contract price wasn't low, and second, of course, was Chen Hero's identity as a Chinese player.
Chinese players all have the Chinese market as their backing, and this backing can bring them countless benefits. For example, some players may not necessarily have the strength to join those European teams, but some European teams are still willing to take them. Why? It’s not impossible that they have no strength at all; they must have their own strengths. Otherwise, could just any Tom, Dick, or Harry go abroad to play? But more likely, it's because they value the Chinese market behind the player. Having a Chinese player on their team means even the attention of the Chinese media is already a huge free advertisement. With Chinese players, the team also has the opportunity to make money by going to China to play matches.
However, these Europeans obviously overestimate the Chinese market. Because this Chinese market is not as good as they imagine. The simplest thing is that you can't sell many jerseys because a genuine jersey costs hundreds of yuan, while a pirated one only costs a few dozen yuan, and a high-quality imitation only costs a little over a hundred. Chinese fans, of course, buy the cheaper ones. They are not rich. Spending hundreds of yuan on a jersey hurts for a long time. Besides, many Chinese fans buy jerseys not for collection but to wear while playing football. Who would wear a jersey worth hundreds of yuan to play football, only to have it torn or scuffed? Whose fault is that?
So, the biggest benefit for those teams signing a Chinese player is probably to expand their popularity and increase their influence in the minds of Chinese fans, but that's it.
For Asian players, including Chinese, Japanese, and Korean players, the market can only ever be a stepping stone and must never be regarded as a life-saving charm. Commercial factors may make it easier for you to enter the other team than players from other places, but whether you can stay depends entirely on your ability. If you have no ability, then sorry, you’re gone after one season, or when the contract expires. If you have the strength, then you can rise rapidly.
In addition, those who are truly capable can land on European teams without relying on commercial factors.
Like Chen Hero.
So, strength is the decisive factor.
Naples, with Chen Hero, has been asked more than once whether they would consider leading the team to China for commercial matches. In recent years, it has become a common practice for European teams to pan for gold in the East Asian market. Naples has the gimmick of "ball king Maradona," and now they have a Chen Hero who is very popular in China. It stands to reason that going to China to pan for gold should be a matter of course. In fact, some Chinese media conveyed messages from some domestic enterprises, saying that they were willing to bear the costs of Naples coming to China and invited Naples to play a few friendly matches in China.
But these proposals were rejected by Aurelio De Laurentiis, the owner of Naples. He said this to Chinese reporters: "Maybe I will seriously consider this suggestion in the future. But now is not the time. Naples still has a long way to go. It is unwise to be distracted by overseas matters at this time..." In short, it means we are not yet qualified to go to China to pan for gold. Let's work hard to become a powerhouse first...
Just one sentence cut off the thoughts of many Chinese Naples fans and Chen Hero fans.
Going off-topic, let's get back to the point. Chen Hero signed with Nike and became Nike's spokesperson. This news didn't even need to be transmitted to China through the media, because many Chinese people could see huge advertisements in the most prosperous commercial centers of their cities.
In the ad posters, Chen Hero steps on a soccer ball, crosses his arms, raises his head, and glances down. Since these advertising posters are generally high up on the walls of buildings, it really gives the feeling that Chen Hero is high above, overlooking the masses.
Next to it is the Nike logo.
Apart from that, there is not a single word, but it fully demonstrates Chen Hero's domineering and arrogant manner, which is exactly the same as Chen Hero in real life. However, what his fans like is his unruly style!
This advertisement appeared in all large and medium-sized cities in China, as well as Nike flagship stores, franchise stores, chain stores... It seems that Nike is sparing no effort to promote this great hero in the hearts of Chinese fans.
After so many years, Chinese football has finally produced a player who can be shown off, so of course, he must be highly praised.
For a time, the media reported "Chen Hero Signs a Sky-High Contract with Nike," and his reputation reached another level.
Taking advantage of this momentum, Chen Hero and his agent team returned to China.
This time, it was not just a homecoming. Even going home has been relegated to the end of all his affairs. He has many commercial activities to attend. In addition to Nike's commercial activities, he also had some endorsement brands in China before. Now that his reputation has increased, these companies want to use his fame to promote themselves.
In addition to that, there are new endorsement signings.
And this time, the company that wants to sign with him is a Chinese enterprise that has a very deep connection with football. At the same time, it also has a very high reputation in China. It can be said to be a household name. Their company's products can be seen everywhere in life and are often needed.
※※※
"Jin嗓子?" Chen Hero looked at Decra in shock. "You mean the Jin嗓子 throat lozenges?" (Jin嗓子 literally means Golden Voice)
Decra nodded. "Jin嗓子 from Liuzhou, Guangxi."
Chen Hero's mouth twitched a few times.
He thought of that advertisement - an obviously overweight Ronaldo slowly raised his head in front of the camera, and then held up the Jin嗓子 throat lozenge packaging in one hand, grinning foolishly at the camera...
He thought of another advertisement - Brazilian golden boy Kaka held a Jin嗓子 throat lozenge in one hand, grinning foolishly at the camera...
He then thought of another advertisement - Naples' hero Chen Hero held a Jin嗓子 throat lozenge in one hand, grinning foolishly at the camera...
He couldn't imagine it anymore. He shuddered. "Can I not sign it?"
"We've already agreed." Decra shook his head. He was very strange why Chen Hero was so resistant.
He had asked Chen Hero about this matter before. He said that a Chinese company wanted to sign with him and offered a good price. At that time, Chen Hero didn't ask which company it was, he just listened to the offer and asked him to confirm it. He thought Chen Hero liked it very much...
"Uh..."
"Jin嗓子 has successively signed endorsement contracts with two world-class football stars, Ronaldo and Kaka. I think this should be an improvement to your worth..." Decra explained his reason for choosing Jin嗓子.
"No, it's a reduction!" Chen Hero didn't know how to explain the reason to Decra. The thought of doing that kind of advertisement holding up a product and grinning foolishly, then being ridiculed, made him want to cry... But wait?
Advertisement?
That's right, advertisement!
The problem lies in the advertisement!
Why do Ronaldo's and Kaka's advertisements make people shudder and feel particularly silly? Isn't it because of that advertisement?
Your Jin嗓子 throat lozenge does have a connection with football. For example, many fans actually keep throat lozenges on hand because watching football is a very throat-consuming thing. But instead of focusing on this aspect, you have to come up with a routine of celebrities holding up products and grinning foolishly. No wonder the audience doesn't accept it...
If I were to endorse Jin嗓子... I definitely can't do this kind of silly grinning advertisement!
He thought for a while and said to Decra: "Signing is okay, but I'm changing the conditions. A clause must be added to the contract that I will come up with the creative ideas for the advertisement. Otherwise, I won't sign!"
Decra was stunned for a moment: "You're not satisfied with their advertisement?"
"Have you seen their advertisement?"
"I've seen it..."
Chen Hero's eyes widened: "You've seen it? You've seen it and you still agreed to sign!"
"I think it's pretty good..." Decra said aggrievedly. A celebrity holding a product and then smiling at the camera. Isn't this a very normal, ordinary, and common way for celebrities to endorse products? Although it's a bit rigid, there's nothing wrong with it, right?
"It's so weak, okay!" Chen Hero said angrily. "No creativity, no production!" Since Chen Hero followed that Panda Cheese to Egypt to shoot an advertisement and was highly regarded by the advertising director, he also has his own ideas about shooting advertisements.
He thinks the creative idea of the Panda Cheese advertisement is very good.
"Anyway, you go tell them that if they want me to sign, it's very simple. Change the contract. I'm responsible for the advertising creative, otherwise I won't sign, even if I have to pay liquidated damages!"
Chen Hero's stubborn temper came up.
Decra didn't say much. He just did as he was told, so he ran to the people on the Jin嗓子 side.
When the Jin嗓子 people heard Decra's words, they immediately felt that this matter was difficult to handle - there was only so much publicity budget. After signing you, Chen Hero, they still had to shoot an advertisement. If it was an advertisement with a plot, wouldn't it cost money to hire directors, photographers, props, makeup, stagehands, and actors?
But Chen Hero didn't care. Anyway, he couldn't bear the thought of his advertisement smiling foolishly at the product appearing in front of hundreds of millions of television viewers across the country. At that time, his image would probably depreciate.
This is about money, so he can't be careless.
In the end, the two sides haggled for a long time and finally reached an agreement. Jin嗓子 made a concession, increased funding, and agreed to the clause that the advertising creative would follow Chen Hero's opinion.
But the premise is that Chen Hero must first come up with the creative script for the advertisement.
Chen Hero thought it was too simple. He only spent one night handing over his creative ideas to the other party.
The advertising creative is actually very simple. It is to use the relationship between throat lozenges and football matches to make a fuss. It describes a fierce football match. The fans in the stands shouted loudly, and then their throats were damaged. At this time, Chen Hero appeared and gave the fan who had damaged their throat and could not speak a Jin嗓子 throat lozenge.
It's that simple, but it's much better than the previous silly advertisements with people holding the product and smiling at the camera, and it's easier to make an impression.
The other party took a look and handed it over to a professional advertising company for evaluation. There was no problem with operability, so everything was fine.
The two sides held a press conference in the Great Hall of the People called "Chen Hero Falls in Love with Jin嗓子", announcing that Chen Hero had officially signed with Jin嗓子 to endorse Jin嗓子 throat lozenges for a period of two years. Within these two years, Jin嗓子 can use Chen Hero's image on specific occasions, but not after two years.
After signing the contract with Jin嗓子, Chen Hero's next task was to shoot an advertisement for Jin嗓子...
But this time, he had to wait for a while. After all, the other party also needed to prepare for this advertisement. This is an advertisement with a plot, unlike before. It is said that Jin嗓子 used to find Ronaldo to shoot advertisements like this - when the Galácticos visited China for the first time, during a squeezed rest time, Ronaldo took a special car directly from the hotel where the team was staying to the place where the advertisement was being filmed, and then put on the yellow and green Jin嗓子 jersey, holding Jin嗓子, looked up, smiled at the camera, and it was done. He then took the car back to the hotel where he was staying, and the team was still resting...
While waiting for the advertisement to be filmed, Chen Hero attended a commercial event held by Adrenaline for him. But this was also the last time he attended Adrenaline's commercial event. The cooperation between the two parties will end this summer. But it doesn't matter, Decra has already found him a next home, which is Pepsi Cola, which is more famous than Adrenaline.
Pepsi Cola has a habit of finding football stars to endorse their products. Chen Hero, who has a huge Chinese market as his backing, is naturally their target.
Now Chen Hero has defended the Serie A Golden Boot and has also been crowned the Champions League Golden Boot. His worth has greatly increased, his popularity has greatly increased, and his commercial value has also greatly increased. He naturally looks down on small brands.
If he wants to sign, it will be with world-class brands.
Nike and Pepsi Cola are just the first steps.
Chen Hero also has an ambition, which is to help his father and let him roam in the business world.
In the beginning, his father gave up his dream and did his best to help his son realize his dream. Now that his son has money, it's time to let his father realize his dream.