NBA: I am the card dealer

Chapter 180: Sky-high Endorsement

Plank: "What? Are you kidding me?"

Just based on this earth-shattering voice, Xue Liancheng could imagine Plank's stunned expression at that moment.

Come to think of it...

An endorsement fee of NT$1 million over six years. This sky-high contract is an extremely high salary that can only be obtained at a league level.

Jointly create a personal brand company with a parent company?

Michael Jordan is the first player to have a personal sneaker brand and the only one in the NBA so far.

Do you want 10% of the parent company’s shares?

This doesn't look like a robbery, but a wishful thinking, daydreaming.

Such conditions are more than outrageous!

It’s simply outrageous, his mother is outrageous, and his father is outrageous enough to open the door for him. It’s outrageous as hell.

But this is the effect he wants.

After all, it's a negotiation.

The more exaggerated, the better. Don’t be afraid of exaggerating to the point of being outrageous.

Raise the other party's psychological expectations first, and wait for the price to be bargained next, which will be beneficial to others.

It's like the way a clothing store sells clothes. The purchase price is 20 and the price is 2000. Even if you haggle the price, you'd be embarrassed to cut it to 50, right?

Anyway, judging from his current performance, he doesn't have to worry about selling it at a good price. Since Under Armor belongs to him so much, he must give Under Armor a knife.

This is the correct way to negotiate.

Xue Liancheng said indifferently, "If you believe in my influence in China, you should know that I am serious."

China's market share is very large.

Take the sports brand Yi Ge as an example. Nike's total revenue is 322 billion US dollars, and China alone has nearly 40 billion. It is an absolutely large bank.

In a few years, the sports brand will continue to grow rapidly and will become the world's largest ticket warehouse. Anta even achieved a revenue of 500 billion yuan, which is more than 70 billion yuan when converted into US dollars. It is conceivable how big the market potential is.

As long as Under Armor has a place in China, it is still very optimistic that the revenue will reach 1.8 billion US dollars.

And he is the bayonet and trump card for Under Armor to enter the Chinese market.

There is no one more suitable than him.

Once successful, the value he can create for Under Armor is definitely worth the money.

Is it really expensive to exchange $1 million for six years of brand value and create another ticket warehouse market with an annual revenue of $5000 billion?

It's not expensive...

of course.

It is also possible to fail.

For example, Yao Ming's signing with Reebok did not play a significant role.

Did Yao Ming have enough influence when he entered the NBA?

But it's still of no use.

Of course, he couldn't tell Plank about these things.

His current focus is on cheating, imagining the future and drawing a big pie. Whether it will work or not is beyond his control.

The money was already in his pocket anyway.

Plank's voice was slightly hoarse, "Although I am optimistic about your future, your quotation is really unbelievable, and I cannot accept it."

Xue Liancheng patiently continued to draw the pie, "Do you believe that the revenue of sports brands in the Chinese market will exceed 30 billion US dollars in the future?"

Plank was stunned for a moment, "Thirty billion?"

Xue Liancheng said, "Yes, with a share of 3 billion U.S. dollars, Under Armour's revenue will exceed 10 billion U.S. dollars as long as it accounts for %. Can you imagine what Under Armor will be like by then?"

Plank fell silent, obviously thinking about Xue Liancheng's words.

If you really create a new market with annual revenue of 10 billion US dollars, it seems that...

Not too much at all.

By paying about 30 million yuan in endorsement fees every year, you can win such a ticket.

That's too much...

But the premise is that it is possible.

Plank has been involved in the business world for many years, so naturally he will not be swayed by Xue Liancheng's few words, and his mind is still very calm.

of course.

Even if you are persuaded, it is impossible to show it: "Xue, I can't imagine what will happen in the future. All assumptions are based on the future you described for me. Let's focus on the present first, okay?"

Xue Liancheng then drew a round, big and fragrant pie, "What I am focusing on is now. The North American market for basketball products is close to saturation, while the Chinese market is like a wilderness, waiting to be developed. With what I have achieved in the NBA I believe that I will definitely have a place in my hometown, as evidenced by the popularity of topics about me on social media.”

At this time, Weibo data can come in handy.

The account run by my old father is a very useful reference data.

Including those famous basketball commentators talking about the popularity of topics about him, and even the "black fan leader" Mr. Yang can come in handy.

If Under Armor headquarters wants to understand his influence in the country, it will definitely investigate the authenticity of his popularity.

He is a true gold who is not afraid of fire.

even.

He suspected that Under Armor had made relevant reports.

Plank: "Xue, the six-year, 9000 million contract I offered was based on my assessment of your influence in China."

Xue Liancheng: "Then you underestimate the Chinese market too much. Well... maybe you underestimate me too much. If that's the case, we can put it aside for now and talk about it later."

He has no worries about selling.

This is his bottom line.

As long as he continues this performance, many sports brand manufacturers are waiting to negotiate with him.

Plank hurriedly said: "I absolutely did not mean to underestimate you, please believe this."

Ok……

This tone...

There seems to be some urgency.

Xue Liancheng raised his eyebrows and said without blushing, "Since you also recognize my future, you should know that the conditions I set are not too harsh."

Plank: "Xue, I can only apologize for the basic endorsement fee of 1 million for six years, but we can discuss the establishment of a personal brand."

Ok……

Upon hearing this.

Xue Liancheng's heart beat hard, it seemed like there was something going on.

This is a huge concession.

Do not……

This is a huge concession and sends a strong signal of cooperation.

Xue Liancheng calmed down and said, "Then I want to hear your thoughts, Mr. Plank."

Plank frowned and said: "With a six-year endorsement contract of 70 million, the other 30 million will be used to create your personal brand with Under Armor in a cooperative model. Our company will hold % of the shares and you will hold %. This is That’s the most sincerity I can give.”

As for the parent company’s equity?

Not even mentioned.

Of course it is impossible to mention.

Under Armor has not yet been listed, but Wall Street has given corresponding valuations.

In 13, Under Armor's valuation was US$ billion, but it has fallen back recently. Wall Street only gave it US$ billion. Valuation is unpredictable and difficult to refer to.

After listing, whether the market will buy it is also a question.

But for 10% of the shares, the minimum guarantee is several hundred million, how could it be given to Xue Liancheng?

When Xue Liancheng heard this condition, he almost jumped up and subconsciously wanted to agree.

He is just a lion with his mouth wide open.

He didn't expect that the other party would actually put meat in for him to feast on. It was so unexpected.

Establish a personal brand!

This is something that many NBAs dream of. Even superstars of the era like Kobe and James have not done it, but he... actually did it.

Just don't get too excited.

The conditions given by Plank were indeed generous enough. It felt like everything was in a dream, so unreal.

It felt like pie from the sky fell on his head all of a sudden...

Ok?

Pie in the sky?

At this time, his mind suddenly came to his senses.

How could there be such a good thing as a pie in the sky in this world?

Even if there is such a good thing, it is impossible to hit him on the head.

The world is full of goodwill, and the world is all good.

So……

Why would Plank be willing to compromise and partner with his personal branding company?

Think for a moment.

Suddenly he had a flash of inspiration.

Under Armor was officially launched in 16. In other words, Plank urgently needs to build momentum now?

Think about it this way.

It can also explain why Plank made such outrageous demands on him, and why he still has such a high tolerance.

original……

Everything is for listing!

Signing him can indeed boost the confidence of capital in a short period of time.

If so.

Then he can safely go further to fight for interests, um... Let's start with the matter of asking for shares in Under Armor, "Mr. Plank, you seem to have forgotten that I have one more condition."

Plank: "Xue, I'm sorry, you haven't created value for Under Armor yet, so I can't give you shares in Under Armor. In this way... I make the decision privately to increase your personal brand company's shareholding to 49%. Our company holds 51% of the shares.”

Xue Liancheng was overjoyed and tried hard to suppress his inner excitement.

Sure enough.

It seems that Plank is really determined to win him.

And this equity swap is actually exactly what he wanted.

Under Armor went public in 16. When it first went public, it was indeed very impressive. It quickly reached a market value of 32 billion US dollars, but then it plummeted like a waterfall, and finally fell to a market value of only billion US dollars.

10% equity, converted into money, is only tens of millions.

And his personal brand, if it succeeds, may be no less valuable than Under Armor.

and so.

He doesn't necessarily want Under Armour's equity.

However, this is not enough.

He wants more, "In the personal brand company, I want to hold 70% of the shares and have ownership."

Plank still wanted to bargain: "Xue..."

But Xue Liancheng felt that he had the initiative and interrupted directly, "This is my bottom line."

Plank was silent for three seconds, and finally seemed to give in, "Then... alright."

This time.

It was Xue Liancheng's turn to be stunned.

Plank's concession was unexpected.

Why does it feel like Plank doesn’t care much about collaborating with him on his personal brand?

next second.

He was suddenly startled and realized that something was wrong...

The conditions given by Plank were that only 100 million in six years would be real money. As for why the other 50 million would be used to establish a personal brand?

Why does it sound so unreasonable?

Because Plank explained that personal branding is a cooperative model, that is to say, the personal branding company and Under Armor are separated.

Where does the investment company get its money from?

This feels...more and more like I'm being deceived.

He thought for a moment with a deep brow and decided to ask first, "How much capital investment will it cost to establish my personal brand?"

Plank was silent for three seconds, "Thirty million in the early stage, thirty million in the mid-term, and forty million in the later stage. If the results are significant, we will invest more."

Xue Liancheng: "Did Under Armor provide this money?"

What the hell...

Don't let it end up being financing or borrowing from a bank. Then what's the point of him signing this contract?

really.

After hearing this, Plank fell completely silent.

Xue Liancheng had ten thousand words of criticism in his mind and he didn't know whether to say it or not. He was very unhappy, "It seems that Mr. Plank is not sincere."

Plank: "Xue, setting up a brand company is not an easy matter. I think we need to sit down and have an interview."

Delay?

This word suddenly popped into Xue Liancheng's mind.

He has roughly understood Plank's wishful thinking, which is to sign him with million yuan in six years, and then...

It's gone.

As for the establishment of a personal brand company, it needs to be considered in the long term.

So damn...

The painting came to him.

Xue Liancheng thought for a while and decided to express his attitude, "The basic endorsement contract of 70 million for six years, plus the million US dollars you promised, and the million US dollars allocated by Under Armor, totaling million funds, within three years. All the money will be invested in the development of my personal brand company. I own the personal brand that your company cooperates with me, and I will not take it back to Under Armour. I hold % of the shares, and the terms of the contract state that your company is responsible for cooperating with the publicity. , production, open sales channels and other agreements.”

Plank remained silent to the end, and the only sound coming from the other end of the phone was heavy breathing. He never expected that he would be defeated.

Xue Liancheng added: "Mr. Plank, you only spent 50 million US dollars to open up a new market, why not do it?"

Plank: "..."

Being fucked directly into silence.

A total of 30 million U.S. dollars was invested in Xue Liancheng's personal brand company, but Under Armor has no ownership yet and only holds % of the shares. Co-author Xue Liancheng has not received any money, and Under Armor will bear the funds and risks?

How could he be happy with this kind of cooperation?

Xue Liancheng: "Mr. Plank, you can think about it first. I'm not in a hurry, but... I need to remind you that you don't have much time, because my father has returned to China to negotiate with domestic sports brands."

Upon hearing this, Plank finally became anxious and spoke up, "Xue, your conditions are too harsh. No company can agree to it. In this way... you and I will each take a step back, and your personal brand company will take back Owned by Under Armor, you still hold 49% of the shares but have decision-making power. This is my greatest sincerity."

How could Xue Liancheng give in? "If this is the case, the basic endorsement contract will still be 1 million for six years."

Next.

The two chattered.

finally.

After a long time.

A verbal agreement was reached.

The basic endorsement contract is still 70 million for six years. Under Armor and Xue Liancheng established the Liancheng brand company. Funded by Under Armor.

Under Armor provides platforms, design, production, sales channels, publicity channels and other agreements.

that's all.

The premise for its establishment is that the total revenue of Under Armor and Liancheng brands in the Chinese market must reach US$6 million during the contract period before it can take effect.

Once it is not reached.

Then it will be implemented according to Agreement B, which is what Plank said. The Liancheng brand will be owned by Under Armor. Under Armor holds 51% of the shares and Xue Liancheng holds 49%. However, the basic endorsement contract is changed to a ten-year period of million. .

It's like betting.

Taking the Chinese market revenue of US$6 million as the boundary, the risks are completely shared.

With more than 600 million, Xue Liancheng makes the big share and Under Armor makes the small share.

That's right.

After all, this is the value that Xue Liancheng realizes by using his own influence. Xue Liancheng will not give in and is bound to take the big share.

And if the revenue is less than 6 million U.S. dollars, Xue Liancheng will have to work for four more years, which is equivalent to million a year. It is not expensive for Under Armor and is very cost-effective...

and so.

Both parties take what they need.

Xue Liancheng has absolute confidence in himself, which is evident from the popularity on Weibo.

Plank is relatively conservative, and Yao Ming has learned from his mistakes. He doesn't think Xue Liancheng can sell 6 million US dollars in revenue in China just by using his influence.

After all... Under Armor's global revenue is only a little over 2 billion. Xue Liancheng alone can account for one-third of Under Armor's revenue. How is this possible?

of course.

Under Armor will not lose money, because they signed Xue Liancheng with the purpose of hitting the market.

As long as it is recognized by Wall Street capital, it is success.

As for investing in Xue Liancheng's personal brand, it's just a small amount of money.

done?

Of course good.

Didn't work?

It doesn't matter. By then Under Armor has completed its listing and has made a lot of money. No one will have to worry about whether Xue Liancheng's personal brand is doing well.

What's more...their extension of Xue Liancheng's four-year contract was equivalent to recovering US$40 million.

Investing in Xue Liancheng's personal brand is equivalent to spending an extra 60 million to gamble on Xue Liancheng's future.

What if I win the bet...

The revenue is not just the 30% revenue brought by Xue Liancheng's personal brand. The most important thing is that Under Armor will also be driven, and the revenue will also rise with the tide. This is the real big head.

Plank calculated this account better than anyone else, and there was no way he would lose...

And Xue Liancheng is not bad at math. He doesn't have to pay for it himself, create a platform by himself, let alone produce, sell, or promote it by himself. He only needs to give Under Armour 30% of the revenue, and the rest is his.

Really monetize your influence.

in case……

If he is lucky enough to become Jordan in the eyes of the Chinese people, then he will make a lot of money.

This business is also a guaranteed profit.

and so.

Both feel that they have earned...

no losers...

And that night.

"Sports Illustrated" reporter Phils exposed the shocking news.

——The high-priced endorsement, Under Armor invested 1 million US dollars, formally reached a six-year agreement with Xue Liancheng, and cooperated to establish a personal brand.

"Yahoo Sports" reporter Brook followed up.

——Compared to Jordan, Xue Liancheng became the second NBA player in the world to create a personal brand, with signings and endorsements worth up to 1 million US dollars in six years.

The number one trending search on Twitter shocked everyone.

"I Zhuo, a rookie actually signed a contract with an annual endorsement fee of 2500 million. This...isn't it too aggressive?"

"Under Armor's annual revenue is just over 1 billion. Are you crazy? You actually use 5000 million to sign a rookie?"

"My God! He also created a personal brand, the second player in the NBA."

"1 million U.S. dollars, and creating a personal brand? Xue Liancheng is about to take off."

……

The sensation caused in the sports world is no less than the explosion of an atomic bomb.

Because the annual endorsement fee is 2500 million U.S. dollars, which is already terrifying. If you count all the NBA players, few can get such a high-priced contract.

What's even more frightening is that Xue Liancheng, who is stronger than Kobe and James, did not create a personal brand.

One can imagine how surprised the public was at this signing.

And the reason why the astronomical endorsement price of US$1 over six years was exposed was naturally because Under Armor was building momentum for its listing.

In fact, strictly speaking, it counts as 1 million US dollars in six years, which is not a lie...