Section 1474 Luxury Store

In Cuba, there were still a few brands that resisted by themselves. The most powerful one was the Count of Monte Cristo, also known as Montecristo. Montecristo is by far the most popular among Havana cigars. m【】【】Of course, when Li Cong's healthy cigars didn't come out, now he can only stick to it.

The brand used to make about half of Cuba's annual exports of cigars, which sported a simple brown and white label. This brand was introduced to the world in 1935, and it is still produced by H.Upmann factory or Partagás factory. Its unique taste makes cigar lovers feel happy, and it has occupied a superior position in Havana cigars for 20 years. .

When Alonso Menendez and Pepe Garcia founded the brand in 1935, they deliberately limited production and sales and only launched 5 sizes. At that time, they had just purchased the Upmann brand from the British Franco company, and the focus was on expanding its volume. The predecessor of Montecristo was Upmann's Sele series, which was placed on sale under the brand of Denglu Company in New York. At that time, it was a very promising brand, and it was also a test of Menendez's tobacco technology and Garcia's production knowledge. touchstone. Later, under the influence of another British agent, John Hunter, this cigar brand had a simplified name "".

Since the Franco company is responsible for the sales of Upmann cigars. And hope that Montecristo cigars can be sold freely. So Hunter designed the striking red and yellow crossed sword trademark pattern on the cigar box. During World War II. The distribution of Havana cigars to the United Kingdom was interrupted, so the brand was mainly sold in Dunhill smoke shops in the United States.

Film director Alfred Hitchcock was obsessed with Montecristo very early on, and he even regularly sent cigars to British friends who could not smoke cigars due to wartime supply restrictions. After World War II, Montecristo added the S size, otherwise the series would remain the same. Shortly after the Cuban Revolution, the Menendez and García families relocated to the Canary Islands. However, a small amount of Montecristo cigars are still produced on the island of Cuba, and the legend Joseph Manuel Gonzalez, who is called "la" on the island, is responsible for the production. Today, he is considered the best cigar maker in Havana and the strictest supervisor in the eyes of cigarette workers. He is credited with maintaining the consistent high quality and unique blends of Montecristo cigars.

In the early 1970s, the brand added A and three new sizes, al, .2, and ta, modeled on (ba).1, .2, and .3. after. The brand developed rapidly and became the favorite of many entertainers, such as singer Tom Jones (nes) and British film giant Lou Glad. But success also brings some problems, eg. Ensuring the high quality of the large volumes of cigars sent as far away as Spain is a major challenge. Many people believe that high quality cigars can only be bought in small markets such as the UK. However, when the Spanish National Tobacco Bureau and the Cuban Tobacco Bureau had a trademark dispute and planned to suspend the import of Montecristo cigars, there was almost a civil war in Spain. Montecristo cigars use a unique slightly oily brown wrapper, with a soft smell, medium to full-bodied flavor, and a unique and strong taste. Among them, .2 is very famous and worth a try, and many old customers also think that .1 (Cervante size) is slightly inferior.

The current boss of the Count of Monte Cristo is an American,

He used to rely on this brand to earn at least 200 million U.S. dollars in profit every year, but in the past two months, he only sold less than 3 million U.S. dollars in goods, which were all ordered by former regular customers . Those new customers have basically already invested in the arms of the energy group. At this moment, the boss Mott Randall is looking at the empty workshop in a daze. He would never believe it. It's still very busy, why is there a temporary suspension of work after two months? In the past, he was always thinking about how to expand his production workshop, but now he doesn't think about this problem at all. What he thinks about is how to maintain it. People from the energy group have come to him a lot. I hope that I can sell all of these, and the price offered is not very low, at least I will not pay any compensation, but I did not agree at the time, on the one hand, I feel that my brand will still survive. Moreover, this brand was founded by my grandparents. If others said that I would sell this brand, then I would be a complete prodigal. Besides, I am really not short of money.

"It's really sad, please forgive Mr. Randall, I didn't mean to break in directly, because the guard at the door told me I could come in, and I also registered according to your company's regulations, I It is the person who is responsible for the cigars of the Energy Group in Cuba. You can call me Mr. Li. Two months ago, my people approached you. I offered 500 million US dollars to buy your factory and this brand. You told me that you don't want to sell, now I offer 20 million US dollars, I wonder if you are willing?" Li Cong said with a smile, it was the guy in front of him who stopped his great cause of reunification, even if he is now on the verge of bankruptcy Yes, but I can't give the other party any chance. You must know that a single spark can start a prairie fire.

"So you are that Mr. Li. Look at my factory. A factory run by three generations of our family has become like this now. Are you satisfied? Do you find it fun? Let me tell you, 20 million US dollars It’s nothing to me. I don’t care about this place. I still have a lot of industries in the United States. Even if I lose money every year, I will continue to run this place. If you want me to sell it to you, you can dream.” Randall He stood up and said loudly, this guy is really a man. Nowadays, there are not many people who dare to reject the energy group like this, but he is a relatively tough one.

"Hehe, there are so few businessmen like you now. I was joking just now. I thought you would sell your business after listening to what I just said. (Just read the novel. ) After all, if this month passes, I don’t think anyone will pay 20 million dollars, but after hearing what you just said, I changed my mind, and I will give you a chance. Come to work in my company, and I know that your family is full of In this industry, if I give you a platform, maybe you will become the king of cigars in the world, and I can guarantee that your annual income will definitely exceed your previous 200 million US dollars per year." Li Cong smiled. He said that he has investigated this guy's details all the time. In the United States, this guy has a lot of industries, but they don't make much money, and this guy is not willing to operate other things. He still likes him better. The property left to him by his ancestors. So Li Cong felt that he would take this guy under his name, and he couldn't resist the temptation of this cigar king, of course, the premise was that all the investigations were true.

"You mean to ask me to work with you?" This guy's brain is not too stupid, and he quickly thought of Li Cong's idea, but this time Li Cong's calculation was wrong, this guy is not born Those who work for others, "Hehe, don't be delusional, I won't work for my enemy, don't dream. Even if I go bankrupt, I will still guard our family's own property. *" This guy said stubbornly , After finishing speaking, he left regardless of what Li Cong said. After such a long time, Li Cong really rarely sees such a person. This person is really interesting. But even if this guy doesn't come to help him, the energy group's cigar industry has already started to go public around the world. At this time, Li Cong suddenly had the idea of ​​building a luxury brand. Some of the products operated by the energy group are already luxurious enough. If they are all gathered together, it will definitely be very profitable.

In short, a luxury brand is a brand that serves luxury goods. It is the highest grade brand in the brand grade classification. In life, luxury brands enjoy a very special market and a high social status. In commodity classification, the corresponding to luxury goods is mass commodity. Luxury is not only a commodity that provides use value, but also a commodity that provides high added value; luxury is not only a commodity that provides tangible value, but also a commodity that provides intangible value. For luxury goods, its intangible value is often higher than the visible value.

The brand charm of luxury brands is rich and luxurious. Luxury comes from the Latin "light" (Lux). Therefore, luxury goods should be shiny, bright and enjoyable. Luxury communicates these through its brand visual identity system. From a sociological point of view, luxury goods are items of the aristocratic class. It has status, status, and superior privileges. It is a representative of the image of nobility. Although the society is democratizing, people's "concept of wealth and honor" has not changed, and luxury brands can just meet people's instinctive needs.

In the eyes of western consumers, the British "Rolls Royce" car has a symbol of aristocratic cars. The ultra-long "Phantom" launched in 1925 was chosen by the Queen of England as a special car and as a road car for receiving foreign heads of state. The Cuban "Romeo" brand, which has been supplying cigars exclusively to the UK since 1875, later created the "Churchill" model of Prime Minister Churchill's favorite cigar length, and it has long been a world-famous cigar. So it can be said with certainty that the "rich" element is the core value of luxury brands.

Luxury goods must be the most beautiful commodity. No matter how many kinds of aesthetic consciousness people have, there is only one kind of luxury goods, and that is "praise when you see it". The products served by luxury brands must be "superlative". This "superlative" must be reflected one by one from appearance to quality. The advanced nature of luxury goods should be visible. It is precisely because people admire its beauty and luxury that it can bring glory to its owner. Therefore, luxury goods should provide more "visible value"-making people look good. Those who buy luxury goods are not looking for practical value at all, but looking for the "best" feeling of all human beings.

This is true of "Vacheron Constantin" watches; the same is true of "Dior" fashion. "Cartier" jewelry was born in Paris in 1847. It not only represents class, wealth, nobility and taste. It is also a symbol of beauty and eternity. Italy's "Bulgari" jewelry brand followed the rigorous style of the French academic school at first, but in 1934 it integrated the essence of Greek and Roman classicism, and added the form of the Italian Renaissance and the Roman goldsmith school in the 19th century. Gradually deduce its own unique luxury classics. Therefore, a product without aesthetic enjoyment is not a luxury.

Luxury brands are often proud of themselves, they continue to set up the banner of individuality, and create their own highest state. "Mercedes-Benz" pursues top quality, "BMW" pursues driving pleasure, "Rolls-Royce" pursues handcrafted, "Ferrari" pursues sports speed, and "Cadillac" pursues luxury and comfort. They have unique ingenuity and each shows its own ability. It is precisely because of the individuation of the product that it creates a reason for people to buy. It is also because the personalization of luxury goods is not like mass products. It shows its noble value even more.

France's "Fort Lafite" wine was quite famous in the fourteenth century. At that time, it not only needed 10 years of storage and aging period, but also the marine climate, gravel soil and average vine age of 40 years in the Bordeaux area made it fragrant and mellow. The fineness is very different. In 1985, a bottle of "Chateau Lafite" produced in 1787 was sold at Christie's auction house in London for US$1.6 million, making it the most expensive wine in the world at that time. Completely defeated, I couldn't even see the back of my head. Therefore, luxury goods often create unique commodity forms. Personalization sets them apart.

Luxury brands are very specific, and they cannot be easily expanded and used at will. The so-called brand positioning specificity means that the brand only serves a certain product or a certain type of product, and the brand classification level cannot be changed. Luxury brands cannot do the marketing strategies of mass brands. It's rare to see a luxury brand being used across multiple industries with the same level of success. [] Brand diversification itself is a taboo in brand management. Li Cong wanted to bring together multiple luxury goods of the energy group. Still have a lot of risk.

In the 1960s, "Pierre Cardin" clothing was no longer a real luxury after it started to be popularized and licensed from customized business.

Mr. Pierre Cardin once said: "I am an adventurer like James Bond." Just like this, this costume master not only bought Maxim's restaurant, but also extended the brand to the wine industry to produce A batch of "Pierre? Cardin" wine, the result failed. Marketing is regular. If "BMW" dares to launch a shampoo, "Procter & Gamble" will definitely smile generously. Therefore, do not change the nature of the brand, maintain the positioning, and abide by the value. This is a very difficult task for luxury brands.

But in fact, real luxury brands have a deep heritage, and some luxury brands have existed for hundreds of years. After a long period of testing, its main products have been deeply rooted, and more products will be derived naturally at this time. Brands such as R Dior, Zens Fuying's, and Louis Vuitton have crossed different industries.

public distance. As a luxury brand, you must create a feeling of being overwhelmed. It is the mission of luxury brand marketing to make most people feel unattainable. In terms of market consumption positioning, luxury brands serve a small number of "wealthy people". Luxury consumers are even more reluctant to use a commodity that is available to everyone. therefore. To maintain the superiority of the target customers, it is necessary to create a sense of distance between the public and them. Beauty comes from distance. Luxury brands must constantly set up consumption barriers to keep mass consumers away. It is the charm of luxury brands to make a huge difference in the number of people who know the brand and those who actually own the brand.

The common way to create a "popular sense of distance" is to raise the price threshold, adopt a super-high pricing strategy, and make people feel ashamed through extremely high prices. The price of a 9-meter-long "Cadillac" car is 600,000 US dollars, or about 3 million yuan; the lowest price of the popular "Rolls-Royce" Phantom car on the market is 460,000 US dollars; the top Ferrari is priced at 650,000 US dollars. Can't buy it yet. So for most people. Luxury brands can only be "dream" brands.

Historical reputation is also an important connotation of luxury brands. The cultural value of luxury brands is very high. This cultural value of the brand mainly comes from its historical reputation. The longer the history of a product. Its cultural connotation will be richer.

From the point of view of brand traceability, the brand is by lineage. British "Chivas Regal" whiskey comes from the Chivas Brothers in Aberdeen Town, Scotland in the 19th century; Chinese "Moutai" liquor evolved from the "Lai's" family in Maotai Town, Guizhou. In 1929, a man named Lai Yongchu inherited the brewing method of "Goji Sauce Wine" in Maotai Town in 135 A.D. during the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, and built the later famous "Hengchang Shaofang". The famous Moutai. China's "Dahongpao" is known as "the emperor's tea", because in ancient times, a student went to Beijing to rush for an exam. On the way, he was critically ill at the foot of Wuyi Mountain. Fortunately, the monk rescued him with tea from the temple and became the top student in high school. And every time the queen suffers from abdominal distension and pain, the imperial doctor is helpless. The champion offered tea, and the queen recovered from her illness after drinking it. The emperor then bestowed a "red robe on the body" to the tea tree, so the tea tree's tea was immediately worth a hundred times. From this we understand. Quality alone is not enough for a luxury product, more brand stories must be told.

From the perspective of production management, luxury goods are "top quality" products made of "precious raw materials" and "mysterious craftsmanship". The founders of "Rolls-Royce", Rolls and Royce, are called the perfect combination of "the most advanced material provider" and "the most advanced technology applicator". They only use the best cowhide from "Scandinavia" and the best walnut from the highland forest of "Lombard" in Italy, and only use pure handcraft to manufacture car interiors. The Swiss "Earl" watch came out in 1874. In the 1960s, it was the first to use colored gemstones such as black agate, turquoise and lapis lazuli as the surface, and was known as the "master of watch jewelry". In the 1980s, it produced the world's most expensive men's soil watch, which used 154 grams of platinum, 296 diamonds, and a brilliant blue diamond weighing 3.85 carats. CHF 3.5 million. Therefore, we can say without hesitation that luxury goods are "raw materials determine everything". Today, luxury is not only synonymous with traditional exquisite craftsmanship, but also a representative of the top products manufactured by it.

In short, in layman's terms. Luxury brands include these 7 characteristics: rich brand image, perfect appearance, distinctive uniqueness, adherence to value, historical reputation, super high price, top quality performance, some luxury products of energy groups are basically None of them have such qualities, but he has several of them, such as high price, and he has something that others don’t have, that is, he has absolute benefits to people, which is not available in other luxury brands, so Li Cong still has the confidence to get this right.

The energy group has not heard from the former president for a long time, and it would never have occurred to the president that he would ask the senior management of the entire group to hold a virtual meeting in Cuba. The former president has not walked into this conference room for more than a few years up. Although what they see now is only a virtual image, it is undeniable that everything about the former president still seems to be affecting the group. Waiting for Li Cong, the advantage of the development of the virtual system is that it does not need to gather all the high-levels in one place. The saying that throwing a grenade can paralyze the energy group absolutely does not exist now, because they are all in different places. It is estimated that there will be no time to gather together in a year, except for important things.

"Hehe, everyone, it's been a long time. Many new faces have come, and many old faces have been retained. This is a good thing. If a group doesn't change its water, it may be a stagnant pool. For the time you have made during my absence I am very satisfied with everything. What I bring to you this time is a new experience. I need to build a super high-end luxury brand. The name of the brand has not been thought of yet, but I hope this luxury brand can accommodate our current experience. For all the products of the group, if you have any recommendations, you can directly speak out, brainstorming, just like before.” Li Cong said with a smile, he saw that everyone seemed a little too nervous when they saw him, and they were so nervous if he didn’t speak Yes, if I continue to be serious. There is no need for this meeting. So it's better to take it easy.

"Sir, as far as I know, our group currently has jewelry, cigarettes, and alcohol as luxury goods. Others are things that are closely related to people. It seems that there are no luxury goods. If we establish It seems that the new luxury stores are not enough, after all, those few things have their own sales stores, and our new establishment seems to be superfluous.” said a senior executive of the finance department, who followed Li Cong The old man knew that Li Cong didn't care what everyone said in the past, so he spoke more directly.

The others nodded in agreement. There are still some car brands under the group, but when it comes to the luxury of cars, those under the group can only be said to be standing firm, and there is still a certain gap with the world's top luxury products. So they also think that now is not a good time to build this.

"Hehe, everyone, I understand Assistant Wang's words. It's my fault that I didn't make it clear. My idea is to recreate some new products, which are different from our previous products. They are released in limited quantities. There is no need for this luxury store to open. There are too many, 30 stores around the world are enough, but the store must be brilliant. It not only includes some luxury products of our group, but also needs new things. For example, the main source of profit of our group is environmental protection oil. It sells a car that does not need to be refueled for a year. Of course, the quantity of such things must be strictly controlled, and everything must be calculated. The high-end secrets of the group must not be leaked, so that some military products of the group can be relaxed to civilian products. The ranks, cigarettes and alcohol do not need too much, and the packaging is all exquisitely made. When necessary, various precious gemstones can be used to make them feel that what they buy is not wine, but wine bottles, and even cigarettes made of platinum. A box is also possible." Li Cong thought for a while and said, these ideas are just a general idea in his mind. If you really want to put it into practice, it still takes a lot of time. This is mainly because of the cigar smoke.

The boss has an idea, and the people below will basically run away for the boss's idea. As long as the boss can use part of the military products for civilian use, then they are not afraid that this matter cannot be done. Come up with a new plan within a month, and at the same time, the Ministry of Construction began to look for suitable locations in 30 major cities around the world. According to Li Cong's request, they estimated that the price of these 30 stores would definitely exceed 100 million U.S. dollars one.

The meeting was very short, only less than fifteen minutes, but these people present are not fools, they just listened to Li Cong's few words, and they saw the huge business opportunities inside. If there is a car that doesn't need to be refueled for a year, then this car will definitely let those rich businessmen spend all their money in their pockets. This is beyond doubt. Li Cong is still very good at dealing with the rich.

When the meeting was about to adjourn, Li Cong received a report from Li Xian. The group is preparing to start a month-long military exercise next month. 1.65 million troops from the three armed forces will participate in this exercise. Since the exercise plan could be approved, Li knew from a cursory glance that the money he made from cigars was basically gone. Good guy, a month’s exercise will cost me 320 billion yuan. Damn, it's about the same as a war, but Li Cong also understands that other places can save money, but the military department can't save money. Besides, Li Cong has also discovered the recent incidents. It's really capable, and it's well worth the money.

"Sir, although this exercise plan only used more than one million people, I can guarantee that everyone will be proud to participate in this exercise. All our troops hope to participate in this exercise. Didn't you say no before?" Soldiers who have experienced war are not good soldiers. The peacetime is too long, and our soldiers also need some training in war.” Li Xian has already compressed this plan very well, but the mobilization of millions of troops is not so simple Regarding the matter, the cost of 320 billion yuan has been compressed and cannot be compressed anymore. Of course, the quality of the exercise will not be reduced.

"Hehe, you boy is waiting for me here, go ahead, I approved this plan, this time all the money earned from Cuban cigars will be given to you, I will give you an extra 20 billion yuan, don't deduct it, I don’t spend less money during training. At this time, I can’t be stingy. I don’t ask for more, and I ask that the soldiers you train can be used at any time. The Guards don’t participate in this exercise. Their training is very good, and they will give the opportunity to more people." Li Cong thought for a while and said, the senior guards who followed Li Xian were immediately annoyed, and when he was about to speak, he saw Li Xian's eyes. Stop talking, the combat strength of the Guards is more than a little higher than that of other troops. In the past, the exercises were directly ravaged by them. It is a waste of money for such people to participate in the exercise. It is better to give the opportunity to those who need it more, as Li Cong said.

After finishing some things, Li Cong turned off the real-time virtual system. This guy is very expensive. It costs 5,000 yuan per hour. Although it doesn’t cost much to Li Cong now, for the entire group, Li Cong held this meeting. Thousands of people came. It’s 5 million RMB. It costs 5 million RMB to hold such a short meeting. It’s great to make money, but it’s also great to spend money. You can’t just look at making money. Can't see money spent.

"Sir, the news has come. The military in the old United States has already quarreled with some people. According to our insider, neither side recognizes what Fang said. The military said that the criminal n Brigadier General has been handed over to them. They asked not to set up a private court, but to resolve it on the table, but the side firmly denied this matter. They believed that this matter was a lie by the military. They did not receive any generals at all. Instead, dozens of them died. Among them is a senior inspector, and they are asking the military for an explanation." Karelina was not here, and she became an intelligence analyst for Li Cong on the 1st, and now this guy is holding the news he just received Come in cheerfully. Seeing the internal strife among his enemies, no matter what, he was very happy.

"Hehe. This is expected. These old beauties have caused such consequences because their internal organizations are too responsible. It's no wonder other people are telling us not to move around on the old beauties. Now it seems that they haven't suspected this matter on us, so other people can't move around. If they really attract their attention, I think our underground activities in Laomei will be very serious. It's over, we just sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight, don't talk nonsense about the 3D party, it doesn't matter what they want to do." Li Cong thought for a while and asked a few words, this 3D party He has always been a powder keg. He is helping Li Cong with his affairs, but Li Cong can't control his ally. Although he is the one who mainly provides them with money now, in Li Cong's view, even if there is no With my own support, they can also live well, so he is equal to people like himself. Li Cong doesn't like these people. In Li Cong's view, if he wants to form an alliance with himself, he has to control it.

The Three-D Party is very strange to Skull and Bones, but it is the same for Li Cong. Li never wants to have such a strange ally, and Li Cong feels that there must be a more powerful party behind the Three-D Party. I don't know the powerful forces, but I don't know how they have such a huge force, so why don't they come to the stage? Maybe this force can rival the Skull and Bones Society, but this world is full of wonders.

Li Cong really didn't expect this incident. Who knew that General Walter was so cooperative, and he was even willing to call out one of his subordinates, and this person was still a general. Things that I dare not think about, here is the reality, Li Cong has turned off the fire on this matter, but the 3D Party inside the old United States doesn't think so, in their view, this is the same as the military. The big pillars, they are all completely controlled by the Skull and Bones, as long as their internal fighting is more severe, the Three-D Party will be able to reap more benefits.

Mike called a group of KKK senior leaders to meet at their headquarters to discuss this matter, and they thought it was an opportunity.

"Everyone, such an opportunity does not come every day. I think we should seize this opportunity to insert our people. According to our calculations, even if this incident is investigated to the present level, the military and at least There will be hundreds of vacancies. In this way, the backs in their training camps must not be enough. Our people can get in. It is foreseeable that in the next two to three years we will The people who are here will step up to the front and start playing the leading role." Said a very wretched guy with glasses, he is the intelligence minister of the KKK.

"Hehe, Lao Jin's words are really good. That's what I meant by calling everyone here today. You all go back and look at those smart guys under your own hands. If they can all be admitted, then after a few years, these people will It will be even more helpful for us to fight against the Skull and Bones at that time. This time, everyone can't hold back. If we miss this opportunity, it is impossible for us to put hundreds of people in. The requirements are not too high, it would be good for us to get a quarter out of hundreds of people, and it would be even better if we could get a third." Mike said with a smile, this guy has been thinking about this these days Now, I can finally infiltrate the military and the two major departments, and my intelligence will definitely rise a lot in the future.

"I'm sorry to interrupt everyone. I don't think this matter is a good thing, because this matter is beyond our control. Let's see where the origin of this matter is? It is Guantanamo Prison, which has never been owned by Skull and Bones. Weak areas, on the contrary, are now more valued by everyone because of the relationship of the energy group. It is very difficult for us to avoid them. Why should we get ourselves into them? It is so close to the naval base of the energy group in Central America , Have you ever thought about whether this matter has anything to do with the energy group? The Skull and Bones are the same group as the energy group, what about us? The gap between us and them is too big, if any of them turn their attention to us , maybe we will have no bones left, so I don't agree to get involved at this time. If this matter has something to do with the energy group, then we can't get in even more. If we get involved, we will be killed by these two big groups. There is no scum at all." Miss Bahrain thought for a while and said, she didn't want to make a sound at first, but she was too blind to see these people. Although she likes Li Cong very much, this organization is the hope of her family for the rest of her life. You can't joke about the future of your family either.

If Miss Bahrain was just a girl in her twenties, she would probably be thrown out if she spoke like that, and he would not be able to get in. No one refuted her words because of the Morgan consortium behind her. This is not a simple matter. Therefore, many people immediately agreed with what Miss Bahrain said. Their strength is good, but compared with the energy group and the Skull and Bones, the gap is too big. It is really courting death to interfere with them. (To be continued..)

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