Chapter 52 Surrounding Strategy
He paused, his gaze sharply dissecting the current situation.
"More importantly, at present, pokémon is only a project; the animation and electronic pets haven't been released yet, so the true value of the IP has not been revealed."
"We currently lack sufficient confidence to demand overly harsh conditions."
"For example, using only our Sega brand."
Mr. Suzuki took a deep breath; Takuya's words enlightened him, bringing him down from his earlier excitement and making him recognize the challenges of reality.
Takuya looked at Mr. Suzuki's solemn expression and continued, "Therefore, our bottom line is to achieve a co-branding partnership."
"The most important thing is for plush toys bearing the 'Pokemon x San-X' logo to successfully enter their sales channels. As for whether we can secure the right to only use our Sega logo, that would naturally be a huge victory, but it's very difficult, so there's no need to force it; prioritize achieving the partnership."
Mr. Suzuki silently noted this core objective.
Then, Takuya changed the subject, revealing a backup plan that somewhat surprised Mr. Suzuki.
"Besides, San-X isn't our only option."
"Remember, we still have cards to play."
He looked at Mr. Suzuki, a hint of cunning flashing in his eyes.
"Go investigate the situation at Mattel."
"Although Barbie remains strong, in recent years she has faced fierce competition from Disney Princess series, and a significant portion of her market share has been eroded."
"They also urgently need a powerful, promising new IP to consolidate their market, and even to counter Disney's impact."
"Understanding their needs and intentions might become an important bargaining chip when we negotiate with San-X."
"If all else fails, Mattel can also be our alternative plan."
Mr. Suzuki's eyes lit up, his mind instantly opened.
He hadn't expected Takuya to not only consider the difficulty of the negotiation but also to have thought of alternative plans and strategies for leveraging competitors to create momentum.
Takuya seemed to read his mind and added, "Not just Mattel."
"Other powerful toy manufacturers, like Bandai, can also be included in the scope of investigation. The more information we gather, the more initiative we hold. These are my suggestions. If you have other ideas and approaches, you can also improve upon them based on what I've said, because, after all, you are the professionals in business negotiations, unlike me, who only knows how to throw money around." Takuya even made a self-deprecating remark at the end.
Hearing that Takuya not only entrusted him with a significant task but also provided such clear strategic thinking and layered alternative plans, even considering the dynamics of competitors, Mr. Suzuki felt a surge of warmth in his heart.
The immense pressure he had initially felt had now transformed into strong motivation and an almost worshipful admiration for his young superior.
This was no longer simple business negotiation guidance; this was teaching him how to strategize and command.
"Understood, Nakayama-san!"
Mr. Suzuki straightened his back, his gaze firm.
"I will go all out, make extensive contacts, investigate thoroughly, and strive to secure the best cooperation terms for pokémon!"
Takuya nodded with satisfaction, reached out and patted his shoulder, his tone a little more relaxed.
"Relax, Suzuki-san, just do your best."
"Remember, we are creating a great endeavor; enjoying the process itself is also very interesting, isn't it?"
Suzuki nodded heavily, his eyes gleaming with the light of "fighting spirit."
He understood that this was not just a business negotiation task.
It was also a test of trust and ability given to him by Takuya Nakayama, and perhaps, an opportunity for advancement.
He absolutely could not fail this expectation.
By the time the two returned to the Sega Headquarters building, the sky had completely plunged into inky blackness.
Only the office floors remained brightly lit, reflecting the unique busy scene of a city night.
After bidding Takuya farewell in the brightly lit lobby, Mr. Suzuki did not delay for a moment.
He even felt his steps were a few points faster than usual, carrying a sense of urgent mission.
He hurried back to his workstation, not even taking the time to hang up his suit jacket, simply draping it over the back of his chair, and immediately pulled out his keys to open the Market Department's file cabinet.
San-X, Mattel, Bandai… the names of these industry giants now rotated in his mind like a carousel.
He took a deep breath and began to search the company's internal database for detailed information on these companies.
He also looked for company contacts who could provide information on these companies, and so on.
Market share reports, financial statements for the past three years, main product line analysis, senior management background, recent public strategic movements…
As he quickly searched, information poured in like a tide, and he swiftly jotted down key points in his notebook.
San-X's channel advantage was indeed appealing, but their cooperation attitude had always been tough.
As for Mattel, although the market fatigue of Barbie dolls was not obvious, it was already showing signs, and their desire for new growth points might become a breakthrough.
As for Bandai, while models and special effects were their strengths, they had always been involved in the plush toy market and could not be ignored, and plastic toys and various small peripheral items were also indispensable.
The desk was quickly covered with printed documents and drafts.
Which company should he contact first? How should he phrase things? Where should the negotiation entry point be?
Countless questions came flooding in, causing Mr. Suzuki a slight dizziness, but more so, a sense of exhilaration.
He rubbed his slightly aching temples and got up to make a bitter cup of strong coffee in the pantry.
The steaming coffee slowly went down, as if igniting the engine within him.
He sat down again, his gaze falling on "Pokemon x San-X," the bottom line set by Takuya.
He must first ensure the achievement of this goal.
Mr. Suzuki steadied himself, looked at the information he had previously recorded in his notebook, and began to draft preliminary contact plans and negotiation outlines, carefully choosing his words.
Meanwhile, Takuya Nakayama redirected his energy back to the pokémon electronic pet project itself.
The hardware structure of the pokémon electronic pet would not consume too much time for the Hardware Development Department. When reviewing the approval documents just now, Takuya had already seen the final design proposal submitted by the Hardware Development Department, and it was just waiting for this batch of samples to pass testing before finalization.
He also needed to continuously follow up and supervise the progress of software development. Currently, the UI design is basically complete, and the core pet nurturing logic is undergoing bug fixes. Only the communication interaction programming remains, along with endurance testing and battery replacement record saving tests. It won't be long before it enters the overall joint debugging phase.