Cheat day

For the Weary and the Depressed (4)

“That is…”

Kyeong Jeong-bong paused for a moment to collect his thoughts.

“I think it’s excessive. We have crossed the line of what we can offer in good faith.”

Muk Eun-ji took a sip of her tea and then posed a question.

“What is the reason for needing to eat Padak Padak Chicken?”

“Excuse me?”

“I was asking how Padak Padak Chicken’s products compare to others in terms of strengths and differentiation.”

“It’s grain-based, so it’s very crispy. The spicy, non-chewy scallion is also a strong point. Additionally, our special coriander mayo sauce is a unique flavor you won’t find elsewhere. Even those who don’t like coriander can enjoy it.”

“Grain-based chicken and scallions are commonly found in the market, so I guess you could say the coriander mayo is Padak Padak Chicken’s identity.”

Kyeong Jeong-bong slowly nodded.

“I’ve never tried it. Have you, PD Lee Ji-hye?”

“No, this is the first time I’ve heard of it.”

“Exactly. I only found out about the coriander mayo sauce after receiving the inquiry.”

Muk Eun-ji looked Kyeong Jeong-bong in the eye and said, “20,000 won is enough to buy chicken from other brands. The representative items from brands like Kyochon, Gubne, Nene, Yellow Chicken, BBQ, Choga Jip Seasoned Chicken, and Furadak all cost 20,000 won or less. Yet, the only reason customers should choose Padak Padak Chicken is the coriander mayo sauce, which they’ve neither heard of nor tasted.”

“PD, our coriander mayo sauce is a product developed after years of research by our CEO. Customer reactions have been positive, and we now have 70 franchises.”

Kyeong Jeong-bong suppressed his displeasure and emphasized the quality of the coriander mayo sauce.

“Since I have never tasted the coriander mayo sauce, I will order from another chicken franchise. There are many verified chicken franchises out there.”

“……”

“Coriander is a highly polarizing ingredient. While you’ve created a version that even those who can’t or don’t like coriander can enjoy, not many people are aware of it.”

Kyeong Jeong-bong understood what Muk Eun-ji was trying to convey.

“This event will provide an opportunity for people to experience Padak Padak Chicken. It will give perfect motivation to those who had no reason to buy the coriander mayo chicken.”

“For 5,000 people…”

“5,000 households.”

Muk Eun-ji corrected Kyeong Jeong-bong’s statement.

“I understand what you’re saying. However, looking at the age demographics of event participants, it’s more accurate to consider it as 5,000 people.”

“Based on your observation, while the proportion of single-person households is high among event participants, there are also multiple-person households included.”

Since that wasn’t incorrect, Kyeong Jeong-bong nodded, taking a step back.

“And the high participation rate among the younger generation will actually help with promotion. Not only do they mention it directly to their friends, but unique products like coriander mayo are easily shared on social media and community sites. It’s something only younger people can do.”

“Hmm.”

“We’re not spending 100 million won. We’re securing customers from 5,000 households.”

Kyeong Jeong-bong felt a sense of admiration internally.

Hearing Muk Eun-ji’s words made it clear that providing 5,000 chickens in good faith wasn’t merely that; it was a fantastic advertising tool that would allow 5,000 unspecified people to experience Padak Padak Chicken.

He figured that the CEO, who was confident in their product, would also welcome this.

“One moment.”

“Before you go to check, there’s one more thing I need to mention.”

Kyeong Jeong-bong slightly tilted his head.

“I would like all the chickens provided by Padak Padak Chicken to be covered by the headquarters.”

“Excuse me?”

“Not the franchise owners, but the headquarters should cover the costs.”

“Why is that…?”

“Discount events are typically borne by franchise locations. Small business owners end up working harder due to the event, but their profit margins decrease. As the number of items received from the headquarters increases, the only party benefiting from the discount event is the headquarters itself.”

This was a way for the franchise headquarters to exploit its franchisees.

“I hope this situation isn’t used that way.”

“Well, that’s an internal matter for us, so I can’t make any guarantees.”

“In that case, you don’t need to verify this matter. Let’s just forget it.”

“Excuse me?”

“Since you’re providing the chicken, I would like to help promote Padak Padak Chicken. However, if you only want to take credit and pass the burden onto the franchise owners, it would go against the purpose of ‘Happy Together.’ This is not just my personal opinion; the representative of Banchan-yong emphasized this directly.”

“……”

“Manager, is Padak Padak Chicken a good company?”

“Well…”

“If this event goes ahead, you’ll be able to answer that without hesitation. Even if you don’t answer directly, the public will come to view Padak Padak Chicken as a company doing good, a company that works in harmony with its franchisees, a company striving to succeed together.”

Kyeong Jeong-bong was impressed by Muk Eun-ji’s eloquence, even though she was 20 years younger than him.

Listening to her made him want to chuckle.

“Alright. If it proceeds as you say, that would be great. However, there are no guarantees, right?”

“There was a company called Cook Cook that helped us with our lunchbox business. Six months later, Cook Cook’s sales increased by 400%.”

Muk Eun-ji presented documents summarizing the quarterly sales figures of the companies that had assisted with the lunchbox business.

All five companies, starting with Cook Cook, had seen significant success.

“Berry Phone, which was the only one to help during the Great National Trek, experienced a similar result. Its market share among teenagers and young adults increased by 6% in six months.”

Muk Eun-ji showed another document to Kyeong Jeong-bong.

It was a graph showing Berry Phone’s significant inflection point, as it struggled to maintain its share among teens and young adults due to competition from Apple.

“I mentioned that we’ve received inquiries from 11 chicken franchises. I believe you understand why they want to work with Nam Sadangpae.”

“……”

“Because right now, it’s the most talked-about topic in South Korea. Its influence on actual sales and its impact on corporate image management are perfect in every way.”

Muk Eun-ji’s voice remained steady, without any fluctuation or loudness.

Still, Kyeong Jeong-bong couldn’t help but listen to her.

Everything she stated was factual.

“Isn’t that also the reason why Padak Padak Chicken reached out to us?”

He had no way to deny it.

Thinking that they were offering chicken, he had been somewhat complacent, but he had to acknowledge that the decision-making power rested with Nam Sadangpae.

“It’s not a bad thing either.”

Moreover, if they proceeded as Muk Eun-ji suggested, both Nam Sadangpae and Padak Padak Chicken would benefit.

“Then…”

“However, there are some concerns.”

“Excuse me?”

Kyeong Jeong-bong was surprised and repeated the question, eager to conclude the discussion.

“I’m wondering whether Padak Padak Chicken can distribute chicken to the event participants nationwide. From what I’ve learned, the locations are concentrated in the Seoul and Gyeonggi areas. I can’t be sure if there’s any appeal for Padak Padak Chicken gift cards for those living in other regions.”

“About that…”

Kyeong Jeong-bong thought for a moment before offering a response.

“The number of franchise locations is steadily increasing. I think extending the coupon expiration date would solve the problem.”

“That solution won’t work. Let’s look at it from the perspective of the winners. They won the coupon, but when they search for stores to use it, they find none in their area. They won’t know when one will open, and they’ll be uncertain about when they can go to an area that has one or if they will even be able to eat it. Naturally, they’ll end up listing the coupons on secondhand trading sites.”

“……That does seem likely.”

As Kyeong Jeong-bong struggled to find words, Muk Eun-ji packed her documents and stood up.

“It seems that we won’t be able to proceed with this matter. Thank you for your kindness.”

“Wait, just a moment.”

As Muk Eun-ji’s demeanor changed, Lee Ji-hye was also surprised when Kyeong Jeong-bong hurriedly spoke up.

“A month from now, we will be releasing meal kit products. They’re designed to make fried chicken using an air fryer, priced at 13,000 won each. It includes our cilantro mayo sauce as well. How about we send two to those living in regional areas?”

Muk Eun-ji stared at Kyeong Jeong-bong before slowly sitting back down.

“That approach would certainly be welcomed by the winners. If we give them the option to choose between two options, it would suit each person’s circumstances perfectly.”

“Exactly! Then…”

“Yes. It seems that Padak Padak Chicken can handle this event.”

With Muk Eun-ji giving a positive response, Kyeong Jeong-bong felt like he wanted to cheer.

By providing chicken exclusively for the Happy Together event, they could not only establish a strong brand image but also significantly promote their cilantro mayo fried chicken.

Feeling intoxicated by the thought that he had resolved what could have been overlooked due to the limited number of franchise locations with his quick thinking, Kyeong Jeong-bong wanted to immediately share this joyful news and his accomplishment with his uncle, the representative of Padak Padak Chicken, Kyeom-ho.

“So, how about 5,000 chicken exchange coupons and 5,000 meal kit products?”

“Excuse me?”

“We’ll need double the quantity since we can cover both the capital area and the provinces.”

Cold sweat began to trickle down Kyeong Jeong-bong’s forehead.

***

As Kyeong Jeong-bong left to confirm details with the headquarters, Lee Ji-hye lowered her voice.

“Where did you learn to do this?”

“It was something I did every day.”

Lee Ji-hye opened her mouth in admiration.

“Do you really think we’ll get 10,000 chickens?”

“I threw a bit of a provocation, and seeing his flustered reaction made it clear that he holds his own product in high regard. Since it was developed by the representative himself, I figured there wouldn’t be a major issue.”

“Wow.”

Lee Ji-hye shook her head in disbelief.

“What about the lack of franchises? What were you going to do if we couldn’t give any to the people in the provinces?”

“I already knew that the meal kit products would be on sale soon.”

“Then you should have mentioned that from the start.”

“If I bring it up first, it would only reveal my intentions. If I make them realize how important this event is, they’ll find a way to make it happen. Since I’m here and am the representative’s niece, I assumed I had some decision-making power and was a capable person. When the conversation started to stall, I took the risk to leave, and just as expected, it worked out.”

As Muk Eun-ji finished speaking, Lee Ji-hye gave her a thumbs up with both hands.