"Are you trying to create a narrative that positions Yiyang Flash Sale as a victim after the regulations are issued?" Chen Yiyang seemed to understand Liu Xiaoyue's idea.
If, after the new regulations are issued, Ugly Group and Yiyang Flash Sale both begin revealing that each other's platform hosts non-dine-in restaurants engaging in fraudulent activities,
then users will find it difficult to identify who is telling the truth and who is lying.
Although in the eyes of the general public, the newly emerged Yiyang Flash Sale, which doesn't have historical black marks, enjoys a better reputation than Ugly Group.
But once Ugly Group employs marketing tactics and muddies the waters,
many people will inevitably believe Ugly Group's claims and think that Yiyang Flash Sale's platform also hosts fraudulent businesses.
Moreover, the means of generating public opinion by online trolls in the domestic network have become quite malicious now.
The most typical tactic is to start with a headline that doesn't contain any company names.
For example: After the issuance of new regulations by the Market Supervision Bureau, many third-party delivery platforms still have fraudulent non-dine-in merchants.
Then the article's content is full of criticism of such fraudulent behaviors, but it doesn't mention any platform names, as if it's not targeting any particular platform.
However, in the news images accompanying the article, there might be pictures of Yiyang Flash Sale delivery personnel wearing clothing emblazoned with obvious Yiyang Flash Sale logos, or directly showing screenshots of the Yiyang Flash Sale delivery platform.
At the same time, at the very bottom of these images, there will be a very small line saying that the images are unrelated to the text.
This kind of tactic was used extensively by various media during the competition among new energy vehicles.
For example, a car owner of a new energy brand drove drunk at night, and in the news report, it didn't mention what brand of car the owner was driving.
Then, the news image was a picture of a car with the logo of another car brand.
This image was so prominent that it let any reader instantly know which car company it was, making them ignore a small line at the bottom of the image stating that the image is unrelated to the text.
This way, legally, the media doesn't commit libel.
Because they stated the images are unrelated to the text and were simply randomly chosen, they didn't claim the car brand in the image was the brand of the car driven by the drunk driver.
But in today's fast-paced era, readers typically glance at the headline, skim the content, then look at the image.
This makes it easy for readers to combine the few pieces of information they see and conclude that the drunk driver was driving a car of the brand depicted in the image.
Liu Xiaoyue is worried about this too.
Even if Yiyang Flash Sale is perfect.
There are no fraudulent non-dine-in delivery merchants on the platform.
They can't stop Ugly Group from using such tactics to smear Yiyang Flash Sale.
At that time, it might even happen that the evidence Chen Yiyang gathered showing Ugly Group merchants as fraudulent non-dine-in delivery merchants gets published with images of Yiyang Flash Sale, treated as news by Ugly Group's hired media.
"So, what are your plans?" Chen Yiyang asked Liu Xiaoyue. "Are we just going to play dead after the regulations are issued and let Ugly Group smear us?"
"Of course not." Liu Xiaoyue quickly shared her thoughts.
"In today's public opinion arena, smearing the opponent is always more effective than clarifying oneself.
Because the general public is more likely to click on content with dirt and criticism.
As they say, 'It takes one sentence to start a rumor, but breaking a rumor takes an exhausting effort.'
If we let Ugly Group smear us, no matter how fast we clarify, we can't keep up with Ugly Group's smearing speed.
But if we don't engage in a war of words with Ugly Group on whether there are non-dine-in delivery merchants, and instead directly target the points that make Ugly Group most infuriating, would the effect be better?
Later, even if people see Ugly Group smearing Yiyang Flash Sale, they would first focus their hatred and anger on Ugly Group.
This way, Yiyang Flash Sale will have ample time to clear its name."
"Which point of Ugly Group should we smear?" Chen Yiyang found Liu Xiaoyue's strategic approach reasonable.
But targeting which point about Ugly Group would be most effective?
"Ugly Group recently released a news, take a look, Mr. Chen." Liu Xiaoyue said as she handed a tablet to Chen Yiyang.
Chen Yiyang took the tablet and discovered a promotional news from Ugly Group itself: Ugly Group announced via its official WeChat account that its rider pension subsidies have officially been nationwide coverage.
Moreover, the official content of the news also mentioned that, besides the newly added pension subsidies, Ugly Group had already provided work meals, physical check-ups, female care, family trips, and vocational training, among other job benefits, to riders.
It looks full of positive energy.
But being an old hand at public opinion matters, Chen Yiyang immediately saw the problem.
That is, what Ugly Group promises to provide riders is not pension insurance, but pension subsidies.
Just two words different, but the meanings they represent are worlds apart!
Providing pension insurance would mean Ugly Group has to align itself with Yiyang Flash Sale.
Offering social security and health insurance to all full-time riders on the platform.
For Ugly Group, such massive expenses are unbearable.
But providing pension subsidies is different.
Subsidy is subsidy; giving one dollar is a subsidy, giving ten dollars is also a subsidy.
Moreover, the premise of subsidy is that the rider has to first pay for social security out of pocket, then present the evidence of paid social security to the platform, who will then provide the subsidy.
Firstly, this basic point already screens out seventy to eighty percent of the riders.
Because most riders, due to life pressures, generally only pay for health insurance, not social security.
Ugly Group surely knows this, so it's generously announcing subsidies for riders.
In reality, most riders receive no such subsidy at all.
Also, given that it's a subsidy, not all riders can enjoy this benefit.
The platform internally will surely limit the people who can qualify for this benefit.
Such as requiring a certain number of deliveries to be completed on Ugly Group each month, earning a certain amount, before granting the subsidy.
This means yet another batch of people is screened out.
So, in the end, this subsidy is likely similar to Ugly Group's boastful family trips, physical exams, female care, and other benefits—only a small part can enjoy them.
"As long as we clearly inform the public of Ugly Group's wordplay, then Ugly Group's promotion will instead become a reason for people to dislike and hate Ugly Group."
Liu Xiaoyue continued, "Not only can grassroots workers see through Ugly Group's promotional tricks, but many regular white-collar workers outsourcing can also empathize."
What Liu Xiaoyue said, Chen Yiyang wholeheartedly agreed with.
No other reason but because now, numerous major companies opting for outsourcing policies and practices have aroused discontent among all wage earners.
Now it's not only different pay for the same work, but even corresponding benefits have discriminations between permanent staff and outsourced staff.
