Chapter 17
Chapter 17. What is Marketing? (5)
Bellaby stayed in Nortaris for three out of the total seven-day charity event before departing.
Two ballroom attendances, one newspaper interview, one banquet, one street parade.
It was an incredibly diligent external activity schedule, unbelievable for Bellaby during vacation season.
And there was one common keyword that existed in all these external activities.
Cola.
Her footprints left in Nortaris were always accompanied by Cola.
"Cola, what is that?"
The majority of the noble class didn't even know of Cola's existence.
It wasn't strange since it was a beverage that had just started to trend at the End of the Galley, a place they'd never have reason to visit in their lifetime.
Among them, some who kept a close eye on market trends thought this way:
"Isn't that for the lower classes only?"
A beverage that had been branded with the disgraceful stigma of being 'for the lower classes only.'
The reason this gets the past tense 'had been branded' is...
"For the lower classes only? Hey, you bastard. Is Lady Bellaby a commoner?"
"What? No, no she isn't."
Because that was no longer the case.
Bellaby always ordered Cola when participating in balls.
Cola served in a long, transparent Collins glass with finely crushed ice and topped with a lime wheel became her signature order in just two occasions.
Everyone in the ballroom etched that sight clearly in their eyes.
"The beverage Lady Bellaby drank was Cola?"
"That's what I'm telling you! I thought I was watching a movie! The atmosphere when she sat at the cocktail bar with her legs crossed, lost in thought while drinking Cola— Really, wow, what should I do... Just thinking about it makes me want to cry."
"What an exaggeration... Even so, Bellaby is of commoner origin, isn't she?"
"What did you say? What did you just say?"
"Did I say something wrong?"
Of course, not everyone was pleased with this.
The Jewel of Britannia had as many who looked unfavorably upon her success as she had fame.
However, the public was already infinitely favorable toward Bellaby.
Wasn't Bellaby the one who dispelled the dishonor of Nortaris social circles being called the second division?
"Should I consider that statement as the official position of the Winslow family?"
"I heard Lord Winslow's narrow-minded and petty evaluation well. You know our family owns a newspaper, right?"
"Ahem, that's not what I meant. I misspoke. Sorry, sorry. No, really, I'm truly sorry???"
The people's attention poured onto the mysterious beverage, Cola, enough to suppress small complaints.
"Waiter, one Cola here."
"One here too, please."
"This is... an indescribable taste."
"The bubbles burst like fireworks while sweetness envelops... This is unexpectedly elegant?"
"Why did I only learn about such a mysterious beverage now..."
"I'll reveal this now, but actually I've been drinking one glass of Cola every morning for a long time."
"How about we make a special toast with Cola at today's gathering?"
Cola began to be consumed like a trend in salons, theaters, clubs, banquet halls and such.
As Jurgen had intended, it broke existing prejudices and established itself as a trend.
Up to this point, it was sufficiently within the expected range.
However, Bellaby's supporting fire wasn't over yet.
Wherever she went, she kept an elegantly packaged Cola bottle tucked diagonally in her handbag.
She publicly showed herself drinking it from time to time.
What drove the nail in was the interview with Nortaris' largest newspaper.
Q. First, we deeply thank you for visiting Nortaris and gracing us with your presence. You're famous for not moving much during vacation season, but is there a particular reason you visited the Nortaris charity event?
A. I've been interested for a long time. I've always heard it's a city with unique charm. Indeed, coming here in person, it's a lovely city overflowing with energy and vitality. Though it's a bit cold (laughs).
Q. You mentioned there was another reason for your visit. You brought Cola directly not only to the banquet hall but also to this interview setting. Is the purpose of visiting Nortaris because of Cola?
A. That's right. Actually, these days it's hard to start the day without Cola. When I want to find leisure and take a breather, a sip of Cola brings comfort. I heard it's a specialty of Nortaris, and I think about half of my love for this city is occupied by Cola.
Q. It's an honor. Do you plan to continue enjoying Cola after this visit as well?
A. Of course. Cola is already part of my life.
An interview that refreshingly scratched Nortaris citizens' inferiority complex while fully satisfying their desire for recognition.
And Cola was mentioned an incredible 27 times in the roughly 15-minute interview.
"But was Cola originally a specialty of Nortaris?"
Such minor doubts were raised, but hardly anyone paid attention to them.
"Don't know? But Lady Bellaby said so."
"Eh, what then, so it is a Nortaris specialty."
As a result.
The article containing that interview was published on the front page with a door-sized headline.
<Cola, the Proud Specialty of Nortaris That Bellaby Blancville Loves!>
"What in the world is this..."
Jurgen, who had been keeping his shop shutters down while observing the situation, lost his words after checking the newspaper.
Though Bellaby had promised to help, he never expected her to support it this definitively.
"Indeed, one must be generous first in this world..."
Emotion crashed over him like a tsunami, making him think he'd lived his life quite well.
The 'for the lower classes only' stigma that had been stamped on Cola was already peeled off.
Bellaby's wingbeat, which was expected to create small ripples, had become a storm sweeping through Nortaris.
When Jurgen entered Brellum Shopping Street for the first time in a while, he wondered if he'd taken the wrong path.
This wasn't the Ghost Commercial District that was usually so desolate you could see mirages of tumbleweeds rolling by.
"No, where did Brellum Street go and why is there a refugee camp..."
It was teeming with people.
He could see street stall owners from the End of the Galley, and people properly dressed in suits scattered in between.
With rows of tents and awnings, and carriages and vehicles parked on the roadside, there wasn't a single spot to step.
"Kuk!"
Just then, a hand stretched out from an alley and snatched the back of Jurgen's neck.
Startled, he turned around to see Penelope wearing a large-brimmed floppy hat pulled down deep.
"Oh, Miss Penelope. It's been a while."
"Shh, keep your voice down. If they see you now, it'll be troublesome."
"What's all this about?"
"What have you been doing, not showing even your nose anywhere? No wait, that's not what's important right now."
"Please explain."
"Thanks to Lady Bellaby, demand for Cola has exploded. But you and I have both been away for a while."
Cola was truly enjoying sensational popularity.
In contrast, Cola's supply was extremely limited.
About the amount Jurgen and Penelope had made and sold by hand through word of mouth.
Even that was usually sold out in a day at the End of the Galley.
But since the two had cut off supply, the Cola stock released to the market was instantly depleted.
Everyone was thirsting for the 'specialty of Nortaris,' but the suppliers had suddenly disappeared—how could it turn out otherwise?
"Then those people are..."
"Right, people waiting to buy Cola. I guarantee if you get caught there, you'll never escape?"
"To think it would become like this... I don't understand worldly affairs."
Watching the bewildered Jurgen, Penelope's lips twitched.
Actually, her mouth was still itching even now.
Who was it that persuaded Bellaby to become Cola's promotional ambassador?
None other than this person, Penelope Rosemore.
But she couldn't say that with her own mouth.
Because...
If she did, wouldn't Jurgen find out that Penelope was from the Rosemore family?
That would contradict her original purpose of establishing noble dignity with Jurgen.
Ah, what to do?
It's troublesome when a person is too outstanding.
Self-intoxicated mode Penelope shook her head from side to side.
"Miss Penelope, why are you fidgeting like a puppy that needs to pee?"
"What?! Is that something to say to a lady?"
"S-sorry. Don't hit me."
"...It's a bit awkward to talk here. Isn't there somewhere good?"
"As it happens, my rented room is nearby."
"Then guide me there."
For now, the two moved to Jurgen's rented house to plan ahead.
The two moved stealthily like stray cats, worried they might attract attention.
"This way. It's a bit messy."
"It really is messy."
"Would you help me clean a bit?"
"Why should I?"
Jurgen's rented house was located on the second floor of a wooden building.
It was so cluttered that you'd think he really put a lot of care into the shop, so she helped clean roughly and sat in a chair.
The accompanying beverage was naturally Cola.
Let's organize the situation at this point.
"You saw it too, right? Those people lining up in front of the shop earlier."
"Most of them were well-dressed."
"Right, they're attendants of distinguished people."
The popularity of Cola blazing like scorching sun.
The extreme drought-like scarcity phenomenon occurring in high society.
Only these two held the key to quench that thirst.
The promised path to jackpot was laid out like a red carpet.
"What are you thinking of doing?"
"What would you like to do, Miss Penelope?"
"What do you mean? We need to make and sell Cola as quickly as possible. Before the trend passes."
"Oho."
As he'd felt before, Penelope was quite clever.
Though she still had aspects like a hothouse flower, even while everyone was caught up in frenzy, she instinctively perceived the nature of trends.
A storm where the public's fickleness like turbulence intertwined.
The temporary nature of not knowing when it might disappear despite its intensity—that was the essence of trends.
Unfurling sails in the storm for swift sailing was certainly a good idea, but...
"I think a bit differently."
Using the storm wasn't enough.
He planned to make the storm even fiercer.
Watching this series of events, Jurgen naturally recalled a historical incident.
The Dutch Tulip Mania.
A representative event that comes to mind when thinking of the first 'bubble economy phenomenon.'
At that time, Amsterdam was a capital hub where the world's money flowed in, and the overflowing money concentrated on one product called 'tulips.'
The price of tulips, which came to represent the wealth and status of the upper class, soared sky-high.
When speculation overheated, it's said that the price of one tulip bulb rivaled the price of six decent mansions.
Then let's compare that historical speculation fever stage to the current situation.
Cola had become a luxury item preferred by nobles through Bellaby's halo.
Its price would rise as much as it wanted following Cola's scarcity.
No, rather, the more expensive it became, the higher value it would be assigned and become an object of envy.
For a while, all produced Cola would be bought at high prices and end up in the hands of the wealthy or speculators.
His thinking was organized.
"From now on, we'll make Cola even more scarce. To the point where only a small privileged class can get their hands on it."
Penelope's eyes, which had been tilting her head, became round.
The intelligent girl soon understood the implications in his words and made a satisfied snort.
"Good, I understand. You're saying let's fleece the nobles?"
"Huh, you speak too frighteningly. Please call it customer-tailored limited edition supply."
"I see you in a new light. You're more fox-like than you appear?"
"First, I'll seek Miss Penelope's agreement. Would it be alright to proceed like this?"
"Of course. I absolutely hate nobles."
"...?"
Though Jurgen was puzzled by Penelope's sudden self-criticism, anyway.
The Cola glasses of the two people with cunning smiles clinked together.