[Chapter 590: Fan Management System and the Prototype of a Media Empire]
Linton didn't stay in Washington for long. After completing his scheduled tasks, he flew back to Los Angeles on Friday. However, this time, there was a new addition to his entourage: a beautiful woman. She was Denise, the most outstanding granddaughter from a collateral branch of the Newt Gingrich's family -- the Syndicate leader Newt had gifted her to Linton as a servant.
Of course, Linton had no intention of accepting Denise as a servant, nor would he easily take her under his wing. Though she was pretty, at best, she was on par with an average college campus beauty queen. Compared to the glamorous members of his harem, she simply didn't measure up. More importantly, she lacked any real fanbase or popularity boost, which meant she wasn't useful for Linton's cultivation.
Under Linton's soul induction, Denise soon disclosed every detail of her background and experiences. Like most girls, she had been in several relationships before and had lost her virginity early on. This only diminished Linton's interest further.
As expected, Newt Gingrich, that crafty old fox, couldn't bear to send his genuine granddaughter to Linton. Denise was just a distant relative after all. But Linton wasn't overly concerned about her lineage. What caught his attention was that Denise was an outstanding graduate from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business, majoring in Operations and Information Management -- a top-ranked business school worldwide. Being a distinguished graduate, she undoubtedly possessed real talent.
Placed in the right position, she could prove quite valuable. Plus, during her school years, she had been an active core member of her own fanclub, organizing various fan events. Hearing this, Linton recalled his idea from earlier in the year -- he wanted to strengthen fan management by establishing a tiered fan system.
However, considering the limited convenience of existing online tools at the time, implementing a smooth fan tier management system had proven difficult. Since Bella had been assigned as the head of the online publicity department (essentially leading the internet fan army), the position remained unsettled for lack of a proper candidate. The job was delayed for some time.
Now, with Denise suddenly appearing -- a highly capable fresh graduate from Wharton and a fan herself -- it was only fitting to entrust the task to her. As a newly graduated young woman, starting directly as a department manager in his company was a meaningful nod to Newt Gingrich's friendship.
With that thought, Linton briefly shared the then-modern concept of tiered fan management with Denise. Although Twitter and Facebook hadn't materialized yet, forums on the internet were booming, especially Yahoo forums' celebrity fan boards -- the perfect playground for fans.
Additionally, ICQ, the emerging network communication tool, had become widespread. By the end of last year, thanks to a suggestion Linton submitted through Winnie, ICQ had developed group functionalities. These two tools gave a solid foundation for fan tier management and coordination. Coupled with the growing popularity of the Amazon e-commerce platform, managing fan merchandise and peripherals became far easier.
However, critical questions remained: how to define fan ranks, set upgrade thresholds, determine different welfare perks for each fan level, and balance data contributions versus merchandise purchases during fan progression. These required detailed regulations that Denise, the incoming department manager, would develop and report back to him.
In fact, in the fan economy of the future, fan merchandise would be extremely lucrative -- essentially harvesting profits relentlessly. But Linton viewed this differently; he cared little about that kind of profit. What he valued most was the fans' continuous contribution to his popularity enhancement.
Thus, he explicitly instructed Denise that fan merchandise profits should never exceed 10 percent. All profits would be reinvested into fanclub operations to strengthen cohesion -- paying salaries and bonuses to core fan leaders worldwide and organizing fan events.
...
Denise had initially expected to work as Linton's assistant or even just a pretty ornament at best. She had mentally prepared herself for such a role. She never imagined Linton would completely rewrite the playbook by handing her a powerful platform to fully showcase her skills.
As a Wharton prodigy specialized in operations and information management, Denise well understood the vast scale of Linton's fanbase and how crucial these fans were to his entertainment career. Hearing his proposal for a tiered fan management system, she grasped its value and feasibility immediately.
Thinking about her new, significant responsibilities under Linton's banner, she was certain her career path wouldn't be any less promising than staying within her own family's influence.
Along with joy came some lingering anxiety. This didn't align with the family elder's original intention for sending her to Linton: to serve him loyally, win his favor, and strengthen ties between the families.
But now the situation was turning upside down -- Linton was giving her a career platform rather than a servant's role. She worried about how her grandfather would react to this news, fearing potential upheaval.
Her conflicted expression showed, and Linton noticed, asking, "What's wrong? Do you have any doubts?"
"I'm sorry. The system you proposed is excellent, and I believe I can help implement it. I'm just thinking that my grandfather sent me here to assist and serve you, but now you're giving me such an important platform, and it feels... different." Denise replied hesitantly.
"That's fine. Since he entrusted you to me, how I assign your work is up to me. Just tell me if you can do the job well and are willing to do so."
"Of course, I'm eager and confident to manage your fan operations."
"Then that's all I need. Don't overthink it. Prepare well. Also, whether you officially become the department manager depends on if your plans meet my standards."
"So you don't need me to serve you directly?"
"What would I need you to serve me for? I have assistants, a secretarial team for work, and plenty of household staff to handle everything at home. Focus on your job -- don't waste your talent."
Hearing Linton's words, Denise felt genuine respect. As a modern woman educated at an elite institution, she naturally had strong career ambitions and felt a surge of inspiration.
"Thank you, boss. I will work hard."
Still, a subtle hint of disappointment lingered. Did Linton overlook her? Was it her looks? She secretly resolved to excel in fan management and prove her worth. She wanted to command Linton's attention with her charm so that sooner or later, he would truly admire her.
Everything was just beginning.
...
Back in Los Angeles, anticipating his upcoming four-month shoot in Mexico with the film crew, Linton sequentially summoned top-level meetings with Linton Media Group and Universal Studios, briefing them on the next phase of work.
Last year, Linton Media Group's overall performance was phenomenal, with subsidiaries advancing steadily. Total profits soared to $3.65 billion -- second only in the U.S. to media giant Time Warner, which publicly reported $4.1 billion in profits.
Linton's group even surpassed Viacom, the country's second-largest media company, which made $3.4 billion last year.
Fortunately, Linton Media Group wasn't publicly listed and didn't disclose earnings. Otherwise, their true profit capabilities would shake the industry.
Although highly profitable, Linton Media Group's true influence still fell short of legacy media giants like Viacom and News Corp.
Among its assets, the highly profitable UPN Network, led by CEO Chris, aggressively pursued a growth plan, achieving breakthroughs in variety shows, dramas, and news. The channel count expanded from two to five, with 96% market coverage, ranking as America's fifth-largest network.
MCA Television brought in $1.5 billion in profits last year.
Linton's film company also performed well -- its seven movies all blockbuster hits. Mission: Impossible, directed by and starring Linton, took in $1.031 billion globally, breaking box office records.
Additionally, the film company received $50 million in cultural support from the federal government and another $50 million from the International Development Agency. Coupled with federal tax exemptions, last year's profit summed to $1.35 billion.
The Fire Elf Games company rode the wave with Tomb Raider and Resident Evil, releasing upgraded versions in summer that covered European and Japanese markets. Both games sold over ten million copies each, generating $450 million in profits.
Meanwhile, the Meluva Publishing House rapidly expanded, thanks to Linton's roster of prolific ghostwriters producing hit books. Their sales network now spanned 43 countries, including most European nations, Australia, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Brazil, and Argentina, cementing its status as a globally influential publishing company.
At the start of last year, the first book in the Harry Potter series became a global sensation, selling 60 million copies. JK Rowling had already completed second part of Harry Potter based on Linton's outline and was awaiting his approval. It would launch next month and was set to be another blockbuster.
Meluva's profits last year reached $280 million.
Newspaper and magazine holdings, built up through over three years of acquisitions, put Linton Media Group in control of 71 local papers and four magazines across the U.S., covering most American cities.
Though these print assets bolstered media influence and shaped public opinion, their profit generation was more modest -- just over $70 million last year.
Universal Studios Group also delivered strong results following Linton's sweeping reforms, boasting $3.1 billion in profits last year.
The standout was Universal Records, which earned $1.05 billion, largely thanks to Linton himself. His albums alone raked in $580 million, with two concerts adding another $120 million.
More importantly, the company signed promising new talents via America's Got Talent: Britney Spears, Eminem, and Adam Levine. Britney's potential was so huge that both Linton and Daniel independently predicted she could rival the top five female superstars nationwide if properly nurtured. She was a true money-maker in the making.
This success elevated Universal Records to an independent subsidiary directly under Universal Group.
MCA Television made a stunning comeback last year, thanks to the overwhelming success of America's Got Talent, which aired 22 episodes averaging 5.9% viewership, peaking at 8.1% for the final.
The show alone grossed $400 million domestically, with even larger revenue from international licensing. So far, rights had sold to 37 countries, earning $330 million upfront and $280 million in royalties last year alone, with earnings expected to double this year.
America's Got Talent was the catalyst for MCA's dramatic turnaround.
Adding the hit cartoon SpongeBob SquarePants, plus related merchandise and overseas licensing, brought in over $500 million more.
With ample cash flow, the network, led by new CEO Melman, invested heavily in an "MCA rise" strategy, addressing weaknesses across sectors to become America's sixth-largest network.
Despite huge investments, MCA Television still posted $870 million in profits.
Universal Pictures also set new records, thanks to hits like Twister, Apollo 13, and joint projects with Linton Films like Mission: Impossible and Charlie's Angels, plus overseas distribution of Nutty Professor and Ransom.
Last year's profits hit $850 million, ranking first among Hollywood's Big Seven studios.
Putnam Publishing excelled under Sharon Layman, who restructured magazines and newspapers, continually enhancing the print media's influence. Its flagship magazine Wave became one of America's top four women's magazines, capturing significant fashion industry clout.
Other subsidiaries -- Cineplex Odeon theaters, Universal Amphitheaters, and Universal Studios theme parks -- also performed well.
The whole Universal Group generated $3.1 billion in profits.
Yet, beyond profits, the real power of the media group lay in its enormous control over public discourse -- sometimes rivaling political influence.
Last year's marketing campaigns for films and albums, along with image promotions for Linton and his harem, played huge roles.
Even scandalous rumors generally avoided them. For example, last month, when Roger and others tried to stir public opinion online, insinuating that Linton might be the mastermind behind the murders of Hoffman, Robert, and Gittens' entire families, most mainstream and traditional media turned a blind eye.
The main reason was Linton's overwhelming control of media narratives -- no one dared to provoke or speak recklessly.
In essence, Linton's media empire was already taking shape.
The next step was to wait for advancements in internet technology and infrastructure. He planned to dominate three online sectors -- search, social networking, and open platforms -- targeting Google, Facebook, and Twitter respectively.
Once broadband improved further, he would launch a streaming platform akin to Netflix.
At that point, he could truly establish an all-encompassing media empire across land, sea, and air.
*****
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