Carlos banged his fist on the desk in anger. “What do you mean, ‘quarterly losses of 22 million?'” I thought you said this was a sure thing, Travis!”
Travis, CEO of Booze Cruise Unlimited, shrunk away from his angry investor. “It is, Carlos, it is. We just need more money. People love you, man, and they love going on a you-themed cruise.”
“Why would this time be any different than the last four times I handed over my entire yearly paycheck?”
Travis smiled and walked over to where a posterboard was covered with a sheet. “I’m so very glad you asked, Carlos. We have a new strategy for attracting and retaining customers. This new feature of our cruise ship will convert any on-the-fence tourist into a surefire Booze Cruise patron!” He whipped off the covering to reveal his grand plans.
After a few seconds of confused staring, Carlos was able to respond. “Um, Travis, that really sucks,” he said, gazing uneasily at the poor-quality 3D rendering of a giant Carlos Boozer head, its protruding tongue turned into a forty-foot waterslide.
“Yeah, well, the ‘Carlos Pregame Experience’ that you insisted we install last year didn’t go over so well, either,” Travis responded easily. “Listen, man, I love you, but you gotta leave this stuff to the pros. I’ve got a team of thirty marketers working around the clock to craft the finest Booze Cruise experience we can. And this is what they came up with. Just trust me. We only need fifty million dollars to build this thing at the front of the boat. You’ll easily see five times that coming back into your pockets within the next five years.”
Carlos took out his checkbook, but he still looked distrustful. “You sure, Travis? Because if you ain’t 100% sure, I’m thinking we just put more money into the ‘Booze Bar’. You know everybody that goes on these cruises is a big-time alcoholic.”
“Don’t worry, big fella,” Travis cooed, waving away Carlos’ concerns with a flick of his hand. “This can’t fail. You’re on the Lakers now, baby. Your popularity has never been higher, and the consumer’s desire to go on a waterslide through your head has never been higher either.”
Carlos shrugged. “Whatever you say. I trust you, Travis.”