On July 22, 2023, to delve into the latest trends in digital marketing and explore more possibilities in digital transformation, the Shanghai International Studies University (SISU) MBA Summit Forum -- “Digital Marketing Trends and Prospects” was successfully held in the First Lecture Hall of SISU Hongkou Campus. The event was hosted by Professor Shi Ying, Associate Director of the SISU MBA Center. It featured segments such as opening speeches, keynote addresses, roundtable discussions, and program interpretation. Dr. Xu Yong, the Party Secretary of the School of Business and Management (SBM), Dr. Shen Qiang, the Director of the Marketing Department of SBM, Professor, and Doctoral Mentor, and several renowned executives from the marketing industry attended the event.
Dr. Xu Yong, the Party Secretary of the School of Business and Management, SISU
At the beginning of the forum, Dr. Xu began his speech by extending a warm welcome to the distinguished guests and both online and offline participants on behalf of the University. He pointed out that with the rapid development of Internet technology, digital marketing has become an essential tool for increasing market share and enhancing brand influence. To stay competitive, it is crucial to stay up-to-date with the times and embrace the digital trend. Dr. Xu emphasized that SBM keeps pace with technological advancements and continues to explore the characteristics of the digital era driven by data science. Meanwhile, it is committed to nurturing digitally intelligent talents who can meet the demands of the modern world. It provides students with cutting-edge educational resources and knowledge systems to help them achieve self-improvement. Dr. Xu concluded by extending his best wishes for the successful completion of the forum.
Dr. Shen Qiang, the Director of the Marketing Department of SBM, Professor, and Doctoral Mentor
Then, Dr. Shen shared insights on the “Future Trends of Digital Marketing.” He mentioned that in the age of information explosion, the marketing field is confronted with several challenges, including fragmented time, product homogenization, and limited consumer memory, making it crucial to capture consumer attention. He pointed out that marketing approaches have shifted from the traditional “4P” strategies (product, price, place, and promotion) to the “4C” strategies (consumer, cost, convenience, communication) that leverage internet user traffic and data intelligence. This transformation has further evolved into “4R” marketing services, which emphasize recognizing consumers (relevance), reaching consumers (reaction), relationship, and return (reward). Dr. Shen emphasized that companies should internally enhance their digital marketing tools to improve operational efficiency and develop robust digital marketing strategies to boost brand awareness, engage effectively with target customers, and achieve sustainable business growth.
Liu Ting, the General Manager of the Digital Marketing Division at Baozun Group
Liu Ting, the General Manager of the Digital Marketing Division at Baozun Group, delivered a presentation on “Digital Marketing -- Retail Digital Transformation.” Liu emphasized that digitalization has become a topic of common concern for brands, ecosystem partners, and platforms. In the backdrop of an increasingly complex business environment and constantly evolving marketing ecosystems, brands need to gain insights into trends to make decisions that lead to long-term sustainable business growth. She discussed the challenges facing retail digitalization, including evolving consumer demands, limitations of traditional marketing methods. Moreover, brands must continually initiate marketing campaigns, increase ad spending, and cope with high advertising costs. Overcoming these challenges involves approaching digitalization from multiple dimensions, including digital brand construction (metaverse, emojis, mini-programs), digital communication (integration of private domain ecosystems and precision targeting), digital sales (mini-programs, tailored online chain shops, personalized marketing for specific groups), and digital management (enterprise WeChat shopping guides, GPS tools).
Zhang Xian, Vice President of the Smart Retail Business Division at Loveclick Group
Zhang Xian, Vice President of the Smart Retail Business Division at Loveclick Group, in his presentation themed “How International Brands Can Directly Reach Consumers in Global Digital Marketing”, analyzed the reasons behind the rapid rise and the growth slowdown of Chi Forest in digital marketing, shedding light on the potentials and reforms in the Chinese consumer goods industry. Zhang pointed out that, according to the economic cycle of China’s macro consumer market, a new round of economic growth is beginning. However, the market is characterized by multiple platforms, touchpoints, and low dividends, which pose challenges for brand operations. Zhang mentioned that China is at the forefront of digital economic business models and a land for product innovation. In the context of global digitalization, the “four driving forces” for international brands to reach Chinese consumers include products, marketing operations, channels, and supply chains.
Roundtable Discussions
A series of roundtable discussions, moderated by Professor Shen, were conducted on various topics related to the Chinese digital marketing market from a global perspective. Participants included Liu Ting, Zhang Xian, and Wu Dai, who is the Head of Creativity at HSBC. During the discussion, they analyzed the diverse characteristics of the Chinese digital marketing market in the context of increasingly fierce competition. They provided valuable insights and innovative ideas for the development of digital marketing, covering aspects such as platform construction, content creativity, data-driven approaches, and personalized marketing. They also offered valuable advice on how applicants should consider combining humanities and science and technology disciplines when choosing their majors, as well as the impact of AI development on digital marketing.
Bai Yong, The CEO of the cross-border department of GuoLian Group
In the afternoon, Bai Yong, The CEO of the cross-border department of GuoLian Group, delivered a presentation on the topic of “Key Elements of Digital Marketing.” Bai emphasized the crucial need for the widespread adoption of digital marketing technology in response to ongoing technological advancements and the arrival of the digital era. According to him, customer experience, technology infrastructure, and compliance management are of paramount importance to brand development. Bai pointed out that digital customer experience is defined by three “moments of truth”: public opinion, website or in-store experience, and utilization. He highlighted the need for robust customer experience management in digital marketing to meet dynamic customer demands. Additionally, Bai underscored the opportunities provided by the development of AI technology and algorithm for brands to unlock greater value and potential. He stressed that while pursuing the advancement of digital marketing technology, companies must also prioritize compliance management.
Wang Bin, former Vice President of Qiaqia Food
Wang Bin, former Vice President of Qiaqia Food, delivered a presentation on the topic of “Thinking on developing a hit product and Category Innovation in the New Market Environment.” Wang stated that the rise of new consumer groups, accelerated by the impact of the pandemic, has led to market structure differentiation, promoting industry concentration and integration. At the same time, it has amplified the influence of new technologies, sped up channel restructuring, and changed the way brands communicate with and connect to consumers. Drawing from brands like Ambrosial, Nongfu Spring, Master Kong, and Weilong, Mr. Wang analyzed four key points for creating a successful product: the appeal of the product itself, its alignment with consumption scenarios, delivering an exceptional consumer experience, and building customer loyalty. He believed that the effective ways to build trust include meeting consumers’ needs, addressing their problems, and highlighting product features. Establishing trust with users can increase their loyalty and word-of-mouth advertising, thereby providing enduring momentum for brand success.
Zhang Ningxuan, an outstanding alumna of SISU MBA program and an Admission Ambassador
the Head of Social Media and Brand Public Relations at BSH Home Appliances (China) Co., Ltd.
Zhang Ningxuan, an outstanding alumna of SISU MBA program and an Admission Ambassador, as well as the Head of Social Media and Brand Public Relations at BSH Home Appliances (China) Co., Ltd., delivered a presentation themed “Social Media Content Marketing Practice Based on Consumer Behavior Insights.” She started her topic by sharing her personal digital behavior over the past 20 years, from using blogs, Happy Farm, and Jiepang website to today’s diverse array of digital software applications. Zhang emphasized that digital marketing fundamentally involves the marketing of digital content and highlighted the importance of high-quality content in attracting traffic. According to her, precise data-driven targeting allows social media to understand users’ motivations even better than they understand themselves. Reflecting on her time at the university, Zhang mentioned that the business application models she studied with her mentors continue to have a profound influence on her work to this day.
Shi Ying, the Deputy Director of the SISU MBA Center
Then, Shi Ying, the Deputy Director of the SISU MBA Center, provided an in-depth interpretation of the admission policy, which is a highly anticipated segment for applicants. Shi mentioned that the SBM began offering international business management education in 1985 and introduced degree programs in 2007. As business management models rapidly evolve with the advancement of data science and intelligent technology, the SISU MBA program stays closely aligned with these trends and is committed to cultivating borderless management MBA elites who can create value for the world.
Shi pointed out that the school is strategically located in Shanghai, the financial center of China, and has established long-term friendly cooperation with renowned universities and business schools in ten countries. In addition, the program boasts a strong faculty, attractive compensation packages and job prospects, extensive career development opportunities, and offers a wide variety of extracurricular and entertainment activities.
In terms of the curriculum, the MBA program includes course modules of Pre-Term Courses, Understanding the Basics, Management Foundation, Management Breadth, and Management Depth, and thesis writing. With the Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence for Information Behavior (BMIB) in SBM as the teaching base, the program offers training camps for data scientists and neuroscientists, providing students with insights into cutting-edge data analysis technologies and the latest advancements in brain and neuroscience research methods. This approach plays a vital role in nurturing multidisciplinary talents.
The SISU MBA program provides a flexible approach to learning, including full-time Chinese/English MBA and Chinese MBA (Intensive), with tuition fees of CNY 268,000, part-time Chinese/English MBA and Chinese MBA (Intensive), with tuition fees of CNY 298,000, and the part-time SISU-emlyon Dual Degree MBA. As an international financial management talent development model jointly created by SISU and Emlyon Business School, it is the first dual-degree MBA program in finance in Shanghai and has separate tuition fees: CNY 119,000 for SISU and EUR 30,640 for Emlyon Business School.
Shi provided further details about scholarship policies at the SBM. The school offers a rich variety of scholarships, including new student scholarships, special scholarships, and other types of scholarships. Under the new student scholarships, there are categories such as the National Postgraduate Entrance Examination Scholarship, Part-time (Pre-Interview) Scholarship, Diligence Scholarship, First Choice Scholarship, and Part-time Flight Financial Aid.
Students scoring 236 points or higher in the National Unified Examination can receive the National Postgraduate Entrance Examination Scholarship, which covers 100% of the tuition fees. The Part-time (Pre-Interview) Scholarship can go up to 80,000 RMB. The Diligence Scholarship can provide a maximum of 45,000 RMB. Students who choose the SISU MBA program as their first choice and successfully enroll can receive the First Choice Scholarship of 10,000 RMB. For students who live and work outside of Shanghai and incur accommodation and transportation expenses for each class, they can receive the Part-time Flight Financial Aid of 30,000 RMB. The First Choice Scholarship and the Part-time Flight Financial Aid can be cumulated with scholarships from the other three categories.
At the moment, the application for the fourth batch of interviews for the 2024 applicants (part-time program) has begun, and the deadline for online applications is August 22, 2023, at 11:00 AM. The pre-interview will take place on August 26, 2023.
The forum, themed “Connecting all to a Better Future,” served as an important platform for the exchange of the latest cases and innovative ideas in the digital marketing industry, and brought valuable insights and inspiration to the participants, marking a successful conclusion.
