On June 24th, the 3rd SISU MBA Concentration-oriented Forum, moderated by Meng Liang, Associate Professor of the School of Business and Management (SBM) and Doctoral Supervisor, concluded with great success. Themed Behavioral Insights: Value Discovery and Business Practices in the Era of Data Intelligence, the forum focused on the Behavioral Science of the SISU MBA program. It featured prominent speakers including Wu Yunqiao, Vice Dean of SBM and Assistant Professor, Wang Xiaoyi, Assistant Dean of the School of Management at Zhejiang University and Professor of Marketing and Digital Strategy, Yang Sa, a seasoned professional in the domestic entertainment platform industry, and Zhang Ningxuan, an SISU MBA alumna, Admission Ambassador, and Public Relations Manager at Bosch Home Appliances. They shared insights on behavioral science, user behavior, and content marketing, providing students with viewpoints from both academic and industry perspectives.
Opening speech
In the opening speech delivered by Professor Wu, he emphasized that as the industry economy transitions to the digital economy, the SISU MBA program has proactively initiated a comprehensive upgrade. It is dedicated to enhancing students' capabilities in data analysis and intelligent cognition, aligning with the requirements of the digital economy era for managerial talents and insights into emerging economic paradigms.
Professor Wu stressed that this forum brought together leading experts in the field of behavioral cognition in China to provide the attendees with the latest insights and inspire innovative thinking, helping them gain a better understanding of the digital economy in the new era. He concluded by wishing the forum a complete success.
Wang Xiaoyi: Marketing Psychology in Digital Era -- Platform Scenarios, Digital Brands, and Dual-Brain Marketing
Professor Wang delivered a presentation on the theme Marketing Psychology in Digital Era -- Platform Scenarios, Digital Brands, and Dual-Brain Marketing. Professor Wang emphasized that in the digital age, consumers' decision-making processes are much shorter and their purchasing frequency has increased significantly, which underscores the pivotal role of internet companies in influencing these decisions. Through the integration of dual technology of big data and cognitive neuroscience, it becomes possible to forecast consumer preferences and, at the same time, establish a dual-brain framework by combining linearly quantifiable cognitive influencing factors, aiding in product innovation, brand positioning, hit product development, end-to-end operations, and impacting purchasing decisions.
Professor Wang also pointed out that digital consumption is based on the platform driven by artificial algorithms, behind which are meta rules defined by platform itself. This requires reevaluating consumer behavior patterns from the perspective of these meta rules, which is critical for platform companies and merchants to achieve genuine high-quality development. Finally, Professor Wang gave an analysis of the eight attributes underpinning the rise of DTC (Direct-to-Consumer) brands by introducing a new marketing model for digital brand growth, and providing explanations on digital brand asset evaluation and end-to-end brand growth.
Meng Liang: From Behavioral Science to Business Experimentation
Professor Meng delivered a lecture titled From Behavioral Science to Business Experimentation, explaining the courses of Behavioral Science to students. According to him, managers should understand human psychology and behavior patterns in managerial activities to tackle complex issues concerning human factors in management decisions. This is crucial not only for the professional growth of managers but also for the sustained development of companies.. Furthermore, managers should possess the mindset of business experimentation to facilitate more effective decision-making in management.
To cultivate students' business experimentation thinking and assist future managers in applying the methodology of business experimentation to optimize management decisions, the SISU MBA program offers courses such as Work Redesign and Management Incentives, Behavioral Finance and Investment Decisions, Business Experimentation and Management Decisions, and Consumer Behavior. These courses systematically analyze the human psychology and behavior patterns in managerial activities, helping students apply the theory and methodology of Behavioral Science in fields like strategic planning, management incentives, and marketing.
Yang Sa: User Insights Driving Precise Product Decisions
Yang delivered a speech titled User Insights Driving Precise Product Decisions, elucidating
the concept of user insights and their application in product development. Additionally, she highlighted prevalent misconceptions, supplementing her talk with illustrative examples of successful cases.
As she pointed out, user insights generally encompass four aspects: user profiles, user cognition, user behavior, and user needs. In the course of gathering user insights, it's imperative to steer clear of pitfalls like drawing broad conclusions from isolated cases, over-reliance on data, strictly adhering to managerial directives, and adopting static perspectives on user behavior. She emphasized that obtaining user insights is a continuous endeavor demanding curiosity and a steadfast commitment to a user-centric approach for making accurate product decisions.
Zhang Ningxuan: Content Marketing Practice Based on Consumer Insights
Zhang delivered a speech on Content Marketing Practice Based on Consumer Insights. She began with fundamental concept models and then expanded the discussion to practical business applications. She also shared her experiences during her time in the SISU MBA program and the valuable lessons she gained from business practices.
Zhang stated that her two years of studying at SISU MBA expanded her way of thinking, and her learning efficiency and personal capabilities were notably enhanced. In the end, she concluded her speech by expressing heartfelt wishes to all MBA students.
So far, the third SISU MBA Concentration-oriented Forum-Value Discovery and Business Practices in the Era of Data Intelligence has achieved a complete success.
