The MarketingPulse and eTailingPulse events, organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), successfully concluded at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, attracting more than 1,700 industry professionals from 22 countries and regions. The events, themed "Generate New Growth," focused on navigating the rapidly evolving digital marketing and e-commerce landscape through innovation and new technologies.
Sophia Chong, Executive Director of the HKTDC, emphasized that rapid advances in digital technologies are reshaping how businesses reach consumers and scale. The conferences featured 30 thematic sessions with over 85 global experts exploring topics from AI trends to social media best practices. A central theme was the transformative role of artificial intelligence in digital commerce. Terry Li, Vertical General Manager of Smart Retail at Tencent, stated that AI is redefining digital commerce and that proper integration into enterprise architecture is key to success, noting it can inspire creativity and enable personalized customer experiences.
The discussion on AI's role extended to content creation, with Bruce Pan, Cross-border Industry Operations Manager of TikTok Shop US, highlighting that the real competitive edge lies in combining creative direction, product understanding, and emotional storytelling, not merely generating content faster. The shift toward quick commerce and hyper-personalization was also addressed. Patrick Zhang, Senior BD Manager of Amazon Global Selling, pointed out that the next phase of globalization will be defined by how quickly brands can understand local consumer needs and translate data insights into growth. Yatong Qiu, Vice President of Taobao & Tmall Group at Alibaba, discussed deploying agile strategies and speed-oriented approaches to meet modern consumer demands for instant fulfillment.
For businesses looking to expand, the session "Decoding the Gateway to ASEAN: Cross Border Growth and Market Entry Strategies" provided practical insights. Speakers like Luca Barni, SVP, Commercial at Lazada Group, shared experiences for enterprises eyeing ASEAN e-tailing expansion. The events also highlighted the growing importance of the experience economy. Pauline Brown, former Chairman of LVMH North America, inaugurated the "Growth leaders" series with a presentation on "Aesthetic Intelligence," arguing that in an age of AI and environmental concerns, creating authentic sensory pleasure is crucial for brand value. She noted that while AI enhances efficiency, consumers care about brands that resonate emotionally.
Haijun Wang, Founder and CEO of Atour Lifestyle Holdings, shared how weaving lifestyle experiences into brand management can forge emotional connections and customer loyalty, stating that in the experience economy, emotional value and authentic advocacy are sources of sustainable growth. As younger generations dominate consumer markets, brands are redefining their approaches. JinHee Lee, COO of South Korea's Olive Young, showcased how the beauty brand leverages omnichannel operations and data-driven strategies to build global competitiveness, emphasizing the need for a marketing platform that combines digital promotion and offline data.
Krzysztof Andrzej Kowal, Global Retail Design Director at YSL Beauty, L'Oréal Luxe, discussed transforming physical stores into experiential storytelling canvases through design, story, and emotion to build emotional connections. The conferences also explored creative social content, with sessions featuring insights from industry figures like Ng Siu-hin and Kenie Kwok of Meta on platform engagement, and Louis Cheung on authentic expression. The impact of AI on creativity was examined in the session "Creativity & AI: Human vs Artificial Mind," where experts like Stephen Rogers, Group Creative Director at Droga5, discussed the symbiotic relationship between human imagination and intelligent technology.
Beyond forums, the events introduced "e-Commerce Connect," featuring nearly 30 exhibitors showcasing e-commerce solutions, and included workshops on AI integration and cross-border strategies. The organizer arranged over 170 one-on-one business matchmaking sessions to foster cross-sector synergy. Event highlights are available via Video on Demand until 19 April. The events received support from various industry bodies, including the Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies of Hong Kong (HK4As) and the Hong Kong Internet & Ecommerce Association. For more information, visit the MarketingPulse website or the eTailingPulse website.
