Three brilliant Communication alumni who are key players in the retail industry shared their inspiring stories to over 140 students, alumni and staff at the Alumni Sharing Forum themed “The Masterminds behind a Winning Retail Strategy” on 15 April 2015.
Alumnus Henry Yip Cheuk-tak, Chief Executive of Jardine Restaurant Group (Hong Kong & New Markets), alumna Karen Tam Kar-ying, Assistant General Manager – Promotions and Marketing of Harbour City Estates Limited, and alumna Jenny Yip Yuk-yin, Assistant General Manager of OSIM (HK) Company Limited, shared with participants the keys to success in retail industry, and answered questions from the floor at the panel discussion chaired by Prof. Kineta Hung, Head of Department of Communication Studies.
Using the remarkable “Rubber Duck Joy to the World Campaign” as an example, alumna Karen Tam revealed that using different means to package an event around a set theme is the key to success. With social media as an integral part of our life nowadays, it is also imperative for an organisation to create a dynamic cycle of bringing the event from on-line to on-site and get the target audience engaged and pay attention to the event.
Alumna Jenny Yip used four Chinese characters namely “courage”, “calculate”, “commitment” and “life”, with the real cases in her career, to exemplify the essential qualities required to cast out a successful career in the retail industry. She shared that one should have courage to face reality and failure from which we could learn and grow. It is also important to calculate the rate of success and know how to win. Commitment and passion are also key success factors. She also advised students to get rid of the “I” and focus on “we” and to talk less and listen to the experience of others in the workplace.
As an expert in the catering industry, alumnus Henry Yip gave his insightful analysis on the operation and pricing strategies of running chain restaurants in Hong Kong. He remarked that accepting and making changes are the survival skills in the competitive retail industry. If a company wants to be the No. 1 in the market, it should try to enlarge the gap between itself and the No.2 and No.3 to secure the market share. It is also important to build corporate culture and align the company's value proposition across different markets.
Speakers’ Profiles:
Alumnus Henry Yip Cheuk-tak (Communication)
Alumnus Yip is currently the Chief Executive of Jardine Restaurant Group (Hong Kong & New Markets). Being an expert in retail industry, he has accumulated over 34 year’s management experience in the industry.
Alumna Karen Tam Kar-ying (Communication)
Alumna Tam is currently the Assistant General Manager (Promotions and Marketing) of Harbour City Estates Limited. She won the “Gold Award” and “Marketer of the Year” Award in the “HKMA/TVB Awards for Marketing Excellence 2014” for her signature assignment “Rubber Duck Joy to the World Campaign”.
Alumna Jenny Yip Yuk-yin (Communication)
Alumna Yip has been in the retail industry for over 20 years. In 1999, she took up the position of Marketing Manager of OSIM and was subsequently promoted to Assistant General Manager. |
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| Alumnus Henry Yip (Communication) |
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| Alumna Karen Tam (Communication) |
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| Alumna Jenny Yip (Communication) |
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