I was born in Taipei and study in Hong Kong. And now, I had my internship experience in Shanghai. I consider my experience in the 3 important cities of Greater China really valuable because their cultures, practices, and social environments are different.

As a planning intern in an international advertising agency, my major duty was to research market trends and consumer behaviour in specific markets and provide insights. I also attended meetings about marketing strategies such as promotion on e-commerce sites and plans for marketing campaigns.

Since the e-commerce development in Mainland China is fast, most of our projects were heavily focused on advertising and promotion on Chinese e-commerce sites such as Tmall (天貓), Taobao (淘寶) and Jingdong (京東). The world of advertising is always changing, so we need to keep our knowledge updated. Some information released 2 years ago might be already outdated.

After my internship in Shanghai, I could better understand the development of e-commerce in Mainland China. How rapidly the Chinese e-commerce market is growing really impresses me. Currently, the scale of e-commerce in China is the biggest worldwide, and the way consumers interact with brands has changed drastically. A single click or comment can affect what information consumers receive and influence their brand preferences. Therefore, it is critical for advertising agencies to have full knowledge of e-commerce trends and people’s online behaviour, which is challenging yet interesting to me.

Furthermore, I attained an understanding of various industries as I took part in projects for companies like smartphones, diapers, and even industrial adhesive brands. After partnering with many clients, I gained knowledge of their needs and the trends of their industries. I also learned how advertising agencies assist clients in meeting their business goals in a creative and strategic way.

This internship was my first working experience - a challenging but inspiring journey, allowing me to immerse myself in the highly unpredictable Chinese advertising market. It also motivated me to think of working for advertising agencies in Mainland China. I’m glad that CityU has given me professional training to get used to the competitive working environment. This experience is not the end but the beginning. In my final year of study, I’ll keep working on preparing myself to enter the media industry in terms of professionalism and mental toughness.