Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), MarketingPulse and eTailingPulse successfully concluded at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). The premier annual e-commerce and brand marketing events drew a vibrant crowd of more than 1,700 industry professionals from 22 countries and regions, who gathered in Hong Kong to navigate the ever-evolving marketing landscape and redefine the blueprint for business growth.
Driving brand evolution through innovation
Welcoming delegates to the conferences, Sophia Chong, Executive Director of the HKTDC, said: “Rapid advances in digital technologies are allowing e-commerce to reshape the market landscape, transforming how businesses reach consumers, transact and scale. From AI-driven personalisation to social commerce, the pace of change is unprecedented, and with this change comes significant opportunity. The theme for this year’s events, “Generate New Growth“, challenges us to seize these opportunities by exploring how fresh ideas, new technologies and bold strategies can power the next wave of momentum.”
E-commerce experts unpack the latest AI trends
This year’s MarketingPulse and eTailingPulse staged 30 thematic sessions, with a comprehensive agenda exploring topics including “Growth leaders”, “E-commerce new horizons”, “Cutting edge marketing dynamics/new market potential”, ” Social media best practices”, the “Meet the celebrity dialogue series”, and “PR disasters and opportunities”, complemented by a series of digital marketing and e-commerce workshops. More than 85 esteemed e-commerce pioneers, brand leaders, marketing experts and innovative entrepreneurs from around the globe were invited to dissect the latest e-commerce innovations, global marketing trends and consumer opportunities, exploring how to cultivate new growth in a rapidly shifting marketing ecosystem.
When discussing the development and outlook for e-commerce, multiple industry experts at the conferences highlighted the importance of artificial intelligence (AI) applications and its latest trends. Terry Li, Vertical General Manager of Smart Retail, Tencent, noted that “AI is redefining digital commerce, and integrating AI into enterprise architecture properly is key to success. It will not destroy creativity; instead, it can inspire creativity and enable personalised customer experiences.” Bruce Pan, Cross-border Industry Operations Manager of TikTok Shop US, added that the real competitive edge will lie not in generating more content faster, but in combining creative direction, understanding the competitive edges of products and emotional storytelling.
Quick commerce charts a new course for e-commerce
Today’s consumers have an insatiable appetite for convenience and personalisation, compelling brands to accelerate the transformation of their e-marketing strategies. Precision data and AI are fundamentally rewiring consumer experiences. Patrick Zhang, Senior BD Manager of Amazon Global Selling, pointed out that the next phase of globalisation will be defined by how quickly and accurately brands can understand local consumer needs and translate data insights into high-quality growth. Yatong Qiu, Vice President of Taobao & Tmall Group, Alibaba, highlighted how brands and merchants can deploy agile merchandising strategies, real-time digital marketing and speed-oriented approaches to upgrade supply chains and streamline order fulfilment, catering to the modern consumer’s desire for “everything, instantly”. And the “Decoding the Gateway to ASEAN: Cross Border Growth and Market Entry Strategies” session explored tactics for entering the ASEAN market. Speakers including Luca Barni, SVP, Commercial at Lazada Group, shared battle-tested experiences, providing a practical compass for enterprises eyeing ASEAN e-tailing expansion.
Visionary insights from distinguished brand leaders
As the consumer market pivots towards experience-driven models, “taste” and “perception” have become the ultimate battlegrounds for brand competitiveness. Brands are no longer merely delivering product value; they are curating a lifestyle. The “Growth leaders” series at MarketingPulse was inaugurated by Pauline Brown, former Chairman of LVMH North America, who delivered a presentation address on “Aesthetic Intelligence”, illustrating how sensory management and design thinking can elevate brand value and customer experience. “Economic inequality, environmental threats, and the rise of AI make the pursuit of aesthetic intelligence more important than ever,” Ms Brown said. “While AI enhances efficiency, consumers care about brands creating authentic sensory pleasure. Only people can truly convey a clear, well-articulated vision that resonates with customers.”
Haijun Wang, Founder, Chief Executive Officer & Chief Experience Officer of Atour Lifestyle Holdings, shared his philosophy on weaving lifestyle experiences into hotel and lifestyle brand management. By extending the “accommodation experience” into new retail, he demonstrated how to forge brand identity through lifestyle sensibilities and customer resonance. Mr Wang believes that when both service and space strike an emotional chord, the resulting customer loyalty offers an enduring competitive edge. “In the experience economy, emotional value and authentic customer advocacy are becoming more important, making experience not only a point of differentiation, but also a source of sustainable brand growth and long-term development potential,” he said.
As younger generations emerge as the dominant consumer force, the dynamic between brands and youth demographics is being entirely redefined. JinHee Lee, Chief Operating Officer of South Korea’s Olive Young, shared the brand’s triumphant journey from local flagship to a global powerhouse. He showcased how this Korean beauty titan leverages seamless omnichannel operations and data-driven marketing strategies, using technology as a compass to build international competitiveness. “In order for a beauty brand to go global, it’s essential to develop a marketing platform that combines digital promotion and offline data,” he explained. “By integrating physical stores with online apps, we have built a seamless omnichannel ecosystem that continuously adapts to our customers’ lifestyles and needs. providing real time updates on product stock and promotions.”
Crafting an immersive and unforgettable shopping experience to amplify marketing efficacy and fortify long-term brand influence has always been the golden rule for major international brands. Krzysztof Andrzej Kowal, Global Retail Design Director at YSL Beauty, L’Oréal Luxe, took the stage in the session “The Poetics of Branding: Weaving Story, Design, and Emotion into Iconic Narratives”. He shared how to transform physical retail spaces into the ultimate storytelling canvas through the alchemy of “Design × Story × Emotion”. He said that to build emotional connections with customers, “physical stores should transcend showcase roles to become temples of experience and content factories that generate authentic and multi-sensory moments. By blending current trends like Y2K and nostalgia, we build up our persona based on new trends while maintaining our brand culture. At the same time, we maintain a cohesive global identity while adapting to local cultures.”
Creative social content ignites brand resonance
In an era saturated with content and dictated by algorithms, brands and creators must rebuild emotional bridges through authenticity and the power of storytelling. This year’s conferences approached the subject through the lenses of film, television, social media and content creation, exploring how culturally resonant content can captivate audiences and amplify brand value.
Actor and “Threads Admin” Ng Siu-hin joined forces with Kenie Kwok, Creative Strategy Lead at Meta, in the dialogue “Threads for Consumer and Audience Engagement”, comprehensively decoding the “traffic matrix” for the platform. Continuing the creative thread, the “Meet the celebrity dialogue series” invited actor and singer-songwriter Louis Cheung to share his creative odyssey and breakthrough moments. Spanning music to on-screen performances, Louis underscored the importance of staying true to one’s original aspirations and authentic expression, inspiring brands and creators to co-create content with genuine warmth. Meanwhile, content creator and MUSE TV founder Mayao shared his ingenious use of disruptive social media promotional tactics to market music and content, leaving an indelible mark on the public consciousness.
As AI permeates every aspect of the marketing and design sectors, creative thinking faces an unprecedented paradigm shift. Award-winning creative minds, including Stephen Rogers, Group Creative Director at Droga5 from Ireland, explored this dynamic in the session “Creativity & AI: Human vs Artificial Mind“. The speakers revealed that human imagination and intelligent technology are engaged in a symbiotic dance rather than a zero-sum game, with industry pioneers sharing how to masterfully navigate the shifting boundaries between human intuition and AI.
Practical insights and business matchmaking foster cross-sector synergy
Beyond the main forums and InnoTalks series, the events introduced a new feature, “e-Commerce Connect”, that brought together nearly 30 local and international exhibitors to showcase the latest one-stop e-commerce solutions. A series of digital marketing and e-tailing workshops was also held, at which industry experts imparted strategies for AI integration, cross-border market navigation, and brand influence elevation, arming participating brands with actionable intelligence. The organiser curated multiple networking events and arranged more than 170 one-on-one business matchmaking sessions for attendees and exhibitors. In addition, singer James Ng graced the event with a live performance during the conferences’ Happy Hour session.
Widespread industry support drives sector advancement
This year’s MarketingPulse and eTailingPulse received robust support from numerous organisations and industry bodies, including the Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies of Hong Kong (HK4As), the Hong Kong Internet & Ecommerce Association, the Hong Kong Federation of E-Commerce (HKFEC), the Hong Kong Live E-Commerce Association, the Hong Kong Public Relations Professionals’ Association, IAB Hong Kong and PRHK, providing attendees with invaluable market intelligence and unique perspectives.
Forum highlights available via Video on Demand for one month
The Video on Demand pass for MarketingPulse and eTailingPulse is available from today, 20 March, until 19 April. Industry professionals are encouraged to leverage the platform’s versatile features during this period to revisit the wealth of insights shared across the events.
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