Rather than lost in translation, Business Director, Julie Feng speaks the marketer’s language and understands her local environment, whether in the States or across the world. Having spent time immersing herself in the high brand equity world of L’Oreal, Coach and Gillette, Feng continues to communicate with the consumer, no matter where in the world she is.
Julie Feng
Business Director for L'Oreal China
Nurun, China
What site(s) do you have to visit everyday for Marketing news?
I used to have a colleague who was very diligent about checking the marketing news on a daily basis. He would get so involved and excited whenever there's something big or interesting that he would just come and talk to everyone about it. So when he was here, I never had to check the news. He delivered them in person.
What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?
This is going to sound really boring, but I live and work overseas, so checking NY Times on a daily basis keeps me in touch with what's happening at home and also helps me to relax and refocus when I'm stressed. In addition, I'm a foodie so I also check the restaurant column of a local general interests website to follow the restaurant/chef's scene.
Greatest skill a good Marketing professional requires?
Cultural sensitivity, being open minded to the diversity around you.
What's the recent "it" Marketing phrase/trend of the moment that you hear almost everyday and what does it mean for the industry and marketplace?
Groupons, and it will change the way consumers buy in China. With a population of 1.3 billion, bargain hunting as a pastime, and a business model that's easy to replicate and operate .... need I say more? We've seen Smart Cars being Groupon-ed here, with the result of 200 Smart Cars sold out in 3.5 hours with each buyer saving over US$ 6,000 (Benz on average sells one Smart Car per day in China through traditional channels).
There have been fads in the Marketing world. In your opinion, what are recent developments that are here to stay?
Recent survey shows that more percentage of Chinese internet users are creators (generating reviews and ratings) than their counterparts in the U.S. While some have embraced this phenomenon, others are concerned with how to defend a carefully groomed brand image from negative reviews. Expert brand builders are suddenly at a loss as to how to communicate with consumers on a two way platform. Some brand marketing giants are still struggling with how to incorporate UGC into their traditional communication plans.
What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your area of marketing specialty?
A brand can be successfully globalized, but only if the message and delivery methods are localized. Here, I'm not just referring to making sure the English is translated properly into a local language. The question you should ask is should the English copy even be translated at all. Does what the brand is trying to sell resonate with the local market?
What's an imminent hurdle in the Marketing world that you think will cause significant changes to the way we market to consumers or businesses?
An increase of awareness on the national level, together with intervention from policy setting governing bodies, Eco-friendly/Green products are here to stay.
Can Marketing ideas travel across continents and languages? Does globalization work or is localization more effective?
Both at Coach and L'Oreal, I worked on international brands for the China market. In this context, it is never acceptable to assume what worked in one market will always work in another. Not even if the markets are in the same region. Management tend to generalize (I find American companies tend to do this more often than European ones). I often hear remarks such as "the idea/concept worked in Korea, Japan, so let's copy it and apply it to China." But ask any marketing professional who has been in the Chinese market long enough and they will tell you that China is so vast, the differences between regions sometimes so great that even within the same country, what worked in one city may not translate well into another.
Best piece of advice you have received professionally or personally?
Go with your passion/instinct, the rest will fall into places on its own.
Growing up, what was the first thing you can remember wanting to be?
I wanted to be a teacher, but then again, that idea came to me when I was still growing up in China, where teachers are respected, admired and idolized. They were god. Their words carried more weight that our parents's. But that perspective changed when I moved to NYC and begin attending a public school. I knew right away that being a teacher in a Brooklyn public school required a different skill set to rise up to the challenge.
Where are growth opportunities within the Marketing industry, as people are looking at their careers?
In China, the opportunity is definitely in the e-commerce area. Here, we are probably experiencing the same boom that U.S. experienced 6 or 7 years ago (let's just hope we have learned to avoid the bubble).
Is Marketing more of an art or more of a science?
Intuitively, I want to say it's an art. But in the corporate world, there is no way you can push through an idea/concept without showing some numbers to back it up. But I guess this is what makes this job all more challenging and interesting. As a product manager at L'Oreal, we had to be well versed in how to communicate convincingly with consumers using visuals and copy, as well as how to communicate efficiently with management using numbers and charts. I don't think I can ever get the same satisfaction from a pure numbers driven job.
Julie Feng
Business Director for L'Oreal China
Nurun, China
What site(s) do you have to visit everyday for Marketing news?
I used to have a colleague who was very diligent about checking the marketing news on a daily basis. He would get so involved and excited whenever there's something big or interesting that he would just come and talk to everyone about it. So when he was here, I never had to check the news. He delivered them in person.
What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?
This is going to sound really boring, but I live and work overseas, so checking NY Times on a daily basis keeps me in touch with what's happening at home and also helps me to relax and refocus when I'm stressed. In addition, I'm a foodie so I also check the restaurant column of a local general interests website to follow the restaurant/chef's scene.
Greatest skill a good Marketing professional requires?
Cultural sensitivity, being open minded to the diversity around you.
What's the recent "it" Marketing phrase/trend of the moment that you hear almost everyday and what does it mean for the industry and marketplace?
Groupons, and it will change the way consumers buy in China. With a population of 1.3 billion, bargain hunting as a pastime, and a business model that's easy to replicate and operate .... need I say more? We've seen Smart Cars being Groupon-ed here, with the result of 200 Smart Cars sold out in 3.5 hours with each buyer saving over US$ 6,000 (Benz on average sells one Smart Car per day in China through traditional channels).
There have been fads in the Marketing world. In your opinion, what are recent developments that are here to stay?
Recent survey shows that more percentage of Chinese internet users are creators (generating reviews and ratings) than their counterparts in the U.S. While some have embraced this phenomenon, others are concerned with how to defend a carefully groomed brand image from negative reviews. Expert brand builders are suddenly at a loss as to how to communicate with consumers on a two way platform. Some brand marketing giants are still struggling with how to incorporate UGC into their traditional communication plans.
What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your area of marketing specialty?
A brand can be successfully globalized, but only if the message and delivery methods are localized. Here, I'm not just referring to making sure the English is translated properly into a local language. The question you should ask is should the English copy even be translated at all. Does what the brand is trying to sell resonate with the local market?
What's an imminent hurdle in the Marketing world that you think will cause significant changes to the way we market to consumers or businesses?
An increase of awareness on the national level, together with intervention from policy setting governing bodies, Eco-friendly/Green products are here to stay.
Can Marketing ideas travel across continents and languages? Does globalization work or is localization more effective?
Both at Coach and L'Oreal, I worked on international brands for the China market. In this context, it is never acceptable to assume what worked in one market will always work in another. Not even if the markets are in the same region. Management tend to generalize (I find American companies tend to do this more often than European ones). I often hear remarks such as "the idea/concept worked in Korea, Japan, so let's copy it and apply it to China." But ask any marketing professional who has been in the Chinese market long enough and they will tell you that China is so vast, the differences between regions sometimes so great that even within the same country, what worked in one city may not translate well into another.
Best piece of advice you have received professionally or personally?
Go with your passion/instinct, the rest will fall into places on its own.
Growing up, what was the first thing you can remember wanting to be?
I wanted to be a teacher, but then again, that idea came to me when I was still growing up in China, where teachers are respected, admired and idolized. They were god. Their words carried more weight that our parents's. But that perspective changed when I moved to NYC and begin attending a public school. I knew right away that being a teacher in a Brooklyn public school required a different skill set to rise up to the challenge.
Where are growth opportunities within the Marketing industry, as people are looking at their careers?
In China, the opportunity is definitely in the e-commerce area. Here, we are probably experiencing the same boom that U.S. experienced 6 or 7 years ago (let's just hope we have learned to avoid the bubble).
Is Marketing more of an art or more of a science?
Intuitively, I want to say it's an art. But in the corporate world, there is no way you can push through an idea/concept without showing some numbers to back it up. But I guess this is what makes this job all more challenging and interesting. As a product manager at L'Oreal, we had to be well versed in how to communicate convincingly with consumers using visuals and copy, as well as how to communicate efficiently with management using numbers and charts. I don't think I can ever get the same satisfaction from a pure numbers driven job.
