Bachelor Degrees Main Headline

Tourism Retail and Marketing Management students showcase brand management expertise through Instagram live-stream series

中文摘要 / Summary in Chinese
Project-based initiative offers undergraduates in-depth insights into the nuances of live streaming as a marketing and branding tool

Starting in late October, undergraduates in the IFTM Tourism Retail and Marketing Management Bachelor’s Degree Programme hosted a series of live online video streaming sessions promoting local brands. The project aimed to explore with students the intricacies of this form of live streaming, conducted across popular social media platforms.

The sessions – under the theme “From Concept to Brand: Unveiling the Secret of Brand Building” – were presented via the IFTM iRetail Lab, a practical education platform offering Institute students a real-life setting for exploring branding and marketing management practices. iRetail Lab’s collaborators include local designers and retail brands.

The live-stream series was via Instagram, comprising 6 sessions, and featuring local brands and their products as available via the iRetail Lab. Students assumed responsibility for the entire presentation process, including hosting duties. Featured guests included Cloe founder, Ms. Chloe Chan; The Moss founder, Ms. Nicole Fong; CRSTFA co-founder, Ms. Flower Leong; Souraphik founder, Mr. Jinn Ng; and Guanding Teahouse founder, Ms. Ivy Zeng, as well as IFTM Lecturer Mr. Stephen Sayers, who is also known as a book writer.

Recognising the growing importance of social media and live streaming for brand building, Mr. Ford Lei Chong Fo, an IFTM scholar involved in the project, underscores the advantages for students of learning through practical engagement.

“The aim of this live-stream series was to highlight that hosting involves more than speaking in front of a smartphone: it requires meticulous preparation and post-event data analysis,” he says.

The project served as a tangible illustration of brand management concepts, showcasing how businesses present and then uphold their brands.

Reflecting on the experience, Hailey Lao Hang Lam, the student who served as the main project manager for the series, expresses satisfaction. “In the end, we all learned a lot. This was our first foray into live streaming; we made mistakes, and we grew from that.”

Hailey highlights the hidden work involved in live streaming, from event promotion to topic discussions, streaming-location setup, and post-event statistical analysis.

Similarly, Anthony Li Sizhe, the undergraduate overseeing backstage control and broadcast, acknowledges the valuable insights gained. “The live-stream experience helped me face the challenge of presenting, not only in front of the camera but also in front of the class,” he says.

Anthony adds: “Live-stream marketing and e-commerce are popular issues nowadays, and this project provided me with a very good experience to learn such new trends in marketing.”

Emilie Arnold was responsible for designing the event poster and handling the promotion. The student emphasises the unexpected challenges of live-stream hosting. “I needed to focus and interact with the guest, guiding him back to the direction of our discussion.”

The Tourism Retail and Marketing Management Bachelor’s Degree Programme is to be rebranded in the upcoming academic year as the Marketing and Brand Management Bachelor’s Degree Programme. The revised curriculum will focus on marketing and branding theory and practice, equipping students with essential skills for future careers in these fields.