Series 1 Episode 06: Debbie Lu
On the 6th episode of Strategy Sheroes I'm joined by Debbie Lu.
Debbie has a decade of experience in public relations, strategic planning and digital marketing. She was shortlisted for Marketing Magazine’s Top 30 Under 30 Awards, and is the founder and Managing Director of the Canadian based So Agency. Brands Debbie has worked with include Nandos Canada and Hamilton Beach.
I speak to Debbie about -
Moving from China to Canada to study, and her determination to build an independent career
Making the leap to starting her own consultancy
Learnings from her work in the food and lifestyle industries
Crafting unique brand stories
Listen and subscribe to Strategy Sheroes on itunes or check out my interview with Debbie below.
Importance of feeling passionate in your work
Mental health is so important. A lot of people work for different organisations just to get by but they’re not living their lives. They stress about it Monday through Friday and live for the weekend. But why not find a job that makes you happy and you can enjoy every single day. Is this something I would do out of passion or just for profit. I evaluate that when choosing to work with clients as well.
Tactics Chinese food brands need to employ to be successful in other markets
The key point for Chinese businesses to be successful in the Canadian market is education so products are not intimidating. Toronto is a very multi-cultural city so it’s easier to market asian food items there but there’s still products that are considered weird so the key point for Chinese businesses to be success is to properly educate and communicate the messaging of their brand so people understand what it is, it’s not intimidating and people want to try it out.
Curating a unique brand story
Before I start any campaigns for a brand I sit down wit their core team. I like to get an idea of why they started the company, what their short-term and long-term goals. I don’t just do things to make it more popular. I want to see the strategy behind the brand. I have a Q&A I go through with new clients to onboard them and get more information of what they’re looking for. We have to make sure our objectives are aligned.
Some clients will have some visions that are not very practical so we have to make sure we communicate with each other and make sure what they’re looking for is something we can deliver, and how we will deliver it. We have to show we can be a trusted partner. I truly spend the time to build relationships with every single client. We usually go to a restaurant or coffee shop environment so it’s more informal so I can get that personal story and have a more intimate conversation. Learning about their personality and characteristics and what’s ingrained in their brand story. I believe you can be two bubble tea shops or two sushi restaurants and have a totally different brand story.