Chapter 437: Advertising Insights at School

Little Yellow Building, Lecture Hall.

Xu Chen and Nie Fei were exchanging pleasantries with Dean Lin Ruyang and Professor Ni Zhi.

Naturally, all the students behind them noticed this.

“Is that guy Xu Chen?”

“Which one?”

“Who else? The guy talking with Dean Lin and Professor Ni!”

“He looks pretty ordinary!”

“Ordinary? He’s chatting casually with Dean Lin—you call that ordinary?”

“Who’s that stunning sister next to him? She’s my type, the queen vibe…”

“Probably a guest speaker invited by Dean Lin?”

…

At the back of the Lecture Hall.

Qian Xin and Huang Hao had seen Nie Fei in Doha before.

Back then, they just thought she was Xu Chen’s friend.

But seeing Xu Chen bring this commanding sister today, they figured she must be from ‘Boss Xu’s’ company.

Huang Hao couldn’t help but say:

“I’m so jealous of Boss Xu! We’re in the same class, but how’s the gap so huge?”

Hong Xiaoqiang also showed a hint of defeat:

“Our beds are even next to each other…

Now I realize I was sleeping next to a ‘big boss’ all along.

It feels like so much pressure…”

What Hong Xiaoqiang didn’t say was that Xu Chen had once asked for his help on a website project.

If he’d known Xu Chen’s company was this impressive, he definitely would’ve put more effort into it…

Qian Xin said, “Don’t even think about it.

We can’t catch up. Not even close!”

“Top student” Jiao Tianbo sat nearby, his usually expressionless face showing a touch of disappointment and frustration.

…

Another “guest” was escorted in by Zhao Siting.

Lin Ruyang turned and quickly went over with a smile.

“Welcome, Director Yu! Your presence really lights up the place.”

“Dean Lin, you’re too kind! If you call, I’ll always answer the summons!”

Xu Chen looked up and saw that this “Director Yu” was a forty-something man in a steady dark suit.

Lin Ruyang chuckled:

“Let me introduce you—this is our school’s young genius and my favorite student, Xu Chen!”

Only then did Director Yu turn his head.

He paused slightly:

“Quite the prodigy at such a young age!”

Professor Ni Zhi smiled and helped with the introduction:

“This is Director Yu, Vice General Manager of Hu Hai Advertising.”

Director Yu extended his hand to Xu Chen:

“Yu Xiaoguang.”

Xu Chen quickly reached out to shake hands politely:

“Nice to meet you, Director Yu. I’m Xu Chen.”

Hearing it was “Hu Hai Advertising,” Xu Chen knew right away it was a big deal.

Hu Hai Advertising was one of China’s earliest ad companies, founded in 1962.

It has a state-owned enterprise background.

Currently, most of Hu Hai Advertising’s clients are stable, state-owned or central enterprise-backed ones.

Like SAIC and other local state-owned companies in Shanghai…

“Hu Hai Advertising” keeps a low profile in the creative world but quietly rakes in the money with its long-term, relationship-based clients.

At the same time, Hu Hai Advertising has stakes in some domestic branches of international 4A agencies.

In the 1990s, when foreign ad companies entered China, policies required local partnerships.

In Shanghai, companies like Ogilvy Advertising and Hakuhodo Advertising formed joint ventures with Hu Hai Advertising.

This Director Yu as Vice General Manager of Hu Hai Advertising is a key contact.

Xu Chen didn’t push too hard but tried to chat and build a connection.

Nie Fei handled the situation smoothly, joking with Yu Xiaoguang and quickly blending in.

…

…

Once the guests were seated, the “sharing event” officially began.

Since it was an internal college meeting, they didn’t focus much on formalities.

Dean Lin Ruyang took the stage, briefly setting the background before introducing the three guests.

They were Yu Xiaoguang, Nie Fei, and Xu Chen…

Each introduction drew rounds of applause.

But when it came to Xu Chen, whether it was him or the students below, it felt a bit odd.

After all, besides being a guest, Xu Chen was also a first-year advertising student.

Especially for the seniors, having a freshman sit in the front guest seat and even lecture them felt strangely off.

“Next, let’s welcome Director Yu from Hu Hai Advertising for his share!”

Amid thunderous applause, Yu Xiaoguang smiled warmly and went on stage.

Yu Xiaoguang had a kind face and started by briefly introducing himself and Hu Hai Advertising.

He especially mentioned the connections between Hu Hai Advertising and Ogilvy Advertising and Hakuhodo Advertising.

For the next half hour or so, he focused on sharing several ad campaigns that won the Great Wall Award.

These were from Hu Hai Advertising, Hu Hai Ogilvy, and Hu Hai Hakuhodo.

All these works took home gold, silver, bronze, and entry awards at this year’s Great Wall Awards and are standout real-world marketing cases in the industry.

The students below found it quite enlightening.

Xu Chen listened roughly—he’d already seen these cases back in Kun City.

Still, he couldn’t help but think that with the rise of online marketing, these traditional ads were about to face huge disruptions.

People like Yu Xiaoguang, traditional ad pros, were still riding the last waves of the old era.

In a way, East Morning Star Advertising was in the same boat.

Xu Chen had jumped on the traditional ad bandwagon just in time to grab the last bits of gold.

By the 2010s, online marketing would hit hard, making life tougher for traditional ad firms.

But by then, Xu Chen’s Ran Bing Sports would be thriving, and Chenfeng Technology even more so—he wouldn’t need to scrape by in advertising anymore.

…

After Yu Xiaoguang’s share, there was a Q&A session.

The advertising students below were eager, hands shooting up.

They grabbed the mic and asked questions that seemed childish to Xu Chen.

Xu Chen glanced at Dean Lin Ruyang and noticed the old professor’s face looked displeased.

He was probably thinking the students’ questions were too naive and unprofessional, dragging down the college’s image.

What made Xu Chen want to laugh was that one of those silly questions came from “top student” Jiao Tianbo.

Yu Xiaoguang remained polite and patient, answering each one.

Besides pro questions, some third- and fourth-years asked about the industry, jobs, and such.

Even one fourth-year straight-up asked how to interview and join Hu Hai Advertising…

Yu Xiaoguang, being in the field, gave solid advice.

He didn’t hold back and said:

“Though I’m from a local ad company, I have to admit…

In today’s Chinese ad scene, if young people want to break in, it’s better to go for foreign-backed 4A giants first.

They offer more structured training than local firms.

And at international 4As, you deal with big clients and bigger budgets.”

He paused slightly and added with a smile:

“Of course, it’s not absolute—for instance, this year’s Great Wall Award went to East Morning Star Advertising, a local company.

They handle big clients too…

Since you all know the boss of East Morning Star Advertising, you could reach out directly.”

Xu Chen gave an awkward smile, feeling a bit speechless.

This leader from Hu Hai Advertising was basically digging a pit for him…

…

Amid thunderous applause, Yu Xiaoguang stepped down.

Next up was Professor Ni Zhi, the advertising department head.

Ni Zhi was smooth and eloquent, spending a good chunk praising Yu Xiaoguang’s share.

He glanced down, saw Yu Xiaoguang was pleased, then shifted to his own topic.

Ni Zhi shared Great Wall Award-winning works too.

Of course, he skipped the ones Yu Xiaoguang had covered.

As an academic, Ni Zhi’s lectures were spot-on.

Every ad case he analyzed was thorough and insightful, as if he’d been part of creating them.

He covered plenty of works but kept it to forty-five minutes, like a full class.

After applause, it was another Q&A.

Students jumped in, asking more about pro creative stuff with Ni Zhi.

Ni Zhi was great with words, breaking down everything from every angle, whether it made sense or not.

Though Xu Chen caught a few spots where Ni Zhi fumbled.

Ni Zhi hadn’t been involved in the actual ad creation; he was viewing it from a third-party academic lens.

From a creative standpoint, Xu Chen spotted a couple of minor flaws, but nothing serious.

Xu Chen wasn’t foolish enough to point them out and clapped hard for Ni Zhi.

…

After Ni Zhi stepped down, it was time for the Great Wall Award’s overall winner share.

Xu Chen showed no nerves and confidently took the stage.

The students below were full of curiosity about this amazing underclassman.

Xu Chen grabbed the mic and humbly said a few words, giving props to Yu Xiaoguang and Ni Zhi who spoke before.

He basically said it was an honor to follow such big names and felt a bit overwhelmed…

Though his words were humble, his calm confidence on stage surprised Dean Lin Ruyang, Yu Xiaoguang, and Ni Zhi.

The way he handled the spotlight didn’t seem like a first-year at all.

The students below noticed too, especially Xu Chen’s classmates, who felt the pressure again.

“Boss Xu is so impressive—doesn’t seem nervous at all up there!”

“Yeah, with all these people, and Dean Lin in the audience!”

“Who knew Xu Chen had such good speaking skills!”

“And his presence is spot-on—makes him even more appealing!”

“You’d never guess it from seeing him in class.”

…

Xu Chen set the stage a bit more and humbly added:

“The ‘Afraid of Getting Heated’ project succeeded thanks to perfect timing, location, and people.

The slogan, ad spots, and packaging were just one part…

Since Dean Lin invited me to share, I want to give you the full picture of the project.

So, I’ve invited Nie Fei, former Vice President of Marketing and Branding at Jiaduobao Group…

Nie Fei is now my company’s partner.

She ran the whole ‘Afraid of Getting Heated’ project from scratch to industry top three—she knows it better than I do.

Please welcome Nie Fei!”

Dean Lin Ruyang, Yu Xiaoguang, and Ni Zhi led the applause.

Nie Fei smiled, stood up, and took the mic from Xu Chen.

“Thanks, young Boss Xu…”

…

The students below, hearing Nie Fei was a former “Vice President” at the brand side, straightened up with respect.

Seeing her strong professional aura, they felt admiration.

Plus, with her striking looks, the guys couldn’t look away.

“What did Xu Chen just say? This Nie is now his company’s partner?”

“That’s amazing! A former Jiaduobao Group VP joining Xu Chen’s company…”

“Xu Chen’s company sounds super reliable!”

“I’m tempted to send in a resume!”

…

On stage, Nie Fei had a PPT ready.

She handled this small event with ease.

Xu Chen sat on stage, thinking Nie Fei was truly a charismatic professional woman…

He glanced back and saw the guys staring in a daze.

Xu Chen smirked to himself—turns out young guys really go for that type.

Nie Fei’s share was professional and detailed, holding nothing back for Xu Chen’s fellow students.

She skipped sensitive industry data but shared all the market strategies and execution details.

Dean Lin Ruyang, Yu Xiaoguang, and Ni Zhi listened intently.

Even the young teachers in the second row, who came to listen in, were hooked.

It was a rare real-world case with actual market results, packed with valuable lessons.

The students paid close attention, feeling their eyes opening wide.

For these students with little real job experience, it was their first time hearing such a structured business case.

And it came straight from the person who ran it, not some hearsay third-party.

Xu Chen watched Nie Fei on stage and thought he’d struck gold by bringing her to his company.

At the same time, he felt even more confident about Ran Bing Sports’ future.

Xu Chen was great at setting the big direction, like a director, while Nie Fei handled all the resources and execution, more like a producer.

Their partnership was a perfect fit.

What Xu Chen didn’t know was that Nie Fei felt the same way privately.

…

…