The "Happy Unbirthday Tea" team, led by Associate Professor Wei-Jen Yang of the Department of International Business and Associate Professor Jia-Jun Lin of the Department of Visual Communication Design, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, participated in the 2018 Global Brand Planning Competition, organized by the Global Chinese Marketing Association Singapore Headquarters at Nanyang Technological University (Global Brand Planning Competition—Global Finals). The global finals were from Taiwan, China, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and other colleges and universities. The "Happy Unbirthday Tea" team of Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology won both the Best Performance Award and the Champion Debate Team. The team eventually won Champion in the global finals, becoming the biggest winner of the competition.

【In the 2018 Global Brand Planning Competition, the Best Performance Award was presented by Chairman Ya-Fei Tseng of the Chinese Council for the Promotion of International Trade (first from right) to the members of "Happy Unbirthday Tea" team (from left to right)—Hui-Ying Chen, Tsai-Shun Zheng, Wen-Tsuan Hou, Li-Jen Pan, and Yi-Yun Jian.】

This year, the Department of International Business, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, cooperated with Fragrance Aesthetics, an affiliated company to VitalWellspring Education Company in Singapore. After winning the championship in the 2018 ASEAN and Cross-Strait College Students Foreign Trade Simulation Trade Show Competition, the team won the Global Brand Planning Competition in 2018. The team first took Jack Trout's four‐step process and conducted a brand positioning analysis for Fragrance Aesthetics. Then they carried out this marketing plan by combining Laura Ries' concept of "Vision Hammer" and the " the five-step CEM process" proposed by Bernd. H. Schmitt, gradually improving and enhancing the brand awareness of Fragrance Aesthetics. The team's brand planning was correct about the brand positioning and their planning was creative and highly feasible, with their lively and impressive presentation--an overwhelming advantage that brought them the champion in the 2018 Global Brand Planning Competition.

【"Happy Unbirthday Tea" team in their briefing.】

The team, led by Associate Professor Wei-Jen Yang of the Department of International Business and Associate Professor Jia-Jun Lin of the Department of Visual Communication Design, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, has represented Taiwan in the Singapore Finals for four consecutive years. It was also the third time the team won global brand planning competitions in 2018. Hui-Ying Chen, a team member who has participated in the competition for three times, said that they learned more planning methods and marketing knowledge by writing a business plan and a briefing Q&A. Over the past few years, they have competed with and learned from other teams while they have never stopped learning from the teachers. It was the reason why they could do away with the fear and dreadful stammer at the initial stage. Eventually they won themselves the opportunity to participate in the debate contest. For her, the Brand Planning Competition is not just a competition; it is the source from which she has learned a lot of valuable experiences. Tsai-shun Zheng, who also participated in the competition for the third time, said that the competition is different from books; it allows us to understand and participate in the whole process of brand planning. In the course of the competition, she has also learned to know how team members can help and cooperate with each other and follow their teamwork. These valuable experiences are indispensable and have strengthened her life.

【The champion of the 2018 Global Brand Planning Competition went to the "Happy Unbirthday Tea" team: (from left to right) Hui-Ying Chen, Tsai-Shun Zheng, Li-Jen Pan, Wen-Tsuan Hou, Yi-Yun Jian, and Associate Professor Wei-Jen Yang of the Department of International Business and Associate Professor Jia-Jun Lin of the Department of Visual Communication Design, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology.】

The Global Chinese Marketing Association will film a short documentary for the Champion "Happy Unbirthday Tea" team, which will be made available on the webpages of both TIMS (Taiwan Institute of Marketing Science) and GCMF (Global Chinese Marketing Alliance) to promote the global branding competition. This glory is the result of years of hard work by the students in practice training and business management at Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology. It greatly confirms the strength of the College of Business and Management, which is certified by AACSB International.