Cherry Fu
Marketing Director, OPPO GCC
Years in current position: 1.5
Years with company: 1.5
Size of department: 20+
Previous jobs
• Deputy director of strategic partnerships of Hujiang.com, Shanghai – the leading online learning platform in China
• Marketing manager of New Fire Co, Shanghai
• PR manager of Hippotac HK Co, Shanghai
Recent campaigns
• #OPPOGamingChallenge, an engaging activation with Dubai Tourism at Mall of The Emirates
• #FameOPPOrtunity digital entertainment challenge on TikTok
• #FindMore content creation campaign partnering with renowned regional influencers to inspire the people of the UAE
• Regional launch of Reno4 Series at an interactive and engaging virtual event titled ‘Own the Night’
Recent achievements
• Increasing the brand awareness of OPPO in the GCC region. Maintained a top-four media exposure rank in the smartphone field.
• Re-inventing OPPO’s marketing strategy during Covid-19 and successfully launched three new smartphone series through engaging virtual events.
• Released the campaign of Mohamed Salah, international football legend, as OPPO’s brand ambassador in MEA.
What is your objective in your current role?
Although we have reached the top-five smartphone companies by shipment in a short span of five years in the region, our goal remains to get more consumers in MENA to know and experience the OPPO brand.
Do you have a guiding principle?
At OPPO, we are guided by the Chinese philosophy of ‘Benfen’, which has several levels of meaning, but is based on doing the right thing. We believe our mission is to share our technology to make our customers’ lives easier.
How do you make agency relationships work?
We select agencies that have the same dream and passion for OPPO as us. All our partners are thoroughly immersed in the brand through structured onboarding and ongoing briefings. We work together as one team, sharing ideas and opinions. By always keeping an open mind and passion to explore, we have achieved great success with our agency teams.
What work do you wish you had done?
At OPPO, we believe in globalisation and this is something I’m so excited about, as I’d like to create more marketing campaigns that are connected to the local culture of the markets we operate in.
How has Covid-19 changed your business?
Covid-19 has changed the way the world does business. The sudden switch to a digital-only lifestyle made us face a changing business model and a new way of marketing. But we were able to keep a positive outlook and look ahead. Almost overnight, we pivoted from physical, high-touch events to creating an equally engaging online journey with virtual launch events. We successfully launched three smartphones – Reno3, our flagship Find X2 Pro and Reno4. We also continued with exciting online campaigns to keep our customers engaged.
What is the biggest challenge in marketing at the moment?
The uncertainty brought about by the pandemic is definitely a challenge. Its influence on consumption patterns keeps changing as various countries and regions face new waves of the disease. This means that we need to keep adjusting our marketing strategies to find relevant ways to communicate and engage with consumers. We strive to stay close to our young creators and entrepreneurs by leveraging the platforms that are popular and trendy during the current times.
What is the next big trend in marketing?
In the tech space, 5G is a huge influence. Also, the growth for disruptive technologies such as XR, VR, AR and MR over the next 10 years will be massive. Together with 5G, each of these technologies changes the perception of ‘reality’ to its user. The technologically driven world we live in is heading for a major shift, as these disruptive technologies, together with 5G, approach mainstream adoption. This is something I take into consideration in marketing, as I’m very excited to see more ‘reality’ experiences being implemented through marketing campaigns.
What can we expect to see from you and your brand in the next year?
We are working to integrate all our products into a smart device ecosystem for the era of intelligent connectivity. From a marketing point of view, we will continue to create more attractive campaigns that engage with our consumers and bring out the best in them.
Agency reference
Bassam Saifi, senior account director, Impact Porter Novelli
Joining a young yet highly innovative smartphone brand like OPPO comes with challenges such as launching an average of four new smartphones per year, in addition to a busy overall marketing calendar. To boost the reach and awareness around OPPO’s flagship Find X2 Pro smartphone, Cherry was behind the successful Find More campaign, that saw OPPO partner with key regional influencers including the UAE’s first female director, to inspire the people of UAE to be more creative.
Another achievement I’d consider Cherry is proud of would be the #FameOPPOrtunity digital entertainment challenge launched on TikTok to highlight the camera capabilities of the latest Reno4 series. The outcome of the show that was streamed live on YouTube was amazing, with more than 12,000 users tuning in to watch the launch.
Cherry is an experienced marketer who has worked with big global companies. Her dedication, inspiration to share knowledge and openness to learn new things from across the team is something I very much admire in her. She plays a key role in bringing closer both the HQ team in China and the local regional team here in Dubai. From her I’ve learned to look at every campaign from a broader perspective. Just like OPPO following the Chinese philosophy of ‘benfen’, which means one’s part or duty, Cherry was a role model in inspiring the team to do their duty with professionalism and passion.
Rapid fire
What are you working on?
Elevating life through technological artistry.
Who are you following?
HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid
What are you craving?
The end of the pandemic
What are you hiding from?
Nothing.
What are you playing?
Switch.
What are you listening to?
Jazz.
What are you reading?
Campaign.
What are you watching?
Tech reviews.
What did you learn over lockdown?
Always keep a positive attitude.
