Hill & Knowlton × Yili
Bilingual Brand Communications at an International Industry Summit
During my time at Hill & Knowlton, I supported two client accounts with different market priorities: Yili to broaden its international influence while Nu Skin to expand in the Chinese market.
My most direct client-facing work involved supporting Yili during the 2023 International Dairy Conference in Chicago, where I contributed across research, media materials, on-site coordination, and post-event communications.
Pre-conference Preparation
Ahead of the conference, I supported strategic planning by conducting competitor analysis on global dairy leaders such as Nestlé and Arla. Reviewing their media messaging, innovation narratives, and sustainability positioning helped me identify the themes shaping the category and clarify how Yili could establish itself in an international context. This research also sharpened my understanding of how Yili’s high-tech product portfolio fit into broader industry conversations around innovation and sustainability.
I also supported sponsorship planning by researching conference sponsorship tiers and assessing which level would provide the strongest balance of visibility and cost efficiency.
In parallel, I helped prepare content production for the event, including three videos intended for Yili’s domestic audience in China to reinforce the company’s global presence. This required identifying which visual assets needed to be captured on site, including sponsorship signage, logo placement, and executive footage.
During The Conference
During the conference, I coordinated across the camera crew, interview setup, and Yili’s executive team to help ensure all required footage and messaging assets were captured within a tightly scheduled four-day event. I also provided real-time updates to the team in China, including key quotes and developments, so that press materials could be produced quickly and accurately while the event was still unfolding.
After The Conference
After the conference, I supported follow-up communications by helping secure both domestic and international coverage around Yili’s two awards. I also contributed to the rollout of three event videos published on Yili’s WeChat channel, which collectively reached more than 10,000 views.
This experience showed me how international brand communications depend not only on strong messaging, but also on precise execution across stakeholders, formats, and markets. It strengthened my ability to support bilingual communications in a fast-moving client environment while keeping brand visibility, media value, and audience context in view.
