On the morning of May 11, as a key component of the New Media Marketing Talent Professional Skills Competition, the China Youth Employment Lecture Hall · rednote Grass Plan event was successfully held at the LinShui Auditorium on Zhejiang University’s Zijingang Campus. The event was jointly initiated by the China Youth Entrepreneurship and Employment Foundation, rednote’s Grass Planting Academy, the China College Students Advertising Art Festival Academy Awards, and Creative Planet Network, with co-organization by Zhejiang University's College of Media and International Culture and the Qizhen Interdisciplinary Innovation and Entrepreneurship Laboratory.
Representatives from the Creative Planet-Academy Awards Organizing Committee, rednote's Grass Planting Academy, Proya brand executives, academic experts, and faculty and student delegates from seven universities—including Zhejiang University, Zhejiang University of Technology, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Zhejiang Gongshang University, China Jiliang University, Zhejiang University City College, and Zhejiang A&F University's Jiyang College—gathered to explore new pathways for cultivating new media marketing talent.
In her opening remarks, Zhao Yupei, Vice Dean of Zhejiang University's College of Media and International Culture, emphasized that digital technology is revolutionizing traditional communication models, necessitating a breakthrough in the boundaries of media education. She encouraged students to actively participate in such events, leveraging industry experts' practical insights, brand-driven case studies, and platform ecosystems to bridge the gap between theory and application.
Yuan Jian, Vice President of the Advertising People Cultural Group and Secretary-General of the China College Students Advertising Art Festival Academy Awards, highlighted that university-industry collaboration is pivotal for nurturing innovative talent. The event, she noted, offers not just a certification system but also fertile ground for hope, providing students with a springboard from the classroom to the workplace.
Guang Hui, head of rednote's Grass Plan, elaborated on the initiative's vision, urging participants to apply their learning through real-world brand challenges. By mastering marketing logic, account operations, and other skills, students can enhance their employability. He expressed hope that participants would showcase fresh creativity and authentic expression through the program.
Shen Hong, a researcher at Peking University's New Media Marketing Communication Research Center and a master's advisor at Minzu University of China's School of Journalism and Communication, pointed out that rednote transforms traditional selling points into user-driven buying points, resonating deeply with the collaborative creativity theory in Creative Communication Management. Amid the AIGC wave, she stressed the need for students to hone both user-centric insights and technology-driven application skills through programs like the Grass Plan, ensuring creativity translates into real consumer decision-making scenarios.
Proya's Product Marketing PM, Jia Ling, shared her experience, encouraging students to refine their marketing skills in real-world contexts. Effective grass planting requires targeting the right audience and crafting compelling narratives. Using new and mature products as examples, she dissected strategies for different stages. Finally, she unveiled the brand challenge: a creative marketing proposal for Proya's Ultra-Film Silver Tube Sunscreen, themed around endorser Liu Yifei, urging students to explore innovative expressions blending technological prowess and emotional value.
rednote's star lecturer, Cai Lexin, delivered a keynote speech titled Grass Planting: The Third Marketing Paradigm, deconstructing platform ecosystems and viral case studies to equip students with methodologies and tools. She explained that rednote's dual-column feed design empowers users with active choice, requiring creators to capture attention through visual covers, keyword optimization, and emotionally resonant storytelling. For content creation, she introduced the selling-to-buying point framework, illustrating with case studies like the round-and-square face trend to reveal how viral content stems from deep insights into genuine needs.
The event's rich, practical content not only provided attendees with hands-on expertise but also ignited their passion for exploring the new media marketing landscape.
In an era of global digital transformation, rednote's Grass Plan is more than a competition—it's an innovative practice in talent cultivation. Bridging campuses and careers, creativity and commercial value, this Generation Z-focused initiative is injecting fresh vitality into the industry. As each blade of grass takes root and grows upward, they will eventually form a vast prairie defining the future—a vibrant growth model for the new media age.