Thirteen teachers and students from the University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute (UM-SJTU JI) were invited to visit the Coca-Cola Company Shanghai headquarters in Zizhu Science and Technology Park on October 19. The event aimed to help students understand the corporation’s culture and working environment of Coca-Cola and provide valuable face-to-face opportunities with the company’s executives and employees.
Opening introduction and ice-breaking activities
The open house kicked off with ice-breaking activities where the students got familiar with each other through playing games and tasting a variety of Coca-Cola sample products. Then, Nicole, the HR representative, led the students around the company’s facilities and working environment. Nicole focused on the company’s core sector, the product factory, and stressed the high standards of raw materials as well as final products, the strict requirements for high-quality product protection and the mastery and continuous improvement of Research and Development as the key to the company’s competitiveness.
Subsequently, the students had opportunities to talk with executives of the marketing, human resources and other departments. They gained a lot of valuable advice on career development, such as trying to fully understand a company’s characteristics and goals before making the right choice, paying close attention to current hot trends and building network to obtain new opportunities.
The Marketing Department introducing the O2O model
Chris from the Marketing Department gave a talk on Coca-Cola’s long history of success in marketing. Through creative marketing programs, Coca-Cola gradually amassed consumers by innovative brandings, packages, and ideas. Jimmy from the Franchise and Business Leadership Department gave a detailed introduction on the new strategy of Coca-Cola’s joining hands with the take-out industry. Through market research and data analysis, students were able to understand the O2O model and marketing strategies better.
Neil McDonald sharing his experience with Coca-Cola
At the end of the event, Neil McDonald, Vice President of Technology, shared his 20 years of experience working at the Coca-Cola Company. He encouraged students to dare to experiment while choosing a job and try to develop their skills in communication, teamwork, decision-making, and leadership.
This event not only provides students with the opportunity to meet other college students, but also helps them understand the world-class company’s mode of operation, corporate culture and marketing programs so that students get an insight into their future career development.
Since Yuzhou Wang, a JI alumnus, was selected into Coca-Cola’s 2011 “Antarctic Leadership Project” in 2009, the Coca-Cola Company has been collaborating with JI in talent recruitment, corporate visits and career development. The two sides will further collaborate in such programs as the “Global Management Training” to channel more JI talents into the company.
