In the 1930s, radio dramas were identified by detergent companies as a great way to promote their brands. As television’s popularity grew, Procter & Gamble came onto the scene and started to produce their own riveting story lines for TV, and with that, the soap opera was born. Over the years, many brands have successfully aligned themselves with digital content and programming, and the explosion of streaming services has presented new, innovative ways for brands to engage with audiences, including content customization, interactivity with online ads, custom curated sponsorships, even having the stars from your favourite show pitch your brand.

In this session, Justin Poy, President, The Justin Poy Agency, and Sophia Qiao, Marketing Director, iQiyi North America, will discuss how today’s brands can leverage streaming content and what iQiyi International is doing to take brand awareness and association to the next level.

This session is free of charge for CCBC members, C$25+HST for non-members.

About the speakers

Justin Poy

President, Justin Poy Agency

Justin Poy is a 30-year veteran of the Canadian multicultural advertising industry. He is a content and sponsorship specialist based in Toronto, Canada. Justin is frequently featured in advertising trade media and has delivered keynote speeches across North America including Automotive Conference and Expo Canada (ACE) and Digital Dealer in the US.

Sophia Qiao

Marketing Director, iQiyi North America

Sophia Qiao joined iQiyi North America as the Marketing Director last October, leading their marketing strategies in North America. She has over 15 years of experience in Marketing and Public Relations with a strong background in the public sector and government relations.

About the moderator

Sarah Kutulakos

Executive Director and COO, CCBC

Sarah Kutulakos, Executive Director for the Canada China Business Council, has extensive experience in China Prior to joining CCBC, Sarah worked for 11 years in marketing, product development, and management with a major multinational corporation, where she had multiple assignments involving China. Sarah managed worldwide product businesses that marketed to China and used China-based sources of supply. She was also involved in several projects requiring cooperation with the Chinese government. Sarah has led both established and start-up businesses within the context of a global corporation and has broad emerging market business experience, and has been involved in the Greater China region since the late 1980s when she lived and worked in Taiwan. There, she was the first non-Chinese employee of a local high-tech start-up firm, where she gained a deep understanding of Chinese business practices.

A fluent Mandarin speaker, Sarah’s interest in China began at the University of Wisconsin, where she studied Chinese, marketing, and international business. She holds an MBA in finance and operations from the Simon School of Business at the University of Rochester.

She frequently speaks on s on China issues, including marketing, trade, investment, and Canada-China relations.

About the host

Jeff Zhang

Ontario Chapter Director, CCBC

Jeff has over 20 years of international experience in private, public and non-profit organizations in a variety of sectors including E-commerce, oil and gas, retail, commercial real estate, education and financial services. Prior to joining CCBC, Jeff worked in establishment and operation management at a Sino-Foreign joint venture company and in strategic partnership management at a Fortune 500 multinational company. He also led and assisted a number of Canadian companies and educational institutions into China where he was responsible for strategic partnerships and branding establishment.

Jeff has an MBA in marketing and international business from Concordia University in Montreal and is fluent in Mandarin and English. He has also been a guest speaker at professional business associations in China and Canada.