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Global Times: Xi’s letter to lecturers in Shanghai inspires silver generation to contribute to city building

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BEIJING, Nov. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — On a sunny afternoon in early November, the warm sunlight pours into a solarium by the Huangpu River in downtown Shanghai. Huang Baomei and several other senior citizens gather around a table, excitedly reading a special letter together.

A day earlier, they received a letter from President Xi Jinping, after writing a letter to him weeks before to share their experiences and thoughts of providing free lectures to local residents in recent years as members of “Laoyangshu,” or “Old Poplar,” a grassroots lecture program in Shanghai consisting of retired officials, military officers, experts, teachers, and role models.

In his reply to the “Old Poplar” members, Xi praised the initiative as a meaningful approach to recount historical events, explain the Party’s new theories, and share the positive changes in the city with residents by blending the lecture content with the lecturers’ personal experiences.

Underlining the principle that cities should be built by the people and for the people, Xi called on the members of the program to inspire more people to embrace and implement the concept of a people-oriented city, the Xinhua News Agency reported. 

“Xi’s letter has given us tremendous encouragement and strength,” Huang told the Global Times with a big smile on her face.

“Even though I’m not young anymore, I never find delivering lectures tiring,” she said. “Instead, sharing the positive changes that have happened, and are happening, in Shanghai and China with my personal experiences, brings me great joy.”

Simplify the profound

With her straight posture and quick reflexes, Huang appears much younger than her actual age of 93. This elegant and energetic elderly lady was selected as China’s first generation of “model workers” in the 1950s as a textile worker, and was awarded the “July 1st Medal” – a top medal for lifelong contribution – by President Xi in 2021. She has been a role model for her dedication and professionalism for generations. 

Huang worked for 42 years at a textile factory in Shanghai. Now, as one of the eldest members of the “Old Poplar,” she passionately engages with residential communities, enterprises, and schools, sharing stories about China’s development with young people.

“At my busiest, I gave three lectures in a day, each lasting two hours, and the audience would give me a thumbs up,” Huang said proudly.

Development is a grand topic. Instead of discussing abstract concepts, Huang often shares her personal experiences filled with vivid and encouraging moments.

“When I worked in the textile factory, I tried many methods to improve efficiency and yield,” Huang told the audience that she made a lot of effort in optimizing the work process, and later successfully doubled the efficiency to simultaneously operate 800 spindles alone. Inspired by Huang’s talent and endeavor, the spinners at the local factory produced nearly half of China’s cotton cloth in the 1950s, a manufacturing miracle by then. 

Moreover, Huang once had an opportunity to become a movie star, but she rejected. “Spinning is my specialty and life career,” she said.

Huang’s heartfelt narrations embody the dedication and relentless spirit of the older Chinese generation, and vividly represent the past decades of rapid development in the country, which have resonated deeply with many in the audience. “As long as my health permits, I will continue to try hard to inspire more people, especially the young ones, in ways that they like,” Huang told the Global Times.

Similarly, 75-year-old Hu Jun, another “Old Poplar” member, is also good at using relatable details to explain macro policies in methods that resonate with the public.

The “Old Poplar” program mainly targets residents of Shanghai’s downtown Yangpu district. When discussing China’s industrial restructuring, Hu used Yangpu as an example to illustrate how this cradle of modern Chinese industry has continuously adapted its industrial structure to keep pace with the times.

“Yangpu was once known as the ‘golden belt’ of industry. After China’s reform and opening-up in the late 1970s, it became the ‘Rust Belt.’ Now, through years of industrial upgrading, Yangpu has transformed into the ‘beautiful belt,’ evolving into a green and livable community,” said Hu.

Hu was an official in the Yangpu district government before retirement. He expressed his excitement and enthusiasm upon receiving the reply letter from Xi, saying it reflects the president’s great expectations for grassroots retired officials and his affirmation of Shanghai’s urban construction.

“Even though I am retired, I will continue to serve as a promoter and practitioner of constructing a people-oriented city.”

Both teachers and friends

The “Old Poplar” members have conducted more than 2,600 free lectures over the last five years. They not only do well in vividly explaining macro topics, but are also good at sharing relatable life experiences tailored to audiences of different ages, becoming both teachers and friends to local residents.

Li Peirong, 75, used to work in a local township-level subdistrict before retiring, from which she gained rich experience dealing with the elderly. Now as an “Old Poplar” member, Li’s lecturers are mainly for senior citizens, whom she teaches how to use electronics such as smartphones. “Most of my elderly audience members have learned how to use [smartphones],” she said.

Li also promotes knowledge about electronic fraud prevention in her lectures. “We want to help more elderly people bridge the digital divide, and enjoy the benefits of modern technology.”

She said that receiving the reply from Xi makes her very proud, and further appreciates the significance of what she and other “Old Poplar” members are doing. “I never feel old,” she told the Global Times. “Even in retirement, we can continue to harness the power of our ‘silver generation’ in contributing to society.”

For young audiences, the “Old Poplar” has also made many efforts to prepare its lectures.

As former chairman of the board of supervisors of a technological innovation enterprise, 64-year-old Xin Peihua now mainly engages with young people through the “Old Poplar” program, giving lectures at internet companies.

Xin said she usually keeps her lectures to about half an hour, considering that most young people have busy work schedules. During and after the lectures, she talks with the young employees about work-related stress and their anxieties regarding potential layoffs, much like a caring senior family member. “Now when they’re feeling confused, they sometimes come to me to share their concerns and seek advice,” Xin told the Global Times.

Xin also regularly talks with the new couples at Yangpu’s marriage registries, sharing with them experiences of getting along with spouses and in-laws, maintaining marriage, and building a happy family. These small talks are so popular, that some new couples from other districts choose to register their marriages at Yangpu, said Xin.

She said that receiving a reply from President Xi is a “supreme honor” to her. “I want to serve as a flourishing old poplar, contributing my strength to the joint effort of building a beautiful city for the people, and creating a happy and fulfilling life together.”

Attract the young

The “Old Poplar” program was established in 2020, following Xi’s inspection trip to Shanghai the previous year.

In November 2019, during his visit to the city, Xi proposed the concept that “the cities are built by the people and are for the people,” and has issued several important directives regarding the construction of a people-oriented city in Shanghai. 

During that visit, Xi met Huang and encouraged her to further share her experiences with the young people, to strengthen their confidence in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Inspired by Xi’s words, Yangpu district established the “Old Poplar” program to share with the public the Party’s stories and promote the spirit of Shanghai city. The program has gathered over 300 retired senior citizens who are well-versed in theory, skilled in public speaking, and eager to contribute as volunteer lecturers, according to Deng Qing, head of the Bureau of Retired Veteran Cadres of the CPC Yangpu District Committee, which built the program.

To date, the “Old Poplar” has had a cumulative audience of more than 280,000. How to make young people interested in this format of lectures, and enjoy listening to the stories shared by these “grandpas” and “grandmas,” have been topics that the “Old Poplar” keeps considering.

To attract a Gen Z audience, the program has created accounts on popular video platforms like Bilibili, inviting its members to host livestream lectures. “A Huang lecture, for example, attracted 5,000 viewers during the live broadcast, with a total of over 50,000 views for the replay,” Deng told the Global Times.

The engaging and diverse lectures have been well received by the younger audience. Xu Yifan, a staffer at a Shanghai-based internet enterprise, said he has watched livestream and videos of “Old Poplar” lectures on Bilibili, and felt the deep love of the elderly lecturers for Shanghai and China.

“Their lectures convey knowledge but also power to us, strengthening our young generation’s aspirations for the future, and encouraging us to actively participate in the development of a people-oriented city,” Xu told the Global Times.

Cheng Yunuo is a fifth-grader at a primary school in Yangpu. She has attended many lectures held by the “Old Poplar” at her school. 

“The experiences and insights of the older generation have made me deeply realize that, as a Chinese teenager in the new era, I have a responsibility to study hard and continuously improve my knowledge and skills,” Cheng said.

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202411/1323005.shtml

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SOURCE Global Times

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Meta, Watsons Hong Kong, Hong Kong Life and OPTICAL 88 unlocked WhatsApp potential with Omnichat

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Create end-to-end customer journeys using WhatsApp Flows and ads that click to WhatsApp with Meta to accelerate business growthRedefine customer engagement with Omnichat’s WhatsApp membership system and enhance campaign tracking and optimisation through the Conversions APIWatsons Hong Kong integrated WhatsApp into the customer journey, from initial product discovery through to final purchase and payment, thereby offering customers a more convenient O+O experienceHong Kong Life revolutionised its interactions with customers by WhatsApp marketing, streamlining the acquisition of potential customers and elevating the overall customer experienceOPTICAL 88 leveraged WhatsApp’s direct messaging capabilities to create tailored, one-on-one conversations with customers, strengthening relationships and boosting satisfaction, resulting in an impressive 26% click-through rate on messages

HONG KONG, Nov. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Omnichat, an all-in-one omnichannel customer experience platform offering conversational commerce solutions, recently hosted a highly scalable conference titled “Unlocking Revenue Potential with Omnichannel Customer Experience”, which featured insights on delivering exceptional customer experiences via WhatsApp, with contributions from industry experts at the global social media giant Meta, international health and beauty retailer Watsons Hong Kong, the one-stop insurance and financial service provider Hong Kong Life, and the professional optical brand OPTICAL 88.

 

Omnichat, as the WhatsApp Business Solution Provider of Meta, introduced how its advanced omnichannel customer experience solutions empowered businesses to effortlessly drive customer loyalty and achieve personalisation through seamless journeys during the event. “Numerous businesses are seeking ways to streamline customer journeys, and WhatsApp Flows offers the perfect solution. Integrating WhatsApp Flows with marketing campaigns empowers businesses to design, build, and customise experiences. This provides customers a fast, simple way to complete tasks within a conversation, ultimately driving conversions and delivering better results,” said Alan Chan, Founder and CEO of Omnichat. The newly launched WhatsApp membership system offers brands and their customers a user-friendly loyalty solution by leveraging WhatsApp, the most popular messaging app in Hong Kong. “When constructing end-to-end customer journeys, loyalty is a crucial element that must not be overlooked. The WhatsApp membership system is designed to strengthen customer relationships through loyalty points, coupons, and membership cards, facilitating future re-engagement and encouraging potential repurchases.” Leveraging the power of Omni AI, auto-generated message content can be customised for various customer segments, enhancing efficiency in marketing and customer service while achieving personalisation. 

WhatsApp has the highest social media platform penetration rate of 79% in Hong Kong, according to the survey conducted by GWI. Driving engagement and growth across the customer lifecycle, the WhatsApp Business Platform plays a pivotal role in connecting with customers from discovery, consideration, purchase to re-engagement. “Meta has continually expanded the capabilities of business messaging to empower companies across various sectors to drive awareness, boost conversions, and create meaningful customer relationships for remarketing,” said Vicky Yiu, APAC Strategic Partnership Manager of Meta. “By creating a customised WhatsApp experience, WhatsApp Flows has achieved measurable results in generating more leads, appointments, and revenue directly within the platform, providing increased convenience for both businesses and their customers.” Meta also offers comprehensive tracking of the entire customer journey with the Conversions API. From the initial ads that lead to WhatsApp engagement, through subsequent WhatsApp interactions, to the final conversion, businesses can now generate actionable insights and fine-tune their advertising strategies with precision.

Prolog Leung, Online Business Director of Watsons Hong Kong also shared in the seminar, “Watsons Hong Kong has successfully integrated WhatsApp commerce into its innovative O+O (Offline plus Online) retail strategy by seamlessly implementing Omnichat’s conversational commerce solution, streamlining the checkout process and delivering an unparalleled shopping experience. It bridges the gap between digital convenience and personalised service. We are now handling tremendous customer enquiries monthly via WhatsApp, minimizing the waiting time of customers to answer their enquiries. Our ‘Watsons Here For You’ service offers one-on-one consultations with pharmacists, Chinese medicine practitioners, and dietitians via WhatsApp. This seamless integration of digital and physical retail spaces allows our customers to engage with our brand at their convenience, not only boosting online engagement and sales but also driving foot traffic to our physical stores.” 

Hong Kong Life has revolutionised its marketing and customer service strategies by leveraging WhatsApp and Omnichat’s advanced messaging solutions. Initially implemented to manage multi-channel enquiries on social media platforms, Hong Kong Life had quickly realised the transformative potential of WhatsApp for business growth and customer experience enhancement. “We have uncovered the limitless potential of WhatsApp in our marketing and customer service. The automated chatbot can now efficiently handle over 90% of simple enquiries, allowing our team to focus on marketing and nurturing deeper customer relationships,” said Jonathan Ko, Chief Marketing Officer of Hong Kong Life. “We have strategically implemented interactive Q&A games via WhatsApp chatbots, incentivising participation with exclusive coupons. This not only enhances customer engagement but also significantly expands our WhatsApp database. Leveraging this growing database to deliver targeted marketing broadcasts, our campaigns have recorded a remarkable 70% read rate, substantially boosting business conversions.” 

OPTICAL 88 has further solidified its reputation for exceptional customer service by leveraging the WhatsApp Business Platform. This strategic move has not only enhanced communication efficiency but also instilled a greater sense of trust and convenience among customers, thanks to the platform’s authorised blue tick verification. Andrea Chan, Digital Marketing Manager of OPTICAL 88 emphasised the significance of this digital transformation, “Maintaining a close, personal connection between our sales team and customers is a cornerstone of our brand values. We have observed that regardless of demographic, our customers overwhelmingly prefer the immediacy and interactivity of WhatsApp over traditional email communications, resulting in up to 26% click-through rate on our messages.” OPTICAL 88 has also broadened its tactical approach beyond one-to-one communications. Andrea further explained, “By integrating omnichannel chatbots with our social media strategy, particularly for Facebook comment auto-replies, we have facilitated engaging social media campaigns while effectively driving online traffic to our physical stores.”

By seamlessly integrating automated systems with personalised human interactions, the comprehensive chat commerce solutions are revolutionising the way businesses interact with their customers across WhatsApp Business Platform, Facebook Messenger and Instagram Direct, and setting new industry standards for customer experience excellence. 

About Omnichat:
Founded in 2017 with its headquarter in Hong Kong, Omnichat is an omnichannel chat commerce solution provider that centralises customers’ conversations from WhatsApp Business Platform, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, LINE, WeChat and website live chat into a single platform to enhance efficiency and productivity.

With a strong presence in the Asia Pacific region, the company has established a solid reputation for serving local and international retail and e-commerce brands. By offering an omnichannel social customer data platform, online-merge-offline(OMO) sales integration, marketing automation, chatbots as well as customer service platform, Omnichat strives to empower brands to deliver personalised customer journeys and drive digital transformation, ultimately converting visitors into customers through chats.

Website: https://www.omnichat.ai/
WhatsApp: https://wa.me/85291925071/?text=EnquiryForWhatsApp
LinkedIn: https://hk.linkedin.com/company/omnichat-easychat
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OmnichatAI

For media enquiries, please contact:
Omnichat Limited
Lily Yeung
Associate Director of Communications
Tel: (852) 9803 5977
Email: lily.yeung@omnichat.ai

Macy Chun
Communications Manager
Tel: (852) 6234 9555
Email: macy.chun@omnichat.ai

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SOURCE Omnichat Limited

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AccuRadio Shields Listeners from ‘The Little Drummer Boy’ in 2024 Challenge

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CHICAGO, Nov. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — This holiday season, AccuRadio, one of the world’s leading online radio services, is stepping up to protect listeners from the ultimate seasonal pitfall: Hearing the song “The Little Drummer Boy.”

This Christmas, AccuRadio is helping music fans dodge the ultimate holiday pitfall: Hearing “The Little Drummer Boy”

“We have a foolproof plan to help our listeners stay safe from that song this holiday season,” announced Kurt Hanson, Founder and CEO of AccuRadio.

AccuRadio’s initiative supports the Little Drummer Boy Challenge — a playful annual game in which countless holiday music lovers aim to avoid hearing “The Little Drummer Boy” for as long as possible, from 12:01am local time on Black Friday through 11:59pm on December 23rd (per littledrummerboychallenge.com). The challenge, originally born in Silicon Valley tech circles, has become a cherished holiday tradition, uniting music fans across the globe.

To aid participants in their quest, AccuRadio is launching a set of “safe zone” Holiday Music channels that feature all the festive classics listeners love, with one notable exception: “The Little Drummer Boy” is completely off the playlist.

“We want holiday music fans to have a safe space to enjoy their favorite holiday songs without fear of losing the challenge,” Hanson said.

For those feeling mischievous, AccuRadio is also introducing a specially-disguised channel that will actually play nothing but dozens of versions of “The Little Drummer Boy,” perfect for pranking friends. “We call it getting drum-rolled,” explained Paul Maloney, AccuRadio’s VP/Programming.

Todd Manley, VP/Promotion at AccuRadio, emphasized the platform’s commitment to its listeners: “In a world where online safety can be challenging to find, we’re making it easy for holiday music fans to enjoy their season with true peace of mind.”

AccuRadio’s “safe zone” channels are a new addition this year to what is already the most extraordinary collection of holiday music channels available anywhere. AccuRadio offers over 125 curated (and personalizable) Christmas music channels focusing on specific genres, decades, regions, tempos, and themes—making it the ultimate destination for holiday music enthusiasts.

This amazing assortment of holiday music channels can be found on the web at www.accuradio.com/christmas-music and on AccuRadio’s iPhone and Android mobile apps.

About AccuRadio
Launched in 2000 (making it one of the earliest pioneers in online audio), AccuRadio offers over 1,400 human-curated music channels (spanning over 50 genres) to over a million adult, upscale, and loyal users each month.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/accuradio-shields-listeners-from-the-little-drummer-boy-in-2024-challenge-302315954.html

SOURCE AccuRadio

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UPS Class Action News: Robbins LLP Reminds Investors of Quickly Approaching Lead Plaintiff Deadline in the United Parcel Service, Inc. Class Action

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SAN DIEGO, Nov. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Robbins LLP reminds investors that a class action was filed on behalf of all persons and entities who purchased or otherwise acquired United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE: UPS) securities between January 30, 2024 and July 22, 2024. UPS is a multinational parcel delivery and supply chain management solutions company operating in more than 200 countries and territories.

For more information, submit a form, email attorney Aaron Dumas, Jr., or give us a call at (800) 350-6003.

The Allegations: Robbins LLP is Investigating Allegations that United Parcel Service, Inc. (UPS) Misled Investors Regarding its Business Prospects

According to the complaint, during the class period, defendants created the false impression that they possessed reliable information pertaining to the Company’s projected revenue outlook and anticipated growth while also minimizing risk from seasonality and macroeconomic fluctuations. In truth, UPS’ optimistic reports of growth, plans to handle volume variability, upcoming profit growth, and consistent claims that the first quarter would present the worst margins of the fiscal year fell short of reality; the Company was not truly equipped to handle a volume surge without causing a corresponding significant decline in their operating margin.

Plaintiff alleges that the truth emerged on July 23, 2024, when UPS announced its financial results for the second quarter of fiscal 2024, provided lower-than-expected guidance for the third quarter, and reduced its margin guidance for the full fiscal year 2024. The Company attributed its results and lowered guidance on the shift in “U.S. volume mix both in terms of product and customer segmentation . . . toward value products.”  On this news, the price of UPS common stock fell from $145.18 per share on July 22, 2024, to close at $127.68 per share on July 23, 2024, a decline of $17.50 per share, or about 12.05% according to the complaint.

What Now: You may be eligible to participate in the class action against United Parcel Service, Inc. Shareholders who want to serve as lead plaintiff for the class must submit their application to the court by December 9, 2024. A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.  You do not have to participate in the case to be eligible for a recovery. If you choose to take no action, you can remain an absent class member. For more information, click here.

All representation is on a contingency fee basis. Shareholders pay no fees or expenses. 

About Robbins LLP: Some law firms issuing releases about this matter do not actually litigate securities class actions; Robbins LLP does. A recognized leader in shareholder rights litigation, the attorneys and staff of Robbins LLP have been dedicated to helping shareholders recover losses, improve corporate governance structures, and hold company executives accountable for their wrongdoing since 2002.  Since our inception, we have obtained over $1 billion for shareholders.

To be notified if a class action against United Parcel Service, Inc. settles or to receive free alerts when corporate executives engage in wrongdoing, sign up for Stock Watch today.

Attorney Advertising.  Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.  

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SOURCE Robbins LLP

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