The Orangeblowfish inspires the Australian-Chinese Emerging Leaders Summit panel by combining creativity, culture & brand campaigns in China

Shanghai-headquartered creative agency, The Orangeblowfish explored the connection between culture and business at the 17th Australia-China Emerging Leaders Summit (ACELS) on 5th – 7th July 2024. Hosted at the Sheraton Grand Shanghai, Pudong Hotel and Residence, the theme this year was Renewing dialogue: leading a new chapter in Australia-China relations.

The three-day ACELS event has been held in China and Australia since 2014. The Summit is an Australia-China Youth Association (ACYA) initiative designed to boost the skills of emerging leaders; emphasising the relationship between the two countries. Delegates are from academic and professional backgrounds relating to business and commerce, the Arts and social sciences, plus STEM; nurturing an inter-disciplinary environment. This year, 80+ delegates were in attendance.

The Orangeblowfish CEO and founding partner, Natalie Lowe was invited to share insights during a panel discussion looking at impressions and influence on culture and business connections between Australia and China. The conversations aim to inspire greater cross-cultural knowledge and sensitivity to differences, and the skills to navigate. Natalie reveals why she has a personal understanding of this cultural bridging. 

"The Orangeblowfish is an international company that also has teams in Australia, UK and North America. We work with international brands and local companies interested in boosting their brand awareness in China and Asia. Much of the creativity of our campaigns comes from plugging into the subtleties of cultural resonance. Being Australian, with Chinese heritage, I also bring a sense of duality to every aspect of my business and life experiences.

Project Leader for ACELS 17, Mia Castagnone explains why Natalie was an obvious choice for the Culture Panel. "ACELS is an important event that brings together leaders in the Australia China space and creates a space for better understanding between these places. The Orangeblowfish is an apt partnership, as their brand campaigns are focused on a deep understanding of the cultural relationship between the East and the West. A strategic voice within that, Natalie Lowe can share how these dynamics play out in a brand-consumer relationship."

Moderator Danielle Worton asked Natalie how an understanding of both Asian and Western cultures fed into The Orangeblowfish creativity to create an identity between consumers and client brands. Natalie explains why culture extends beyond geographical spaces.

"Culture isn't as simple as East and West or one country or another. You can break it down into generations – Gen X, millennials, and Gen Y, with Gen A catching up fast. There are plenty of other social-economic factors that influence consumer groups, too. Identifying cultural highlights needs to be balanced with finer demarcations. While it's a mistake to treat the Chinese consumer markets the same as you might do in the West, it's also a mistake to treat each individual market as homogenised."