Prof. Luk Ding-Kwong on AI Cross-Border Opportunities at Alibaba
Source：emlyon business schoolDate：2025-05-29
On the afternoon of May 22, 2025, Alibaba’s forum Cross-Border Opportunities in the AI Era – 2025 SME AI Globalization Forum & Platform AI Accessibility Launch was held at Times Square in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong.
Professor Luk Ding-Kwong attended as a keynote speaker, delivering an address titled New Challenges and Strategies for Global Cross-Border E-Commerce. The event attracted over 250 export enterprise leaders and entrepreneurs both online and offline, fostering dynamic discussions.
Analyzing the multifaceted challenges posed by the U.S.-China tariff disputes for Chinese exporters, Professor Luk dissected strategies for businesses across B2B and B2C models, as well as enterprises focused on product/material sales versus brand building.
He emphasized that while recent tariff reductions have eased tensions, non-tariff barriers and technology controls persist—urging companies to use this "breathing space" to strengthen their preparedness.
Professor Luk outlined actionable measures, including production layout adjustments, supply chain restructuring, market diversification, product value enhancement, financial risk hedging, and overseas warehouse optimization. He stressed that structural reforms and technological innovation are critical for navigating uncertainty and ensuring long-term competitiveness.
On building resilient global brands, he advocated a strategic transition from a price-based system to a value-based system. This involves brand equity management, unique value propositions, localized operations, distinct brand identity, and compelling storytelling—enabling companies to offset tariff-induced cost pressures through premium positioning.
Regarding digital tools, Professor Luk highlighted AI and big data’s transformative role in international marketing. Beyond AI-driven content creation and ad optimization, he urged enterprises to establish end-to-end automated marketing workflows and data-driven decision-making infrastructures. Such systems enable precise market insights, trend forecasting, hyper-localized strategies, and closed-loop campaign management, significantly boosting efficiency.
His speech bridged macro-environmental shifts with SME operational needs, offering forward-thinking yet pragmatic guidance for capturing global opportunities in the AI era.
Luk Ding-Kwong
Professor of Marketing of emlyon business school
Academic Director MBA/EMBA/DBA (Asia)
Director, Euro-Asia Brand Management Center
A graduate of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (undergraduate) and the University of New South Wales (MBA, PhD in Marketing), with executive training at Wharton Business School and IMD, Professor Luk has over two decades of academic leadership at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, where he founded the Asian Center for Brand Management and the Brand Strategy and Innovation Center in Shenzhen. A recipient of multiple teaching and knowledge transfer awards, he has served as visiting professor at universities across Europe, Asia, and Oceania.
Professor Luk has accumulated extensive practical experience in marketing and brand management across Hong Kong, Australia, and New Zealand. He is recognized as an expert in brand and service marketing management in the Greater China region and is a highly sought-after speaker on brand strategy and marketing management. Over the years, he has served as a marketing and brand management consultant for numerous leading brands—including China Mobile, Philips, Dow Chemical, Chow Tai Fook, Bossini, Saga, Sa Sa, SKF, Nokia, Reecho, CKHair, Saga, Fangxiaobao—as well as for the Hong Kong SAR Government, the Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants & Related Trades, the Hong Kong General Chamber of Small and Medium Business, and The Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong. He also serves as a member of the SME Customer Liaison Group of the Trade and Industry Department of the HKSAR Government, a council member of the Hong Kong Brand Development Council, and an expert advisor to both the Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Direct Selling Association.
Academically, Professor Luk focuses his research on brand strategy and management, brand experience, marketing strategies for service products, marketing and brand management capabilities, marketing strategy, cultural influences on brand learning and purchasing behavior, and the impact of China-specific market characteristics on corporate marketing practices. He has received multiple awards for his papers at international academic conferences and was awarded the Best Paper Award by the International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management in 2013. He has published over 100 academic papers in international journals and conferences.