On May 16, the Communication Studies Concentration at Beijing Normal–Hong Kong Baptist University (BNBU) hosted a special lecture, inviting Jian Feng, Founder and CEO of Lingyi Digital, a leading service provider for WeChat Channels, as the guest speaker. Centered on the theme “Three Enduring Principles of WeChat Marketing and Practical Case Studies,” the lecture drew on Lingyi Digital’s rapid development from official accounts and mini programs to corporate lending services. It offered a systematic explanation of the growth loop within the WeChat ecosystem, the organizational transformation driven by AI, and practical pathways for young professionals seeking to grow amid technological change. The lecture was moderated by Ms. Liu Yuwen of the Communication Studies Concentration.

Jian Feng delivering the lecture

At the beginning of the lecture, Jian Feng pointed directly to the central anxieties in today’s marketing landscape: the plateauing of traffic growth and the rising cost of customer acquisition. He argued that the key to breaking through lies in returning to first principles and building a sustainable growth flywheel that integrates content, social engagement, and monetization. In his view, the essence of the WeChat ecosystem is to start with high-quality content, amplify influence through social sharing, and ultimately achieve commercial conversion. To extend a product’s life cycle, companies must avoid falling into price wars or overreliance on resources. Instead, they should focus on deep cultivation within a single channel and build differentiated competitive barriers in a way akin to “Tian Ji’s horse racing strategy.”

On the topic of private-domain operations, Jian Feng emphasized that the private domain is far more than a simple sales channel; it is the primary arena in which brands build long-term trust with users. He shared practical experience in transforming impersonal transactions into emotionally resonant connections through community engagement, co-creation with key opinion consumers (KOCs), and even public welfare initiatives such as agricultural assistance. At the same time, he proposed a strategy of full-domain coordination: public-domain platforms such as Douyin and Xiaohongshu are primarily responsible for attracting new traffic, while WeChat’s private domain focuses on user retention and repeat purchases. Only by combining the two can businesses achieve a full-chain closed loop in marketing.

The second major part of the lecture focused on the revolution in organizational efficiency brought about by AI. Jian Feng pointed out that AI is not only improving efficiency, but also reshaping production relations and corporate structures. “The demand for standardized roles such as designers, copywriters, and entry-level customer service staff is rapidly declining, to be replaced by interdisciplinary talent capable of collaborating with AI,” he noted. He revealed that Lingyi Digital has already used AI agents to automatically screen résumés and conduct preliminary interview assessments, while also leveraging AI to simulate market responses and predict trending products, thereby significantly reducing communication costs across departments.

Jian Feng delivering the lecture

Looking ahead, Jian Feng boldly predicted that business organizations will evolve toward a networked model of collaboration resembling a “one-person company.” With the support of AI tools, individuals can become independent operational nodes, while CEOs will be able to manage much larger virtual teams through AI agents. In this context, traditional functional departments will need to shift from support roles to business-enablement centers, using AI to provide standardized solutions for frontline operations.

In the section on career development, Jian Feng encouraged the students in attendance to build a personal IP as a core competitive strength. In his view, the personal brand of a founder or senior executive serves as a powerful hub connecting business clients, consumers, and internal teams, and therefore carries significant commercial value. He suggested that everyone should adopt the mindset that “life is experience, and experience is content,” continuously producing professional insights and perspectives. He particularly emphasized that the truly scarce talent of the future will not be specialists with a single skill, but interdisciplinary professionals who understand both business and AI applications, while also possessing strong aesthetic judgment and communication skills. In response to anxiety over rapid AI iteration, Jian Feng urged the audience: “Do not fear being replaced; instead, take the initiative to master new tools. Humanity’s core competitive edge lies in the ability to raise questions, define problems, and make non-consensus judgments.”

Ms. Liu Yuwen guiding the student discussion

During the interactive session, Ms. Liu Yuwen encouraged students to ask questions actively and engage in discussion. In response to a student’s question about how to choose a career path amid AI-driven job reduction, Jian Feng recommended emerging fields such as AIGC marketing and AI application development, emphasizing that the key lies in the ability to rapidly turn ideas into action. When asked about customer acquisition strategies on a limited budget, he suggested leveraging trending topics—that is, tracking popular platform discussions and broader social sentiment in order to create emotional resonance and achieve maximum impact with minimal investment. As for how to respond to the constant emergence of new AI tools, he advised: “There is no need to panic. What matters most is understanding the underlying logic and learning how to apply these tools. Start using them first, and adapt through practice.”

Students actively participating in the Q&A session

The lecture, grounded in the sharp insights and extensive practical experience of a front-line entrepreneur, offered faculty and students a fresh perspective on understanding the WeChat ecosystem and marketing in the age of AI. Combining strategic vision with practical methods, the session provided highly valuable guidance for students navigating job seeking and career transformation.

Speaker Profile

Jian Feng is the CEO of Lingyi Digital, the No. 1 service provider for WeChat Channels, and has been featured in an official benchmark case by the WeChat Open Class. He was named Shenzhen Youth Entrepreneur of the Year and serves as an honorary advisor to Tencent Classroom and Tencent Beauty. He has also been invited on multiple occasions to deliver corporate training for companies including Alibaba, Tencent, and JD.