From PR Officer to MUJI President
By Jackie Lin
STAFF REPORTER
Taipei Times
Monday, Apr 16, 2007, Page 12
Being a public relations officer has been Wang Wen-hsin's life-long dream since the time when she started studying in the advertising department at National Chengchi University.
Definition: her job is part of her dream.
After 15 years in public relations and thanks to her analytical mindset and other skills, Wang was presented with a rare opportunity early last year, when she was asked to become vice president of MUJI (Taiwan) Co.
Cause-Effect: 15 years in poublic relations. At least as a foreign reader, and maybe most native readers too, I would like to know what MUJI stands for. This can usually be done in a parenthesis.
The 38-year-old Wang has since been promoted to company president, making her the youngest and the only female president in parent group President Chain Store Corp, which owns over 30 brands, including 7-Eleven, Starbucks and Mister Donut.
Definition: "youngest and the only female." Examples: 7-Eleven, etc.
She is also the first member of the President Chain PR team to assume a top managerial role.
Definition; adverbial connective ("moreover"), an easy way to develop an idea, by using connectives such as "moreover," "nevertheless," "however," "so," "additionally," etc.
"I always thought I'd be a PR person forever. I love the job so much I never feel tired. So when president Hsu Chung-jen [of President Chain] informed me of my job transfer, I was very surprised," Wang told the Taipei Times during an interview last week.
Cause-Effect: "love the job," so she never feels tired. (Should be "loved" and "felt" since it's past.) "President Hsu" should be capitalized, unless "president" is treated like a common noun: "Only one US president was a bachelor." Or: "The former American president, Ronald Reagan, recently passed away." BUT: "It was announced that President Bush would arrive in New Orleans later today." Cause-Effect: she was surprised, because she loved her job & thought she would remain in that position.
As the chief of President Chain's public relations team, Wang was seen in every press conference introducing the company's latest products to reporters.
Cause-Effect: as part of her job, she's in promotions. "After," below, is a convenient (easy) way to develop an essay structured by time ("narration"): "after," "before," "then," "later," "in the evening," etc.
After the meeting with Hsu, she did not have much time to think.
Cause-Effect: not much time to think. Some more Cause-Effect in next paragraph. Note how the writer, below and above, effectively includes important information in clauses or appositive positions, including the subject's age (above) and how many years she worked someplace, included in a non-restrictive clause ("which began," etc.) below:
Making sure she understood what her boss wanted her to achieve in the new position, for one month Wang spent half a day every day at MUJI outlets getting hands-on experience before concluding her career as a publicist, which began in her first year after graduating from university at a PR firm, followed by 14 years at President Chain.
"I became a fan of MUJI after making my first overseas trip to Japan during university. But knowing and loving the brand doesn't mean one knows how to operate the business," she said.
Quoted speech goes to lower level of generality. Antithesis: "liking" and "knowing" are opposed. Then Cause-Effect is again used below:
To quickly bridge the knowledge gap, Wang said she spent time in the outlets to understand its more than 5,000 products, observed how consumers shop and talk about the products and gathered customer feedback and suggestions posted on its Web site.
"I respected my colleagues' opinion as they had worked there for over two years. I make my decisions based on their feedback and my own conclusions," Wang said.
More Cause-Effect ("I respected," etc.) and a lower level of generality, common in quoted speech. Even more Cause-Effect below: preparation work, so not too much pressure.
With all this preparatory work, Wang said she did not feel too much pressure.
"I'm quite daring at work and believe nothing can't be resolved," she said.
Somehow this quote (above) doesn't smoothly follow from what went before, though of course there's some kind of relationship. Yet more Cause-Effect below ("Her familiarity," etc.).
Her familiarity with the PR business makes her more suited to communicate with reporters, customers and Japanese shareholders, a clear advantage as most managers usually need to rely on their publicists.
For example, Wang constantly transforms herself into a model, strutting the catwalk during press conferences showcasing MUJI's latest products -- apparel or skin-care products. These initiatives have helped boost media coverage.
Example, above, at lower level of generality. More Cause-Effect too.
One thing she has difficulty understanding has been the media attention she has received of late.
Contrast: one thing she has difficulty with. Somehow the profile loses focus, below. It should be about Wang, instead it focuses more on the President Chain business, while Wang almost disappears. Coherence is also weak, since the paragraphs are not linked strongly enough, each paragraph seeming to be independent of the one before and after. Also, though I'm fond myself of two-sentence paragraphs, the writer goes too far and indents on almost every sentence, as if the writer knew nothing about paragraphing. Basically, I would omit all the blue font text below and continue with the green-font text to complete the profile (nothing of focus would be lost):
President Chain and its parent company, Uni-President Enterprise Corp, set up the joint venture with Japan-based retail giant Ryohin Keikaku Co -- owner of the 27-year-old MUJI brand -- and Mitsubishi Group in 2003 with an initial capital outlay estimated at NT$100 million (US$3 million).
MUJI is a household goods and clothing label that trumpets "simple, natural and quality" designs.
Since its first outlet was opened in Taipei's Breeze Center in April 2004, MUJI Taiwan has operated 10 stores nationwide, reporting revenues of NT$570 million last year.
Despite its late entry, outside Japan, Taiwan has the most MUJI outlets in Asia and ranks second in the world only after the UK, which runs 16 stores.
Branching out has already reaped profits in its first year and the company expects 30 percent growth.
Two new stores would be opened every year over the next five years, Wang said.
The ultimate scenario would be to have more than 50 MUJI shops in Taiwan, based on Japan's experience of operating over 300 stores for a population six times that of Taiwan, she said.
MUJI Taiwan has over 10,000 members who subscribe to its electronic newsletter containing the latest product information.
Wang has also been looking at the possibility of issuing membership cards sometime this year to secure customer loyalty.
Asked whether she anticipates another surprising turn in her career now that she has become a role model for many young students, Wang shook her head.
Antecedent-Consequence (before/after, like Cause-Effect, but not definite, just probable).
"I have no personal plan now. What I think of every day is how to boost each store's performance, what kind of products to introduce and how to employ marketing strategies to enhance brand awareness and attract more customers," she said.
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