In August 2023, I embarked on a business trip to Dhaka, Bangladesh, to meet with the Daraz Bangladesh team, accompanied by my line manager, Cheryl Ang, and my teammates, April Tan, Amelia Kang, and Angela Ho.
The purpose:
- Assist the local branding team in ideating and launching the 11.11 Sale campaign, including collecting feedback for the 11.11 key visual design
- Collaborate with the local designers to identify areas for improvement in future design work.
The Challenges:
- Language barrier: Most of the designers in the Bangladesh office can’t speak English. However, I needed to communicate the design expectations from the senior executives and assist the local designers in achieving them.
- Incomplete brand guidelines: It was an ongoing process to clean up the brand guidelines created by a third-party agency. It was important to incorporate feedback from the Bangladeshi designers to make the guidelines more comprehensive for everyone.
Actions taken:
- Speak to the design leads: Arranged for someone who could speak both Bengali and English to assist with translation. Held a Q&A session with the visualisers to understand their pain points.
- Conducted a Workshop: Using one of their campaign key visuals as an example, I delved into observing areas for improvement and prepared a presentation with technical knowledge to address them.
Result:
- Exceed 11.11 sales target: The Bangladesh team achieved an all-time great result, which greatly boosted the team’s morale for upcoming challenges.
- Enhanced the brand guidelines: Included the examples shared during the workshop in the brand guidelines so that other markets could refer to them.
During our visit, we were warmly welcomed by Nujhat Naeem, the Brand & Marketing lead. She introduced me to Md. Mojammel Hoque, the Design Lead, and Mahmudur Rahman Shohan, the Video Production Lead. I also had the pleasure of meeting Uttam Mojumder, the Brand Manager, and Zawad Ul Karim, the Regional Brand & Communication Associate. Special thanks to Mashrur Hasan Mim, the Director of Growth Marketing, for treating us to coffee and pastries. Their warm reception made us feel valued and appreciated.
Improved Confidence in Public Speaking:
This was my first business trip at Daraz. Throughout the week, I learned an immense amount and was incredibly productive. Working closely with the Daraz Bangladesh team gave me a better understanding of their challenges, allowing us to solve problems more efficiently compared to video calls. Leading the local designers and conducting workshops boosted my confidence in public speaking and significantly contributed to my career growth.
Dhaka has a good level of digital integration. Although it is not known as a tourist destination, I had no issues using a credit card for all my purchases within the office area. Therefore, I see great potential for e-commerce growth in Bangladesh and anticipate an increase in rural shoppers in the long run.
Our trip to Dhaka was not only productive but also enjoyable. It was great to discover that the office provides meals for the employees, allowing me to try curry dishes prepared in the traditional Bangladeshi way. We also savoured local dishes at Pagla and Paturi and explored nearby coffee spots. I’m currently craving Chingri Paturi, a delicious local dish with prawns and spices, which I haven’t been able to find in Singapore or Malaysia.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish all my friends and former colleagues the very best in your new endeavours. Thank you for being such wonderful colleagues and friends.
