V Sparkle

Students Develop Marketing Strategies for Emerging Senior Dietary Trends

For the third consecutive year, CEU is collaborating with Fairwood Holdings Limited. Building on previous initiatives which included arranging elderly residents to visit outlets and operating mobile swallowing assessment stations, the Childcare, Elderly and Community Services Discipline has engaged students this academic year with developing a series of marketing strategies built around the theme of a "Senior-Friendly Community".

To enhance students' understanding of the latest developments in elderly catering, Mr Adwin LAU, Marketing Director of Fairwood, recently visited IVE (Sha Tin). He shared brand strategies and the opportunities arising from the increasing focus on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) with over 100 students from the Higher Diploma in Community Service Planning and Navigation and the Higher Diploma in Integrated Social and Health Services. Adwin emphasised that "sharing warmth and care" remains the brand's core mission, noting their recent efforts to promote "silver-hair-friendly" dining by integrating nutritional considerations into meal designs to meet evolving social expectations.

The session featured an insightful Q&A session, where students addressed practical industry challenges such as the impact of cross-border consumption, competition in the two-dish rice market, and strategies for revitalising the mature brand.

Students noted that the exchange provided significant professional inspiration. They are currently synthesising these insights to develop innovative, practical marketing proposals that bridge academic theory with industry practice. Seventy students are scheduled to present their final proposals to Fairwood this April.

Furthermore, several Year 2 students will undertake internships at Fairwood Holdings Limited this year. This opportunity will allow them to apply classroom knowledge in a professional setting and gain firsthand experience of the operational philosophies driving community-centric service.

[Photo 1] Group photo of VTC Childcare, Elderly and Community Services Discipline teachers, students, and guests after the talk.

[Photo 2] Students actively interact with guests on Fairwood’s future directions.

[Photo 3] Ms Eva AU, Senior Lecturer of the Early Childhood, Elderly and Community Services Discipline at IVE (Sha Tin) (right), and Ms Vicky CHAU, Chief Community Engagement Manager at VTC (left), present a certificate of appreciation to Mr Adwin LAU, Marketing Director of Fairwood Holdings Limited (centre).

[Photo 4] Last year, students from the IVE Early Childhood, Elderly and Community Services Discipline explore elderly dining needs and preference by participating in Fairwood’s soft meal research initiatives.

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