JWA 2021 Jewellery Industry Best Practices

80 | Jewellery World Awards 2021 “Challenge the norm, do the impossible.” These are the words that Picup Media Founder William Chu lives by as he leads the development of online technologies that could potentially spell the difference between success and failure for a number of jewellery businesses around the world. “The pandemic certainly validated technology as a tool for gaining a competitive advantage. It magnified the importance of innovation in both business continuity and resiliency,” says the JWA Honouree. Guided by integrity, compassion and a continuous improvement mindset, Chu employed a forward-thinking attitude in dealing with the perils of COVID-19. He held the needs of clients close to his heart and acted upon them swiftly, even if it meant having to take calculated risks. He expanded Picup Media by hiring 10 new developers who could help retailers sell in the digital and post- pandemic market. “Looking for employees whose mindsets match our company culture within such a short period of time was not easy. However, it was imperative for us to create a 24/7 sales and support team to assist our customers during this trying time,” he says. SMART TECHNOLOGIES Staying true to Picup’s mission, Chu integrated augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI) into a newly developed app that end-customers can use to “try on” jewellery virtually. His team also introduced Jewellery Hub, a cloud service that gives subscribers access to more than five million images and videos that they can use to sell their products online. “We successfully created future-proof solutions at the height of COVID-19 — breakthroughs that will continue to serve jewellers during and after the pandemic,” he assures. William Chu Picup Media CATEGORY: Young Entrepreneur of the Year (age 40 and below) COUNTRY / REGION: HONG KONG 1