The Language Center’s course “Intercultural Project Management – Business Strategies for Product Launches” recently arranged a visit to Mikkeller Taipei. From the perspectives of project management, brand marketing, and product strategy, students explored how an international brand enters the Taiwanese market and builds connections with local culture in the historic Dadaocheng district.

The course focuses on intercultural project management, brand promotion, and business strategies for products. Through this field trip, students connected classroom theories with a real-world business case and examined how brands adapt their operations and promotional strategies according to market characteristics, consumer needs, and geographical context. Located in Dadaocheng, an area rich in history and cultural significance, Mikkeller Taipei provided a concrete example of how an international brand can maintain its identity while integrating into the Taiwanese market.

During the visit, Mikkeller Taipei co-founder Lin You-Hang (林幼航) shared his practical experience in brand management, market analysis, marketing promotion, and bar management. His presentation helped students understand the challenges international brands face when entering a new market, as well as how location, customer experience, local culture, and communication strategies influence brand identity and market development.

To prepare for the visit, students organized questions and prepared course case studies for on-site discussion. Through questioning, observation, and exchange, they applied classroom knowledge to a real-world brand-management context and considered how project teams coordinate their work, analyze market needs, plan product promotion, and maintain a consistent brand image.

Student feedback highlighted several aspects of the experience. Some students were impressed by how Mikkeller Taipei created a business in a market where beer bars are not traditionally common. Others praised the craft beer and said they would like to revisit the bar. One student described Mr. Lin’s entrepreneurial spirit as inspiring, while another emphasized the value of spending time with classmates and speaking directly with the co-founder. Students also reflected that effective marketing should promote not only a product, but also the lifestyle and ideas connected to it. Another important takeaway was the reminder not to judge something before experiencing it firsthand.

Using Mikkeller Taipei as a concrete example, the field trip demonstrated how an international brand can bring its values, marketing approaches, and operational strategies to Taiwan while responding to the cultural and commercial characteristics of Dadaocheng. This experience provides an important starting point for the upcoming eight-week joint course with Landshut University in Germany, where students will continue developing skills in international market analysis, product promotion, brand management, and intercultural project collaboration.