Hi, I’m Cecilia Chan, founder and creative director of SLIT in Shanghai.

Over the past decade, I’ve worked with brands — luxury, niche, cultural, and lifestyle — helping them reach new markets and connect with people in meaningful ways. Here’s what I’ve learned: copying what’s already been done never works. Innovation comes from understanding who you are and expressing it clearly.

My work is simple. I make complexity clear. I help brands speak in ways people actually feel.

Surface is easy. Culture, emotion, and logic are what last. At SLIT, we pay attention to what most people ignore: subtle signals, emotional tone, and the hidden logic behind audience behavior. Cross-cultural work isn’t about replication or literal translation. It starts with identifying the emotional core that drives recognition and loyalty and reactivating it through precise, intentional expression.

Today, more brands are realizing that simply projecting their heritage or culture into new markets no longer resonates. While AI continues to lower language barriers, the deeper divides between cultures remain. We are entering a phase where communication is easier than ever, but trust is harder to earn. In markets shaped by cultural bias and intensifying global competition, an imprecise starting point can quickly derail an entire strategy, resulting in wasted investment, diluted positioning, or missed windows of growth.

Getting the first move right is no longer optional; it is critical. The good news? Your brand and the culture it represents hold the potential to open new spaces, new narratives, and new ways to connect. The real challenge is activating that potential into cross-cultural expressions that feel tangible, credible, and resonant. This work demands honesty, an open mind, and precision.

We partner with people who value substance over surface. If your brand is ready to reach new audiences or evolve for new markets, we should talk.