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Global Times: Chinese youth increasingly embrace, share millennia-old cultural traditions

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BEIJING, Sept. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Li Ziyao, a young Chinese student studying in Boston, the US, recently completed Black Myth: Wukong, a game playing based on the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West.

He was excited that this game, rich in traditional cultural elements, has become a sensation in America too. As he observed his American classmates discussing the Monkey King, the architectural styles, and Chinese history, a strong sense of pride surged within him.

“I am witnessing firsthand how Chinese culture is being spread and understood globally in a novel and modern way,” Li told the Global Times.

Culture plays a vital role in inspiring national spirit, maintaining identity, and promoting both economic and personal development.

China’s achievements over the past 75 years are closely tied to its millennia-old culture and cultural confidence. Generations of young people with strong values and ethics worked to develop Chinese culture and present it to the world. 

Chinese civilization has thrived along with the open expression of young people. They relish and discuss with foreign friends China’s traditional culture, allowing it to resonate with international audiences. 

In ancient times, Chinese ancestors sailed the seas along the historical Maritime Silk Road, spreading Chinese culture toward the rest of the world.

Today, young people, especially Generation Z, are using unique ways to share Chinese culture with the world.

Set new trend

Li mentioned that one of the American Twitch streamers he follows, Zack, also known as Asmongold, a content creator with over 2.9 million YouTube subscribers, once commented that Chinese mythology has a natural freshness for Western players, sparking their desire to explore the unknown.

The cultural elements carried by Black Myth: Wukong are also reflected in its music. The game incorporates traditional Chinese melodies from the 1986 hit TV series Journey to the West soundtrack, including the iconic track Celestial Symphony in key scenes.

“Hearing Celestial Symphony evokes me an indescribable feeling of nostalgia. One of my American classmates told me that the music made him feel as if he were immersed in a world filled with the charm of ancient Eastern culture,” Li noted.

With the international success of Celestial Symphony, Li has noticed that many of his classmates have expressed their desire to learn traditional Chinese musical instruments, especially pipa, which embodies unique Chinese aesthetics.

In a recent interview, US musician Lauv commented on the beauty of pipa, while interacting with young pipa player Liu Jialiang, also known as Marsix.

During the interview, Marsix used pipa to perform Lauv’s breakout hit I Like Me Better. Lauv, who is also known as Ari Staprans Leff, is followed by more than 1 million fans on the platform known as X. 

The instrument’s sound, representing Chinese aesthetics, stunned the Western singer and left him with a look of amazement. Marsix’s performance has also revealed how the 2,000-year-old instrument remains versatile in playing global pop music. 

“I was thrilled to share our traditional music culture again,” the young player told the Global Times. He also emphasized that his journey with pipa has always been about “fusion.”

Since 2022, Marsix has been posting remixed pipa music that blends traditional Chinese melodies with Western genres like jazz, hip-hop, and electronic music. 

Through his fusion of traditional Chinese music, Marsix has captured the attention of international fans. On YouTube, netizens commented on Marsix’s performance, saying “the Chinese ‘guitar’ would set a new trend.” 

“I think the traditional instrument is a tool for us young Chinese musicians to express our open-mindedness to world music,” Marsix noted. 

Confident in his cultural roots, the young Chinese musician has also inspired many young fans in China to rediscover the beauty of traditional Chinese music. Marsix told the Global Times that most of his fans are in their 20s, and he hopes to guide them on a journey of rediscovering Chinese culture.

“In the past, the word ‘pipa’ would evoke images of classical performers, but now it represents a trendy instrument played by performers of all ages and genders. Young Chinese musicians are using their creativity to revive the tradition,” Zhu Xiao, a Chinese folk music fan and cucurbit flute player, told the Global Times. 

Dressed in confidence

For many in Generation Z, wearing Hanfu – traditional Chinese dress – is just like playing pipa as a way to reconnect with the cultural root and also a way to express cultural confidence.

Driven by strong curiosity about the world, Chinese storyboard artist Lei Yumeng, better known as Mi Lei, travels between reality and fantasy in her storyboard work. Nearly every piece of work she posts on social media becomes a hit. So far, the Chinese artist has more than 8 million followers on different platforms.

Lei’s love for Chinese culture extends to her admiration for Hanfu. She told the Global Times that through her paintings of Hanfu from various dynasties, she can explore the aesthetics and auspicious intentions of ancient Chinese people, as reflected in the clothing’s patterns and embroidery.

Lei’s embrace of Chinese cultural heritage has been recognized internationally, with her videos on platforms like Instagram earning praise for showcasing traditional clothing. This global appreciation has been a reminder of the richness of her motherland’s unique cultural roots, which she said she “has initially taken for granted.”

Lei said her work in animation and storytelling is a celebration of China’s cultural legacy, a legacy she is “proud to share with the world.”

 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-times-chinese-youth-increasingly-embrace-share-millennia-old-cultural-traditions-302262003.html

SOURCE Global Times

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Bobby Lehew Named commonsku’s Chief AI Officer — an Industry First in Promo

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April 20, 2026

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TORONTO, April 20, 2026 /CNW/ – commonsku, the connected workflow platform trusted by 950+ distributors driving $1.9 billion in network volume, today announced the creation of a dedicated AI + Strategy role, promoting Bobby Lehew to Chief AI Officer to lead the company’s AI initiative for customers and the platform. The move makes commonsku the first platform in the promotional products industry to invest at the leadership level in AI strategy shaped directly by distributor needs.

The new role bridges the gap between what AI can do and what commonsku’s customers need it to solve, owning the intelligence loop between customers, product, and the AI landscape. What makes the role distinct: it combines AI landscape intelligence, product strategy influence, direct customer engagement, and industry thought leadership in a single role.

A Natural Evolution

Lehew brings more than 30 years of experience in the promotional products industry to the role. Prior to joining commonsku, he was the CEO of Robyn Promotions, a company among the first wave of distributors who architected the model of technology driven e-commerce company stores in the industry, earning three consecutive Inc. 5000 rankings. Always tech-forward in his work, his industry recognition includes multiple Gold and Silver PPAI Pyramid Awards.

The shift to AI strategy is a natural next chapter for Lehew. At commonsku, he built the company’s content engine from scratch — co-hosting the skucast (350+ episodes, the #1 promotional products podcast) while leaning heavily into AI for all his work. He is editor of The AI Promo Brief, the industry’s go-to resource for AI developments in promotional products, and speaks frequently on the future of merch and the cultural shifts transforming how we sell. At PPAI Expo 2026, his AI session packed the room to capacity and was named a must-attend session by PPAI editors. The industry has been watching Lehew move deeper into AI for over a year. This role makes it official.

Investing in AI for Customers

“The industry is at an inflection point with AI, and distributors need a partner who understands their business,” said Catherine Graham, CEO of commonsku. “commonsku has always been built ‘by promo, for promo.’ Bobby has three decades of that expertise, a passion for helping our customers, and the strategic insight to shape AI tools for future growth. This role reflects our mission: making sure our AI tools solve real problems for real distributors.”

“The companies pulling ahead are the ones leading with customer intelligence – letting what they learn from their community shape what they build and advancing with the frontier of AI development. That’s what this role is designed to do. I’ll be talking with our customers at every level about AI and making sure the features we build make work smarter, drive growth, and eliminate friction.” said Lehew.

“Bobby and I have been creative partners for years, always pushing each other to see around corners for this industry,” said Mark Graham, President of commonsku. “We’ve launched multiple projects together and helped educate and raise the standard for what the future distributor can look like. This role is a natural evolution of that passion. He deeply understands the industry and the distributor’s pain points, and he sees with us an incredible opportunity with AI. We’re thrilled to build commonsku’s AI future together.”

commonsku’s AI investments are already in motion. The skubot Mockup Generator is in beta with Advanced and Enterprise customers, a new Opportunity Agent is entering beta as an AI-powered business intelligence tool, and the company’s immediate roadmap includes a Description Rewriter, Auto-Art Configuration, and a Presentation Generator with much more to come.

About commonsku

commonsku is the workflow platform of choice for the promotional products industry. Built by industry experts, it combines CRM, order management, and social collaboration tools in one cloud-based solution. Over 950 distributors and the industry’s largest suppliers rely on commonsku to power $1.9 billion in network volume. With commonsku, teams process more orders, work more efficiently, and grow their sales faster. Learn more at www.commonsku.com.

SOURCE commonsku

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The Oxygen Plan Corporation Files Utility Patent on O2OS™ Pre-Diagnostic Behavioral Health Architecture — Measurement, Routing, Reimbursement, Governance; 2008 Prior Art

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April 20, 2026

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Four-layer architecture spans measurement, routing, reimbursement, and governance. 2008 filing predates the Apple App Store and the current generation of digital behavioral health platforms.

MINNEAPOLIS, April 20, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — The Oxygen Plan Corporation today filed a Track One (prioritized examination) utility patent application covering the O2OS™ architecture — spanning measurement, routing, reimbursement, and governance — with foundational disclosures dating to April 22, 2008.

We built the pre-diagnostic measurement layer to make risk visible before it becomes a clinical event. Our role is architecture and calibration. Deployment, operations, and vertical execution sit with institutional partners. — Eric Lucas, Founder-Governor • The Oxygen Plan Corporation

O2OS™ establishes a structured, pre-diagnostic measurement framework that makes behavioral health risk visible, routable, and economically measurable before it becomes a clinical event.

The 2008 filing predates the launch of the Apple App Store.

The subsequent 2009 PCT publication predates the current generation of digital behavioral health platforms.

THE ARCHITECTURE

O2OS™ is a four-layer operating system for behavioral health:

Measurement — Stress Number™, a composite score across Home, Work, and Social domains (each scored 0–100), designed to produce a bounded, interoperable pre-diagnostic behavioral health signalRouting — Smart Referral Engine™, threshold-triggered and tri-hierarchical, designed to match individuals to appropriate resourcesReimbursement — CPT-aligned workflow support, intended to enable billing integrationGovernance — the Automated Governance Utility™, a license registry and access control layer designed to support neutrality and structured participation

The system operates as a closed-loop architecture in which pre-diagnostic measurement informs routing, routing aligns with reimbursement pathways, and governance enables coordinated operation at scale.

STRUCTURAL GAPS

Behavioral health systems currently operate with two unresolved structural gaps:

Penetration Gap — the majority of individuals remain unmeasured at the pre-diagnostic stageRouting Gap — measured individuals are not consistently routed to appropriate resources

O2OS™ is designed as a pre-diagnostic measurement and routing architecture that addresses both conditions within a unified system.

FEDERAL ALIGNMENT

O2OS™ is aligned with established federal and reimbursement pathways, including CMS Coverage with Evidence Development (CED), CPT 96127 and CPT 96138, Medicaid 1115 Waivers, HEDIS quality measures, and CMS Aim 1 for prevention and early detection.

CLINICAL VALIDATION

Stress Number™ has been validated working in collaboration with Mayo Clinic (Archives of Psychology, 2018, N=292). O2OS™ functions as a pre-diagnostic measurement layer designed to support routing toward existing clinical tools and workflows.

About The Oxygen Plan Corporation

The Oxygen Plan Corporation develops O2OS™ — a pre-diagnostic measurement, routing, reimbursement, and governance architecture for behavioral health. Foundational disclosures date to 2008 prior art, with peer-reviewed clinical validation conducted working in collaboration with Mayo Clinic.

Learn more at:

www.theoxygenplan.com

Statements describe system architecture, intended capabilities, and alignment pathways. Implementation and outcomes vary by partner, deployment, and regulatory context.

Media Contact

Chris Lechuga, The Oxygen Plan Corporation, 1 877 897-6520, chris@rockerpr.com, www.theoxygenplan.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prweb.com/releases/the-oxygen-plan-corporation-files-utility-patent-on-o2os-pre-diagnostic-behavioral-health-architecture–measurement-routing-reimbursement-governance-2008-prior-art-302746874.html

SOURCE The Oxygen Plan Corporation

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West Monroe Named in Customer Experience Strategy Consulting Services Landscape by Independent Research Firm

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April 20, 2026

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Firm believes inclusion reflects its ability to connect customer experience, AI, and execution to measurable business outcomes

CHICAGO, April 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — West Monroe, a global business and technology consulting firm, announced it has been named among Notable Providers in The Customer Experience Strategy Consulting Services Landscape, Q2 2026. The report serves as a resource for executives and customer experience leaders evaluating customer experience strategy consulting providers, offering an overview of 28 providers across the market based on factors such as geographic focus, industry expertise, and business scenarios.

As organizations look to increase customer stickiness and drive growth, many are increasing investment in customer experience strategy while also exploring how AI can enable more personalized, efficient, and scalable experiences. At the same time, organizations face growing pressure to demonstrate clear business value—driving demand for partners that can embed data and AI into end-to-end customer journeys and translate those investments into measurable outcomes.

“Customer experience is evolving as AI expands what’s possible—and raises the bar for how organizations deliver it,” said Chuck Malone, Platforms & Customer Strategy Lead at West Monroe. “We believe our inclusion reflects our focus on helping clients move beyond strategy to execution, embedding data and AI into customer journeys in a way that improves engagement, strengthens retention, and delivers measurable business results.”

West Monroe brings longstanding experience helping organizations design and implement customer-centric strategies across industries including healthcare, banking, energy and utilities, insurance, and consumer & industrial products.

As part of the report, Forrester asked each provider included in the Landscape to identify the business scenarios for which clients most often engage them and highlighted extended scenarios that differentiate providers. In addition to the core business scenarios identified in the report—business assessment and analysis, customer research, and vision and strategy setting—West Monroe highlighted prioritization and roadmapping, technology transformation, and workforce enablement among the extended scenarios.

A core focus of the firm’s customer experience work is contact center and service transformation—helping organizations redesign customer journeys, modernize operations, and implement AI-enabled platforms to improve service experiences and reduce cost-to-serve.

The firm’s customer experience work has delivered measurable results for clients across industries, including:

Healthcare: Redesigned critical contact center workflows for a healthcare organization, improving first-call resolution by 68%, reducing clinic task volume by 33%, and increasing patient satisfaction.Energy & Utilities: Built a Salesforce-powered digital portal in 60 days to support solar rebate programs, reducing approval timelines by more than 60% and enabling administration of 25+ clean energy programs.Banking: Led a digital transformation for a mid-market bank, reimagining onboarding, servicing, and program management—driving more than $100M in new deposits, $550K+ in annual cost avoidance, and a 96% platform adoption rate.

Learn more about West Monroe’s customer experience services: https://www.westmonroe.com/services/customer-experience-platforms.

Forrester does not endorse any company, product, brand, or service included in its research publications and does not advise any person to select the products or services of any company or brand based on the ratings included in such publications. Information is based on the best available resources. Opinions reflect judgment at the time and are subject to change. For more information, read about Forrester’s objectivity here.

About West Monroe

West Monroe is a global business and technology consulting firm passionate about creating value for our clients. We co-create solutions that accelerate results now and prepare industries to tackle what’s next. We’re excited by the possibilities that technology creates. We work with our clients to deliver on the possible, building on their goals, generating fresh insights and creating inspiring outcomes.

We excel at the intersection of industry, strategy, people and technology—always driving rapid impact. Our all-in approach comes from our unique employee ownership structure. Our clients’ success is our success. From the beginning, our growth has come from putting people at the center. Fortune and USA Today consistently celebrate West Monroe as a top workplace, and we’re recognized as a leading consultancy by Forbes and Business Insider. Let’s find more value for your business.

Share our passion at westmonroe.com

Media Inquiries
Christina Galoozis
Director, Communications & Public Relations
cgaloozis@westmonroe.com
847-302-1762

Shira Cohen
Manager, Public Relations
scohen@westmonroe.com
443-841-6879

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/west-monroe-named-in-customer-experience-strategy-consulting-services-landscape-by-independent-research-firm-302747374.html

SOURCE West Monroe

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