Tag: Hong Kong

Hong Kong – ‘Design District Hong Kong’ (#ddHK), a creative tourism project organised by the Tourism Commission of Hong Kong, will make its return in mid-August 2023. 

Curated by Way of Difference, this year’s event seeks to engage international and local creative units to liven up Hong Kong with their creativity and artistry, revamping a local neighbourhood and bringing new travel experiences to tourists and locals alike.

Under the theme ‘Vivid Tsuen Wan’, this year’s #ddHK will lead visitors to explore Tsuen Wan, a newly emerging destination in Hong Kong with multi-faceted characters evolved in an organic manner.  

Continuing its mission to create new travel experiences through design and creativity, #ddHK will bring together seven internationally and locally renowned creative units to tailor-make unique and colourful time-limited public art installations for Tsuen Wan. 

The participating creative units will be including creative art duo Craig & Karl (USA and UK), painter and illustrator Andy Rementer (USA), textile designer Masaru Suzuki (Japan), painter and sculptor Kila Cheung (Hong Kong), graphic designer Katol Lo (Hong Kong), installation design unit KaCaMa (Hong Kong) and ecological art and design unit Seika Studio (Hong Kong).

The art installations provided by the #ddHK artists aim to introduce the local characteristics of Tsuen Wan through innovations, to attract visitors to venture and experience the diversity and uniqueness of the neighbourhood. Various activities will also be organised through cross-sector collaboration, ranging from free themed tours, live performances to art and cultural workshops, and more.

Hong Kong – Global financial services company HSBC and Hong Kong’s flag carrier airline Cathay Pacific leads the list of the strongest brands in the region, according to the latest ranking made by Design Bridge and Partners in partnership with Kantar.

They are then followed by rewards club Yuu, followed by the public transport network MTR, global fast-food chain McDonald’s, local bank Hang Seng Bank, insurance provider AIA, local telco SmarTone, lifestyle app foodpanda, and insurance provider Manulife.

Other notable brands that made into the list include skincare brand Shiseido, luxury watch brand Rolex, fast food chain Kentucky, hotel chains Shangri-La and The Prudential, amongst others.

The ranking revealed the theme of ‘value-seeking’. Hong Kongers love bargains and like to feel that they’re ‘gaming the system’; this explains why so many brands offer great value or help consumers seek out the best deals. According to the research, the luxury market is still going strong, however, and doesn’t show any signs of slowing, with luxury businesses that build desire into their marketing. The love of luxury and good deals aren’t in opposition though – for Hong Kong consumers, it’s all about value.

One key contrast the report also uncovered was that of local versus international. Despite being shut off during the COVID-19 pandemic, Hong Kong is still an international hub with globally connected brands – five of the top 10 are Hong Kong brands, with HSBC taking the top spot. This strong local identity and heritage coupled with an international outlook and reach is a melting pot for creativity and effective design – with Hong Kong’s strongest brands representing both these values.

Hannah Duley, managing director at Design Bridge and Partners Hong Kong said, “Tomorrow’s world is placing more challenges on brands and their business, with harder-to-please consumer expectations and harder-to-predict market trends. But businesses that invest in their brands, especially in the age of disruption and volatility, still outperform in the market. It has proved that great brand design often comes with great brand results, both tangible and intangible. With the power of design, brands can give unity to every diverse aspect to form a compelling brand and create distinct meanings.”

Meanwhile, Jason Spencer, managing director at Kantar BrandZ, commented, “Hong Kong has always been seen as a land full of contradictions. This inaugural report reinforces this juxtaposition clearly as we see how dramatically different brands appear side by side in the rankings. With this in mind, pinpointing the DNA of a HK brand we found was a difficult task and in the end, we realised that it was a futile one as there is no one way to define what a Hong Kong brand truly is – they have dual utility and leverage the best of both worlds no matter the context.”

Hong Kong – Global Italian beer brand Peroni Nastro Azzurro in Hong Kong has recently partnered with dentsu to take over the Emperor Cinema for its latest campaign. The cinema house is located in the city’s prime location in Causeway Bay and the campaign’s drive is to allow audiences to enjoy motion pictures in style with beer. 

Peroni’s takeover is the first 360-degree branded cinema house domination in Hong Kong. To help audiences fully emerge, Peroni has renamed the cinema house as ‘House of PERONI’, rebranded the 183 seat covers with special design; taking over digital displays, kiosks and TVC. Ultimately, audiences can grab their beers at the tasting booth outside during weekends before the show begins.

Sharing love and passion for movies has always been part of Peroni’s DNA, says the brand. It has long hosted popular outdoor cinema events like ‘Peroni Sunset Cinema’ in Singapore. 

According to the brand, they noticed that their Hong Kong consumers share the same appetite for film culture which pushed them to recreate something that has never been done before in the city and freshen up the brand and prepare for summer.

“We’re excited to make this sponsorship happen. On top of strengthening the brand presence in captive and immersive environment by owning a Cinema House, we also drive a scalable beer tasting experience to build a lasting Peroni impression of Summer Zest with consumers beyond standard media buy. We hope to uplift the summer vibes and position Peroni as summer essentials with this integrated media campaign,” said Kitty Kwan, associate planning director of dentsu Hong Kong.

The campaign has started to run from 11 May and will last until 2 August. 

Hong Kong – Dentsu Hong Kong has appointed Tom Wan as its chief executive officer for Greater Bay Area (GBA) solutions. In his new role, Wan will spearhead growth of the newly established business team across borders, realising the group’s commitment to contribute to their clients’ strategic growth in the region and weave capabilities with this important development paradigm for decades to come.

In his new role, Wan will report to Simone Tam, Group CEO of dentsu Hong Kong and work in partnership with the wider leadership team, across dentsu’s capabilities across creative, media and CXM.

Wan encompasses more than 30 years of experiences; beginning his career in New York and Hong Kong before spending the last 20 years in Mainland China. He then joined dentsu Hong Kong in February 2023.

Prior to joining dentsu, he served as the president of experience in Ogilvy China, which he oversaw the relaunch of the agency’s digital transformation and experience unit that covers the martech, data analytic, CRM, e-commerce, UI/UX, and performance media practice. He has also served as the CEO of IPG Mediabrands China and led key positions in the wider WPP Group APAC.

Speaking on his role, Wan said, “I’m excited to return home to Hong Kong after spending [over] 20 years of my professional career in the mainland market, be able to contribute my knowledge and experience to our clients’ growth strategy & initiatives in the GBA region.”

Meanwhile, Tam commented, “GBA is a primary growth strategy for many of our clients for the next decade. With Tom’s deep experience and knowledge of the mainland market, we are confident we can truly offer strong, practical business solutions for clients who are interested in GBA.”

Wan’s appointment follows the recent appointment of Dan Paris as the chief growth and product officer for Dentsu Asia-Pacific.

Hong Kong – As travel regains momentum, international airline Cathay Pacific has unveiled its campaign made with Publicis Groupe Hong Kong called ‘Let’s Get Moving ;P’, which gives a gentle wink to Hong Kongers’ unique quirk of keepsaking.

To inspire people to ‘get moving’ again, Cathay Pacific celebrates the ‘unshakable bond’ by using actual data taken from Cathay flights to unearth its most popular branded items – and making them the stars of its new campaign. 

“Our research showed that in Hong Kong, many people have some Cathay items tucked away somewhere. We found this encouraging and inspiring as we tend to keep mementos of those things we value and want to remember. So, we decided to build on this and ask all these keepsakes to come to life and encourage us all to ‘Let’s get moving’,” said Edward Bell, general manager, brand, insights, and marketing communications at Cathay Pacific. 

Meanwhile, Natalie Lam, chief creative officer, Publicis Groupe APAC and MEA, also commented, “There’s a deep bond between Cathay and Hong Kongers over all the trips taken in the past 70 years. Every pen, deck of cards, cup or eye mask we have at home brings us back to the fond memories of each trip.”

Lam added, “We love the idea of celebrating flying again with this universal truth, telling the story through the lens of these ‘keepsakes’ between the airline and its customers.” 

Some of Hong Kong’s most renowned influencers and celebrities are now coming clean about their favourite Cathay items, while on social channels, Cathay is inviting Hong Kongers to get their own hoarding stories off their chests.

The ‘Let’s Get Moving ;P’ campaign will run in Hong Kong throughout April and May.

Singapore – Endowus, a digital wealth platform based in Singapore, has announced its expansion to Hong Kong as part of the company’s regional expansion.

Investors in Hong Kong can start building single and multi-fund portfolios via the Endowus Fund Smart solution, offering over 140 in-class funds across asset classes including cash and money market, as well as fixed income, equity, multi-asset and commodities.

Gregory Van, co-founder and chief executive officer at Endowus said, “Since our founding, Endowus has been staunchly committed to making wealth management advice and fund access fairer, more transparent and at a lower cost. We want to empower individuals and families to invest better to live better.” 

He added, “While we are still in our early years, the Endowus group has grown rapidly and is entrusted with over US$4b in client assets from retail and high-net-worth investors, as well as family offices and institutions.”

Meanwhile, Steffanie Yuen, managing director and head of Hong Kong at Endowus commented that despite Hong Kong being a key international financial hub, it is not easy for locals to gain access to professional and independent advice on personal finance and wealth management.

“According to the latest Endowus Wealth Insights Report, most investors in Hong Kong rely on friends and family as their key source for financial or investment advice. And across all age groups, the most important reason behind why investors feel the pressure to invest more in the coming year, is the need to build a more robust cushion in preparation for retirement,” Yuen explained.

He added, “I look forward to leveraging the power of technology to provide Hong Kong investors with a next-generation wealth management experience that is digitally seamless, conflict-free and transparent. We hope to empower them with the knowledge to be able to make good financial decisions and achieve their personal long-term life goals.”

‍Endowus Fund Smart expands on investment themes including money market, fixed income, global equity and China, currently offering over 140 curated funds by global fund managers such as Amundi, Blackrock, Fidelity, Goldman Sachs Asset Management, Franklin Templeton and Morgan Stanley Investment Management. 

Hong Kong – The New York-born food chain Shake Shack is celebrating its 5th year operating in Hong Kong. As part of the commemoration, the store engaged Hong Kong-Pakistani artist Ahmad Rida Nisar to help renovate its main branch located at top HK destination, ifc mall. 

The fresh new look features a vibrant mural by Nisar which playfully connects the original Shake Shack hot dog cart to the brand’s first outpost in Hong Kong. The artwork celebrates Hong Kong’s rich cultural heritage and iconic landmarks with scenes depicting Central, The Peak, Victoria Harbour, Tsim Sha Tsui, and Ocean Park. 

Nisar, which has a postgraduate degree in backstage theatre design from The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, incorporated whimsical details into the Shake Shack mural such as the bauhinia flower, an ice cream truck, a pedestrian crossing, and iconic Hong Kong signage, all of which represents the neighbourhood community.

The grand re-opening at the ifc mall took place on 26th April where the first 100 guests in line received exclusive swag for free showcasing Rida’s mural designs. The opening also simultaneously launched anew Shake Shack’s signature Shack Attack concrete with cult-favorite local bakery brand, Cookie Department (Cookie DPT). Also celebrating its fifth anniversary this year, Cookie DPT is known for comforting, quality, home-style cookies and baked goods made from premium ingredients and fresh locally farmed eggs. 

“Even as they have expanded around the globe, Shake Shack has maintained the heart and values of a local business like ours. We are excited to celebrate our joint fifth anniversaries by helping to create an original treat exclusively for customers of Shake Shack Hong Kong,” said Cookie DPT founder Wil Fang.

The Shack Attack features a decadent mix of Shake Shack’s iconic chocolate frozen custard, fudge sauce, Cookie DPT’s Double Chocolate Cookie and chocolate chunks, topped with cocoa powder. 

To celebrate this partnership, Shake Shack, along with Cookie DPT, will be hosting a Build Your Shack Cookie workshop at the ifc mall on 30 April. 

Hong Kong – The South China Morning Post (SCMP), the Hong Kong-headquartered news company, has unveiled its Readers of SCMP Campaign, which tells the international story of Hong Kong through the lens of six readers from different walks of life who exemplify the defining qualities of the Post’s audience base. 

The campaign spotlights the message that great journeys start with ‘anyone, anywhere, at any time’ by featuring the vignettes of six readers whose profiles epitomize the international story of Hong Kong in their ‘moments of creation’.

The six personalities featured in the Readers of SCMP Campaign are Allan Zeman, chairman of LKF Group; May Chow, chef and founder of Little Bao; Steven Lam, co-founder and CEO of GoGoX; Shalini Mahtani, founder of The Zubin Foundation, Gregory Van, co-founder and CEO of Endowus; and Anson Chan, a student at Island School.

According to the release, they represent the Post’s reader archetypes, as represented by makers, leaders, pioneers, innovators, and visionaries. The vignettes are a celebration of the social, cultural and economic influence these archetypes wield.

“The first brand initiative of our 120th anniversary, this Readers of SCMP campaign celebrates the entrepreneurial community of Hong Kong which has been with the Post every step of the way since day one,” said Kevin Huang, chief operating officer of SCMP. 

He added, “We connect partners to quality Asian affluent and influential business decision maker audiences. Our culturally relevant content and events drive connection and consideration, and our first party data platform and brand safety tools deliver impact through insights and context.”

Paul Phillips, strategy and insights director at SCMP said that the campaign was conceived as a result of findings by in-house market research conducted in January 2023, revealing SCMP’s leading and nuanced market share in quality, affluent and influential readership.

“With this campaign, we are celebrating our readers who are shaping our world. They are the makers, leaders, pioneers, innovators and visionaries of today and tomorrow,” he added.

Previously, SCMP has also released its campaign that showcases journalism as more than the sum of its parts, titled ‘More than a story’.

Hong Kong – Multinational insurance company Manulife in Hong Kong has announced new members of its leadership team namely Thaddeus Yu as chief strategy officer and Alice Li as chief communications officer. Together, the executives will report directly to Patrick Graham, chief executive officer of Manulife Hong Kong and Macau.

Yu succeeds Carrie Tong, who was recently appointed as chief operations officer for Hong Kong and Macau. 

In his new role, Yu is responsible for setting the overall strategic priorities of the Hong Kong and Macau business, ensuring prudent choices, and executing plans aligned with the company’s priorities. He is also in charge of assessing necessary and effective changes to the company’s business model to ensure the company stays on course in achieving its strategic objectives.

With over 15 years of experience in various local and regional positions at Cigna, AIA, and Bank of Montreal Insurance, Yu joined Manulife’s Asia strategy team in 2021. During his time in his previous position, he led strategy development, spearheaded critical business initiatives, and provided guidance on strategic projects while also managing the Asia CEO office.

Meanwhile, Li’s responsibilities include leading strategy development for external and internal communication goals, building corporate reputation and a culture of pride, and promoting the company’s global Impact Agenda, aligned with Manulife’s global communications team and strategy.

With more than two decades of experience in corporate and marketing communications, Li is a seasoned professional who joined Manulife in 2020. Since then, she has made significant strides in the company’s communication strategy and impact. Prior to Manulife, her career spanned diverse industries, including energy, telecommunications, IT, and insurance, as she held senior positions with global brands such as Shell, SmarTone-Vodafone, Microsoft, and AXA.

Speaking on the new appointments, Graham said, “With their extensive knowledge of our company’s strategic priorities and their functional expertise, I am confident that the talented new members of our senior management team will be pivotal in driving us towards achieving our ambitions in Hong Kong, Macau and the broader GBA markets as we embark on the next phase of our growth agenda. Their appointments also highlight our ongoing commitment to harnessing top talent through an active leadership development pipeline.”

Hong Kong – To promote the growth of quick commerce in Hong Kong, delivery platform foodpanda has launched a 24/7 pandamart O2O concept store in the country, which is also its first O2O concept store in the Asia-Pacific region.

The said concept store specifically located at Sai Ying Pun district adopts an omnichannel retail strategy blended with online and offline channel integration.

The store contains a wide range of fresh and seasonal produced frozen foods and drinks. Moreover, customers can enjoy the “HOT PICKS” section which features the best-selling products every month to enhance their O2O shopping journey and brand experience.

In addition, customers can instantly place an order for desired products in the store using the foodpanda app and can pick up their order within 5-10 minutes.

Aside from Hong Kong, the concept store was also introduced in Singapore.

Ryan Lai, chief executive officer at foodpanda Hong Kong, said that they are looking forward for the positive impact of the concept store to support the growth of their wider ecosystem whilst enhancing the customer journey as it creates more immersive experiences for the customers.

“foodpanda has always been committed to supporting local brands, including the local agriculture community. We hope to leverage our influence to act as a bridge between consumers and local farms, thus promoting the importance and fostering the growth of local agriculture and aquaculture through the expansion of their retail channels,” Darren Luk, director of quick commerce at foodpanda, added.

This month, foodpanda has also launched ‘bekal by foodpanda’ in Malaysia with which users can now avail of halal food item deliveries.