Tag: Hong Kong

Hong Kong – Mediabrands, the media and marketing solutions division of Interpublic Group, has unveiled three executive leadership promotions, which are in line with the agency’s growth plans for the Greater China network.

The appointees include Joanne Tong, the new managing director for Hong Kong, Penny Chow, the new managing director for Taiwan, and Man Leung, the new head of Reprise and Initiative for Hong Kong.

Promoted from her prior position as head of strategy at Mediabrands Hong Kong and Taiwan, Tong will be charged with the growth leadership of the Mediabrands Hong Kong agency network, drawing upon her 20 years of specialised marketing and advertising industry experience across renowned 4A’s agencies and corporate behemoths.

Meanwhile, adding to her previous remit leading Mediabrands Content Studio (MBCS) for Hong Kong and Taiwan, Chow will be extending her role to include managing director of the Mediabrands agency network in Taiwan. His 20-year career in media and advertising has encompassed celebrated collaborations with numerous brand giants including Disney and Coca-Cola.

And lastly, from his prior role as head of business development for Hong Kong and Taiwan, Leung has been promoted to a broader leadership role as head of Reprise and Initiative at Hong Kong, where he will utilise his over 19 years of industry experience specialising in building the digital infrastructure for data-driven marketing solutions, to drive the transformational, digital, and performance media growth across the Reprise and Initiative agencies in the Hong Kong market.

Melinda Po, CEO of Mediabrands for Greater China, shared that this newly embedded local market leadership is a testament to the growth and diversification of their agency network offering across the greater China region. 

“It has been extremely gratifying to find exactly the right leadership talent we needed to drive this growth from within our own agency network, not only providing the development opportunity for our own people to grow and assume broader leadership responsibilities but also utilising their deep expertise and understanding of our product offering, our culture, in addition to the local market growth opportunities,” added Po.

Hong Kong – Delivery company Deliveroo has launched its rapid grocery delivery service ‘Deliveroo Hop’ in Hong Kong. The service had already been launched in the UK, Italy, France and the UAE, and to mark the operations in Hong Kong, the company has partnered with food retailer Parknshop. 

The rapid grocery delivery service, which it also dubs its new ‘life department store express service’, will be available through the Home Delivery app and will be limited to delivery services only. The new service is said to complete delivery within 10 minutes at the fastest.

The first Hop store will be located in Central, with express delivery services covering Sai Ying Pun, Sheung Wan, Central, Mid-Levels and Admiralty. The new service will be able to deliver general merchandise and household items sold by brands such as Parknshop, FUSION, INTERNATIONAL and TASTE. 

Xu Zhixian, GM of Deliveroo Hong Kong, said that as online shopping has become an integral part of our daily lives, on-demand general merchandise delivery service has also become one of the business development priorities of the company. 

“We believe this new service will bring a number of new advantages to [Deliveroo’s] lifestyle department store partners, helping them reach more consumers, and provide customers with more choices to achieve business growth. We look forward to working with Parknshop to expand the new service to different regions in Hong Kong, and will continue to invest in the grocery delivery service,” said Xu Zhixian. 

Meanwhile, Ren Liangan, MD of Parknshop Hong Kong, commented, “The courier industry of daily life department stores is developing rapidly, and it has become a key factor for consumers to choose life department stores. This cooperation will not only expand our customer base, but also help us keep up with the trend of ‘fast commerce’.”

To celebrate the official launch of Deliveroo Hop, users can enjoy a discount of HK$100 for the first purchase of HK$200, and a discount of HK$30 for each purchase of HK$150 for the next three purchases.

Hong Kong – AIA Hong Kong has launched its brand new advertising series ‘Going Beyond With You’ starring its new ambassador for Hong Kong and Macau, the world swimming champion Siobhan Haughey.

Based on Siobhan’s personal stories, the new commercial, which includes four commercials with different themes, not only showcases her extraordinary talents but also celebrates her fighting spirit in the face of challenges. The successful pursuit of her dreams would inspire people to be brave and stay strong to rise to the challenge. Moreover, the new advertising series also highlights her tenacity and resilience that resonate with the company’s ‘Beyond Insurance’ concept.

Bonnie Tse, chief customer, strategy, and transformation officer of AIA Hong Kong and Macau, said Siobhan is widely recognised as a world-class athlete who keeps pushing her own limits and has broken multiple records in the international sporting arena; her feats are more than impressive. 

“We are exhilarated to invite her to be ‘AIA Hong Kong & Macau Ambassador’ and star in our newest advertising campaign. Not only does she embody our theme of ‘Going Beyond’, but her personal story also exudes positivity and inspires people to face challenges head-on,” added Tse.

The new campaign has been rolled out on AIA and other major social media, as well as digital media platforms, last 14 July.

In addition, Siobhan has also participated in a short video to promote the AIA Healthiest Schools programme as an outstanding athlete, encouraging students to develop healthy and good living habits at an early age. Earlier this year, AIA set an ambition to engage a billion people to live Healthier, Longer, Better Lives by 2030. The AIA Healthiest Schools programme, to be launched in Hong Kong, Australia, Thailand, and Vietnam during the 2022/2023 academic year, will contribute to this goal by putting it into action. 

In Hong Kong, the AIA Healthiest Schools programme will be available in all primary schools and will provide teachers with free, curriculum-linked online resources developed by professional educators. These resources cover four areas, namely healthy eating, active lifestyles, mental well-being, as well as health and sustainability, and are designed to encourage students to actively pursue physical and mental wellness.

Tse noted, “We would like to thank Siobhan for her staunch support of the programme. We are also very grateful for the opportunity to help schools foster students’ health and well-being encompassing body and mind on top of their intellectual development. The programme would nurture healthier human capital of the next generation, bringing lasting positive change to society.”

The AIA Healthiest Schools programme will also include a competition to serve as a platform for participating schools to build communities that share best practices in promoting health and wellness and showcase their success in driving better health outcomes. Prizes worth US$50,000 in total will be given to winning schools to help them accelerate their health initiatives.

Hong Kong – Insurance company Sun Life in Hong Kong has launched its first non-fungible tokens (NFTs) project, marking its 130th anniversary. This move follows the company’s new branding campaign ‘Change Into a Happier You’.

Until 30 September 2022, the top 130 Clients who pay the highest amount of Annualised First Year Premium1 and the top 130 advisors with the best performance will each receive one unique Sun Life Hong Kong limited edition NFT2 for free. 

Moreover, clients who become NFT holders can enjoy a premium rebate1 of up to HK$1,3003 in the next purchase. Sun Life Hong Kong will also be giving away the NFTs to 130 selected staff.

Clement Lam, CEO of Sun Life Hong Kong, shared that digital innovation creates new possibilities and changes people’s lives in often unexpected ways, and they always strive to stay ahead by enhancing the experience journey of their clients and advisors using digital technology. 

“2022 marks the 130th anniversary of Sun Life Hong Kong. We are thrilled to celebrate our special moment and share our joy with our stakeholders through the creation of this NFT collection,” said Lam.

Meanwhile, Chris Fung, chief client and marketing officer at Sun Life Hong Kong, said they will launch an exclusive NFT collection themed around ‘130th anniversary’ and ‘Hong Kong’ that will be co-created with Yobe, a local illustrator. 

“The design of the digital artworks will feature various aspects of living showcasing local culture and traditions. This series of digital collectibles marks our first step in entering the metaverse. In addition, we plan to include a number of different elements in the NFTs so as to create more exciting experience for our clients. We will also continue to integrate more online and offline interactions striving to take our innovation advancement to the next level,” added Fung.

Hong Kong – Global transport company Uber has launched its newest index which details some of the most common lost-and-found items amongst Uber cars in Hong Kong, conducted across multiple Uber drivers in Hong Kong.

In 2022, phones and wallets remain the most commonly forgotten items. In addition, the index also shows a surge in the number of lost jewellery items, including wedding rings, a Audemars Piguet® watch and a Tiffany heart pendant.

As cashless payments become increasingly popular not thanks to the pandemic, riders have left behind 60% less cash in Ubers this year. Meanwhile, 1 January is crowned the most forgetful day of the year in 2022 and Hongkongers tend to be more forgetful on Fridays – with most laptops left behind on this day as well.

The index also showed that people are relaxed when the weekend starts and tend to forget their valuables. Among the 18 districts, riders in Yau Tsim Mong are the most forgetful, followed by Central and Wan Chai.

“Hongkongers are always on the go, and you will be surprised what’s supposed to be kept in their bags. Parents and caretakers are leaving behind kid items like a dimple fidget toy and a cute pink bunny soft toy, the astrologer who tried to escape the mercury retrograde left behind a string of pink crystal, a winner who lost in the game of lost & found left behind a crystal trophy, and a Calbee fan left behind a Calbee Hot & Spicy Potato Chips tote bag,” the company said, explaining some of the most unique items left by customers.

The index also encourages its customers to always call their driver if they lost items in the car they booked. If they lost their phone on the Uber itself, customers can log in to their account on their computer and contact customer support.

Hong Kong – Insurance provider FWD Insurance has announced their foray into launching their first-ever NFT collection. They were announced during the 2022 Step Change leadership conference, which brought together the company’s management to explore leadership qualities and inspire innovative thinking.

By firstly engaging internal teams on this NFT initiative, FWD aims to further enhance customer experiences with a diverse suite of engagement activities extended to the metaverse so that people can pursue their passions and live life to the fullest at anywhere, anytime.

The NFT collection is now available on the popular NFT marketplace OpenSea, although they are not for sale.

Paul Tse, chief marketing and digital officer of FWD Hong Kong and Macau, said, “FWD is a fast-growing, innovative and dynamic insurer. Leveraging digital technology and our teams’ commitment to pursuing creativity to stay ahead of the curve, we continue to enhance the customer experience and drive our goals.” 

He added, “The virtual world is set to transform our lives in many ways, and we hope to discover new opportunities in the virtual space as we see this as a new and additional way to engage and interact with our customers. With a suite of fun and exciting online and offline initiatives in the pipeline, we’re committed to realise our brand promise to ‘celebrate living’ with the community in the metaverse.”

Hong Kong – Ridesharing platform Uber in Hong Kong has launched its all-new Uber Taxi ‘Go your way, Live your way’ marketing campaign, aimed at empowering Hongkongers to focus on unlocking meaningful and joyful moments as Uber Taxi takes care of their travelling needs. 

As part of the campaign, heartwarming and joyful photographs of Uber Taxi riders going to places and making the most of their everyday lives will dominate the streets in Causeway Bay, Tsim Sha Tsui and Mong Kok. Uber Taxi’s classic white chevron stripes will also be painted on billboards and taxis across town.

Moreover, Uber has released two campaign videos that resonate with busy go-getters’ life moments. The first 20-second video shows four white-collar ladies rushing to an evening concert after work but hit with the reality of rush hour – the desperate moment when you need to hail a taxi but have no control when you will get one. Right when the group starts panicking that they will not make it on time, one of them books an Uber Taxi.

Meanwhile, the second video shows a typical parent scrambling to get everything prepared for their child’s birthday on a rainy day after work. As the father worries about getting a Taxi in the rain, the mother confidently shows her booked and enroute Uber Taxi, meaning her husband can relax as everything else is sorted – the cake and a present. The couple not only makes it on time to their little girl’s birthday party but are in control of their journey home at the touch of a button with Uber Taxi.

At the same time, Uber has released a survey of over 1,500 riders which reveals nine out of 10 respondents say that Uber Taxi helps give them more control over their trips and daily schedules, and eight out of 10 riders describe their Uber Taxi experiences as ‘generally quite good’ and ‘it’s so amazing I use it frequently’.

The survey also found that respondents the top three ways they use Uber Taxi, ‘for returning home’ was ranked first with 64.4%, followed by ‘for going to work or school’ with 49.8%, and ‘for dining out and social gatherings’ with 38.9%. About 54.2% of the riders also said that not having to factor in whether a taxi is a cross-harbour one or not, or whether they need a taxi during shift change period, is why they prefer to book an Uber Taxi ride instead of hailing a cab on the street.

Uber Hong Kong said, “‘Go your way, Live your way’ aims to inspire riders to reimagine what living life to the fullest can mean as Uber Taxi gives riders the control they need for their daily commute. New Uber Taxi users who want a taste of what stress-free travel means on Uber Taxi can now use promo code TAXI2022 to get 50% off their first five Uber Taxi rides.”

Hong Kong – Hong Kong-based telecommunications and technology services provider, HKBN Group, has appointed William Ho, former managing director at AI networking company Juniper Networks, to be the new CEO of Enterprise Solutions.

In his new role, Ho will be leading HKBN’s enterprise services arm, expanding and leveraging its system integration capabilities, and further consolidating and developing the blue ocean business growth strategy across Hong Kong and Mainland China.

With nearly 30 years of professional experience in the ICT industry, Ho brings many holistic dimensions having been a customer-side user and a service provider, covering network technology, internet, cloud, and big data, as well as e-commerce, amongst others. He is amongst the few senior executives with a broad range of experiences in technology R&D, sales and marketing, and business development. Aside from his previous role at Juniper Networks, Ho has also held senior executive positions at local and international companies, including Cohesity, ARRIS, Cisco, and Hong Kong Jockey Club, amongst others.

Commenting on his appointment, Ho said, “In a dynamic evolving business landscape, HKBN’s Talent-Obsession culture uniquely empowers our talents to embrace changes and do everything to help our enterprise customers to foster their digital transformation and gain their competitive edge rather than merely save money. I am thrilled to have my skin in the game as a co-owner and to achieve our goals together with our Elite Sports Team.”

Meanwhile, William Yeung and NiQ Lai, HKBN’s co-owners, said that Ho is putting his skin in the game by investing an amount equivalent to 2 years’ salary into their co-ownership scheme. 

“With William leading HKBN Enterprise Solutions, our goal is to bring digital solutions that go beyond connectivity services to our 110K corporate customers, fortifying our customer relationship, driving efficiency and business impact in Hong Kong and across mainland China, especially the Greater Bay Area. We welcome William to our Elite Sports Team,” they added.

Hong Kong – Global retailing company GMG has announced the opening of a new Nike concept store in Hong Kong, located in the East Point City shopping mall in the Hang Tau district.

The new concept store represents GMG’s latest strategic investment in Asia, tapping into a huge potential market and leveraging the rising personal well-being trend in the region. The store boasts over 2,171 square feet and offers sports apparel for both men and women in categories including running, training and basketball. 

GMG first entered the Asian market in 2020 through the acquisition of Royal Sporting House, a multi-sports retailer. Keeping up with the momentum, it recently acquired Nike retail stores from SUTL Corporation, expanding its presence in Singapore and Malaysia, while further solidifying its position in Asia. 

To date, GMG has over 25 Nike stores in Asia and with the opening of the East Point City shopping mall, 11 Nike stores in Hong Kong alone.

Mohammad A. Baker, deputy chairman and CEO of GMG, commented, “Asia is propelling the retail industry forward, generating a substantial portion of global growth in the sector and offering immense potential and expansion opportunities for GMG.” 

He added, “The opening of our new Nike store in a key market such as Hong Kong, the first in two years, further signifies the recovery of a post-pandemic economy while allowing us to strengthen our physical retail presence in Asia, and empower even more people to embrace an active and healthy lifestyle.”

Hong Kong — Bluebell Group has announced its partnership with K-Way French outwear brand. Following the brand’s in-market digital launch in June, the new mono-brand physical store opening is planned for October 2022 at Pacific Place under the Swire Group, one of Hong Kong’s premium shopping malls.

The iconic French brand known for its windbreaker, lifestyle fashion and sportswear is part of BasicNet, an Italian company that also owns Kappa, Superga, Briko, and Sebago, and is on track to rapidly expand beyond its homebase. Bluebell Group, an Asian brand curator and operator, will manage the brand’s overall presence including an online e-commerce shop, local marketing activation, and overall retail operations.

K-Way will be introduced to Hong Kong consumers first through its online k-way.com.hk and a planned physical store in October. Targeting the active young local audience, and offering a mix of technical meets fashion apparel, the brand’s footprint is expected to grow further in Hong Kong and into Mainland China later this year.

Lorenzo Boglione, executive vice chairman of BasicNet, said, “We are very proud to open the first K-Way mono-brand store in Hong Kong and happy to embark on a path to a long presence in the city for the brand and for a long partnership between BasicNet and Bluebell.”

Meanwhile, Samy Redjeb, managing director for Bluebell group Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau, shared, “We have no doubt K-Way will become an anchor brand for us in Hong Kong, where retail today is geared solely on local consumption. The brand offers a desirable and accessible lifestyle of unisex fashion and kids’ wear, which is one of our core focus for the development of this market. BasicNet has some very exciting global growth plans and hype collaborations for K-Way and we are pleased to play a role in bringing something fresh and playful to our Asian consumers.”