Tag: Hong Kong

Hong Kong – Hong Kong internet users spent on average almost a whole hour more online each day in 2020 compared to the previous year, a new report from creative agency We Are Social and social media management Hootsuite shows.

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According to the report, time spent on the internet daily has increased from 6 hours and 16 minutes a year ago to 7 hours and 15 minutes today, following a year of COVID-19 related lockdowns, which curtailed many normal activities. This means Hong Kong’s internet users devote over a day more per month to being online versus a year ago.

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In terms of demographics, users aged 16-64 spend an average of an hour and 57 minutes a day on social media, making it the second most popular online activity for Hong Kongers after watching television. YouTube, WhatsApp, and Facebook are the most used networks but Snapchat is growing in popularity as parent company Snap reports its advertising reach in Hong Kong rose by 13% over the previous quarter.

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Of the same demographic, social media is mostly used for brand research with 44% of internet users, higher than for most countries, while 34% use voice commands in searches. 

The increase in time on the internet also shone a light on ad spend which the report revealed is in tandem with such leap. A year-on-year increase of 7% was seen in the amount brands spent on advertising on social media against a 4% rise in overall digital ad spend for 2020.

Hong Kong – The Hong Kong arm of global public relations firm, The Hoffman Agency has recently appointed Kevin On as its general manager for its local operations in the special administrative region.

Through his new role, On will be furthering Hoffman’s Integrated Marketing Corporation (IMC) proposition within Hong Kong, as well as working closely with the agency’s other eight offices in the region. His appointment comes after the agency hit a record high global revenue of US$15.12M in 2020, up 1% from 2019 despite the pandemic, with over half the revenue coming from its Asia Pacific operations.

Prior to joining the agency, On has worked as the global marketing and communications director for drone brand DJI, based in Shenzhen, China, where he led major product launches across APAC, as well as strategic partnerships, and issues management. He also boasts a background working for ad agency Ogilvy, where he worked with blue-chip clients such as Intel, Nokia, and Dell. Overall, he has over 20 years of experience in the public relations industry.

“We’re in an interesting time where companies are looking for new and innovative ways of doing business, and with this, a new approach to doing communications with their customers, the public, and different stakeholders,” On commented. 

He added, “I’m excited to be back on the consultancy side to help clients navigate the unprecedented challenges they are facing, and shape interesting stories around the role of technology and its impact on businesses, communities, and our everyday lives.”

On reports to Caroline Hsu, managing director for APAC at The Hoffman Agency. Hsu stated that On’s recent appointment can be described as a ‘rare find’ since On has worked with various marketing communication roles and moved many times from Canada to China in line with his work.

“We pride ourselves as an international agency that gets tech brands, and solves business problems – but to do that in Asia, where cultures and social norms constantly collide, you need a team that’s not just on the ground, but one that understands the ins and outs of a market. With Kevin on board, we’re looking forward to sparking new creative juices that take all his experiences to date and apply them in a uniquely Asian way,” Hsu commented.

Hong Kong – With a greater focus on the Hong Kong and Thailand market, martech and adtech Maadtech is launching its Programmatic 2.0 solutions, featuring new  technology features and campaign performance optimization.

With the latest launch, Maadtech is integrating their data management platform-customer data platform (DMP-CDP) as well as media and campaign optimization tools made available through global partnerships with Adzymic Singapore, Sublime Paris, and others.

In a statement, Wilson Chan, executive director of Maadtech Programmatic, said that the latest product launch aligns with ‘the golden era for Programmatic trading’ as 5G connectivity will lift the programmatic ad spend in Asia from currently USD30Bto over USD50B. 

“Our solution is not only about technology and features. Our mission is to help Asian marketers and advertisers to adopt Programmatic best practices and remain competitive globally, which we are very much behind the western markets in this field,” Chan stated.

He added, “We are currently in development of a client CPD platform solution which will complement our existing products and offer marketers a truly data-driven Programmatic Marketing ‘end-to-end’ solution starting from zero base. We aim to launch this later in the year regionally across Asian markets.”

Founded in 2019, Maadtech integrates adtech and martech solutions under one platform in enabling effective adoption of programmatic advertising in display, social media, and other channels.

Hong Kong – Hong Kong-headquartered life insurance PrudentialAsia has tapped the talents of Korean boy band SuperM in its new marketing campaign to encourage people across Asia to be healthy while maintaining fun.

Formed in 2019 by Korean entertainment group SM Entertainment and records company Capitol Music Group, SuperM is composed of seven members, coming from other groups such as NCT 127 and EXO.

The campaign, called ‘We DO Well Together’, will center around collaboration of Prudential and SuperM in a series of events to motivate people to lead healthier lives and achieve better wellness.

“Prudential and SuperM share a common goal. We want to promote the importance of staying fit and healthy, especially during these times. Together, we want to motivate people to attain wellness in a positive, proactive, and fun way,” said Nic Nicandrou, chief executive of Prudential Asia.

He added, “Prudential goes beyond the provision of protection to offer holistic health and wellness services, helping people prevent and postpone the onset of diseases. We do this through our all-in-one health app Pulse by Prudential, and a comprehensive range of best-in-class solutions and services to help people live well, for longer. This latest campaign focused on health and wellness reflects our continued commitment to putting our customers at the heart of our business.”

Meanwhile, SuperM released a statement, stating that “As the world experiences challenging times due to the pandemic, it is our ambition to spread positive energy and help as many people as possible to achieve not just good physical health, but mental wellbeing as well. We share a common mission with Prudential to help improve people’s wellness and drive optimism in good and bad times. Through ‘We DO Well Together’, we call on everybody to put in the same energy and spirit as ‘We DO’ to achieve our life goals together.”

Hong Kong – HGC Global Communications (HGC) has launched its retail ICT (information, communications, and technology) solution to cater to the needs of SME retailers in making their digital transformation strategy easier, especially as enterprise activity has been greatly affected by the pandemic.

An initial offering by the network company is making retailers stay connected to their customers, including Whatsapp+ service and automated chatbots for the retailer’s online chat system.

Furthermore, the new offering also aids SMEs in creating their online shop from scratch, including marketplace tools such as inventory management, trade reports, and analysis, as well as support for multiple payment methods.

Lastly, the digital offering allows retailers, more specifically in the catering industry,  to practice electronic point of sale (ePOS) systems. The system supports digital menus, enabling customers to use their smartphones to order and pay for meals. This can reduce the necessary manpower and limit mistaken orders, so restaurants can deploy staff more flexibly and efficiently. 

“SMEs are facing various challenges running their business in the midst of the pandemic. Even so, this presents retailers with an important opportunity to optimize their business operations. HGC strives to stand by SMEs at this critical time. Our Retail ICT solution can efficiently address the difficulties they encounter,” said Joe Cheong, COO for corporate business & enterprise market at HGC.

He added, “With the professional follow-up and support provided by HGC’s consultant teams, as well as our competitive pricing, we can guide them on a journey of rapid digital transformation to achieve significant improvements in operational efficiency. We hope to ease the pressure on SMEs, empowering them to continue running their business and identifying new business opportunities even during the pandemic.”

In addition to the digital marketplace package, HGC also offers retailers a unified communication solution (HGC UC) that combines business voice and mobile communication, plus other value-added services like mobile video conferencing to fulfill the needs of enterprises operating during the pandemic through a one-stop ICT solution.

Hong Kong – Out-of-home media company Asiaray has partnered up with adtech The Trade Desk and advertising platform Magnite in offering a programmatic digital out-of-home (DOOH) transactional platform to ease up DOOH media trade across online and offline platforms, benefiting marketers in the process.

The newest partnership is in line with Asiaray’s ongoing Offline and Online New Media Strategy, which seeks creating connection between offline DOOH media and programmatic advertising.

With Magnite’s omnichannel sell-side advertising platform, Asiaray will be able to advertise DOOH billboards in Hong Kong via The Trade Desk, which then provides marketers additional media buying options as well as creating a new channel for Asiaray to reach out to potential online marketers worldwide.

“Given the proliferate growth of DOOH, we are delighted to have secured new programmatic cooperation with two of the world’s major adtech players – Magnite and The Trade Desk. This campaign makes a key milestone for Asiaray’s Offline and Online New Media Strategy, which created a strong connection between offline DOOH media and online advertisement buying,” said Vincent Lam, founder, chairman and executive director of Asiaray.

He also added, “What is more, the cooperation will provide us a chance to reach out to a different group of usual online advertisers, thus to expand our clientele and eventually expand the Group’s penetration in the market. Looking ahead, Asiaray will continue to work closely with our partners to develop even more effective media solutions for advertisers to generate greater value for the campaign.”

The new partnership also entails facilitating advertisers with technology supporting audience segmentation and verification measurement to adopt a flexible way for buying and to help brands to deliver a more targeted, unified and holistic experience to consumers.

“This campaign shows the immense possibilities for buyers when combining a high impact format like DOOH with the automated buying of Programmatic Guaranteed, which still allows flexible targeting but guarantees access to premium inventory. We are proud to have worked with our partners to facilitate this important milestone, and look forward to running more campaigns in the near future,” said Yogesh Sehgal, country manager for Magnite Asia.

On the other hand, Doug Choy, senior director for inventory partnerships at The Trade Desk, said, “In this world of new technologies, programmatic buying in advertising is certainly a growing trend, and The Trade Desk is delighted to partner with Asiaray and Magnite to introduce our first offline media resources. Marketers now have the opportunity to access inventory for DOOH billboards in Hong Kong through our platform, thereby helping them achieve their greater business objectives. In all, we are very excited in our continued partnership with Asiaray as we help advertisers shift to programmatic buying.”

Hong Kong – The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) has announced that Anthony Ingham joins the Club as the Executive Director for Membership, Strategic Marketing, and Branding (EDMSMB), where he is set to assume the role at the beginning of 2021. 

The HKJC is a local-based racing club which includes entertainment horse-racing, lottery, sports waging and community-based charity drives.

For the new role,  Ingham will be responsible for creating unique membership experiences, leading its future strategic marketing plans, communicating with key stakeholders, and articulating the Club’s brand. He is also tasked to further strengthen the communication of the Club’s unique integrated business model and its significant contribution to the community.

Prior to this position, he had served as the brand strategist for Marriott International. He was appointed the global head of the hotel chain W Brand in 2015, and served as a brand strategist also for The Luxury Collection Hotels and Resorts in 2018.

He had also worked with the InterContinental Hotels Group, where he served as director for sales and later on as a global director for guest experience.

Ingham will report directly to the Club’s Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges.

Hong Kong – Media investment company GroupM is continuing its expansion in the Asia-Pacific region, this time launching INCA, an influencer marketing company, to the Hong Kong market.

With this regional expansion, INCA will then allow brand-influencer partnerships to leverage content-driven campaigns. Furthermore, as more brands are reallocating their influencer marketing budget to social media brand engagement, INCA upholds brand safety across using AI technology leverages.

As a study from data company Nielsen shows that economic and social uncertainties have affected brand advertising by means of audience impact, brands have since then ventured out into strategies that are efficient and will have return of investment in no time. Hence, INCA in Hong Kong aims to provide influencer marketing to the local brands by allowing them to collaborate with genuine influencers in spreading the brand, benefiting Hong Kong-based brands from the leveraging strategies from INCA.

“We are committed to helping brands in Hong Kong create the best possible outcomes through our data-driven and brand-safe approach to influencer marketing. Our AI-powered solutions and thorough influencer and content approval processes ensure their investments in influencer marketing inspire their customers, protect their brands, and achieve results that are directly tied to business results,” said Michael Woo (right of banner picture), associate director for Product & Operations at INCA Hong Kong.

INCA is also allowing brands to check the authenticity of their influential marketing strategies through INCATech, a platform that allows brands to check unique creator and audience insights, workflow tools, content amplification, and detailed campaign reporting dashboards which includes Genuity Score.

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A screen grab featuring the dashboard of INCA’S INCATech platform that monitors partner influencers (Photo Courtesy of INCA)

“Advertisers are faced with the challenge of finding authentic and relevant content creators while ensuring cost-efficiency in their marketing campaigns. Our technology will help equip advertisers, not only in Hong Kong but globally, with data-driven tools that will connect them to genuine influencers and leading publishers in order to achieve their marketing objectives,” said Andy Chung (left of banner picture), head of programmatic at GroupM. 

Hong Kong – Digital creative agency AnalogFolk announced the launch of Bigup.Ai 2.0, an AI tool that aids to empower women, especially about societal issues and influence-related success. 

Having launched a beta version in the past eight months, the agency said the AI tool features a much bolder and visually-appealing interphase.. Concept questions such as “Tell us about a strength?” act as motivation starters, and can be improved or “bigged up” by using more confident and assertive language. The AI tool also features a quote suite, updated by the AnalogFolk team. Topics such as job rejection and COVID-19 burnout are covered, all with a positive note. The quote suite can be accessed through Analogfolk’s social media pages and their own Pinterest board.

The tool, which is developed by  Microsoft LUIS Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning technology, ‘reads’ skills found on the user’s uploaded CV and analyzes it to deliver a more expressive and assertive personal brand for the user.

Anna-Louise Gladwell, managing director at AnalogFolk and leader of the Bigup.Ai 2.0 development, commented that tool’s development is a response to many women in their leadership and work roles feeling ‘small’ due to failures of getting a new job, and hopes that the tool will aid such women to boost their professional image and their overall persona.

“COVID-19 has exacerbated a systemic social issue of female confidence, self-promotion and career advancement. So BigUp.AI is here to remind women of their value and help them find the words to express it,” Gladwell stated.

For Chris Ryan, managing partner at AnalogFolk Asia, the recent tool launch speaks about gender gap issues such as pay gap across Asia, and should be improved in every way possible.

“We feel that with more confidence and assertiveness, that picture can change in the months and years to come, starting with how women talk about themselves. AI is a powerful tool which can help to support this,” Ryan commented.

Created by an all-women team in the course of eight months, AnalogFolk’s newest AI tool launch coincides with the International Women’s Day 2020, and hopes to create more tools in the near future for women empowerment.

Hong Kong – Amid the normalized work-from-home setting among businesses and employees during the pandemic, APAC workspace provider The Executive Centre (TEC) has released a campaign reminding people of the perks that workers can enjoy only within a company-managed office. 

The almost four-minute video centers around the message “good to leave, even better to come back,” with it running a number of scenes, comparing how different activities are done between a remote set-up and an office, emphasizing how the latter have ready assistance – whether through a colleague or a provided technology – to carry out work tasks.

The fictional ad features four characters in their first day back to work. The ad shone on the irreplaceable benefits such as proper coffee, better and clearer collaboration with colleagues, IT services, comfortable ergonomic furniture, and admin support.

TEC Founder and CEO Paul Salnikow shared the company had been inspired to explore how the typical workday has changed after most have been subject to a prolonged work from home setup.

“The pandemic has accelerated the shift to flexible workspaces. We are certain that the office, rather than becoming obsolete, will become an increasingly valuable asset, facilitating collaboration, and driving business growth,” he said.

TEC is headquartered in Hong Kong, offering solutions such as private and shared workspaces, business concierge services, and meeting and conference facilities. Its operations span China, Southeast Asia, North Asia, and India as well as Sri Lanka, the Middle East, and Australia.