Tag: Hong Kong

Hong Kong – OMD HK has recently announced a new survey shedding light on the media habits of Generation Z’s youngest members, marking the transition to the emerging Generation Alpha. This survey is part of the agency’s third wave of the ‘Youngster Survey’.

In the survey, it noted that Gen Z considers social media a key companion, with Instagram leading the way. They use social platforms for connection and discovery and as search engines. Gen Z are starting to explore Instagram’s new platforms Threads and turn to Chinese social media platforms such as Douyin and Xiaohongshu for more fun, updates in entertainment or shopping.

In terms of video media consumption, Gen Z predominantly streams video content on smartphones and smart TVs, with 52% of their viewing time spent on smartphones. YouTube is their preferred platform, and there is a growing interest in local movies and dramas as well as a preference for content in Cantonese. Youngsters are attracted to video-focused platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and X/ Twitter as fads for Chinese social platforms Douyin and Xiaohongshu decline. 

Moreover, smart TVs and smartphones are key devices used to stream most video platforms. Youngsters exhibit a higher likelihood of subscribing to cheaper ad-supported subscriptions for smooth user experiences. Brands can consider connected TV and platforms such as Bilibili.

Meanwhile, daily music listening time has increased to 1.9 hours compared to the previous wave. YouTube Music remains dominant due to its user-friendly features like Discovery, Personalization, and Community. It’s also worth noting that YouTube ads effectively connect with the audience through up to 30-second audio ads, allowing for CPM bidding and optimised creative targeting of music and non-music content using Google’s solutions.

Gaming-wise, mobile gaming remains dominant but has decreased average playtime from 2.3 hours to 2 hours. Youngsters are spending less time gaming, likely due to increased physical meet-ups post-pandemic. Smartphones, PC games, and tablets are the most popular platforms. PlayStation and Nintendo Switch have declined, while handheld consoles like Logitech G Cloud have gained traction among female teens. Moreover, female teens are increasing their presence in gaming and outspending males while male youngsters prefer intense multiplayer games, while females gravitate towards immersive gaming experiences.

Lastly, youngsters aged 18-24 prioritise data privacy and security but are more open to data exchange for personalised offers, while female teens (13-17) show lower concern for data privacy. Both male and female youngsters take proactive measures to protect their data, such as using ad blockers, declining cookies, and utilising VPNs, with males being more ad-averse and having higher VPN usage.

Florence Wong, CEO of OMD HK, said, “With the release of the third wave of the Youngster Survey, OMD HK continues its commitment to providing valuable insights into the media habits of Hong Kong’s youth. This survey reflects the changing media landscape and offers a glimpse into the emerging Generation Alpha, who will shape the future of media consumption.”

Hong Kong – VML has appointed Alfred Wong as chief creative officer of VML Hong Kong. He has started his post and will report to Maggie Wong, CEO of VML Hong Kong. 

Formerly employed by Apple’s custom agency Media Arts Lab Shanghai (MAL), Wong is a creative leader. He had a key role in producing influential work that changed Chinese culture while serving as executive creative director of MAL.

At Leo Burnett Hong Kong, Wong became executive creative director. For three years in a row, his office was named among the top three Hong Kong agencies. After moving to Shanghai, he worked as Chief Creative Officer at ADK, reshaping the firm with integrated thinking and its creative standards before joining MAL Shanghai to work at Apple.

With over 200 awards, including two consecutive Gold Cannes Lions, Wong held the #2 spot in Asia for creative directors. The international advertising festivals, including Cannes Lions, D&AD, One Show, Clio, Tribeca X, ADC, London International Awards, Andy Awards, Adweeks, Spikes Asia, AdFest, LongXi, Hong Kong Kam Fan, and EFFIE, have honoured this creative leader in the digital, film, and print categories. 

Speaking about his appointment, Wong said, “The fusion of technology and creativity truly excites me. It empowers us to push the boundaries of what’s possible, creating work that is fresh and out-of-the-box. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to join forces with Maggie and the team, working together to create something remarkable.”

Meanwhile, Maggie Wong stated, “Alfred joins us at such an exciting time for VML, where we are forging a new path as a growth partner – one that is equal parts creative agency, consultancy, and technology powerhouse. Alfred’s passion for creativity and his ability to push boundaries make him an exceptional addition to our team. Under his leadership, we will continue to nurture an environment that celebrates creativity, empowers talent and produces awe-inspiring work.”

Singapore – REFASH, a Singaporean omnichannel secondhand fashion destination under the Carousell Group, has announced the opening of its first Hong Kong store in Mongkok on 20 April with a special event where women can declutter their wardrobes for instant cash. This marks the brand’s Hong Kong expansion plans beyond their over 20 stores across Singapore and Malaysia.

REFASH’s first Hong Kong store brings the best of their Singapore and Malaysia shopping experience. Hong Kongers can look forward to a specially-curated inventory of ‘brand new with tags’ (BNWT) women’s fashion from popular Singapore and other leading Southeast Asian brands, which are otherwise unavailable in the Hong Kong market.

With the Municipal Solid Waste Charging Scheme implementing soon, this provides an alternative option to encourage Hong Kongers to not only avoid throwing away items still in good condition, but also provide a convenient way that appeals to busy Hong Kongers.

Aloysius Sng, founder and CEO at REFASH, said, “REFASH was started 8 years ago to extend the lifespan of clothes and build a more sustainable future for fashion. I am heartened that over the years, we have collectively diverted over 7.3 million clothes from the landfills and given over 3.6 million used clothes a second life. We wanted to target the Hong Kong market next after our Malaysia expansion last year, as we saw a market gap to reach the mass market of Hong Kongers. We believe that sustainability should not be a trend, but part of everyday life.”

He added, “We are excited by great initial results in Hong Kong. In Jan and Mar this year, we partnered with Carousell Hong Kong to do a decluttering event for instant cash, and collected around 3,500 pieces of clothes. Majority of which are in almost-new condition. We are excited to officially launch our store and continue to expand more stores in Hong Kong.”

Hong Kong – Mox Bank, a virtual bank backed by Standard Chartered, has appointed Igor Lau as its chief customer officer, which took effect on 1 April. Lau’s extensive experience in Mox, coupled with his profound understanding of customer needs, solidifies Mox’s dedication to putting customers at the heart of its operations.

In his new role, Lau will shape Mox’s customer journey and experience. With responsibilities spanning customer experience design, brand proposition development, partnerships, marketing, and analytics, he will elevate the future of customer engagement at Mox. 

Having spent nearly four years with Mox and as Interim CCO since early 2023, Lau had a critical role in shaping the latest Mox experiences and growing its base to over 550,000 customers through impactful marketing campaigns and JV partnerships.

He brings over 22 years of experience building brands and customer relationships from renowned organisations including Asia Miles where he was digital experience and member engagement head. His insights gained at leading advertising agencies like Mindshare and Ogilvy position him as an invaluable asset to the Mox leadership team.

Barbaros Uygun, CEO of Mox, said “Igor’s customer-first mindset aligns perfectly with our values. His appointment reinforces our commitment to putting customers at the heart of our business. I’m truly honoured by this opportunity to shape the customer experience at Mox,” said Igor Lau. “I’m committed to building upon Mox’s success and delivering exceptional value to our customers.”

Hong Kong – International health and beauty retailer AS Watson Group has announced the promotion of Malina Ngai to group chief executive officer, helping the business in its growth journey globally. 

Ngai currently serves as the group chief operating officer for AS Watson and the chief executive officer for AS Watson Asia and Europe. 

As the new group CEO, Ngai will be responsible for setting goals, guiding the team in creating plans to prioritise customers, and ensuring the ongoing expansion of AS Watson’s global portfolio.

She brings with her an expansive track record, having joined AS Watson’s parent company, CK Hutchison, formerly known as Hutchison Whampoa, in 2000. Ngai was first stationed at Hutchison Port Holdings and soon moved to the Hutchison Whampoa Corporate Affairs Department. 

After a year at the parent company, Ngai transferred to AS Watson in 2001, where she took on various leadership roles. She became the group COO in 2013 and CEO of AS Watson Asia and Europe in 2019. 

Prior to joining CK Hutchison, Ngai also worked for a sports marketing consultancy and the Hong Kong SAR Government’s statutory body for sports development. She holds a doctoral degree and a master’s degree in business administration, a master’s degree in finance, and a bachelor’s degree in sports administration. 

It is also worth noting that she used to be a competitive athlete and even won a bronze medal for Hong Kong at the 1994 Asian Games. 

Ngai’s appointment to her new role will be effective May 1, 2024. Meanwhile, Dominic Lai, group co-managing director at CK Hutchison and group managing director at AS Watson, will assume the position of chairman for AS Watson. 

Speaking on her promotion, Lai said, “After a very fulfilling 17 years of leading the AS Watson Group, I think it is the appropriate time to pass on the baton. Malina has been crucial in successfully driving AS Watson’s digital transformation, implementing the O+O (offline plus online) business model, and fostering positive cultural change in the past decade.” 

He added, “Malina has worked at CK Hutchison and AS Watson for 24 years. Her career path started in corporate communications and later expanded to international management positions in international buying, technology development, sales operations, marketing, big data, and sustainability. She demonstrated strong adaptability, strategic agility, and the ability to drive tremendous momentum across the entire organisation. Her significant achievements have continued to propel our organisation forward. Malina is perfectly prepared for this role.” 

“As the Group CEO of AS Watson, Malina will be fully in charge of defining our vision and leading the team to formulate strategies to meet our strategic objectives of putting customers first and continuing the growth journey of our global portfolio. All senior leaders who currently report to me will report to Malina. I will assume the position of Chairman of AS Watson,” Lai concluded. 

Singapore – Traveloka, a key travel platform serving the Southeast Asia region, has teamed up with the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) to expand travel experiences in the region. The collaboration comes at a time when Hong Kong’s tourism sector is experiencing a resurgence following the reopening of international borders.

To capitalise on this growing interest in Hong Kong, Traveloka is offering travel deals through its app that encompass flights, hotels, and other travel activities.

Moreover, the collaboration between Traveloka and HKTB aims to strengthen Traveloka’s position as a travel partner in Southeast Asia while promoting Hong Kong as a premier destination for travellers from the region.

Caesar Indra, president at Traveloka, highlighted the significance of this partnership, noting the increasing popularity of Hong Kong among travellers using the platform.

“Hong Kong is among the popular destinations on our platform, with sales of flight tickets to the city almost quadrupling in the fourth quarter of 2023 compared to the same period last year.” He emphasised that the collaboration with HKTB would further promote global destinations and encourage travellers to explore new experiences.”

Meanwhile, Liew Chian Jia, regional director of Southeast Asia at Hong Kong Tourism Board, emphasised the importance of partnering with Traveloka to enhance Hong Kong’s tourism potential. She also expressed aspirations to attract more travellers from Southeast Asia to explore Hong Kong and contribute positively to the aviation and hospitality industries in the region.

Hong Kong – When it comes to health and wellness information offered by social media influencers, close to half of younger consumers from Gen Z (48%) and Millennials (46%) consider them to be reliable, compared to less than two-fifths of Gen X (38%). This is according to the latest data from YouGov on health information sources the Asia-Pacific market consumes the most.

According to the data, while most Gen X (61%) and Millennials (53%) in Hong Kong regard medical practitioners as a reliable source of health information, less than half of Gen Z (48%) say the same. Meanwhile, millennials are significantly more likely than other generations to trust their gym/personal trainer (35%) to provide reliable health information.

It is also worth noting that close to two-fifths of consumers in Hong Kong (38%), say they find at least some health and wellness information offered by social media influencers to be trustworthy – compared to just a sixth (16%) of consumers internationally. Hong Kong also shares a similar sentiment to some of its Southeast Asian neighbors, with over a third in Indonesia (36%) and a fifth in Singapore (21%) echoing the same sentiment for social media influencers.

Consumers in Hong Kong and Indonesia are also significantly more likely to look to their friends/family and pharmaceutical companies for health and wellness advice.

Meanwhile, Over half of consumers in Hong Kong (51%) and two-fifths of consumers in Indonesia (40%) say they trust health-related information provided by family/friends, compared to just a third (33%) internationally.

Lastly, almost a third of consumer in Hong Kong (31%) and a quarter of consumers in Indonesia (26%) find pharmaceutical companies to be a reliable source of health information, compared to less than barely a fifth (19%) internationally.

Hong Kong – HSBC has partnered with MSL to launch its newest brand campaign, “Make Your Next Move. Make Your Mark.” Under the campaign, HSBC will orchestrate the latest advertising endeavour, which will act as a rallying call for Hong Kong residents. 

Involving locals in every facet of the campaign, it serves as a visual representation of the city’s continued progress and the achievements of people from various backgrounds making their mark on the globe.

Several parts of the movie’s scenes were even filmed by Hong Kong residents, while others drew inspiration from actual HSBC clients. The Hong Kong film director Jack Ng selected and further directed these moments. The film deftly combines HSBC’s history and worldwide reach with the diversity, tenacity, and resolve of Hong Kong.

More than 70 distinct sounds from Hong Kong are featured on the original soundtrack, which also includes narration from the locals. Every frame pulsates with the authenticity and dynamism of Hong Kong’s diverse society, from the “ding ding” of trams to the colourful MTR announcements and the rhythmic beats of lion dancers. 

As part of the campaign, HSBC ventures into the world of film for more than two months, starting in March, on an atypical and creative marketing journey. A gala premiere held at K11 Art House to commemorate the launch was held in addition to several online and offline marketing initiatives. The campaign displays its tagline through newspaper wraps, editorial alliances, TV commercials, and tunnel billboards. 

Enhancing its involvement, HSBC reached out to Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) across a range of industries on social media, including travel, sports, entertainment, art, culture, film, and more. With each post featuring a cinematic clapperboard image and a personal reflection on the user’s goals and aspirations, they invited the public to submit their #NextMove on Instagram.

Speaking about the campaign, Luanne Lim, chief executive officer, Hong Kong, HSBC, commented, “HSBC and the local film industry in Hong Kong have grown alongside its people. Our latest advertising campaign involves a collaboration with a talented director to capture the essence and vibrancy of Hong Kong, while also emphasising our bank’s vision and global reach. As a steadfast supporter of the Hong Kong economy, HSBC is proud to sponsor the upcoming Hong Kong Film Awards, which celebrate Hong Kong’s creative industries and highlights its allure as a global city.”

Meanwhile, Alexis Chiu, group managing director of Saatchi & Saatchi and MSL expressed, ” We are thrilled to collaborate with HSBC and Jack to bring this extraordinary campaign film to fruition. A true local product, directed and shot in the heart of Hong Kong, capturing the unique sounds and visuals of our city. This film truly reflects the energy, diversity, and cultural richness that define Hong Kong. It has been an incredible journey to celebrate the spirit of this dynamic city and create a cinematic experience that resonates with audiences worldwide.” 

Hong Kong – Kathy Wong has been appointed general manager of We Are Social, a global creative agency, in Hong Kong. She will report directly to Pete Lin, CEO of We Are Social in North Asia. 

Wong’s new position will include overseeing both We Are Social Hong Kong and the creative agency Metta/We Are Social. Wong will lead a team of 20 at We Are Social and work with clients including Keetah, Abbott, GEOX, and Alipay. 

Wong brings a wide range of knowledge and experience to her new role, having worked for more than 18 years. She had worked for several advertising firms in the past, such as Ogilvy, TBWA, and FCB, and RollRollRoll, where she was the business director. 

Wong began her professional career at Metta Communications, which in 2022 amalgamated with We Are Social to establish Metta/We Are Social. She has managed clients like Mercedes Benz, Barclays Capital, Hong Kong Disneyland, and L’Oreal Travel Retail. 

Kathy Wong takes over the role previously held by Donald Wong, who left We Are Social Hong Kong to seek possibilities in the United States. 

Speaking about her appointment, Wong expressed,“I am thrilled to join the We Are Social team in Hong Kong, and to rejoin Metta where I have many great memories. I look forward to drawing on my experience in both agency and client-side roles to continue to help We Are Social’s clients excel creatively and strategically. I am excited to expand the team at We Are Social, drive the digital discipline in Hong Kong forward, and serve the digital marketing demands of both local and international clients.” 

Meanwhile, Lin commented, “We’re delighted that Kathy has chosen to join the team at We Are Social. She’s a first-class communicator with an unrivalled reputation in the Hong Kong advertising world, and there’s no better person to take our growing team to the next level.” 

Hong Kong – FWD Group Holdings Limited announced today that it has extended its partnership with Microsoft for a four-year period. This partnership intends to provide access to the most recent generative artificial intelligence technologies while still retaining support for FWD’s cloud-first technology strategy. 

By utilising Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI Service and other enterprise-grade developments, FWD Group aims to enhance its generative AI ambitions. The business expects to gain from Microsoft Azure’s AI models as well as its private networking, security, and monitoring features. 

In a number of areas, including underwriting, claims, channel and agent performance, acquisition, marketing, underwriting, and customer service, FWD Group is actively working to enhance the client experience and streamline its business processes. The business also used Copilot for Microsoft 365 early on, which is an AI assistant that helps staff with daily chores. 

Speaking about the partnership, Ryan Kim, group chief digital officer of FWD Group, said, “Digital innovation has always been core to FWD’s vision of changing the way people feel about insurance. This collaboration marries FWD’s pioneering spirit in Asia in some of the fastest growing insurance markets in the world, with the global scale and skill that Microsoft brings in engineering and AI.” 

He added, “We’re excited to harness more next-generation innovations to develop new industry use cases and standards that we believe will shape the insurance journey of the future.” 

Meanwhile, Bill Borden, corporate vice president of Worldwide Financial Services, Microsoft, stated, “AI is driving transformation across the financial services industry, opening new opportunities for innovation and business growth with agility and at scale. We are thrilled to strengthen our AI partnership with FWD by offering Azure OpenAI Service and Copilot for Microsoft 365 capabilities to enable world-class customer experiences and operations securely and responsibly.” 

“As a pivotal player in the global financial landscape, the Asia Pacific region stands out for its dynamism and adaptability, fostering continuous growth and driving innovation. We are committed to empowering our customers in the region with generative AI capabilities in a responsible way. With Microsoft’s enterprise-grade AI advancements, we are helping the financial services ecosystem accelerate innovation to drive operational efficiency and greater value creation to customers,” Borden added.