"Hong Kong ‧ IN ‧ Brand Greater Bay" Serial Activities (Phase Two)

The Phase Two of the project continues the theme of the first phase, closely following the arch-concepts of "Hong Kong ‧ In" and "Brand Greater Bay", and goes further deeper into a representative Mainland City of the Greater Bay Area. By staging "Guangzhou Brandfest", a high-efficiency brand promotion campaign that consists of brand image showcase, interactive experience camps, stage performance and WeChat mini-programme, supplemented by compact but in-depth market research activities such as business tour, market review report, and experience sharing seminars, Phase Two aims to assist the Hong Kong industries to capitalising on the GBA development to sustain business growth, and leverage on branding strategies to enhance long-term competitiveness. The 12-month Phase Two serial activities commenced in Guangzhou on April 1, 2024.

Project (Phase Two) Summary

Major deliverables of "Hong Kong · IN · Brand Greater Bay" Serial Activities (Phase Two) include:

• "Guangzhou Brandfest" — Brand Image Gallery: Under the banner of "Hong Kong · IN · Brand Greater Bay", a specially-designed thematic exhibition gallery with strong visual impacts is to be set up in Panyu Wanda Plaza in Guangzhou  to demonstrate the collective image of Hong Kong brands. Centering on three thematic elements, i.e. "Innovation", "Technology" and "Vibrant", the Gallery displays more than 150 representative products and information of over 50 brands, which are abundant with innovation, design, or cultural distinctiveness, providing an intriguing window to illustrate the stylish, enterprising, culturally-sophisticated and superior image of Hong Kong brands.

• "Guangzhou Brandfest" — Interactive Experience Activities: As an integral part of the Brand Image Gallery, "Interactive Experience Camp" featuring 3 demonstration kiosks will be set up in the exhibition venue, at which selected Hong Kong brands will present innovative and interactive activities to deliver unique consumer experience, culminating in a multidimensional dynamic "Experiencing Hong Kong, Experiencing Brands" ambience to highlight the trendy appealing image and remarkable emotional values of Hong Kong brands.
   
• "Guangzhou Brandfest" — Stage Performances: A stage will be set up in the center of the Brand Image Gallery and a series of dynamic stage performances with "Hong Kong flavour" are to be put up during the exhibition period. While showcasing the diversity and lifestyle-orientation of Hong Kong brands, the performances will enhance the participation and enjoyment of the visitors, allowing them to immerse in a carnival atmosphere and savior the appeal and sense of affinity of Hong Kong brands. 
   
• WeChat Mini Program: A promotion mini program "We ‧ LOVE HONG KONG Brand Mart" is to be established on social media WeChat, which forms a virtual exhibition space corresponding to the physical showcase, simultaneously displaying the information of the participating brands of "Guangzhou Brandfest" with hyper-links to the brands' own WeChat facilities or websites. The mini program will give a boost to Hong Kong brands' growing efforts to press ahead with online promotion and tie in with the trends of digitalisation of consumer information acquisition and purchasing channels in the Greater Bay Area.
   
• Business Tour: A one-day business study tour is to be organised, which would lead a group of representatives of Hong Kong companies to visit a Guangdong city in Greater Bay Area. Apart from carrying out an immersive exploration of local business environment, the delegates would avail themselves of good opportunities to understand the relevant government policies and learn from the development experience of successful companies, while establishing contacts and networking with local government and industries.
   
• Market Quick-view Analysis: A research team led by a renowned marketing professor would compile a report titled "Greater Bay Area Market in Perspective and Implications for Hong Kong Brands" (tentative), which documents the findings of business tour, supplemented by brief but insightful extended analysis to dissect the dynamics and trends of the GBA market. The analysis report will also make efforts to strengthen the key points of the market researches completed in the first phase of the Project, with an eye to further creating, integrating and disseminating information and practical skills related to the market environment, consumer culture as well as the effective brand promotion and management strategies for tapping into GBA, thus helping Hong Kong enterprises to enhance their knowledge equipment and key capabilities in brand operations.
   
• Experience Sharing Seminar:  A concluding seminar will be held in Hong Kong, during which the major finding of the GBA Market Quick-view Analysis will be announced. The seminar would also serve as a forum for scholars, experts and industry representatives to share and exchange experiences in regard to market development and brand promotion in the Greater Bay Area. 

• Publicity: A publicity campaign is to be rolled out, including hosting press conference and kick off ceremony, producing a set of promotional materials and publishing research reports, conducting marketing communications through a full range of information channels and social media. Regular updates on the serial activities of the Project will be broadcasted through the websites of the Project and the Organiser (www.hkbrand.org).

Review of Completed Activities of Project (Phase One)

The Hong Kong Brand Development Council successfully completed the first phase of the "Hong Kong · IN · Brand Greater Bay" Serial Activities, the major deliverables of the Project (Phase One) included:

• "Hong Kong Brand i-Directory" (Brand HKiD) was introduced, which formulated a set of identification criteria for verifying a brand's "Hong Kong" identity, together with a registration system and online listing facilities to publish the information of accredited brands. The new regime accepted the first batch of applications in September 2020, with a dedicated website and mobile application officially launched in June 2021; and over 200 local brands have been registered thus far.
   
• Brand Image Gallery (Macao): "Macao Brandfest" brand promotion activities were rolled out from 7 to 10 April 2023 at the "the 5th Hong Kong Brands and Products Expo, Macau", which was the first large-scale cross-border trade fair organised by The Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong after the epidemic and recorded nearly 150,000 visitors during the 4-day exhibition period. A Brand Image Gallery was set up at the Expo to display more than 50 product items of 20 Hong Kong brands, accompanied by two "Interactive Experience Camp" kiosks where Hong Kong brands stationed at the venue organised consumer engagement activities. The showcase provided an effective window for Macao citizens to experience Hong Kong brands at a close range on the one hand; and it on the other hand helped Hong Kong industries to better understand the latest development of local business environment and built up the influence of Hong Kong brands in the regional market by leveraging on the unique role of Macao as a portal to GBA.

• Customer Survey: A Questionnaire Survey was carried out in the Greater Bay Area from July to October 2020, covering Macao and 9 municipalities in Guangdong Province, with over 1,700 consumers being interviewed. A two-way quantitative study was then conducted on the basis of the data collected, which depicted the aggregated picture of the GBA Region on the one hand and look into the inter-city differentials through comparative analyses on the other. This Study advanced the understanding of the consumers' preference, purchasing behaviour and information channels as well as their perception of Hong Kong brands, providing valuable first-hand information for Hong Kong companies' reference and shedding light on the effective branding and marketing strategies. The BDC released the result of the "Report of Study on the Attitude towards Hong Kong Brands and Purchasing Behaviour of Greater Bay Area Consumers" in June 2021. 
   
• Company Case Study: A dedicated expert team conducted study on 6 brands based in Hong Kong or Mainland China, in an attempt to analyse and document their real-life experience in developing domestic sales and building brands in the Greater Bay Area. This study in particular identified role models in "brand competiveness" building and conceptualised their success factors as well as practical know-how, extracting from them relevant insights for Hong Kong companies' reference. The "Effective Branding in Greater Bay Area Company Case Study Report" was released in January 2022.
   
• Training Workshop: A one-day training workshop is to be hosted in Hong Kong on 23 December 2020, at which professionals and practitioners with domain expertise analysed the latest business environment and trends of consumer culture in the Greater Bay Area, and shared with Hong Kong brand operators the knowledge and practices related to brand development, promotion and management, helping them to sharpen core competence in brand building. The Workshop attracted over 100 participants.
   
• Experience Sharing Seminar: A seminar under the banner of "Branding@GBA: Strategies and Experience Sharing 2023" was held on 25 April 2023. With an audience of over 120 participants, the Seminar featured a strong line-up of renowned scholar, professional and representatives from GBA companies, who shared their real-life experience and exchanged views on the effective strategies for developing market and promoting brands in the GBA. The Organiser also took this opportunity to officially publish the printed version of the report on the Consumer Survey and Company Case Study in the Greater Bay Area.