Under the sponsorship of the Dedicated Fund on Branding, Upgrading and Domestic Sales (Organisation Support Programme), the BDC is implementing the "Assisting Hong Kong Brands to Explore Northern Mainland Market through Organising ‘Tianjin Hong Kong Brand Festival’ Serial Activities” Project, with the Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong acting as the Collaborating Organisation and the CMA Exhibition Services Limited acting as Implementation Agent. This 12-month Project commenced on 1 March 2015.
Project Summary
While Hong Kong brands are extending their footprints in the Mainland market from South China to the North and from the coastal East to inland regions, the importance of North China as a focal point of domestic sales has been renewed and even elevated with the unfolding of the national strategy for promoting the collaborate development of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Province.
In line with Hong Kong industries’ recent developments in the Mainland market, this Project stages a large-scale brand promotional campaign supplemented by a bevy of brand research and training programmes, with a focus on Tianjin Municipality, the primary logistic hub and economic epicenter of North China. Under the banner of “Tianjin Hong Kong Brand Festival” (the Festival), it aims to enhance the collective image and market influences of Hong Kong brands, and help Hong Kong enterprises to better understand the market environment and to explore business opportunities in North China particularly Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Economic Circle.
The Project features a series of diversified activities that tie in with the current needs of Hong Kong enterprises. Its mainstay is a product gallery set up at the “2015 Hong Kong Trendy Products Expo, Tianjin” (the expo) to showcase the latest developments of Hong Kong brands, centering on a specially-designed thematic zone, which, accompanied by a line-up of stage performances and entertainment programmes with distintive “Hong Kong flavours”, culminates in an innovative experience-based approach to promoting the core values of Hong Kong’s brand culture. Meanwhile, several focus group discussions, respectively targeting at local distributors and consumers, would be held in Tianjin and the adjacent Hebei Province, in an attempt to look into the consumption behaviours and preferences of North China consumers and to explore the effective strategies for market entry and brand promotion; and interactive sessions will also be introduced to allow Hong Kong brand operators to exchange views with the interviewees. Besides, a host of publicity activities will be rolled out in Hong Kong and Tianjin as well; whereas a training workshop and an experience sharing seminar with emphasis on internet promotion techniques, branding strategies and domestic sales practices will be organised in Hong Kong, with an eye to providing the industries with insightful and enlightening first-hand intelligences on the market of Tianjin and North China.
Project Deliverables
A well-decorated gallery namely “‘Lovely．Loving Hong Kong’ Brand Frontline” (「喜．愛香港」品牌站) to be set up at the “2015 Hong Kong Trendy Products Expo, Tianjin” (the Expo) to display the representative products and information of selected Hong Kong brands. The gallery will serve as a window to demonstrate the stylish, charming, culturally-sophisticated and superior image of Hong Kong brands.
A specially-designed thematic zone namely “‘Deary．Loving Children’ Hong Kong Brand Corner” (「親．愛小孩」香港品牌樂園) with strong visual impacts to be established at the centre of the Gallery to present groundbreaking products/services of selected brands and to bring multi-layer experience for audience with an eye to highlighting the emotional value of Hong Kong brands.
A series of stage performances with distinctive “Hong Kong flavours” and games echoing with the subject of the thematic zone to be lined up at the Expo venue, scattering over the exhibition period, in an attempt to enhance attractiveness to visitors and to demonstrate the diversity, lifestyle-orientation and strong affinity of Hong Kong brands.
A one-day training workshop to be hosted in Hong Kong, at which professionals and practitioners with domain expertises will analyse the business environment of North China especially Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Economic Circle, update Hong Kong brand operators of the recent developments of e-commerce in Mainland China, and share knowledge and practical skills related to brand management, domestic sales and on-line marketing.
Two distributor panel discussions to be organised, with one in Tianjin and the other in Baoding city of Hebei Province; and a couple of local distributors would be invited to a focus group under the moderation of a marketing expert. The Tianjin panel discussion would include an interactive session whereby Hong Kong brand operators are allowed to sit in and exchange views with distributor panellists, availing themselves of an opportunity to gain better understanding of the commercial environment, distribution channels, logistics and supporting facilities in North China and to explore effective branding and marketing strategies.
Two consumer focus group discussions to be conducted in Tianjin and one in Baoding, under the moderation of a marketing expert. One of Tianjin focus group discussions would be followed by a session for exchange and interaction between Hong Kong brand operators and the consumer panellists. Such discussions would serve as an effective avenue to developing insights into local consumers’ preferences, buying behaviours as well as their perception of Hong Kong brands, helping to gather first-hand, in-depth market intelligence on Tianjin and North China for Hong Kong companies’ reference.
A publicity and advertising campaign to be mounted by phases via the media of Hong Kong and Tianjin as well as at the Expo, in tandem with the activities of the Festival.
A 2-hour concluding seminar to be hosted in Hong Kong to announce the findings of the consumer and distributor studies in North China, which would also serve as a forum for professionals and representatives from local companies to share experience and exchange views in regard to domestic sales and branding.
A set of promotional materials, e.g. leaflets, brochure of the gallery exhibitors and souvenirs for visitors, would be produced and distributed at selected hotspots in Tianjin and the Expo prior to and/or during the exhibition.
Regular updates on the serial activities of the Project to be broadcasted through the websites of the Organiser and the Expo; and QR code would be applied to display items of the showcase to provide an easy interface for visitors to access the project website.
Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this webpage (or by members of the Project team) do not reflect the views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Trade and Industry Department or the Vetting Committee for the SME Development Fund and the Dedicated Fund on Branding, Upgrading and Domestic Sales (Organisation Support Programme).
