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 Western China Market through Organising ‘Chongqing 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 11-month Project commenced on 1st November 2013.
Hong Kong brands have quickened their pace in developing Mainland’s domestic market, and the majority of them tend to target at middle-range segments with focus on the second- and third-tier cities. As the largest (by areas) Municipality directly under the Central Government, the foremost economic centre of upstream Yangtze Basin, as well as a renowned commercial and transportation hub of Western China, Chongqing has drawn increasing attention from Hong Kong companies by dint of its phenomenal population stature, remarkable economic potential and strong “radiation effects” over the neighboring regions. It is beyond doubt a strategic foothold for Hong Kong brands to expand domestic sales and the best stepping-stone for tapping into the vast Western China market.
In line with Hong Kong industries’ recent developments in the Mainland market, this Project stages a promotional campaign under the banner of “Chongqing Hong Kong Brand Festival” (the Festival), aiming to promote the collective image of Hong Kong brands and help Hong Kong enterprises to better understand the market environment and to explore business opportunities in the Western China particularly Chongqing.
The Project features a series of diversified activities that tie in with the current needs of Hong Kong enterprises, including setting up a large-scale product gallery at the “2014 Hong Kong Trendy Products Expo, Chongqing” (the Expo) to showcase the latest development of Hong Kong brands, centring on a specially-designed thematic zone that highlights the heritage and evolution of Hong Kong’s brand culture; lining up a host of publicity activities in Hong Kong, and rolling out stage performances and programmes in Chongqing with an eye to promoting Hong Kong brands and representative products and services; organizing a training workshop and an experience sharing seminar with emphasis on the strategies and practices of brand-building in the domestic market, supplemented by interactive consumer panel discussions and a study tour to investigate the retail market and distribution channels in Chongqing, in an attempt to look into the characteristics and consumption behaviours of Western China consumers and help Hong Kong companies to explore the effective strategies for market entry and brand promotion.
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 “2014 Hong Kong Trendy Products Expo, Chongqing” (the Expo) to display the representative products and/or information panels of selected Hong Kong brands. The gallery will serve as a window to demonstrate the stylish, charming and superior image of Hong Kong brands.
A specially-designed thematic zone namely “Love．Loving Hong Kong’ Wedding Brand Ring” (「囍．愛香港」婚嫁品 牌圈) to be established at the centre of the Gallery to present the success story of selected representative brands engaged in wedding-related products and services, epitomising the heritage and evolution of Hong Kong’s brand culture.
A three-hour training workshop to be hosted in Hong Kong, at which professionals and practitioners with domain expertises will analyse the business environment of Chongqing and Western China, and share with Hong Kong brand operators on the knowledge and practices related to brand building, brand management and development of domestic market.
Three interactive consumer panel discussions to be conducted in both Hong Kong and Chongqing, whereby dozens of Chongqing citizens and Western China residents would be invited to a focus group, followed by an interactive session for exchanging views with Hong Kong brand operators. Such discussions would serve as 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 for Hong Kong companies’ reference.
A half-day business study tour in Chongqing to be organized, during which Hong Kong brand operators would pay a visit to an enterprise/organisation with rich experience in domestic sales and observe an representative shopping mall, soas to have better understanding of local business environment and distribution channels, and to shed light on the strategies for market entry and brand promotion.
A series of stage performances and thematic programmes with focus on selected manufacturing industries to be lined up at the Expo venue, scattering over the exhibition period, in an attempt to demonstrate the diversity, viability and lifestyle-orientation of Hong Kong brands.
A publicity and advertising campaign to be mounted by phases via the media of Hong Kong and Chongqing as well as at the Expo, in tandem with the activities of the Festival.
A 3-hour concluding seminar will be hosted in Hong Kong to announce the findings of the consumer study on Western China consumers and business visit at Chongqing, 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.
A set of promotional materials, e.g. leaflets, brochures of the gallery exhibitors and souvenirs for visitors, will be produced and distributed at selected hotspots in Chongqing and the Expo prior to and/or during the exhibition.
Regular updates about the serial activities of the Project to be broadcasted through the websites of the Organiser and the Expo.
Download the factsheet of “Chongqing Hong Kong Brand Festival” (Chinese version only)
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).
