Jointly organized by the Hong Kong Brand Development Council (BDC) and the Chinese Manufacturers’ Association of Hong Kong (CMA), the Awards Presentation Ceremony-cum-Gala Dinner of the “2015 Hong Kong Top Brand Awards & Hong Kong Top Service Brand Awards and 2015 Hong Kong Emerging Brand Awards & Hong Kong Emerging Service Brand Awards” was held yesterday (2 February) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Financial Secretary Hon John Tsang was invited to be the guest-of-honour and to present trophies to the winners, together with Mr Philip Yung, Permanent Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (Commerce, Industry and Tourism), Godfrey Leung, Under Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development; and Mr Kenneth Mak, Director-General of Trade and Industry.
The 2015 Hong Kong Brand Awards obtain satisfactory results in which 43 brands have been awarded in total. Through rigorous selection, 14 and 17 brands have won the “Hong Kong Top Brand” and “Hong Kong Top Service Brand” respectively; whilst 6 product brands and 6 service brands have won the “Hong Kong Emerging Brand Awards” and “Hong Kong Emerging Service Brand Awards” respectively. The products of the winners are on display at the Hong Kong Trade Development Council’s Design Gallery at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre until 7 February.
Addressing the Awards Presentation Ceremony, BDC Chairman Mr Simon Wong said, “With excitement and pride, we gather together here to acclaim the ‘sparkling debut’ of the winners of 2015 Awards. Not only is today’s Ceremony a proud occasion for us to look back on the enviable achievements of local brands, but also a window to unfold the vibrant future of Hong Kong’s brand development and the immense prospects of ‘branding to win’”. He also mentioned, “Albeit in a time of uncertainty when lingering economic slowdown and drastic changes in both international and domestic markets have imposed escalating pressure on our industries, Hong Kong brands have actually ushered in an unprecedented ‘golden age’ with ample room to grow and thrive, as conventional wisdom has it said that “With every challenge always comes an opportunity.”
On the one hand, leveraging on an “advantage portfolio” including unrivalled geographical location, well-established market connections, first-class business infrastructure and sound intellectual property regime, Hong Kong is gracefully rebuilding its position as a “brands hub”, providing a benign environment that could foster original branding and add values to worldwide brands. Meanwhile, “Hong Kong Brand” has nowadays become a symbol of quality, trendiness, credibility, value for money and outstanding service, earning the trust of both local and overseas consumers; and this positive “country of origin effect” has translated into an edge for our local brands, enabling them to have a good start when making ways into the international arena.
On the other hand, now that China has embarked on a “new normal” with the key driving forces of its economic growth shifting towards innovation and domestic demand, the Mainland market is bound to make a “quantum leap” in terms of capacity, quality, growth potential and the level of openness as well; and the hinterland of Hong Kong brands is getting wider, deeper and even dynamic. Furthermore, China’s ambitious “One Belt One Road” initiative has heralded a new direction for Hong Kong brands to expand their footsteps in the emerging markets.
Chairman Wong continued to said, “With the advent of ‘Internet Plus’ era, the tidal wave of e-commerce notably online shopping has swept across the retail landscape, giving rise to brand-new business patterns. While the modus operandi of brand engagement, management and promotion is undergoing revolutionary transformations, there are plenty of success stories where SMEs and ‘Makers’ swiftly cut a fine figure by dint of thrilling technology, creativity and responsiveness or snatch up market share through the tactic of ‘using a small gadget to jack up a heavy load.’” Among this year’s winners, there are up-and-coming stars standing on the cutting-edge of e-business as well as emerging global players striving to establish a leading position in the overseas markets. Alongside household names that have made brave attempt to think “out of the box” and embrace state-of-the-art management techniques for sustaining their decade-long legends, we also see a couple of young and innovative “brand entrepreneurs” inducted into this Hall of Fame. The 2015 Awardees have exhibited remarkable performance in respect of Reputation, Distinctiveness, Innovation, Quality, Image, as well as Environmental Performance and Social Responsibility. As you would agree, the winners have showcased the latest developments of the industries, adding another inspiring chapter to the splendid epic of Hong Kong brand development
When it comes to numerating the “push factors” and “pull factors” for Hong Kong brand development, one should not neglect the SAR Government’s pivotal role and especially the kind of “thoughtful and powerful” supports it has rendered to us. For example, the “Dedicated Fund on Branding, Upgrading and Domestic Sales” (BUD Fund) has not only provided an additional impetus for local enterprises to gear towards brand-building, but also served as a strong catalyst for the improvement of local supporting facilities and even the whole ecosystem for brand development. As a matter of fact, thanks to the sponsorship provided by BUD Fund, the Hong Kong Brand Development Council has been able to implement “Hong Kong Brand Festival” Projects in a number of Mainland’s major cities, in an effort to uplift the collective image of Hong Kong brands while building up a multifunctional platform to facilitate our industries’ expansion in the Mainland market.
More than 700 guests attended the Awards Presentation Ceremony-cum-Gala Dinner yesterday. Other guests attending the event included: CMA President Dr Eddy Li; CMA Vice Presidents, CMA and BDC General Committee members; the panel judges; leading businessmen and representatives from the winning companies.
