HK unveils new logo to promote govt-funded projects

The Hong Kong government has unveiled a brand new promotional logo, aiming to showcase its dedication to addressing citizens' diverse needs and adherence to an open-minded attitude.

The logo, launched yesterday (18 January), is used for government bureaux and departments to adopt various publicity materials, aiming to introduce government-funded projects to the public in a more comprehensive manner, as well as enhance their sense of belonging and happiness.

Designed by the Information Services Department, the logo design was inspired by "door always open" (門常開), the architectural features of the central government offices, amplifying the government's adherence to an open-minded attitude. Moreover, the semi-three-dimensional design with a subtle tilt aims to feature the government's dynamism and its proactive approach to addressing the diverse needs of the public. 

While the new logo primarily consists of red, green and blue colours, the message on the logo will be adjusted according to the nature of different services, events and programmes, aiming to meet different requirements and enhance overall publicity impact.

The new promotional logo will continue to be shown on the publicity materials of suitable services, events and programmes, including banners, backdrops, posters, leaflets, websites, digital presentations and promotional videos.

Speaking at the launch event of the new promotional logo yesterday, director of information services Fletch Chan (pictured third left) said that apart from public services and activities organised by government bureaux and departments, it also supported social and non-governmental organisations to arrange services, events and programmes with subsidies or other supportive means to benefit the public. Through the application of the new promotional logo, it is believed to be easier for the public to recognise projects that are supported or endorsed by the government.

In terms of promotion, the Information Services Department will organise a roving exhibition for staging on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon and the New Territories from next Monday (22 January) to 26 March.

As for the current "flying dragon" logo utilised by the government, a spokesperson from the Information Services Department told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE that it was mainly applied to promote Hong Kong globally as "Asia's world city", while the new promotional logo was to introduce government-funded projects to Hong Kong people to make it easier for them to recognise projects that are supported or endorsed by the government.

The new promotional logo is designed by the Information Services Department without incurring additional cost, the spokesperson added.

On the other hand, the new logo has drawn mixed reactions from netizens. Media intelligence firm CARMA saw approximately 100 mentions related to the new Hong Kong government promotional logo. Out of these mentions, 13% carried a positive sentiment, while 18% carried a negative sentiment.

"Although many netizens appear indifferent to the new logo design, a significant number expressed their concerns in a sarcastic manner, suggesting that the government's claim of having a 'door always open' isn't entirely accurate. Some cited the lack of public consultation on the upcoming municipal solid waste scheme as an example," said Charles Cheung, CARMA's HK GM.

"Additionally, there were suggestions that the government should extend its operating hours to truly reflect the concept of being "door always open," Cheung added.

Based on CARMA's analysis, the announcement of the new logo has minimal impact on the overall sentiment towards the Hong Kong government. "Prior to the announcement, the sentiment towards the government stood at 6.3% positive and 45.6% negative. After the announcement, the sentiment remained relatively unchanged at 6.3% positive and 45.7% negative," Cheung said.

Meanwhile, a check by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE saw on the official Facebook page of news.gov.hk that, netizens expressed varying views on the interpretation of the new logo. While some said that they hoped the government could develop practical measures to improve the lives of citizens, some said they don't have a sense of happiness towards the upcoming waste charging scheme. 

The spokesperson said: "The government will continue to listen carefully to the views of all parties and continue to enhance various policy measures in a pragmatic manner, with a view to facilitating the overall development of Hong Kong and enhancing people's sense of happiness and contentment."

Photo courtesy: news.gov.hk

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