What is the most talked about brand in Hong Kong?

HKTVmall has once again become Hong Kong's most talked about brand in Hong Kong for 2021, while the brand was also one of the six local brands that made it to the list of the top 10 brands last year.

According to YouGov, HKTVmall topped the chart for its annual BrandIndex Buzz Rankings with a score of 32.6, retaining its title as the most talked about brand in Hong Kong last year. The eCommerce platform was followed by DFI Retail Group's loyalty programme yuu (29.2) and Octopus Card (27.0). Other local companies included ViuTV, which ranked fourth, with a score of 25.1 and MoneyBack (fifth place, with a score of 24.7). The final Hong Kong company that made it into the list was bus company KMB.

HKTVmall has been a household name since its inception in 2015. The company announced its record-breaking business performance in January 2022. HKTVmall said the news was the result of the pre-Chinese New Year effect and the tightening pandemic prevention measures. Its gross merchandise value (GMV) on order intake reached HK$699.0 million; average daily GMV on order intake recorded HK$22.5 million, representing a year-on-year 23.9% and 23.6% growth respectively compared to January 2021. The average daily order number in January 2022 reached 47,400, equivalent to a 32.8% year-on-year growth.

In the announcement of its H1 2021 interim results announced, chairman Paul Cheung Chi-kin and vice chairman Ricky Wong Wai-kay dedicated a section "Our Dream" to elaborate on their visions of the company.

"On different occasions, we were asked whether we think HKTVmall is successful, and what will the future direction be. To us, HKTVmall is a success in terms of business performance, and it is one of the few online shopping operations globally, which can turn around and make profits in just five years. In terms of technology innovation, HKTVmall successfully proved the operation model for eCommerce in Hong Kong, and how to change business and support operations with technology,” they said.

Apart from the best performing brands, there were also some improvers in Hong Kong, with MTR topping the chart as it had a score of 17.7, up from 5.1 in 2020. The public transport network was followed by HSBC as it has a score of 9.1, up from 0.1 in 2020. Octopus Card and Starbucks were ranked third and fourth respectively, as their scores increased from 18.8 to 27.0 and 0.8 to 7.8.

MTR rolled out campaigns several campaigns last year to engage passengers. One of them was launched to celebrate the opening of the Tuen Ma Line. To draw more attention to the new stations, MTR has launched a video series in collaboration with OMD to inspire people to explore the hidden gems in the city.

The series features celebrities Carlos Chan and Inez Leong in three videos with each video highlighting new experiences and activities inspired by international travel in European countries and Japan that riders can enjoy all in Hong Kong via a short ride. In addition to promoting the new Tuen Ma line across online platforms with videos, OMD also deployed social, radio, and print media to ensure audiences in Hong Kong were aware of the new destination.

During the construction of the Tuen Ma Line, a lot of artefacts were discovered. They are now displayed along with artworks across the new stations. To celebrate, MTR has worked with fashion blogger Sam Wong to curate a video. In it, Wong showcases different outfit styles, symbolising the inspiration brought by the art pieces on mix and match. The campaign was created by CMRS Digital Solutions and Origame. Moreover, photographer Victor Cheng leverages natural light, his unique perspectives and shooting techniques, to interact with the art pieces showcased across the station, demonstrating his creativity through the lens.

The rest of the improvers list was dominated by F&B chains, with TamJai Group (+6.4 points), Genki Sushi (+5.8 points), Maxim's Group (+5.6 points) and Yoshinoya (+4.3 points) making an appearance. The only exception was local carrier Hong Kong Airlines, which was ninth most improved with an improved score of +5.3 points.

(Photo courtesy: 123rf)