Interview: Tim Ho Wan's Daniel Lin on how to modernise marketing with AI-generated content

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE is proud to present Content 360 – Hong Kong: Content that captivates, a conference about content marketing, content trends and storytelling in a year amidst the return of live events, cookie deprecation, the integration of AI in marketing, new devices, global sporting events and weekend shopping trips to mainland China.

Taking place on 26 June at Hong Kong Ocean Park Marriott Hotel, our 28 speakers will share with us their insights and experiences on content strategy for topics such as integration of content with commerce, cross-border marketing, and the use of AI in content creation.

One of our speakers is Daniel Lin (pictured), general manager, Tim Ho Wan, who will discuss how the dim sum brand uses AI-generated content to modernise marketing in a traditional industry. Lin is responsible for formulating the brand’s business strategy and leading profitable growth through product innovation, marketing initiatives, and operational excellence.

As a dim sum restaurant chain, Tim Ho Wan has broken through the traditional approach to promoting dim sum by leveraging AI-generated content. For example, in its social campaign last November, Tim Ho Wan used AI to create visuals with hidden Chinese words that authentically described the unique features and flavours of its seasonal menu items.

In a conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, Lin said these AI-powered campaigns allow Tim Ho Wan to deliver visually captivating depictions of its menu offerings, convey the brand's core values, and craft immersive storytelling experiences for consumers.

While brands may try to launch AI-generated campaigns to showcase their willingness to their adoption of new technologies, Lin emphasised the importance of selecting AI-generated content that is coherent with the brand's values, preserves authenticity, and delivers genuine value to the target audience.

Brands can craft impactful marketing campaigns that truly resonate with their target audience by harnessing the combined strengths of AI technology and human creativity, he added.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: What inspired you to use AI-generated content in your end-of-year marketing campaign to promote seasonal products? How did the campaign come about?

AI is a trending topic that has the power to generate awareness and capture the interest of consumers.

By integrating AI-generated content into our marketing campaign, we can tap into this trend and effectively engage with our younger segment.

Furthermore, using AI-generated content demonstrates our company's commitment to innovation and staying at the forefront of the industry. By embracing this cutting-edge approach to marketing, we showcase our willingness to leverage new technologies. As pioneers in the F&B industry, we are proud to take the first-mover advantage and be the trailblazers in deploying AI. 

Our AI-generated content campaign has exceeded expectations and delivered exceptional business results. Not only has it captured the attention of our target audience, but it has also successfully countered the trend of Hong Kong residents travelling north to indulge in culinary delights. 

Here are the outstanding achievements of our campaign. We achieved over millions in new menu item sales, while the comparative sales increased by a double-digit percentage versus 2022. Moreover, our social media followers also increased by 500%.

In addition, the success of our campaign quickly drew media attention, further amplifying its impact and reach.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE:  Is it a one-off, flash-in-the-pan marketing campaign or can you envision using AI-generated content as part of your marketing campaigns more often?  

We have successfully utilised AI-generated content in three of our marketing campaigns to introduce new products, and we are excited to continue leveraging this innovative approach in our future campaigns. The folloiwing is an overview of how we utilised AI technology in each campaign.

In our first campaign, we employed Midjourney technology to create captivating visuals that showcased the unique combinations of ingredients found in our new menu. By harnessing the power of AI, we were able to present visually stunning representations of our menu items.

In our second campaign, we leveraged Illusion Diffusion technology by incorporating hidden Chinese words into our visuals. These hidden words were carefully crafted to authentically communicate the core values and essence of each menu item. This approach encourages customers to uncover the hidden messages while immersing themselves in our culinary offerings.

Last but not least, AI technology took centre stage once again in our third campaign, where we created an engaging video featuring two animal characters meeting each other. This AI-generated video added a touch of storytelling to our marketing efforts.

The integration of AI-generated content across these campaigns has proven to be a game-changer, enabling us to deliver visually stunning representations of our menu items, communicate core values, and create engaging storytelling experiences. 

Moving forward, we are committed to continuously exploring and leveraging AI technology to enhance our marketing campaigns and provide unique and captivating experiences for our customers.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: What would be a top tip for marketers wanting to experiment with “prompt engineering”? To what extent and how did humans need to get involved to fine-tune the graphic output in your campaign? What did they do?

In our AI-generated campaigns, we transcend the traditional use of AI as a tool solely for generating beautiful images. Creative concepts are applied to AI technology, enabling it to authentically reflect the true values of our new menu items.

We understand that the soul of a marketing campaign lies in the creative concept, and marketers play a crucial role in shaping and conveying the brand story.

While AI technology empowers us to create visually captivating content, it is the marketers who take control of the creative concept and storytelling process. Marketers are the storytellers who understand the brand, its unique selling points, and the emotional connection it aims to establish with customers. 

AI technology serves as a powerful tool that assists marketers in bringing their creative concepts to life. Marketers can leverage their marketing objectives and creative ideas to strategically choose the most suitable AI technology, such as Midjourney or Illusion Diffusion, that aligns with their specific needs.

It's important for marketers to carefully select AI-generated content that aligns with the brand's values, maintains authenticity, and provides real value to the audience.

By combining the strengths of both AI technology and human creativity, we can create impactful and memorable marketing campaigns that resonate with our target audience. 

Join us on this exciting adventure as we embrace the possibilities of AI in our marketing campaigns. Together, let's redefine the future of marketing and create unforgettable experiences for our customers.

Join us this coming 26 June for Content360 Hong Kong, a one-day-two-streams extravaganza under the theme of "Content that captivates". Get together with our fellow marketers to learn about AI in content creation, integration of content with commerce and cross-border targeting, and find the recipe for success within the content marketing world!

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