@TheLarryWeber with Racepoint Group HK peeps @piawarburton @bchenghk @sjkimhk #socialmedia #party #PR
![20 Million New Facebook Users Across Asia (in the past 6 months!)
[Source: WeAreSocial blog]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3qne4hyA51r4edu1o1_1280.jpg)
20 Million New Facebook Users Across Asia (in the past 6 months!)
[Source: WeAreSocial blog]
Big Game: HK vs. LDN
Charlotte, my counterpart in Hong Kong, was in London for a couple of days last week. It was interesting to learn about the differences between what she does and what I do.
First up: the commute. Her seven minute bus journey initially looks favourable to my hour-long, two train shuffle from Surrey to London. However, Charlotte doesn’t clear her inbox and read two newspapers before arriving in the office. So, although I have a longer commute, I make it work for me. We’ll call it a score draw on that one.
Next on the list is the price of coffee. “How much?!” I exclaimed when told a cup of this wonderful, life enhancing nectar would set me back about £4.50 over on the island. Hong Kong living would require me to part with around £15 on a good day, possibly nearing £30 on a bad one. Cripes! Definitely one up for these Isles.
Time zones. We’ve all got them. Some are conveniently situated between the US and Asia, others aren’t. Hong Kong’s is very awkward for global calls. When I sit on a call at 1400, happily shooting the breeze and eager to discuss the minutiae with colleagues in the US and Asia, poor old Charlotte’s sitting at home at 2300 wanting to go to bed. So far, so good for the UK.
Moving on from the day-to-day practicalities, let’s look at the market place. Over in the UK the global social media networks dominate, there’s Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. Everyone knows them, and when something new pops up, it’s easily picked up. Over in Hong Kong, as well as the global players, they also have Chinese equivalents. A lot of them. There are facebook equivalents, there are Twitter equivalents. And it’s all changing. And it’s all different on mainland China, which Charlotte needs to cover too! It sounds like she’s got a lot to do, but in my book that’s a good thing. It sounds busy and it sounds exciting. The more tools and channels and networks the better, I say. Others may disagree. So Hong Kong’s finally scored a goal.
Finally, Hong Kong is the gateway to the biggest emerging market of them all: China. A market growing at a rapid rate. Companies springing up from within and moving in from abroad constantly. A market growing and changing so fast no one can say they’ve cornered. From a marketing point of view, that’s massively exciting. Lots of companies to meet, people to pitch, networks to build. That’s a massive goal for Hong Kong.
It looks like a draw where HK scores the interesting goals and London’s just plodding comfortably, but hang on a second, London’s not exactly lacking for opportunity.
Despite anaemic growth and a mature market, there are tech start ups, lots of pitches, loads of ideas and creativity. Many companies use London as their hub for Europe. I get to liaise with partners across Europe, speaking with people in France, Italy, Norway or many other nations on any given day. I say London wins with a late goal in extra time. Not sure Charlotte will agree.
- Karan
Henry Tang Ying Yen launches his Sina Weibo account
South Korea Hearts Smartphones
- At the end of 2011, South Korea had 53.1 million mobile subscriptions - more than one subscription per person!
- Between Dec 2010 and Dec 2011, S. Korea smartphone subscription increased by 16.3 million - which led mobile data traffic to double between Dec 2010 and March 2011
- ROA Consulting estimates smartphones will account for more than 90% of mobile subscriptions at the end of 2013 compared to 48.5% of mobile users in US
QR codes: worth a scan or just a fad?
Is it just me or do QR codes seem to have taken over Hong Kong? From websites to print ads, bus backs to the window displays at swanky department stores, these pixilated boxes have almost become impossible to miss. I know the technology isn’t exactly new but the trend only seems to have just caught on in our neck of the woods as more businesses become social media savvy.
For those unfamiliar with the craze: a QR code is like a barcode. Smartphone users can download apps to scan these codes to access a dedicated website. QR codes can also be designed to act like business cards, installing info into contact lists and eliminating the need for people to manually enter it themselves. In a nutshell, the scanning process is quick, painless and has a sort of novelty factor to boot.
But what compels someone to scan a QR code?
Personally, I’m only motivated to scan when I know there’s a freebie or discount waiting for me at the other end. If not, the whole process of stopping to fish around my handbag for my phone, fire up the app and do the scanning just feels like too much of an ask when I’m on the go. At the end of last year, digitalbuzzblog.com reported that most QR codes were scanned by iPhone users. The website also revealed QR codes that appeared in newspaper, TV and catalogue ads were more likely to be scanned than those that appeared in forms of outdoor advertising.
Considering people can now use QR codes to make payments, join loyalty schemes and access paperless documents (like concert tickets), it’s worth asking: are they all safe to scan?
Travis Lelle, a computer technician at Refresh Computers and Electronics, says corrupt QR codes are in active circulation and have the potential to open scanners up to malware, viruses, and (worst case scenario) even give hackers access to personal information.
To be on the safe side, it’s recommended people only scan QR codes issued by credible sources and trusted brands. If a code is scanned and odd things start to appear on the phone, or if it starts asking for personal information, knock the problem on the head quickly by closing down the link.
So, are QR codes here to stay? To put it simply: yes. Although I’m personally not much of a fan, I don’t think they’re going anywhere anytime soon (afterall, they make a nice aesthetic addition to visual collateral). As long as businesses are creative and do enough to entice people to whip out their smartphones, the art of QR code scanning is well on its way to becoming common practice for HK consumers.
Happy scanning!
- Emma
Team dinner at Hong Kong’s best Thai restaurant!
#SMWHK Round Two - Ding Ding!
After being left disappointed by #SMWHK yesterday, we started the second half of the week with caution - had we pre-paid for a series of events that were destined to leave us feeling short changed?
Last night we ventured to the Apple Store to watch Casey Lau, who is highly regarded in Hong Kong for his involvement in HK’s digital space and passion for social media. We can happily say the event ticked all the boxes: the description of the event was exact, the venue was cool, the presentation was interactive and it offered something for everyone and he hosted the event for free.
Things were looking up.
This morning we attended the China Trending powered by Cohn&Wolfe-impactasia. Having been let down by previous speakers, we were looking forward to listening to a panel with widely regarded names and an understanding of the China landscape. The description of the event said that the presentation would cover how the “growing digital population shaping social media platforms”, “creating content around the “Great Firewall””, “trends influencing online cultures in Greater China and the rest of Asia”, and predictions for the future of social media in a country in a political and economic situation that is defying trends faced by the rest of the world”. We weren’t disappointed. Speakers from JingDaily, CIC and Cohn&Wolfe-impactasia offered a great insight into trends and predictions for social media in China.
Unfortunately, the content lacked the political and censorship angle that had been described but all in all, it was a solid hour’s presentation with Carrie Wang, Digital Director of Cohn & Wolfe-impactasia, Shanghai, as an undeniable highlight.
We were however shocked to learn that the event was being streamed on the internet for free. The event space, PURE Soho, was far over its maximum capacity with people being forced to sit in seats which you could not see the presentation from - our team included, even having arrived 25 minutes early. The presentation could not be seen/read by people at the back and some couldn’t see the speakers. With a door charge of $150, we were expecting the number of attendees to be capped to ensure everyone benefited from the presentation.
Sadly, I think we would have learned more sitting at our desks, streaming the event from the internet, without paying the $150 door charge that included one ‘free’ drink.
Tonight and tomorrow however we look forward to two free events, the Social@Ogilvy unofficial closing party and Jocelyn Liipfert’s PitchYrCulture. We’ll be sure to let you know how these go; Social@Ogilivy looks set to be a great night!
What we’re interested to know, is where is the money going? Why are our colleagues in London, San Fran and Washington D.C all benefiting from free events at Social Media Week in their respective cities? Why were events that were originally registered as free (which they should be in the spirit of social media…) suddenly charging a door fee? Does a latte/orange juice/7UP now cost $150?
Social media is a free tool that enables people to share knowledge, stories, ideas and interests at no cost. Shouldn’t our city’s Social Media Week allow the same?
