Hong Kong
Marketing a Business in Hong Kong
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The international transition of a business is more than just costs and procedures. It's more cultural acclimatisation than calculatory acumen. It's making sure your product or service fits the inclinations and idiosyncrasies of a nation; finding a way to culturalise your business in order to reap the same results your business has achieved domestically. This is accomplished through one simple step: effective marketing.
Marketing your business on indigenous soil is an art-form in itself;
attempting to do it overseas is nigh-on miraculous. Countries may be
becoming more heterogeneous, but the foundations of a culture rarely
budge for anything: their sensitivities, traditions, humour,
discourses, protocols are essentially unchanging and stubbornly
unaccommodating. Therefore, the identity of your product or service
needs to seamlessly fashion itself upon a nation, not the other way
around, shoehorned in, hoping for the best.
Advertising and Sales promotions in Hong Kong
Advertising
is vital in the promotion of consumer goods when entering the market in
Hong Kong. The channels for advertising include TV, direct mail,
illuminated signs, radio and posters. Hong Kong agents often expect
advertising support to expand a business.
Sales promotions in
Hong Kong are often based on trust. It is important to build a strong
relationship with business partners and personal contact is seen as a
vital part of the process when expanding a business in Hong Kong.
Cultural Sensitivity
Cultural
sensitivity and understanding of protocol is paramount to effective
marketing when expanding a business in Hong Kong. The intricacies of a
nation its beliefs, even its superstitions can make or break your
business. Know the market; immerse yourself in it. Never assume your
marketing strategy will be transplantable to a foreign country. There
is only a slim chance language will translate well. Anglophonic
countries may be susceptible, but if your product or service plays on a
quintessentially British characteristic or joke the chances are, it
will not be well received.
As for other countries, don't bank
on using the same strap-lines or gimmicks. Unless they are perfectly
transitional, your product or service could suffer especially if it
relies on humour.
Unless you are certain your product or
service can sell itself on indigenous merits, it is probably wise to
revise its selling-points for a foreign market. As always, however,
only your own fastidious research can conclude this.
Despite the people of Hong Kong living a very modernised life, superstition is still an important part of their culture and should be considered when preparing to expand. Numbers play an important role and the number 4 is regarded as unlucky. Concepts such as Feng shui are also taken very seriously.
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