KUALA LUMPUR, 12 MAY 2020 – Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) Southeast Asia has appointed Ogilvy Malaysia as its public relations partner in Malaysia following a pitch held in early 2020.
Effective May 2020 for a period of three years, the appointment will see HKTB tapping the agency’s expertise in destination public relations to develop strategic communications campaigns reinforcing Hong Kong’s position as the travel destination of choice in Asia. Led by its PR & Influence team, Ogilvy Malaysia will work closely with HKTB’s regional and market teams based in Singapore and Malaysia.
Ogilvy’s immediate efforts will be to support HKTB’s strategic recovery plan unveiled last month. HKTB announced an allocation of about HK$400 million for a three-phase plan to reinvigorate Hong Kong tourism and support the trade by building on Hong Kong’s resilience, its recovery starting with locals and the relaunch of mega-events and a new tourism brand campaign later in the year.
Raymond Chan, Regional Director of Southeast Asia at HKTB said, “As we move forward in these turbulent times, we are committed to ensure that Hong Kong regains its position as the favourite and must-visit destination in Asia by working closely with our trade partners in each market, based on the post-pandemic developments of individual markets.”
“We are excited to have Ogilvy Malaysia as our communications partner for the next 3 years to deliver on those goals. The Ogilvy team demonstrated deep understanding of Hong Kong’s unique situation and their expertise was evident in their strategic and integrated approach to inspire Malaysians to make Hong Kong their next travel destination. We look forward to work with Ogilvy to aggressively drive our communications plans in the Malaysia market.”
According to Chan, Malaysians can look forward to mega events and new campaigns such as ‘Jelajah Hong Kong’ which is dedicated to Muslim travellers. Working with Hong Kong trade partners, ‘Jelajah Hong Kong’ introduces the many diverse attraction, including Muslim-friendly offerings and facilities.
HKTB recently launched its global communications campaign - #MissYouToo - which aims to reinforce Hong Kong’s brand image and reconnect with the consumers.
Sunita Kanapathy, Head of PR & Influence at Ogilvy Malaysia said, “We are honoured to be entrusted by the Hong Kong Tourism Board to bring to life their communications plans in Malaysia. Based on the brief, the team prevailed upon our approach to modern marketing by developing integrated plans to make Hong Kong matter as a premier travel destination. Looking at current consumer sentiment around travel, we have our work cut out for us. Ogilvy’s strong foundation in reputation management and building influence will be critical in campaign development and amplification of trade partnerships, events and consumer promotions to reintroduce Hong Kong to Malaysian travellers.
Hong Kong remains as the world’s most visited city in 2019, holding the title for the ninth year in a row and is one of the top five Muslim-friendly destinations among the non-OIC countries.
