It’s no secret: Hong Kong shoppers are savvy. They’re hunting for value and determined to live life to the fullest. But satisfying those needs whenever, wherever, and continuously at scale can be challenging for brands. So they’re turning to AI in advertising for help.
Customer journeys today are complex, not least because shoppers are researching their choices carefully. A customer in the U.S., for instance, carries out at least 65 searches before making a purchase.1 They want to get it right when they buy, especially when they face inflation pressures and macroeconomic uncertainties. And people are looking for what they need in myriad, unique ways, with 15% of the billions of searches on Google every day being entirely new queries.2
To accurately analyse, identify, and meet customers’ search intents and needs at speed and scale across channels, leading brands in Hong Kong are turning to Google AI-driven Search solutions.
Here, we examine how the solutions can help your brand unlock the full potential of search trends, and deliver the most relevant products and services to customers at the right time and place, to drive continuous conversions.
Accurately identify and meet the needs of value hunters
Customers in Hong Kong seek quality brands and products that match what they value. The definition of value, however, varies from individual to individual. This affects how people search, which can make it more challenging for brands like yours to accurately identify customers’ intents and serve up products and services that match their needs.
For some customers, value refers to “value for money,” with search interest in the term growing by 60%.3 To others, value is defined by “good ratings,” with search interest in the term rising 20%.4 Value can also refer to principles such as sustainability; 1 in 2 Hong Kong consumers have stopped buying certain products and services because of their impact on the environment or society.5
Faced with the challenge of understanding people’s search intents on a deeper level, and responding to their queries with the most relevant product, online travel agency Klook used the Google AI-powered broad match and responsive search ads to reach travellers in more relevant ways and at scale.
Broad match applies large language models — a technology that enables more natural, intuitive conversations using AI — to understand the meaning of a search query and all of its variations. By using broad match, Klook was able to better match relevant ads to what people were searching for.
In addition, responsive search ads let Klook, which has operations in over 10 markets in APAC, deliver ad creatives that more closely match its potential customers’ search queries.
As Klook expanded its keyword coverage, it was initially concerned about keyword relevance and efficiency, and most of all, ROI, said its VP and head of growth, martech and product, Yang Gao. Those concerns, however, were put to rest when its bookings increased 3X by the end of the campaign.
Show up seamlessly, at the right time and place, for joy seekers
Customers in Hong Kong are also seeking joy on their own terms. This means, for instance, that they’re embracing seamless omnichannel experiences which provide them with effortless convenience whenever, wherever. Our survey of shoppers reflects this behavior: while 61% of shoppers made their last purchase offline, 84% of them used online channels to do their research first.6
To show up seamlessly across channels, at the right time and place for customers, your brand should build an omnichannel strategy that combines your online and offline marketing efforts to maximise business results. Leading cosmetics brand L’Oréal Paris and its media agency in Hong Kong, OMG, did just that with the help of Performance Max for store goals.
The AI-powered Performance Max for store goals helped the beauty brand streamline promotion of its retail partners’ stores across Google’s largest online properties, including Google Search, Maps, and YouTube. It also automatically optimised bids, ad placements, and ad asset combinations, and used store direction and call clicks to maximise in-store value and conversions.
The result: Its omnichannel strategy and campaign reached more than 1 million unique users, and its conversion increased by more than 5X, while its cost per acquisition decreased by 49%.
Satisfying Hong Kong shoppers need not be a shot in the dark. With AI-powered Search solutions, your brand can identify customers’ intents at scale, and meet them at the right time and place with the most relevant ads to drive conversions and profits.
