In the dim sum capital that is Hong Kong, the love that people have for myriad tasty treats is seen in how they like their video content too — as a sumptuous feast with plenty to sink their teeth into. This appetite is unmistakable as viewers in Hong Kong agree YouTube has the most diverse content and is the No. 1 place for them to go deep with what they love.1
They watch on average over 80 minutes of YouTube a day,2 and it’s not just passive viewing. Two out of three viewers in Hong Kong agree YouTube helps them decide what to purchase.3 This means brands like yours can grow awareness and sales among this engaged audience, and the key to unlocking this opportunity is video marketing that plays to viewing trends.
To understand what matters to viewers in Hong Kong, and in turn your video marketing, we analyzed people’s viewing habits and winning campaigns from the latest YouTube Works Awards Hong Kong. Here are the three trends we uncovered which can help you sharpen your YouTube marketing strategy and drive business growth.
1. People turn to relatable video creators and their passionate communities
People in Hong Kong enjoy watching creator content on YouTube because it covers a broad range of topics. They can easily find creators whose content matches their unique interests and connect with like-minded individuals in the creator’s community.
For brands, this means that collaborating with YouTube creators lets you reach their passionate communities in authentic ways. After all, 81% of Hong Kong viewers are open to branded content when watching videos that are personally relevant.4
Beverage brand Pocari Sweat, for example, partnered with the popular creator group Mill MILK to promote its ion water drink. It worked with Phoebe, a creator in the group and a self-professed workaholic, to film a slice-of-life video that shows how the drink is a part of her everyday life and provides young professionals like herself with sips of relief from urban pressures.
The authentic video resonated with the creator’s loyal audience of young working adults. It drew over 800,000 views across Pocari Sweat and Mill MILK’s channels, and achieved a significant view-through rate of 50%.
2. People watch videos in many formats, across multiple devices
The appeal of YouTube’s diverse content extends across its range of video formats and accessibility over various devices. People are watching everything from dance clips on mobile phones to travel vlogs on desktops, and hour-long documentaries on the big screen at home as the over 2 million Hong Kong viewers who stream YouTube on their TVs can relate to.5
So for your brand to reach the widest possible audience in Hong Kong over YouTube, it’s important to create a variety of content customized for different YouTube ad formats. Fast food chain Café de Coral did this successfully with its YouTube Works Awards winning campaign.
To reach younger customers through stories of family, dating, and friendship, the brand created three long-form thematic videos which were promoted using in-stream ads. The videos were also adapted into shorter, attention-grabbing versions for YouTube Masthead and as bumper ads to build greater awareness. Additionally, it created a catchy music video in the popular YouTube Shorts format and ran ads through Video action campaigns.
The brand’s use of diverse YouTube ad formats brought in nearly 14 million impressions and double-digit sales growth during the campaign period.
3. People want bold stories that reflect the world around them
Besides creator content and videos in various formats, people in Hong Kong are also looking for stories that fearlessly reflect their current culture, values, and lifestyles. And they’re turning to YouTube for this; it’s the platform that 81% of viewers say will be the best reflection of current culture a year from now.6
This YouTube trend is seen not least in HSBC Premier’s winning video campaign at the YouTube Works Awards. Its progressive stories about underrepresented families in Hong Kong speak of the bank’s ability to evolve and cater to customers with non-conventional families and financial needs.
The campaign included the story of a same-sex couple looking to start a business and family, which syncs with Hong Kong’s 40% year over year increase in search interest in "LGBTQ." Also featured are the stories of a father returning to school with his daughter, and a stay-at-home husband supporting his working wife.
The video ads were delivered to relevant audiences via TrueView in-stream ads and connected TV, which were able to group audiences based on attributes such as family structure. The result of the creative storytelling was a significant increase in new banking clients for HSBC Premier, along with a 73% increase in brand preference.
There’s no mistaking the appetite for bold storytelling, diverse video formats, and vibrant creator communities among the people in Hong Kong. So as you build your next YouTube marketing strategy, be sure to use these YouTube trends to satisfy viewers and grow your business.
