Interview with HKTDC : Digital Marketing Helps Two-way Cross-border E-commerce

30 Nov , 2016

Noticing the rapid growth of cross-border e-commerce, AsiaPac has been providing integrated digital marketing solution for many Hong Kong and overseas brands to tap into mainland market and also been helping mainland online merchants to expand across Chinese border.One of AsiaPac's co-founders, Daniel Chan was invited to an interview with Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) to share the opportunity in cross-border e-commerce brought by digital marketing. Click here to read the full interview at HKTDC Research page.       
                     
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Digital Marketing Helps Two-way Cross-border E-commerce (Interview with AsiaPac)

The advantages of Hong Kong being a free economy and an international city are fully reflected in the business model of AsiaPac, a cross-platform digital marketing solution provider based in Hong Kong.

Noticing the rapid growth of cross-border e-commerce, Daniel Chan, a co-founder of AsiaPac, seized the opportunity to provide integrated digital marketing in Greater China.  As one of the early authorised resellers in Hong Kong for Google and Yahoo, AsiaPac has helped many Hong Kong and overseas brands such as SaSa and AUSupreme tap into the mainland market through online advertising campaigns and cross-platform digital marketing. "Mainland consumers are pleased to be able to gain access to quality products via a trusted online platform," said Chan.         

Photo: AsiaPac won the Search Agency of the Year - Gold Award and Local Hero in 2016. AsiaPac won the Search Agency of the Year - Gold Award and Local Hero in 2016 issued by Marketing Magazine.AsiaPac also helps mainland online merchants expand across the Chinese border into Hong Kong and overseas markets. "There are many advantages of setting up a company in Hong Kong to work with overseas advertising partners – the absence of valued-added tax is only one of them," said Chan. "With our years of experience in different markets and our strong local network, we are able to help clients identify relevant advertising channels, be it global or local platforms, for their advertising campaigns. We also help overcome language and cultural barriers, which are major challenges posed by cross-border e-commerce."

Apart from search engine marketing (SEM) and display network advertising, Chan believes it is also important for a digital marketing solution provider to help cross-border e-commerce players maximise their social-media power, as good use of social media can attract traffic to websites, facilitate interaction with customers and, ultimately, convert traffic to sales.

Photo: A seminar co-hosted by AsiaPac and Google on advertising information and solutions. A seminar co-hosted by AsiaPac and Google on advertising information and solutions.                            
Photo: AsiaPac's marketing seminars have served over 1,000 audiences from different industries.  AsiaPac's marketing seminars have served over 1,000 audiences from different industries.

In China, home-grown social media such as WeChat, Sina Weibo, Tencent QQ and Youku are flourishing," said Chan. "Mainland consumers enthusiastically share opinions, discuss brands and offer advice on social media. More than half of Chinese netizens have actively participated in online discussions about companies or brands. Engagement of social media in China is among the most intense in the world, and it has become deeply integrated into people's lives, more than in many other countries. Enterprises intending to enter the e-commerce market in mainland China should learn about its unique digital landscape and have a social-media strategy in place.   
             
"It would be a big mistake to regard China as one market. Cultural and language gaps exist even in Chinese-speaking areas, especially in the use of internet catchphrases, in-jokes and slang on social media. When engaging a digital-marketing agency for the Greater China market, the client has to make sure that the agency has a local team which understands the local culture and language in different markets. To serve clients operating in different regions, we hire employees speaking local languages to ensure delivery of marketing messages in the most localised way."