Wednesday 31 March 2010

0430 HKSAR Name of the Day

Lavina Tsui Hoi Ying (Miss), student, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare

What is Hong Kong?

Since 1995, the following slogans have been used for Hong Kong:

Wonders Never Cease =⇒ City of Life =⇒ Asia’s World City

And now we have been told by the government that the latest logo has evolved in to a new “revitalized Brand Hong Kong” with a “more contemporary look”.


[In with the new ... ]


[ ... out with the old]


Incidentally, the cost to taxpayers for this re-branding exercise was HK$1.4m (US$180,000). The seemingly arbitrary changing of slogans and logos is inconsistent. This time round, only the dragon logo and not the "Asia's World City" slogan was deemed worthy enough to evolve! What would have been the cost if both logo and slogan were changed?

HKSARblog also wonders just who outside of Hong Kong will know that the middle squiggly line is supposed to represent Lion Rock? Does Lion Rock even compete with Hong Kong's established international icons?

The SCMP editorial (see below) hits the mark when it mentions that outsiders know Hong Kong for its “skyline, harbour, energy and diversity”. It’s a pity that the officials in charge of Brand Hong Kong are not in tune with what is Hong Kong.


Drop this dragon dance to brand Hong Kong (SCMP)
Mar 30, 2010

The key to a successful branding strategy is consistency. Nike, Coca-Cola and countless other companies have shown this, regardless of their advertising campaigns. It is a point that Hong Kong's bureaucrats have missed once again with their tinkering with the image used to promote our city to the world. While they have retained the slogan "Asia's World City", the flying dragon logo has been meddled with.


Hong Kong has traditionally been the Pearl of the Orient, but that term was considered old-fashioned when branding became a trend for cities in the 1990s. In 1995, we became a place where "Wonders Never Cease" - words that were accompanied a logo of junks, dragons, opera singers and "Hong Kong". Then, tens of millions more dollars were spent so that we could become the "City of Life", with as its logo the letters HK inside a circle. The red and yellow dragon that is now being phased out set us back another HK$10 million. Such changes have made senior government officials feel that they are making positive contributions, and kept the brands office busy; the rest of us, however, have been left confused.


Cities, like companies, need a brand. They are in competition with one another and have to appear as appealing as possible. The problem is especially acute for Hong Kong, which is trying to evolve beyond being a financial centre while continuing to attract international corporations, skilled and talented residents, capital and tourists. As necessary as branding is in such circumstances, our inability to settle on a logo has blighted the exercise.


The latest effort unveiled at the weekend took the stylised dragon adopted a decade ago, shrunk it and added blue, green and red ribbons and a silhouette of Lion Rock. Authorities say the additions are to symbolise our "can do" spirit, blue sky and sustainability. The changes are obviously meaningless to outsiders, not to mention misleading: Hong Kong of late has more smog-filled skies than blue ones, while sustainability and adaptability are concepts we are struggling with. If there is to be a saving grace, though, it could readily be argued that we do indeed live in Asia's world city.


Branding is more than a visual tag. When used by a city, it can be a strategic process for developing a long-term vision. But identification and consistency are important. Frequent changes cause more harm than good. Hong Kong's real brand is known the world over. It comprises our skyline, harbour, energy and diversity. The product is good. For all these strengths and the taxpayers' money spent, though, we lack an enduring marketing image. No doubt the search will go on, but our history of chopping and changing makes it less likely that a winning formula will be embraced for the long term.

Tuesday 30 March 2010

0429 HKSAR Name of the Day

Gracemary Kwok Heung Leung, teaching consultant, Department of Psychology, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation

Monday 29 March 2010

0428 HKSAR Name of the Day

Phoenix Lam (Ms), research assistant, Department of English, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare; Self-important

Sunday 28 March 2010

0427 HKSAR Name of the Day

Pinky Choy (Ms), Senior Research Assistant, School of Law, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong (see 0016 HKSAR Name of the Day and 0150 HKSAR Name of the Day)

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; somewhat common in Hong Kong

Saturday 27 March 2010

Friday 26 March 2010

Thursday 25 March 2010

Wednesday 24 March 2010

0423 HKSAR Name of the Day

Chapman Claude Lee Lok Fung (Mr), student, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare

Tuesday 23 March 2010

0422 HKSAR Name of the Day

Corinna Wong Lee Wai Lin (Mrs), Executive Officer I, Department of English and Communication, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong (see 0413 HKSAR Name of the Day)

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare; somewhat common in Hong Kong

Monday 22 March 2010

Saturday 20 March 2010

0419 HKSAR Name of the Day

Sergeant Leung Wai Kau, surveyor (since 1991), Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare; Self-important

Friday 19 March 2010

0418 HKSAR Name of the Day

Elbe Lee Din Luk, accountant, Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation for male; Rare for female

Wednesday 17 March 2010

Tuesday 16 March 2010

Monday 15 March 2010

0414 HKSAR Name of the Day

Juleus Lee Chee Ho, accountant, Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Insertion; Substitution

Sunday 14 March 2010

0413 HKSAR Name of the Day

Corinna Har Man Yee, doctor, Hong Kong (HKSARblog's suggestion based on phonetics: “Harmony”?)

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare

Saturday 13 March 2010

Friday 12 March 2010

0411 HKSAR Name of the Day

Bosco Lee Kin Wang, surveyor (since 2000), Hong Kong (see 0222 HKSAR Name of the Day)

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Substitution; somewhat common in Hong Kong

Thursday 11 March 2010

Wednesday 10 March 2010

Tuesday 9 March 2010

Monday 8 March 2010

Sunday 7 March 2010

0406 HKSAR Name of the Day

Helmuth Lau Kam Hung, accountant, Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Rare; Deletion; Insertion

Saturday 6 March 2010

Thursday 4 March 2010

Wednesday 3 March 2010

Tuesday 2 March 2010

Monday 1 March 2010