Embracing Change Standing the best of time by Agnes Chan Established brands go from strength to strength With a little tweaking, mature brands can be revitalised to remain competitive. Speaking on the topic of "brand evolution" at the recent high-level business symposium CEO Forum 2008, top executives representing four home-grown Hong Kong brands explained how they approach challenges and breathe new life into long-established businesses. The forum, which has run for five years in a row, was organised by the Junior Chamber International Hong Kong (JCIHK) and this time attracted more than 120 participants. Deliverable promises Established in 1841, Hongkong Post has increased its profits to HK$4 billion only over the past decade. The secret, as with many successful multinationals, initially lies in enhanced people management. The company manages its 7,000 staff using its very own "three-M model" which stands for mission, mentality and motion. "Success goes beyond accurate and quick delivery," Dan Choi, assistant postmaster general (business development), Hongkong Post, told forum participants. "Our mission is to deliver the best of our services to customers. Every member of staff must remember our motto 'Linking people, delivering business'. We expect our staff to be highly productive, efficient and reliable," Mr Choi said. He added, "Mentality relates to our high quality staff. They are more than messengers, but friends to our customers who come from all walks of life. With high morale and commitment to quality we continue to meet our customers' requirements." Set in motion, Hongkong Post have rolled out 30 new services over the past 12 years, including logistics, agency services, billing services and new types of stamps. Mr Choi noted. "The 110 high-profile awards we have received in recent years have recognised our dedication and commitment." First-class service Unlike Hongkong Post, Ocean Park has experienced some hard times. However, with an annual visitor count reaching nearly five million, the home-grown theme park ranks among the top five theme parks in Asia and the top 16 in the world. "In my world, there is only first class. There is no business class or economy. If you aim for first class, you might get to business class. If you aim for economy, you will probably go bankrupt," said Allan Zeman, chairman of Lan Kwai Fong Holdings Limited and Ocean Park Corporation. "Always try your best to be innovative; give it a twist, and make your product better than others." When Dr Zeman first became chairman of Ocean Park, he found that it lacked energy, and so brought creative ideas and a fresh approach to the park, turning it from a pure entertainment venue into an "edutainment" complex. "We make education fun and entertaining. Competition provides us with opportunities — we ought to be better than others," he said, adding that he expected the number of visitors to Ocean Park to hit five million next year. "We have produced a number of fascinating TV ads to attract people, but we believe that word-of-mouth advertising is the best," he remarked. On track "If you want to travel in luxury, try our buses," Winnie Ng, director, KMB and founder and vice-chairman of Roadshow Holdings Limited, told forum-goers. Since she joined the male-dominated bus industry, KMB went through a phase of rejuvenation. "Most of our buses are now painted gold, and we have incorporated straight staircases to make the buses look more beautiful and neat, like aeroplanes," Ms Ng said. "We have also hired more female drivers to balance the team, and we change their uniforms once every few years to keep the look fresh." Ms Ng views the Roadshow media channel as one of the most innovative features on KMB buses. "With Roadshow, we became a world pioneer. It brings the latest information, music and news to passengers. Coverage has reached more than four million people," Ms Ng said. "Branding is no easy task, but with the right people and marketing strategies plus the right timing, we can make the impossible possible and go from zero to infinity." Role model Another veteran at turning adversity into opportunity is Ricky Wong, co-founder and chairman, City Telecom (HK) Limited and Hong Kong Broadband (HKBN). "HKBN ran a deficit in its initial days, and the media ranked it as the second-worst ISP provider in Hong Kong. An advertisement for a skincare product inspired me to change the staffing system. We spent 18 months perfecting staff's appearance, attitudes and level of politeness," Mr Wong told the audience. He also made sure that he was a role model for employees, setting the example through extramural studies and piano lessons. The four-year battle paid off. Two Hong Kong magazines, e-Zone and e-Magazine, have rated HKBN as Hong Kong's top ISP provider, and the company manages to retain a wealth of loyal customers although the monthly service fee has risen to HK$240. "It was a challenge to change our company culture, but it was well worth it," Mr Wong said. Taken from Career Times 23 May 2008, p. C16 Your comments are welcome at [email protected]