With undergraduate major in marketing, I have been specializing in advertising and communications in direct marketing and advertising agencies. I was fortunate to experience the peak of 4As advertising agency life, working with some amazing creative people and professional clients.
Some of my major clients include HSBC, Citibank, Standard Chartered Bank, Bank of Communications, CSL 1010, Club Med, DuPont, Shell Oil, and many more.
When I worked for 4As agencies, there were so many talented copywriters, art directors, film producers and designers to work with. As the market evolves, clients have tighter budgets, agencies couldn’t afford full time copy writers, media becomes independent…not that many large agencies are around any more.
I began writing copies, take photos and create concept and design myself. Yes, I can paint and take decent photos as well. However, I have never stopped learning: the latest photo-editing and video production tools, social media and eCommerce. I don’t do everything all by myself. I work with my creative partner, very good programmers, photographers and producers as well.
Working on the client side was definitely more fun. My first client-side experience was a stint in Boom Securities (boom.com) during the dot com time late 1990 and 2000. While it is definitely less pressure to chase money, managing a marketing budget to make sure that every dollar is well spent is a challenge.
The airline industry was my favorite (yes, I like travel. Who doesn’t?). Two of the three airlines that I worked with, namely Dragonair, Hong Kong Express and Hong Kong Airlines, are now under Cathay Pacific Airways. I have also broadened my experience from marketing and brand management to corporate communications and public relations.
The competitive business environment today have forced many companies, including large organizations, to streamline their operations. I had to do both marketing and corporate communications when I manage both Hong Kong Airlines and HK Express when the operation was lean.
Today, the fine line between branding/marketing and public relations is getting blur. PR campaigns are boosting sales. Free press becomes sponsored content (or simply call it advertising) simply because the media cannot would not offer free coverage for not news-worthy press.
