Online Launch Ceremony of the 4th HK Digital Advertising Start-ups X Publishing (Writers) Promotion Support Scheme

• The Annual Signature Event for Hong Kong's Digital Advertising & Publishing Industries
• Announcement of the 12 Selected Teams of Local Digital Advertising Start-ups & Emerging Writers
• Pushing the Boundaries of Creativity & Inspiring New Ways of Marketing

HONG KONG, Feb. 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Technology has been evolving at a breakneck speed in recent years with the rapid, global expansion of e-commerce, the roll-out of 5G networks, and the emergence of the Metaverse. The pandemic has further increased everyone's engagement online. With this being the new norm, digital advertising has become a critical aspect of successful marketing strategies. Many businesses, including the publishing industry, have embraced this important channel for promoting their products. Digital marketing has brought the promotion of print books to a new horizon, expanding their reach and appeal.

The Hong Kong Digital Advertising Start-ups X Publishing (Writers) Promotion Support Scheme (the "Support Scheme") aims at nurturing local digital advertising start-ups and providing them with opportunities to help emerging local writers promote their designated books. Since its launch in 2019, it has become one of the annual signature events for both digital advertising and publishing industries. Organized by the Hong Kong Association of Interactive Marketing ("HKAIM"), with support from Create Hong Kong ("CreateHK") of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region ("HKSAR Government") as the lead sponsor, the Support Scheme stepped into its 4^th edition to continue to provide support and training to local digital advertising start-ups which will promote local emerging writers and their designated books through digital advertising.

Despite the prolonged pandemic, the Support Scheme has received an enthusiastic response to its 4^th edition, attracting applications from 56 digital advertising start-ups with less than five years of history in operation, and 49 emerging writers who have published their first books in the past six years. Among the applicants, 12 teams, each of which comprises a digital advertising start-up and an emerging writer, are paired up by the HKAIM to receive support under the Support Scheme. The applying books of the emerging writers cover a wide range of topics, ranging from popular science, history, sports, biography, travel, culture, performing arts, to fine arts, design, and more. It reflects the diversity of Hong Kong's publishing industry.

The HKAIM successfully kicked off the 4th Support Scheme with an online Launch Ceremony on 23 February. Ms. Jersey Yuen, Assistant Head of CreateHK, was invited to deliver a pre-recorded speech for the ceremony, while Mr. Ralph Szeto, the Chairman of the HKAIM and Dr. Elvin Lee, the Chairman of Hong Kong Publishing Federation launched the Support Scheme by announcing the list of the 12 participating teams. Speaking in the speech, Ms. Jersey Yuen, Assistant Head of CreateHK, thanked the HKAIM for organizing the Support Scheme again. She also thanked Hong Kong Publishing Federation, Hong Kong Publishing Professionals Society and The Hong Kong Trade Development Council for their continuous support, and she looked forward to seeing the digital advertisements created by the 12 participating teams.

Each participating digital advertising start-up will receive a subsidy of up to HK$220,000 to design, plan and execute a digital advertising campaign for the designated book of the matched emerging writer over a three-month supporting period. In addition, the HKAIM will provide training with industry experts teaching technical skills and mentoring each team, tracking each team's progress while helping them improve the creative concept and execution of their digital advertising campaigns. The Support Scheme not only offers a practical opportunity for the digital advertising and publishing industries to collaborate in creating more popular digital advertisements for Chinese books, but also promotes reading to the wider community.

Furthermore, the HKAIM will promote through a wide range of channels including the Support Scheme's official website, internet, social media, etc. to raise the awareness about the participating digital advertising start-ups and increase exposure of the participating emerging writers and their designated books.

It was noted that the 12 digital advertising campaigns created under last edition's Support Scheme reached nearly 23 million people, with nearly 5 million engagements, and close to 4.6 million views. They successfully brought more exposure to the emerging writers concerned and their designated books that not only increased the writers' popularity but also sales of the books. The HKAIM expects similarly stellar results to be achieved under this year's promotion.

The HKAIM will also host a booth at the Hong Kong Book Fair 2022 to exhibit the 12 digital advertising campaigns and the designated books under the 4^th Support Scheme, with a view to further promoting the participating digital advertising start-ups and emerging writers to the trade and the public. It will also organize the Digital Advertising (for Publishing) Awards Competition with the Presentation Ceremony tentatively scheduled for July to present various awards whose winners will be determined by industry experts and the "My Favourite Digital Advertising (for Publishing) Award" with the result determined by public voting, to honour the excellent digital advertising campaigns created under the 4^th Support Scheme and recognize the efforts of the participating digital advertising start-ups and emerging writers.

Regular updates about the Support Scheme and the 12 participating teams will be posted onto the official website and Facebook page. For more details about the Support Scheme, please visit:

The Support Scheme's official website: www.digiad.hk

The Support Scheme's Facebook page: www.facebook.com/AdxPub

The 12 pairs of participating digital advertising start-ups and emerging writers of the 4th Support Scheme are listed in alphabetical order (according to English names of the start-ups) as follows:

Download Photos here:
Kick off press release photo - Google Drive

Organizer: Hong Kong Association of Interactive Marketing
Lead Sponsor: Create Hong Kong of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

Disclaimer: The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region provides funding support to the project only, and does not otherwise take part in the project. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in these materials/events (or by members of the project team) are those of the project organizers only and do not reflect the views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Communications and Creative Industries Branch of the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, Create Hong Kong, the CreateSmart Initiative Secretariat or the CreateSmart Initiative Vetting Committee.