Monday, January 16, 2012

More use hongbao as ad tool

My Paper, Monday, January 16, 2012, Page A4, Home
From http://epaper.mypaper.sg/cnd/fvxen/fvxp/fvxpress.php?param=2012-01-16
Source Website: http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20120116-322013.html
By Samantha Boh, samboh@sph.com.sg, my paper, Monday, Jan 16, 2012



PHOTO: Hongbao are a good marketing tool because they can be customised to portray a company's logo, and customers would be able to remember the company by (the packets).
http://www.asiaone.com/A1MEDIA/news/01Jan12/images/20120116.090035_pkt.jpg
http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20120116-322013.html


Printing firm Corporate Greetings gets orders to print hongbao mainly from banks and big companies. But demand has gone this year, and it also received orders from a hair salon and a home- based cosmetics business, said the firm's director, Ms Loh Lee Chin.

Indeed, hongbao - red packets in Mandarin - are not just for kids as many companies also use them as a marketing tool.

"Hongbao are a good marketing tool because they can be customised to portray a company's logo, and customers would be able to remember the company by (the packets)," said Ms Loh.

Corporate Greetings enjoyed a 20 per cent increase in hongbao sales this Chinese New Year, and produced a total of over 2.2 million pieces this year.



PHOTO: Delicious Hong Bao Packets from &PlentyMore
Posted on Saturday, 14 January 2012 18:52
Deliciously themed "hong bao" or red packets, by a local quintet of young designers called "&PLentyMore".
Cool to hand out a slice of photogenic bak kwa or kueh lapis, instead of cartoonish or red-gold embossed prints. For once, recipients might actually be more distracted by the envelope than what's in it.
The ang paos come wrapped in that old school pink paper wrapper used by the Chinese for various things from candy to traditional Chinese medicine.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7150/6699063255_847f6f4eb8_z.jpg
http://sgalternative.com/singapore-news/232716


Another printing company, MDK Design and Print, also enjoyed a spike in business, producing three million pieces of hongbao this year, compared with 500,000 last year.

Its director, Mr Desmond Kang, said three of his clients this year are churches which plan to use hongbao to evangelise (preach, deliver a sermon).



PHOTO: Churches plan to use hongbao to evangelise (preach, deliver a sermon).
http://www.clarendonhillchurch.org/news1207/news1207_html_2040ab53.gif
http://www.clarendonhillchurch.org/news1207/news1207.html


Start-ups like Red Dot Photography, which sells camera equipment and holds workshops for photography enthusiasts, are also jumping on the bandwagon of giving out red packets to their customers.

This is the first time that Red Dot Photography is doing so, said owner Perq Jon Chia, 33, who hopes to garner greater awareness of his store's brand.

"When our customers give out our hongbao to their family and friends, it will hopefully (help) people remember us," he said.



PHOTO: Open the packets, and you'll see witty or cheeky descriptions of the food printed at the back. They are a bit pricey, at S$5 for a pack of eight designs (four square ones - pineapple tarts, nian gao, kueh bahulu, mandarin orange; and four rectangular ones - kueh lapis, bak kwa, mini shrimp rolls and love letters).
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7033/6699063437_60aa15dcb6_z.jpg
http://sgalternative.com/singapore-news/232716

A single packet - S$5
A happy pair - S$8.80
3 happy pairs - S$25.80
5 happy pairs - S$41.80 (i.e. 10 packets of 80 envelopes)

It's nice to support local designers while making a tasty statement. Buy them online or at these retail outlets:

Arbite
66A Serangoon Garden Way, Singapore 555962

BooksActually
No. 9 Yong Siak Street, Tiong Bahru, Singapore 168645

Drips Bakery Cafe
82 Tiong Poh Road, #01-05, Singapore 160082

The Garden Slug
55 Lorong L Telok Kurau #01-59/61 Bright Centre, Singapore 425500

Group Therapy Coffee
49 Duxton Road, Singapore 089513

Old School Delights
215M Upper Thomson Road, Singapore 574349

Pause Cafe
5 Jalan Kilang, Singapore 159405

Scoop of Art
278 Marine Parade Road, #01-03, Singapore 449282

See Website: http://sgalternative.com/singapore-news/232716


Public-relations experts said such moves are unlikely to drive up sales by much, but added that the hongbao can help create goodwill with customers.

Mr Edwin Yeo, general manager of the Strategic Public Relations Group, said giving hongbao has the "same impact" as giving away planners or calendars to business partners.

Meanwhile, longer hongbao are in vogue (in the current fashion or style) this year. MDK Design and Print as well as Corporate Greetings observed that none of their clients chose the shorter versions this year.


MDK Design and Print's Chinese New Year Hong Bao Package
http://images03.olx.com.sg/ui/9/46/23/1290074049_139074323_1-Pictures-of--Chinese-New-Year-2011-Hong-Bao-Package-1290074049.jpg
http://www.olx.com.sg/chinese-new-year-2011-hong-bao-package-iid-139074323


"It is a dying trend," Mr Kang said of the dwindling number of square red packets, which average 85mm by 85mm.

The longer alternatives measure 165mm by 85mm, and can easily contain an unfolded $100 note.

United Overseas Bank said it has received feedback that many customers find it a hassle to fold notes to fit inside smaller hongbao. They prefer to slot in unfolded banknotes instead.

Civil servant Tiffany Ong, 24, added that the longer hongbao look more modern. "They provide room for more detailed and prettier designs," she said.

By Samantha Boh, samboh@sph.com.sg, my paper, Monday, Jan 16, 2012
Additional reporting by Sarah Chang


Longer hongbao are in vogue (in the current fashion or style) this year
http://img04.taobaocdn.com/poster_pic/i4/T1_RWaXe4mXXaH.X6X.JPEG
http://pic.daqi.com/ori_slide/3116945_3.html


HELPDESK
我的字典: Wǒ de zì diǎn

Demand: 需求量 - xū qiú liàng
Marketing tool: 促销手段 - cù xiāo shǒu duàn
Evangelise (preach, deliver a sermon): 传福音 - chuán fú yīn
In vogue (in the current fashion or style): 时兴 - shí xīng


Reference
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