By Polly Yu
The Hoffman Agency, Hong Kong
Here at Hoffman, we believe in sharing a little bit of happiness and harmony in the business world, so we work pro bono on some initiatives that are committed to creating a strong, global business ecosystem. One example is our work with Hua Yuen Science and Technology Association (HYSTA). HYSTA, organized in 1999 by a group of Chinese entrepreneurs arriving in the USA’s West Coast, has grown to become an influential community of 5,000 entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley.
HYSTA has a close working relationship with partners in Hong Kong and organizes regular “mission tours” which send delegations of entrepreneurs across the Pacific to share experiences and pitch innovative ideas. Inspired by these ambitious and impressive entrepreneurs, the Hong Kong team took up the task of generating thought-leadership coverage in local media, profiling HYSTA as a “must-watch” community for venture capitalists and angel investors.
To help HYSTA effectively tell its story, we combined the latest market trend with the first-hand experiences of HYSTA entrepreneurs and some successful case studies. We also highlighted some future predictions for the industry spanning the two very different cultures. By working with HYSTA to craft and tell the story of its members, we aimed to position the association as a group that truly understands and connects entrepreneurs across the globe, boosting technology innovation in both the United States and China.
At The Hoffman Agency, we pride ourselves on being one single, global team, despite having offices across Asia, Europe and the United States. Given both its U.S. and China presence, the biggest challenge in working with HYSTA can be timing. Yet when we worked on a mission tour for HYSTA, Cyberport and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) in mid-October, we were able to take full advantage of the time difference between Hong Kong and Silicon Valley. As we prepared materials during the day in Hong Kong, our U.S. team was able to use those materials to secure interviews on the same day in the United States. Following the U.S. interviews, more media opportunities were secured in Hong Kong in the subsequent days, meaning that the resulting coverage was 24×7 and truly global, spanning greater China and the United States – just like our client.
