Unveiling 12 Selected Teams of Local Digital Advertising Start-ups & Emerging Writers

HONG KONG, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hong Kong Digital Advertising Start-ups X Publishing (Writers) Promotion Support Scheme (the "Support Scheme"), organized by Hong Kong Association of Interactive Marketing ("HKAIM"), and supported by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency ("CCIDA") of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region ("HKSAR Government") as the lead sponsor, has been nurturing local digital advertising start-ups since its inception in 2018. By providing funding and professional training, the Support Scheme enables these start-ups to design bespoke digital advertising campaigns for local emerging writers, promoting their designated works. The initiative fosters cross-sectoral collaboration between emerging writers, the publishing industry, and the digital advertising industry, creating more opportunities for growth and development.

Entering its 7^th edition, the Support Scheme received overwhelming response to its call for applications which was closed in late 2024, with 50 digital advertising start-ups and 21 emerging writers. The HKAIM has selected among the applicants and paired up 12 teams, each comprises a digital advertising start-up and an emerging writer. The designated books of applied emerging writers cover a wide range of topics, including education, sports, spirituality, history, music, counseling, science, workplace, comics, picture books, and more. The diversity would stimulate more creativities from the digital advertising start-ups as they plan the related campaigns.

The HKAIM successfully kicked off the 7^th Support Scheme with a Launch Ceremony at Seminar Hall, Xiqu Centre on 20 January. Mr. Alex So, Head (Multi-media) of CCIDA, was invited to be the Guest of Honor. Along with him, Chairman of the HKAIM Mr. Francis Fong and Vice Chairman of Hong Kong Publishing Federation Mr. William So launched this year's Support Scheme by announcing the 12 participating teams. (Full list below)

Each digital advertising start-up will receive a subsidy of up to HK$260,000 to design, plan and execute a digital advertising campaign for the designated book of the matched emerging writer. In addition, the HKAIM will provide training by industry experts, helping them to improve the creative concept and execution of their digital advertising campaigns. The Support Scheme not only creates an opportunity for the digital advertising and publishing industries to collaborate, it also promotes Chinese books through viral digital campaigns and cultivates a more robust reading culture.

In addition, the HKAIM will promote the participating digital advertising startups and emerging writers along with the selected books through a wide range of promotion channels including the Support Scheme's official website, internet, social media, etc. For the 11 digital advertising projects created under last year's (the 6^th) Support Scheme, the campaigns reached nearly 19.56 million people, with nearly 1.33 million engagements, and almost 7.38 million views, successfully bringing attention to the selected books by the emerging writers, and delivering accurate messages from the books to the target audience, creating more opportunities for readers and emerging writers to interact and communicate. The HKAIM is optimistic that this year's Support Scheme will achieve similarly stellar results.

The HKAIM will also host a booth at Hong Kong Book Fair 2025 in July to showcase the 12 digital advertising campaigns and the designated books. The Digital Advertising Design (for Publishing) Awards Competition and Presentation Ceremony will also be scheduled to recognize the best digital advertising campaign among the 12 as determined by industry experts. The "My Favourite Digital Advertising (for Publishing) Award" based on public voting, will also be presented at the ceremony. The Presentation Ceremony will highlight digital advertising campaigns as well as recognize the efforts of the participating teams.

The HKAIM will post regular updates about the Support Scheme and the 12 teams on our official website and Facebook page. For more details about the Support Scheme, please visit:

Official website: www.digiad.hk
Facebook page: www.facebook.com/AdxPub
Instagram page: www.instagram.com/adxpub_hk

Organizer: The Hong Kong Association of Interactive Marketing
Lead Sponsor: The Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency 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 organisers only and do not reflect the views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency, the CreateSmart Initiative Secretariat or the CreateSmart Initiative Vetting Committee.