Telum interviewed Joyce Mak on the evolvement of DDPR since its launch 14 years ago and how their work on the Marvel Studio's Avengers led to a lot of fans flocking to Hysan.  

You've co-founded DDPR more than 14 yeard ago, how has the agency evolved over the years?
The idea for our company, Dynamic Duo, came to my partner Sabrina and me when we recognised the pain points of many marketing professionals. They desperately quest for an external public relations arm to be on board within 24 hours, in a timely and professional manner but a more flexible timeline and cost-efficient approach to answer their marcomms needs.
We were lucky to start the business with clientele of eminent sports and retail property brands, later we have been accredited by media and client as “the mall ladies” when we have built our reputation on servicing and advising retail property clients on communication strategies and tactics.
Now, we are still very happy working with our many mall partners and at the same time, the team dedicate more resources to our GoodTogether new initiative which reinforces corporate brand leadership and social responsibility through strategic partnerships of NGOs, social enterprises and the commercial clients. That’s what we genuinely believe, the CSV (creating shared value).

Are there any tips you would give your younger self?
Staying curious. It is always the best driving force for learning, insights and innovation, both for individuals and the communication professions.
Staying ahead. You should never set yourself in a comfort zone. Being a forward-thinking marketer should be fearless and relentless to explore new opportunity and take on new challenges. We set up our UK arm in 2020 during the uncertain business climate amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, against all odds, we have soon become the most sought-after agency for UK clients who are interested in reaching out to Hong Kong audience following the introduction of BN(O) visa as the economy reopens.

DDPR worked on the Marvel Studio’s Avengers: Endgame at Lee Garden which saw a lot of fans flock to Hysan. What were the thoughts behind this campaign and what impact did it have for the client? 
We were taking care of the publicity for this stimulating campaign. Making the best use of our established network of media and influencers, we created the buzz by shaping multiple media angles and talking points for them, so they never see it as pitching cold calls but something they are looking forward to being part of it. The result was rewarding - 100+ media attendance, 300+ coverage with AVE of HKD 14 million.

Influencer marketing seems to be become more and more important for lifestyle brands. What are key considerations for you when handling this for clients?
The engagement and those numbers (followers, likes and shares) are forever important, however, we find recommending influencers who resonate with the brands critical - whether they have mutual interests or shared values, or similar audience also play a critical role. And what we always emphasise, is to maintain the influencers’ identity and not to dictate how they communicate.   
Last but not least, we make sure “calling for action” is in place for every campaign’s strategy. Instead of simply getting a shout-out, we set measurable yet reasonable KPIs with client that they can evaluate the campaign in terms of increased engagement or uptake in direct conversion.