Bowtie’s Mingo Tsang shares the key to driving conversion with video content

With shrinking attention spans and rising expectations, brands are constantly looking for more effective ways to communicate their value - and video content has emerged as a game-changing solution, with the overall video viewing time in Hong Kong increasing to 86.6 hours in Q1 2025, driven largely by usage on social platforms, according to an OMG survey.

Out of all digital platforms, YouTube emerged as the top platform with the highest viewing time (10.8 hours) amongst locals as of the end of 2024, according to OMG's 2024 "Hong Kong video content viewing landscape" study.

As such, brands such as Bowtie also leveraged the trend, transforming itself from purely providing static content to creating videos on YouTube, said Mingo Tsang (pictured), director, marketing and branding, Bowtie, at MARKETING-INTERACTIVE's Content 360 Hong Kong. 

Recognising that paid views can boost video views on YouTube, making it difficult for marketers to measure the real impact, Bowtie has assembled a team dedicated to producing organic videos. Since the beginning of 2024, the team created over 100 videos, with more than four of them achieving over 300,000 organic views.

Among the top four most-watched organic videos on Bowtie’s YouTube channel, a video filmed in Japan that compares the ingredients and side effects of medicines from Japan and Hong Kong, without any guest appearances, has received the highest views. While the team had a budget of HK$50,000 to produce four videos in Japan, only this particular video performed well, with the others receiving around 5,000 views each. “It seems good to have one viral video, but the story is that it is difficult in the corporate environment,” Tsang said. 

Thus, for brands aiming to drive sales conversions through video content, Tsang emphasised the necessity of sustained investment to produce high-quality content that encompasses SEO, subtitles, tagging, and timestamps. 

“Cantonese is a minority language on YouTube, and the algorithm cannot recognise Cantonese videos. You have to provide subtitles, tagging, and timestamps to help the algorithm push your videos. You have to ensure that every detail is well-aligned. So you need professional teams to do that,” he added. 

Authenticity drives conversion

Another key factor in driving sales conversions through video content is the ongoing search for trendy viral topics, Tsang said. He cited a recent Bowtie video featuring its chief medical officer discussing noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) based on a local yoga influencer, Coffee Lam, who shared her experience with a throw-in situation during her NIPT test. “It's most likely a health education video, but you can ride on the trend. Launched just 12 days ago, the video has already gained over 53,000 views,” he added.

In addition to trendy topics, leveraging popular media formats is essential, as YouTube highly values average view duration and promotes videos with longer watch times, according to Tsang. 

For example, Bowtie recently released a YouTube video in a podcast format featuring local actor Neo Yau, lasting over an hour. This video capitalised on the trending topic surrounding the upcoming closure of Yau’s YouTube channel, Trial & Error (試當真), effectively combining both trending themes and media formats. “Out of one hour, if you click in, you’ll likely watch at least five to 10 minutes. It helps extend the average view duration,” Tsang said. 

Balancing branding with engagement

In Hong Kong, 38% of consumers consider at least some health and wellness information from social media influencers to be trustworthy, in contrast to only 16% of consumers globally, according to YouGov. By developing video content, Bowtie is establishing a personal brand. “Eventually people are not loving your content. They're loving the people on your content,” Tsang said. 

Therefore, Bowtie has featured its senior management in various roles in its videos. For example, chief commercial officer Gabriel Kung shares family-related content, chief medical officer Jacky Lio presents medical information, and Tsang himself provides insights on insurance.

Given that the management values return on investment (ROI) and commercial results the most, Tsang identified a few key strategies for driving sales and engagement through video content and marketing:

1. Content creation - Brands can produce creative posts, podcasts, and videos, even if some topics may seem irrelevant initially. The goal is to boost views and engagement to increase subscribers.

2. Hard and soft insertions - It’s important to insert promotional messages into videos, using both direct and subtle insertion techniques without causing viewer drop-off.

3. Call to action (CTA) - The content includes CTAs directing viewers to blogs or additional resources, and gathering first-party data for future targeting.

4. Performance metrics - The effectiveness of the content is measured by its correlation to brand search volume and direct traffic, highlighting the success of engaging videos in driving conversions.

5. Attention as currency - Capturing audience attention is vital, and by creating valuable content, they can convert this attention into business outcomes.

Overall, the focus is on leveraging engaging video content and strategic marketing techniques to enhance brand awareness and drive sales conversions, Tsang said.

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