#AsiaeCommerceAwards 2023 spills: Reckitt outlines the trends driving eCommerce in Hong Kong

Reckitt Hong Kong has come out as one of the top brands when it comes to content marketing nabbing a Bronze in "Best eCommerce Campaign - Content Marketing" at MARKETING-INTERACTIVE's Asia eCommerce Awards 2023. The brand is one that knew that with behaviour in the city of Hong Kong likely to change, it needed to stay top of mind given the level of hygiene the population has become accustomed to, said Boudewijn Feith (pictured), general manager of Reckitt Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Feith, who also led the team to embrace insight driven marketing, and nabbed the noble finalist title for "Best Use of Analytics and Data Insights" for the awards, shared with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE some of the big shifts he anticipates in the eCommerce industry moving forward.

This interview is done as part of MARKETING-INTERACTIVE’s winners and finalists’ interview series for Asia eCommerce Awards 2023. To find out more about the awards, click here.

What is the next big shift that will impact the eCommerce industry?

In the current retail landscape, consumers lean back towards in-person shopping as the pandemic improves and people resume their normal activities, leading to a decline in online traffic.

According to the provisional figures released by the Census and Statistics Department, online sales accounted for only 7.8% of all retail sales in December 2023, declining by 29.7% compared with the same month the year before. However, I believe this presents an opportunity for brands to ramp up their efforts in eCommerce as a digital touchpoint with the consumers and other channels that can reach and engage the target audience. It’s vital for brands to stay ahead of the curve and invest in an omnichannel strategy that integrates online and offline channels for a seamless and consistent consumer experience.

At Reckitt, we will continue to explore new opportunities and be at where the consumers are. With the goal of reaching more consumers, we will promote our brands and products through various channels and create synergies across them. While the landscape is shifting to a hybrid one, there are ways to grow and build on what we know to create new growth opportunities.

What was one trend that you saw in the past year?

One trend I observed in the past year was the rise of omnichannel and retail media strategies. Brands were monetising the massive databases of market leaders like yuu and Citero to capture their audience precisely and drive sales, particularly in the lower purchase funnel.

We’re also focused on putting our consumers first and being where they are, which is why we launched a pilot campaign with yuu. Through the campaign, the weekly scan sales of Dettol increased by over 60% compared to the period with similar promotions. In addition, we could target specific shopper segments and capture the two conversion data from offline and online channels. This showed a great example of how omnichannel and retail media platforms can help us optimise our marketing efforts and reach our target audience more efficiently. We will continue to work closely with our partners and invest in this space.

What will you be focusing on in 2024?

In 2024, we’ve set our sights on capitalising on last year’s success. This will primarily entail the development of new and innovative strategies, which we intend to accomplish through strengthening our existing collaborations with retail partners like HKTVmall and yuu and exploring exciting new partnerships to achieve greater shared success. As part of this effort, we will also focus on retail media and maintaining an omnichannel perspective on approaching our strategic objectives.

How do you feel about your win?

We’re so proud of our success in deploying strategic and precise approaches harnessed across various channels, and I feel honoured to be recognised by the Asia eCommerce Awards.

We take pride in expanding our user portfolio by creating and promoting engaging and relevant content to the right audience at the right time. The constant refinement of our approach ensures that we remain at the forefront of our industry as we strive to safeguard consumers' health in pursuit of a cleaner and healthier world.