Vivienne Leung

A Recent Look: Creative Professionals’ Perceptions of Creativity in Hong Kong

A qualitative study was conducted to investigate how advertising creative talents perceive creativity in Hong Kong. The findings indicate that in a collective culture, creativity is mainly defined as the modest modification of prior knowledge. Creativity is both a precedent and consequence as a result of a good, healthy agency−client relationship. Originality and resonance are two crucial qualities defining creativity. Comparatively, clients in mainland China appeared to be more conservative than those in Hong Kong, even though this business segment is growing rapidly. This study highlights the significance of agency–client communication to creative and strategic brand planning.

Health Information and Advertising Appeals in Food Commercials: A Content Analysis

A content analysis of 311 food commercials broadcast on television networks in Hong Kong was conducted. There were nearly equal proportions of ads for healthy and unhealthy foods. The three most frequently used advertising appeals were taste/flavor/smell/texture, health/wellbeing and physical performance/speed/strength. Altogether 54 percent of the food ads contained health-related claims. Intriguingly, 23 percent of the ads for unhealthy food contained health-related claims. The prevalent use of general health claims in unhealthy food ads calls for policy makers to devise better ways to regulate health claims in food advertisements. This is the first content analysis of health and nutrition information in food advertising arising from a society with a rich herbalist tradition.

A clown, a political messiah or a punching bag? Rethinking the performative identity construction of celebrity through social media

In meeting the changing demands of authenticity and visibility in social media, performances of identity and connections are discussed to entail new sociotechnical labours and digital literacies. Research has looked into the construction and presentation of celebrity identities, in light of these developments, but has paid little attention on the celebrities’ experiences and perspectives, which is also due to the lack of willingness of industry insiders in this culturally sensitive business to be interviewed and genuinely talk about its problems. Twelve in-depth interviews with celebrities and entertainment industry practitioners were conducted between 2014 and 2015. Particularly, this article draws on the cases of two established celebrities in Hong Kong and China, and assesses how and why they were unable to actively construct and perform their preferred media identities, highlighting the blurring boundaries among traditional celebrities, micro-celebrities and ordinary people for their construction of online identities through social media, and also elucidating the opportunities and challenges posed by today’s evolving media environment. We argue that social media only superficially open up a site of counter-narratives for celebrities to resist the identities imposed on them by the mainstream media and online audiences. The interviewed celebrities’ contradictory experiences in their self-presentations in social media offer alternative angles to understanding the incoherent and unstable celebrity identity production processes, the blurring boundaries between celebrities and ordinary people through such processes as well as the celebrities’ capacity to reclaim control in asserting their ‘true’ selves.

The Disclosure of Celebrity Major Depressive Disorder Diagnoses in Hong Kong: Its Effects on Public Awareness and Understanding Toward the Illness

This paper aims to examine consumer perception toward celebrity diagnoses of major depressive disorder (MDD) in Hong Kong and to provide insights into the effect of various factors on the persuasive effectiveness of MDD communication. A total of thirty-five interviews were conducted in April 2015. Interviewees in general are aware of celebrity MDD diagnoses, but they do not deem MDD as a threat to themselves. Hence, they are not motivated to learn more about the symptoms. Responses to celebrity MDD diagnoses are mixed. Many interviewees are sympathetic toward ill celebrities diagnosed with MDD, but some of the interviewees are dubious about the true intention behind disclosing their diagnoses to the public. Compared to non-fans, fans reported a greater increase in the level of knowledge of MDD after reading related media stories about celebrity MDD diagnoses. Source credibility is perceived as an important factor in MDD communication. This research suggests that the government or NGOs may use credible celebrities whose image can be associated with MDD and cooperate with fan clubs to spread health-related information. The paper represents the first attempt to investigate the effects of celebrity disclosure of MDD diagnoses on the mental disorder-related perceptions of the general public in Hong Kong.

Public's perception of celebrities with serious illness in Hong Kong and the impact of media stories of ill celebrities on health awareness and behaviour

Abstract Celebrity diagnoses can strongly impact public awareness and behaviour. This study aims to examine the publics perception of celebrities with serious illness in Hong Kong and the impact of media stories of ill celebrities on health awareness and behaviour. A survey using purposive sampling was conducted in April 2014. Altogether, 297 completed questionnaires were received. The publics perception of celebrity diagnoses was generally favourable. Respondents showed sympathy and support towards celebrities with serious illnesses. They tended to believe stories revealed by the ill celebrities rather than news coverage in media. This is the first study to examine public perception towards celebrity diagnoses and the impact of media stories of ill celebrities on health awareness and behaviour in a Chinese context.

Consumers’ perception toward the content and marketing strategies of disease prevention PSAs in Hong Kong

The purpose of the paper is to examine consumers’ perception toward the content and marketing strategies of disease prevention public service advertisements (PSAs) as a means of health promotion and how the attitudes varied among different demographic groups in Hong Kong. A survey using quota sampling was conducted in April 2013. Eight hundred and thirty questionnaires were successfully submitted by respondents aged 10–40 or older. Results demonstrated that consumers have favorable attitudes toward disease prevention PSAs in general. Respondents who are females, older people (aged 40 or older), married and heavy television viewers tended to show more positive attitudes toward disease prevention PSAs. Although men under 40 were not seen as receptive, yet, they are heavy users of social media. Thus, policy-makers might consider to use both television and social media as the methods of communication in the future. Endorsements by professionals, such as doctors, are perceived as more effective than PSAs that feature a famous celebrity. Fear appeals are perceived as effective in PSAs. To the best knowledge of the researchers, this is the first study to examine consumers’ perception toward the content and marketing strategies of disease prevention PSAs in a Chinese context.