HONG KONG--(Business Wire)--Social media experts and visionaries gathered to share their predictions and industry insights at Social Media Matters in Hong Kong on Friday 7th September 2012.

More than 40 industry leaders flew in from around Asia and the world to address an audience of more than 500 people that included top executives from the region’s top brands.

The event focused on how companies can best execute and measure effectiveness of high impact social media strategies. Reflecting research released by Ogilvy just ahead of the conference, executives attending the event emphasized the importance of social media in Asia, along with concerns they have about implementation.

Speakers highlighted five social media trends:

- Mobile crucial for social media and marketing

The growth rate of mobile phones and smartphones make it imperative for companies to adopt mobile as a key tool for engaging their customers. Each day more smartphones are activated globally than the entire population of Hong Kong, said Gopi Kallayil, Chief Evangelist of social media for brands at Google. “Mobile is the most pervasive technology in human history - more people now have access to mobile phones than to clean water and electricity.”

- Social Media ROI

Findings from the Ogilvy study show that 6 in 10 businesses spend just 5% or less on social media efforts*, with this thin layer of budget exposing a large pool of executives still struggling to get to grips with ROI. Dr. Walter Carl, Chief Research Officer and Founder, ChatThreads, described how consumers directly exposed to social media are not the true value drivers in this context – it is the sharing behaviour and people influencing their networks that bring real value from a brand perspective. Companies need to measure the network amplification of sharing behaviour to derive the true ROI of social media.

- Companies now share ownership of brands with their consumers

Social media places an enormous amount of power in the hands of consumers, who can amplify their satisfaction or disappointment with a brand. Esther Dyson, Investor and Digital Visionary, believes that brands should foster transparency to build trust with consumers and become part of the conversation, not interrupt it. As more brands adopt social media marketing, third-party endorsement will become increasingly effective.

- e-Commerce will become a dominant means for transactions

The number of companies using social media to drive e-Commerce will increase exponentially in the next few years. According to Ken Hong, head of marketing for Sina Weibo, the types of businesses that have experienced success with e-Commerce so far have been small to medium sized enterprises, but he believes that this will soon become common practice among larger brands.

- Social CRM needs to be a primary objective for brands

Brands need to engage with their customers at a deeper level than just gathering “likes”. Numerous speakers highlighted the importance of bringing deeper analytics and an approach to social media using a robust customer relationship management approach.

Speakers at Social Media Matters included the major global, China and Asia-based social media platforms along with research firms and brands executing some of the world’s most exciting social media campaigns.

Speakers included Gopi Kallayil, Chief Evangelist, Google Social for Brands; Ken Hong, General Manager, Weibo Marketing Strategy, Sina; James Kondo, Vice President of Market Development, Asia Pacific, Twitter; Jayne Leung, Director of North Asia, Facebook; Esther Dyson, Investor and Digital Visionary, EDventure; and Joseph Chen, Chairman and CEO, Renren, who delivered the keynote speech.

“Social Media Matters exceeded expectations in terms of establishing an Asia-based gathering of the world’s top thinkers in social media,” said Thomas Crampton, conference co-organiser and Asia-Pacific Head of Social@Ogilvy. “Brands and experts shared research, learnings and latest developments from around the world.”

For video highlights from Social Media Matters, visit www.ogilvy.com.hk

For further information, please contact:

The Consultancy

Rhonda Taylor

E: rtaylor@consultancypr.com

T: +852 2140 6022

Michel Chau

E: mchau@consultancypr.com

T: +852 3114 0338

Ogilvy & Mather

Ogilvy & Mather is one of the largest marketing communications companies in the world. In 2012, O&M was named Cannes Lions Network of the Year and Most Effective Agency Network by the Effies Global Effectiveness Index. The company is comprised of industry leading units in all of the following disciplines: advertising; public relations and public affairs; branding and identity; shopper and retail marketing; healthcare communications; direct, digital, promotion and relationship marketing; consulting, research and analytics capabilities; branded content and entertainment; and specialist communications. O&M services Fortune Global 500 companies as well as local businesses through its network of more than 450 offices in 120 countries. It is a WPP company (NASDAQ: WPPGY). For more information, visit www.ogilvy.com, or follow us on Twitter at @OgilvyWW and on Facebook.com/Ogilvy.

Social@Ogilvy

Social@Ogilvy is the largest social media marketing communications network in the world. Named 2011 Global Digital/Social Consultancy of the Year by The Holmes Report, the practice leverages social media expertise across all Ogilvy & Mather disciplines, offering an extensive list of services within the foundational business solutions – Listening and Analytics; Social Business Solutions; Social Media Marketing and Communications; Social Shopping; Social CRM; Social Care; and Conversation Impact. For more information, visit social.ogilvy.com and connect with us at www.facebook.com/socialogilvy, www.twitter.com/socialogilvy, www.slideshare.com/socialogilvy