Ipsos general manager Alice Page says brands want to be associated with Hong Kong's luxury image

General manager Alice Page said Hong Kong was a perfect fit for Ipsos - the world's third largest company in survey-base market research - adding that the office would work in strong collaboration with Ipsos offices in many different countries, including its headquarters in Paris.

"Hong Kong is a centre of luxury brands in the region, and home to many of the region's flagship store," Ms Page said. "Although Japan has also traditionally been a regional centre for luxury brands, Hong Kong is in a unique position because it reaches into the rapidly growing China market as well as South East Asia, in a way that Japan doesn't.''

The Ipsos Group was founded in 1975 and has offices in more than 40 countries, including 14 in the Asia-Pacific.

"Hong Kong is not the only market in which we operate, but the one where we feel our luxury specialism is best based," Ms Page said. "The combination of people from different backgrounds in Hong Kong, and the relatively high average income versus other Asia countries, means that it is an excellent place to be based when focussing on this demographic.  The range of languages, cultural backgrounds, and experience of the team we have in Hong Kong means we can mirror the profile of the high net worths in Hong Kong and the region.  This combination would be hard to get in many other cities."

Unique position

Regional executive director Steven Altman says Ipsos will use Hong Kong to focus on a wide range of brands, products and services in the region

"The Hong Kong brand itself also cultivates a luxury image.  It has a reputation for being a hard working, hard playing city - similarities with many of the high net worth consumers and business people we research.  For many years Hong Kong had the most expensive real estate in the world, and although that has now changed, the image of luxury remains for Hong Kong in a way that other countries have failed to cultivate.  Brands want to be synonymous with that."

Steven Altman, Ipsos' regional executive director, said the concept of luxury was not just about branded fashion and accessories, but a much wider range of brands, products and services.  Ipsos is doing a lot of work within the banking and financial services sector on how to better deliver services and products to this group.  It also has expertise in property and retail, key sectors for Hong Kong and the region.

"Our core focus for the Hong Kong office is luxury, financial services, and property," Mr Altman said. "Hong Kong is still the regional leader. We work closely with our colleagues in other countries, and especially the Chinese mainland, to enable clients to work seamlessly throughout the region and globally.  Hong Kong is also the location for the head office of many clients, and it is important they can have access to local account servicing regardless of where in the world they conduct research."

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