As macroeconomic uncertainties weigh on consumers, businesses in Hong Kong are looking for surefooted ways to grow profitably.
The strategy for that is no secret: Win new customers efficiently. It’ll help you drive a strong bottom line.
What sets successful businesses apart, however, is their know-how in bringing the strategy to life.
That means going where customers start their discoveries and make decisions. And in Hong Kong, that’s YouTube. It’s where people stream, search, scroll, and shop.
Here’s how Standard Chartered and McDonald’s Hong Kong grew their business by tapping on YouTube marketing to find, engage, and convert new and young audiences.
How to find and convert young customers with AI-powered campaigns
A stalwart of Hong Kong’s financial industry, Standard Chartered is attuned to the monetary needs of young adults in the city. Its personal loan products are designed to help them enjoy financial flexibility.
A common misconception in Hong Kong, however, is that personal loans are risky or burdensome. That view had limited the uptake of Standard Chartered’s product, especially among young adults.
So the bank sought to change the thinking of its audience by being on YouTube. It’s where Gen Z in Hong Kong discover relevant information and make decisions.
Standard Chartered made its personal loan campaign relatable to young audiences by collaborating with the creators of the popular Gen Z YouTube channel Trial & Error.
The creators came up with a video showing how Standard Chartered’s personal loans can be a smart financial tool that helps young adults tide over times of need. The entertaining video was styled like a short drama with comic references to anime.
To maximise the impact of the video, the bank used the AI-powered Demand Gen campaign. It taps into both long and short formats of the video to find and convert high-intent audiences across YouTube and Google’s most immersive, visual touchpoints.
The bank’s AI-powered campaigns on YouTube not only raised sales of its personal loan product, it also drove a 4.8 points brand lift, which far exceeds the industry benchmark of 1.1 points. Its strong results also won it the Best in Action honours at YouTube Works Awards Hong Kong 2025.
How to resonate with young audiences by partnering YouTube creators
McDonald’s Hong Kong has grown up with generations of the city’s residents. It’s familiar with the urban pressures that the people face, especially those in their youth.
While exploring ways to bring relief to young audiences, particularly during the morning rush, McDonald’s Hong Kong struck on the idea of a year-long “breakfast” marketing campaign.
It would transform people’s stressful mornings into joyful moments by tapping on the relaxing power of music and the community spirit that YouTube creators bring.
McDonald’s Hong Kong worked with the popular YouTube arts and music channel Such HK and its diverse network of local and celebrity musicians. The artists would busk in spots around Hong Kong in the mornings, and the channel would film and share their performances on YouTube.
The heartwarming content spanned everything from long-form videos which raised audience awareness, to short-form performance highlights that drove social sharing and kept the buzz going.
To maximise the impact of the collaboration beyond organic viewership, McDonald’s Hong Kong amplified the creators’ multiformat videos with Video views campaigns.
Not only did that drive more views for the campaign at a lower cost by showing the videos in the places they perform best, it also drove performance — an outstanding 13.7% growth in breakfast sales.
The strong results clinched the McDonald’s Hong Kong campaign the Best Collaboration: Brand & Creator title at YouTube Works Awards Hong Kong 2025.
If your business is looking for ways to grow profitably, follow the steps of successful Hong Kong brands: win new customers efficiently by tapping into the strength of YouTube. Partner with YouTube creators to connect with diverse audiences in relevant ways, and supercharge the impact of the collaboration with AI-powered campaigns.
Contributors: Dora Cheung, YouTube Specialist, Large Customer Sales; Kristy Wong, Industry Manager, Strategic Accounts, Large Customer Sales; Fung Choi, Senior Account Manager
