Customised Content to Capture Digital Sales

I Heart Studios creates on-brand visuals to support online fashion and lifestyle industries with holistic content.

It may be argued that the pandemic catapulted online retailers into the stratosphere. With nowhere to go and money to spend, shoppers trawled the Internet for everything from socks to soap. Yet some fashion and lifestyle retailers found it challenging to switch gears from bricks and mortar to web-centric strategies.

Holistic Message

I Heart Studios (IHS) opened its Hong Kong office as their regional headquarters at just the right time. Riding on the challenging times in the midst of COVID-19, the company captured a market keen for a more holistic approach to product narratives. Its core business model is to first understand a client’s brand DNA before creating brand content to align with that message. The result is consistent, compelling photography and videos well integrated into a client’s various online platforms.

“IHS is a modern-day content creation business,” explained Sjors Bos, the company’s Global Chief Executive Officer. “We are a service organisation that transforms challenges into solutions. There is currently a tendency / trend to use both photography and video in hybrid campaigns. IHS’ founders saw a gap in e-commerce to produce appropriate high quality and affordable content to help amplify a brand’s DNA. Today, we can add value to our photos and film with graphics, artwork and copy for retail-ready content, further making our customer’s life easier.”

In digital selling where potential customers cannot physically examine a product, visual content is king. It must appeal in less than a second while still being true to the actual product. After setting up a second office in Amsterdam, IHS recognised a need for an Asian presence close to its clients’ supply chains. “We looked at Singapore, Shanghai and Hong Kong,” recalled Bos.

“We opened in Hong Kong as it is easy to enter as a foreign business, English is a common language and there is enough talent in the market to grow the business. Could the Hong Kong studio cater to domestic markets, international demand, function as a regional headquarters and work closely with supply chains to turn content around quickly? The answer was yes to all four requirements.”

Exceeding Expectations

The Hong Kong office has exceeded expectations. With a fragmented market and only three percent of retail sales devoted to e-commerce in comparison to 30 percent in Europe, there was room to grow quickly. “Hong Kong has been fantastic for us locally, regionally and globally,” admitted Bos. “We support the regional office of global companies and serve Hong Kong businesses for the local market. During lockdown, when Europe and the US could not operate, we fulfilled demand in Hong Kong — we are close to Asian product manufacturers anyway.”

Bos is now in the process of setting up another office in Shanghai but he will remain based in Hong Kong. “Anyone who lives here should count their blessings,”

he advised. “Hong Kong is a safe haven. There are mountains, seas and every cuisine imaginable. It is a special place. My family is here for the long haul.”