Meet CSM’s Account Executive, Hong Kong
We sat down for five minutes with Joan Wong to discuss League of Legends, the returning Hong Kong Sevens, Mid-Autumn Festival and what she gets up to away from work.
Describe your career in five words.
Being extraordinary at all times.
Alongside being the lead on esports delivery for our long-standing client HSBC, we’ve heard you’re a passionate League of Legends (LoL) gamer in your spare time. I wonder if you could talk us through some of the work we are doing with HSBC? And how are you bringing your personal expertise and experience from gaming into client delivery and activation?
I’ve been playing LoL since 2012 when I was at university. At that time it was rare to see a girl playing alongside or against the boys, but I had a wonderful time and connected with a lot of different people who I would never have met in real-life if it weren’t for the game. As I saw more and more female gamers pop up, it gave me a sense of pride. We proved that women can play just as well as the men, and built a community around the joy of gaming. Nowadays, I’ve switched from PC gaming to mobile gaming, playing LoL Wild Rift. It’s good because the game duration has shortened from an hour to a more manageable 25 minutes!
Knowing that our client, HSBC was entering esports… my first impression was like: amazing. I can’t wait to work on this activation. It’s one of my passion points and I think I can bring a bit of understanding as to what the fans want to see.
I’d say my experiences, including my knowledge of MOBA format, game strategy and game language has helped my day-to-day delivery. For example, when we receive a storyboard from stakeholders, it’s easy for me to digest and visualize things, and allows me to make useful recommendations back to my client on where the key message can marry to the content and where things can improve to make it more engaging.
Aside from the gaming experience, I’m also trying to learn more about the eco system and thinking commercially in order to help our client’s achieve their objectives in the different Asian markets.
On the subject of HSBC, the Hong Kong Sevens is coming back this November after a three-year hiatus. There must be a lot of excitement with having such a high-profile event returning to the region. What are you looking forward to the most?
Without question, the thing I look forward to most is bringing HSBC hospitality back to the stadium and the return of the Hex!
I come from a hospitality background, so I’m excited to start meeting people again at such an incredible event. And by people, I mean all of them: client, suppliers, colleagues and customers.
The planning journey has been challenging this year, due to Covid, but it’s so nice to see people engaged with the Sevens again. It has certainly given me an extra spark of energy and motivation.
We’ve heard you are a key driver behind some of the social activities the team in Hong Kong go out and enjoy. Talk us through some of the things you’ve been up to as a team recently?
I always enjoy throwing a party! Our next social activity will be celebrate the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival in Hong Kong, where we will bring the whole team out to the M+ Museum – famous for its contemporary visual culture – in the morning and then on to lunch along the harbor front.
It’s a great outing that ties in a traditional cultural element (tasting moon cake), with modern culture. Our client HSBC has also recently entered into a partnership with M+, so it will also be a good opportunity for us to find out more on partnering opportunities.
When not at work, what would we find you doing?
I’ll go with three things. First, socializing with friends. You can often find me having dinner and drinks with my friends at new restaurants.
Second, trying out a new skill. I enjoy doing different things. I’ve done tie-dye, terrazzo, moss terrarium, LED light signage, baking. My next goal is to attend a candle-making workshop.
Finally, roller skating. I bought a pair of new roller skates last summer, so I’ve been wearing those out and visiting some of the new roller rinks and public parks in Hong Kong.