Richard Tsang

The Innovator 25:

Richard Tsang

Chairman

Strategic Public Relations Group
Hong Kong

"Social welfare organisations see the influence that a public relations firm can make to the society."

Tsang was already recognized as one of Asia’s leading financial public relations experts when, at the age of 29, he founded Strategic Public Relations Group. In the 21 years since then, SPRG has grown into the largest Asia-based public relations network, with fee income last year of almost $22 million and more than 300 people working across its 10 Asia-Pacific offices. Despite the growth, SPRG has remained defiantly independent — pouring its profits back into CSR and community work, and developing a workplace culture that is the envy of many of its bigger rivals.

How do you define innovation?
To create trends

Most innovative comms/marketing campaign you’ve seen in the last 12 months?

The Kukfacha campaign of the Aids Foundation that won the Effie Award in HK4A

What brands and/or agencies are most innovative when it comes to marketing/PR?

Many NGOs (they have less burden and are more willing to take new ideas).

Describe a moment in your career that you would consider ‘innovative.’
I set up a NGO under SPRG last year to help the underprivileged in Hong Kong. More and more corporates support us on an ongoing basis and social welfare organisations also see the influence that a PR firm can make to the society.

In what area of marketing/PR do you see the most innovation?
Influencer relations.

How would you describe the communications/PR industry’s level of innovation?

About the same as other marketing disciplines

Where do you see the greatest opportunity for marketing & PR to become more innovative?
Influencer relations.

Who most influences how innovative a brand’s marketing/PR is?

Communications/PR agency.

Who is your mentor and why?
Students (I have been teaching universities and graduate schools for over 20 years and to get prepared to teach and answer questions, I need to learn).

How do you find inspiration?

Being a judge of industry awards.

Advice for people seeking to bring new ideas, ways of doing things to their organizations?

Join industry conferences and workshops.

In your opinion, what’s the most innovative place in the world?

Places with limited resources, but a huge task to accomplish.

What’s your favorite time of day and why?

In the middle of the night when I suddenly wake up and still remember a brilliant idea comes to my dream.

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