Think of horse racing and what comes to mind? Small people on horses?
Old men and betting? People wearing funny hats and top hat and tails and almost a private club for the elite?
Words that have no relevance to you like “tote odds”, “quinella”, “a trio, a trifecta” etc?
Now, what comes to mind when one thinks of horse racing inHong Kong?
Drawn a blank?
Well, at Happy Valley, the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s city racecourse – the other is in Shatin – over 20,000 people showed up this week for the last night of the annual Oktoberfest carnival.
Sure, there was some of the world’s best horse racing featuring leading jockeys and trainers from France, South Africa, Australia and, of course, Hong Kong.
There was also a betting turnover far-surpassing any other racing club anywhere in the world.
It is often said that one race in Hong Kong takes in more money than every race meeting in either the US or the UK – combined.
What were also present were brands and branding.
Firstly, the Hong Jockey Club brands all events at the unique Happy Valley Racecourse as Happy Wednesdays.
Other brands on-track include CSL 1010, McDonald’s, Heineken, Lowenbrau, Hoegaarden, San Miguel …
Next month when Happy Wednesdays presents Fashion Styles The Valley, present will be brands like Fashion TV, Diesel, Puma and Fingercroxx.
Along with these International brands, there will be fashion shows, celebrities, ‘live’ music and another crowd of over 20,000 people – a truly International group of people.
It’s one very big carnival and the place to be on a Wednesday night.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8Ogy9pbC-c
Coming soon to this racecourse located smack, dab in the middle of Hong Kong’s biggest skyscrapers will be the opening of new restaurants and the re-opening of the club called Adrenaline.
This club promises to take the horse racing experience even further.
Meanwhile, at the city’s other racetrack in Shatin, US$1B has been spent on creating new facilities for members and the public.
These will include new private Members boxes, the latest betting facilities and more sponsored race days by brand such as Cathay Pacific, Audemars Piguet, Mercedes Benz, Piaget and the Hong Kong cosmetics company which is Sa Sa and who recently held their annual Sa Sa Ladies Day Purse Day at the racecourse.
What a turnout this was!
What’s key is that this and age of branding, unlike many other jockey clubs, the Hong Kong Jockey Club is taking to Facebook, Twitter, Sina Weibo, China’s answer to Twitter, and YouTube to create its own brand and appeal to the current casual race-goer or the market out there who has never thought of going to the races before.
But as the Happy Wednesday events are proving, this market is already seeing and understanding horse racing from a fresh new perspective and see a day or night at the races as being a fun experience with their friends.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AXO0JJ0yMg
The odds are that when this Hong Kong Jockey Club-owned brand is established and grows- and it’s growing faster than some of the speediest horses in the world- there will be a plethora of new brands wishing to get in.
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