Caught off-guard in the first wave of an unprecedented outbreak, agile companies in Hong Kong quickly found their balance to respond to customers’ urgent needs to stay safe. They offered new contactless engagement and created products to meet the demands of the moment. Most importantly, they ramped up their online presence. Through the twists and turns of the ongoing health crisis, companies are using this engagement tool, often combining it with another - customer empathy. 

As the fifth wave of the pandemic hit Hong Kong, causing disruption far more severe than before, companies began increasing their support of customers. This has included making community donations, heightening COVID-19 coverage, and providing tips on staying safe, all aimed at building a sympathetic customer connection during exceptionally uncertain times. 

Digitalisation and empathy are common methods of customer engagement, but never before has the pace at which these are being used in Hong Kong been so great. Nor has their necessity been so vital, as the city’s residents cope with a challenging environment. Whether and how businesses will continue with this strategy when the pandemic is finally over, remains to be seen. 

The Financial Times, in partnership with Amazon Web Services, has gathered leading experts in Hong Kong to examine how companies are using digitalisation and empathy, among other tools, to engage and support customers during the ongoing waves of the pandemic. This discussion also explores whether and how these imaginative ways of interacting will last beyond the pandemic.

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