S12. Financial Services

In 2025, salary growth stagnated and job-hopping for higher pay became less viable due to rising unemployment. Hang Seng Preferred Banking responded by redefining the path to salary increases—encouraging customers to switch payroll accounts rather than jobs.

Building on the 2024 “Plan Smart” platform, the “Plan Smart. Maximise Every Salary Dollar.” campaign reframed banking’s role from a transactional relationship to a career empowerment partner. The provocation: “Want a raise? Don’t switch jobs. Switch where your salary goes.”

Leveraging celebrity-led, entertaining and joyful narratives, and a multi-stage engagement strategy, the campaign broke HK’s salary taboo and introduced upgraded payroll offerings via customers’ passion points – maximise earning, saving, and fun. This drove exceptional business growth and strengthened Preferred Banking’s value proposition, empowering customers to manage their finances and achieve evolving life goals—setting new industry standards for how banking meaningfully integrates into people’s lives and solves their painpoints.