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Generative AI is everywhere now. You see it in content, campaigns, customer experiences, and even internal workflows. It promises speed, scale, and efficiency, but there’s a harder question sitting underneath all that progress; Do your audiences actually trust it?

Trust in the Age of AI: What Consumers Really Think About AI Generated Content

Today, PR teams aren’t just tracking media coverage and share of voice. They’re also measuring how their brand shows up in AI-generated answers, search summaries, and large language models (LLMs). This new LLM visibility layer is quickly becoming a critical part of PR performance.

15 Must-Have PR KPIs and How to Track Them

See how one platform can power every decision across PR, communications, and marketing.

The Meltwater Blog

Blog Topics: Generative Engine Optimization, Media Intelligence, Media Relations, Social Listening, Consumer Intelligence, Influencer Marketing

Find out how you can leverage Facebook to boost your brand's online presence and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

Facebook Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage Instagram to boost your brand's visual appeal and gain a competitive edge. Explore our category page today!

Instagram Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage LinkedIN to grow your professional network and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

LinkedIn Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage TikTok to elevate your brand with creative content and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

TikTok Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage X / Twitter to engage your audience effectively and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

X / Twitter Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage YouTube to create engaging video content and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

YouTube Blog | Meltwater

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is transforming how brands show up in AI-powered search. Explore insights, strategies, and best practices to help your content rank and resonate across conversational engines like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot.

Explore insights and strategies for Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) to help your brand stay visible and discoverable in AI-powered search.

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) Blog Collection | Meltwater

Every day billions of conversations take place on social media: tweets, posts, comments, blogs, reviews, podcasts, and much more.
Learn how to use social listening to make sense of all of that data.

On our social listening category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around social listening and social media monitoring. Read more.

Social Listening Blogs | Category

Business Reputation Management: What does it take to add reputation management to your marketing strategy? More importantly, how do you keep your reputation sparkly and shiny? Here’s your all-access guide to online reputation management for the long term.

On our reputation management category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around business reputation management. Read more.

Reputation Management Blogs | Category

From your brand's logo to your website, your social media presence to your customer support—these elements combined are what constitutes a brand in the minds of customers. But, there are thousands of other businesses that have a logo, website, social media presence, and website. So, how can you position your business on the market and make it stand out from the competition?
The key to success is branding & brand management!

On our brand management category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around brand management. Build your strategy and reach your goals!

Brand Management Blogs | Category

Competitive intelligence and the act of collecting competitive data can be seen as growth drivers for a company. Our guide will help you understand the concept of competitive intelligence (CI) by answering questions such as: What is the definition of competitive intelligence? How is competitive intelligence useful to organizations? What is the goal of competitive intelligence? And more.

On our competitive intelligence category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around competitive intelligence. Learn how to stay ahead.

Competitive Intelligence Blogs | Category

Let’s dive into the customer journey framework and how to optimize the process by creating a customer journey map and using metrics that matter when analyzing the customer journey.

On our customer journey category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around mapping and understanding the customer journey.

Customer Journey Blogs | Category

What Is Data Analytics? [Beginner’s Guide 2023]
How can I grow my business? 
How do customers interact with my newly launched product?
How do I increase the productivity of my employees?
How do I know if my marketing efforts are working?
We have just two words for you...Data analytics!

On our data analytics category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around AI and data analytics. Technical and still easy to understand.

AI & Data Analytics Blogs | Category

Public relations and media relations can add impact to any marketing strategy. It’s an opportunity for brands to grow their reach beyond traditional sales messages. PR helps to shape the image you want people to have of your brand.
So, what is PR and how do you use it? This guide shows you everything you need to know to build a strong public relations foundation.

On our public relations (PR) category page, you find all our blogs covering public relations and communications topics. Step up your PR game.

Public Relations (PR) Blogs | Category

We all know exactly what the roles of sales or accounting are in a company, right? We might even have a slight idea of what the IT guys are doing.
But there is another business discipline, that plays a crucial role in organizations, even more so during the pandemic – internal communications!
But what exactly do we mean by that, what purpose does it serve and what steps can you take to ensure you and your employees will communicate effectively?

On our internal communications category page, you find all our blogs about internal comms topics. Learn about the intranet, internal newsletters, and more.

Internal Communications Blogs | Category

As the internet has taken root in more areas of our lives — everything from entertainment to shopping to paying bills and more — traditional marketing is becoming less impactful. As any marketer knows, you need to focus on where your audience is if you want to reach them. Since the average person spends about seven hours a day online, it’s no surprise that content has maintained its hold on marketers.

Here's a closer look at what content marketing is and why it matters more than ever in our digital-first economy.

On our content marketing category page, you find blogs about content marketing topics. Learn about strategies, KPIs, tips, and more. Make your content king!

Content Marketing Blogs | Category

The rise of the influencer marketing space – today a $10 billion industry, growing 50% per year – is one of the clearest examples of how social media is transforming traditional marketing. These days having a business website, presence on social, PR coverage, and your own content isn’t enough to compete.
We'll dive into the intricacies of influencer marketing to help ensure that you're equipped with the insights needed to be successful in this space.

On our influencer marketing category page, you find blogs about influencer marketing topics. Build your strategy, find influencers, and measure results.

Influencer Marketing Blogs | Category

Have you just launched a new product or service that you want to get the word out about? Maybe you want to share with consumers why it is awesome and how it is so much better than the one your competitors offer.

Well, then, there is one thing you can't do without...Marketing!

On our marketing category page, you find blogs about marketing topics. Learn about all the different angles and types of marketing and improve your results.

Marketing Blogs | Category

In this guide, we want to give you a peek into the definition of social media management, the daily schedule of a social media manager, social media platforms to promote your business, and the do’s & don’ts of social media management.
Are you ready to begin the journey of becoming a social media superstar?

On our social media management category page, you find blogs about social media management topics. Build and manage your online community.

Social Media Management Blogs | Category

Building a following and using social media platforms to reach a wider audience requires a well-planned social media marketing strategy. In this guide, we’ll be looking at why social media marketing is so essential and how you can make it work for your business.

On our social media marketing category page, you find blogs about social media marketing topics. Learn how to get the highest paid social ROI!

Social Media Marketing Blogs | Category

In the fast-evolving realm of digital marketing and public relations, utilizing the right tools is crucial for success. Our interdisciplinary category showcases all the pertinent tools for digital marketing & PR. These tools help in enhancing your online presence and effectively reaching target groups, whether through reputation management, influencer marketing, or social media management.

On our digital marketing and PR tools category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around mapping and understanding the customer journey.

Digital Marketing & PR Tools Blogs | Category

Even before its premiere in late June, F1 the movie was making headlines for its goings-on behind the scenes. Produced by Apple Studios, the film secured $40 million in brand sponsorships for the fictional, on-screen F1 team APXGP, for which the film’s protagonist Sonny Hayes (played by Brad Pitt) drives. Unlike traditional product placement deals that feature a brand for just a few moments, F1 sponsors were visible throughout the film as their logos adorned the central characters’ cars and costumes. 

We used our consumer intelligence and influencer marketing solutions to see which sponsorship activations had the biggest impacts in the weeks leading up to F1’s staggered, international premiere dates at the end of June. Here three of the top-performing activations that drove big results for sponsoring brands.

Looking to dig into the details? Click here to access our full analysis and consumer intelligence insights dashboard about F1 sponsorships.

Note: The data discussed below looks at relevant English-language mentions of the F1 movie and a selection of movie partners on media and social media sources from June 1 to June 30, 2025.

Gareth Bale’s black carpet Instagram posts for Heineken UK

This Instagram post tagging @heineken_uk achieved a 1.52% engagement rate and more than $902,000 in estimated media value (EMV).

Retired footballer Gareth Bale attended F1’s London movie premiere on June 23, and his two posts from the black carpet paid off big for movie and league sponsor Heineken and its non-alcoholic offering Heineken 0.0. 

Posts mentioning Heineken in online conversations about F1 the movie reached an estimated 25.7 million social media users and generated about 956,000 engagement actions.

Overall, the brand achieved an estimated reach of 25.7 million in social media conversations about the movie, far beyond that of other movie partners. And over 60% of that reach came from Bale’s posts alone.

McDonald’s’ limited-edition F1 Happy Meals

The fast food giant, an F1 regional partner for Latin America, tapped into nostalgia with its Happy Meals promotion offering exclusive F1 miniatures as the toy inside. Though Happy Meals are traditionally for kids, the promotion appealed to the film’s adult audience, harkening back to childhood playtimes spent with toy racing cars as well as the chain’s ‘80s and ‘90s partnership with Hot Wheels. 

This Instagram post from @smoothrac3r achieved an eye-popping 180% engagement rate and generated over $546,000 in EMV.

That creative take helped the regional promotion go viral globally. This was largely thanks to a significant engagement boost from an organic Instagram post by car content account @smoothrac3r. As a result, McDonald’s scored the second highest engagement rate of the F1 partners we analyzed, outperforming Pirelli and Paramount+, among others.

Pirelli’s and F1’s Hot Wheels collaboration

Speaking of toy cars, tire manufacturer Pirelli enjoyed a significant boost in engagement thanks to Hot Wheels’ collaboration with F1. The toy brand created 1:64 scale replicas of the cars from the film. And since Pirelli, F1’s official tire supplier, also provided the tires for the film, the brand featured prominently in the visuals from the Hot Wheels campaign.

This Instagram post from @hypewhip achieved an engagement rate of 1.37% and generated over $109,000 in EMV.

One from the official Hot Wheels account and another from automotive account @hypewhip collectively generated 90% of the tire brand’s over 166,000 engagement actions in relation to F1. Notably, neither was a sponsored post with Pirelli, but both mentioned the brand’s name in their captions and featured their branded Hot Wheels tires in the visuals.

Our sponsorship analysis of the F1 movie offers some important insights and lessons for brands. Dive deeper into the results, including comparisons between F1 league and F1 movie sponsors, by checking out our F1 Movie Brand Visibility Dashboard. Brands analyzed include those discussed above, as well as others like IWC, Tommy Hilfiger, Mercedes-AMG, and Qatar Airways. In the meantime, here are three quick takeaways from the activations mentioned above:

Shareable content from interest-based accounts can outperform official partnership posts. Social media posts from interest-based accounts drummed up significant excitement around brand activations, helping McDonald’s and Pirelli ride the F1 publicity wave straight into the spotlight. Brands can help encourage these kinds of engagement-driving organic mentions by creating visually compelling activation assets that fan accounts can repurpose and reshare with minimal effort.

Tap into shared emotions and memories. When it comes to the entertainment world, success isn’t always about star power. Creative campaigns that resonate with audiences on an emotional level can have global appeal, as demonstrated by the McDonald’s Happy Meal activation. 

Influencer alignment is key. And other times, success is about starpower, especially when it is leveraged for cross-audience appeal. Gareth Bale’s sports- and luxury-focused, international following is a perfect match for F1’s polished brand. As the success of his Instagram posts shows, the F1 premiere was an opportune event for Heineken 0.0 to highlight itself as a premium name in non-alcoholic beverages.  

Three F1 Movie Activations That Drove Big Online Buzz

Here at Meltwater, monitoring and analyzing trends is part of our DNA, and it’s what has helped us ensure that we’re not just meeting our users’ needs, but anticipating them. Over the past few years, we’ve carefully observed major shifts in the media landscape, transforming how enterprises use social and news intelligence and the capabilities they require. Trends move at breakneck speed, narratives evolve at the intersection of social and news, and, on top of it all, long-term market and industry shifts are reshaping consumer behaviors en masse. That’s what drove us to create Explore+. 

A category-leading, enterprise-grade social and media intelligence solution, Explore+ delivers flexibility and scale without sacrificing depth. Here’s how it’s redefining intelligence for consumer insights, marketing, and PR teams.

Understanding what people are saying about your organization, your competitors, and your industry isn’t a one-team priority. Those who want to lead conversations in today’s fast-moving media landscape need insights that all roles can align and innovate on without being a data whiz. 

Explore+ brings intelligence from across social, news, broadcast, reviews, and other sources together on one platform. Advanced dashboards and AI assistants (more on that below) deliver the 360-degree views organizations need to move quickly with confidence. No steep learning curves, just shareable, visual analytics that teams across organizations can use to inform decisions that drive impact. That swiftness means everything when the next hot trend is taking off or a PR emergency is brewing. 

Modern enterprise teams need to stay nimble. A crucial part of Explore+’s versatility is its flexibility. Comprehensive data coverage, flexible data slicing, and unlimited real-time searches remove the obstacles to exploring anything and everything, including localized phenomenon, niche verticals, and multi-year trendlines. From quick temperature checks to structured deep dives, you don’t have to trade speed for quality insights.

For those familiar, Explore+ builds on the strengths of Meltwater’s Explore and Radarly platforms, unifying them into a single enterprise-grade solution that delivers both breadth and depth. This evolution combines the best of both worlds—fast, intuitive discovery and structured, scalable insights—so teams can adapt to any question, from any corner of the business.

This high level of data quality doesn’t happen overnight. It’s the fruit of Meltwater’s domain investments and relationship-building over the past 20+ years. We’ve been steadily building for this moment so our customers can stay at the cutting edge of whatever comes next.

Unmatched efficiency and transformed teams

A key consideration in building Explore+ was having intention behind every feature, not just throwing shiny buttons in for the sake of it. That guiding principle led us to incorporate AI in ways that actually enhance the user’s ability to work strategically, no matter the role, with enhancements that power workflows and keep them on track.

Insights, communications, and marketing teams can spend less time on common tasks, like creating Boolean strings and automating reports, thanks to Mira–Meltwater’s AI engine. They can skip straight from questions to answers with Mira Studio, the chat-based experience embedded in the platform that does the heavy lifting to instantly provide insights like market trends, key content summaries, and competitive intelligence. Critically, they can get those insights to key stakeholders right where they already collaborate most with the Meltwater Copilot, which surfaces Explore+ intelligence directly within Microsoft Teams and Office. 

Additionally, Explore+ offers advanced dashboarding features and over 50 customizable, analytic widgets that let users visualize key data in whatever way works best for stakeholders across projects and departments. And stay tuned — soon our customers will have the ability to reconcile earned, owned, paid, social, and influencer data, making it even easier to democratize insights within complex organizations.

Finally, enterprise scale and governance are crucial aspects of Explore+ that ensure the success of your global listening programs. As most large-scale teams know, lack of structure is a recipe for slow progress and quick chaos. Teams run the risk of managing overlapping searches, building redundant dashboards, or missing out on key findings discovered elsewhere. 

Explore+ addresses this with features like user roles, custom permissions, and folder systems with private data storage, bringing controlled flexibility and alignment to otherwise unwieldy processes. Multi-layered governance ties all the moving parts together, giving enterprises the oversight and structure they need to scale access to intelligence without sacrificing clarity. 

That means your global insights team can manage standardized dashboards for executive reporting, while your local market teams create tailored views to their regional needs. This balance of control and flexibility ensures that social and media intelligence moves thoughtfully across your unique organization. 

With Explore+, we’re entering a new chapter of our mission to empower smarter decision-making. Through industry-leading technology and best-in-class service, we’re transforming the future of enterprise intelligence solutions. Join us as we keep building toward a more informed tomorrow—request a demo below to learn more.

Tailoring Social and Media Intelligence for Global Enterprises

Note: This blog is based on the Global Digital Report 2025 (Digital 2025 Hong Kong) – produced in partnership with Meltwater and We Are Social. See Simon Kemp's article about The Essential Guide to the Global State of Digital in 2025. Download the Global Digital Report 2025 for free.

The digital environment of Hong Kong exemplifies the city’s tradition-meets-innovation spirit, on full display from the neon-lit streets of Central to the tranquil serenity of the Big Buddha. With its high internet and mobile penetration rates and fully urban population, the city continues to lead in digital connectivity and social engagement across Asia.

In January 2025, Hong Kong’s total population stands at 7.4 million, down slightly from the previous year. Despite this, the city’s digital ecosystem remains strong. With a 235% mobile penetration rate—equating to each resident having multiple mobile connections—Hong Kong boasts a robust mobile infrastructure. In addition, 7.1 million people, or 96% of the population, are connected to the internet. Meanwhile, 83.1% of the population, or 6.15 million user identities, actively participate in social media.

From Hong Kong’s historic “Ding Ding” trams and bustling street markets to the iconic Star Ferry, there’s no shortage of spots to people-watch. But you’re just as likely to see residents and tourists live-streaming from Harbourfront Shared Spaces or snapping photos for social media. Understanding how people connect, share, and consume content in this city is key to reaching Hong Kong’s mobile-first population.

Using these statistics as a starting point, we’ll explore how this one-of-a-kind metropolis is shaping the region’s digital future—and how marketers, brands, and communicators can effectively connect with Hong Kong’s audience in 2025.

General social media statistics in Hong Kong

Social media usage statistics in Hong Kong

Digital marketing statistics in Hong Kong

What's ahead for social media in Hong Kong in 2025?

With a year-on-year reduction of 0.5%, or 36,000 fewer individuals, the city's total population stands at 7.4 million in January 2025. Despite this slight decline, Hong Kong remains densely populated, with 6,729.8 people per square kilometer. The city is also known for its notoriously compact living spaces—some so small and costly they’ve earned the nickname “coffin homes,” where everything one needs is crammed into a room no larger than a coffin.

The city's aging population is reflected in its median age of 47.4 years. This places Hong Kong above many Western nations and among the oldest populations globally, ranking just behind Japan (49.8) and Italy (48.2). The gender breakdown reveals a slight majority of women, at 55% female and 45% male. An interesting aspect of Hong Kong’s gender demographics, with potential implications for digital literacy, is the literacy gap: 96.9% of men are literate compared to 89.6% of women.

Hong Kong’s age distribution reveals a population that skews noticeably older, with most of its residents concentrated in age groups above 40. Because of this, marketers and communicators should no longer assume that younger audiences dominate the online space—at least not in Hong Kong, where the situation is quite different.

Top 5 Age Groups by Population in Hong Kong (Feb 2025):

Age 60–64: 623,000 (8.4% of the population)

These figures show that the largest demographic is between the ages of 40 and 69—a group often overlooked in digital campaigns. But in Hong Kong, these individuals are highly likely to see your ads, click through your content, and engage with your brand.

Are these same age groups also the most active on social media, or is there a gap between access and actual engagement? In the next section, we’ll explore how this demographic profile aligns with usage patterns across Hong Kong’s top platforms.

Heading into 2025, 7.1 million individuals, or 96% of Hong Kong's population, regularly use the internet. Residents spend an average of 5 hours and 30 minutes online each day, slightly below the global average of 6 hours and 38 minutes. However, this figure is trending downward, with a 0.5% decrease from last year.

Despite the dip in usage, Hong Kong remains a highly mobile-driven market. A significant 93.7% of internet users access the web via their mobile phones.

With a mobile penetration rate of 235% and 96% of the population online, Hong Kong’s digital infrastructure is deeply embedded in daily life. Most people own multiple devices, and the widespread availability of high-speed internet allows residents of all ages to engage actively with social media, digital marketing, and online content.

The highly active and fast-paced lifestyle of Hong Kong's internet users in 2025 reflects the city’s dynamic culture. 55.9% of users regularly watch videos, TV shows, or movies—whether it’s catching the latest TVB dramas on MyTV SUPER or tuning in to global hits on Netflix. This strong engagement with streaming highlights the city's appetite for diverse entertainment options.

55.7% of users go online to stay connected with friends and family, relying on messaging apps like WhatsApp and WeChat. These platforms are essential in helping people maintain close relationships despite their packed schedules.

Another 55.5% turn to the internet for general browsing or to pass the time—whether they’re riding the MTR home from work or queuing at a cha chaan teng with a view of Harbour City. Beyond just killing time, this habit helps users stay entertained and in the loop throughout the day.

54.7% of users rely on the internet to find information, making it an essential part of everyday life. From checking traffic updates to discovering the latest restaurants in Central, Hongkongers use online tools to navigate the city efficiently. Similarly, 50% of users are online to stay updated with news and current events—proof that the internet remains a vital source for staying informed.

These digital habits show how deeply embedded the internet is in Hongkongers’ daily routines and highlight the importance of making relevant, accessible content available to this always-connected population.

As one of the most chronically online cities in the world, Hong Kong’s population turns to the internet in 2025 for three main things: communication, information, and commerce.

Chat and messaging applications lead the way, with 95.7% of users relying on them. Closely following are social networks, used by 93.1% of internet users. From Xiaohongshu’s user-generated content to YouTube’s endless stream of videos, these platforms are central to how Hongkongers express themselves, discover trends, and stay informed.

Whether it’s checking the latest headlines or doing a quick Google search, 84.2% of users depend on search engines and web portals for instant access to information. At the same time, 71% continue to use email, likely for work and formal communication.

Rounding out the top five, 69.3% of Hongkongers visit shopping, auction, and classifieds sites. With platforms like Taobao and secondhand marketplace Carousell on the rise, the city’s appetite for online commerce shows no signs of slowing down.

While internet usage in Hong Kong remains stable and consistent, social media usage is on a slight decline. Even though nearly everyone in the city is online, only 83.1% of the population has a linked social media account. This figure—6.15 million—is down 4.8% from the previous year, or about 310,000 fewer identities. Meanwhile, the average time spent on social media has dropped to 1 hour and 42 minutes per day, an 8% decrease year-on-year.

This places Hong Kong near the bottom of global rankings for total social media use. In contrast, users in the Philippines and Indonesia spend over three hours daily on social platforms. Among Hong Kong’s adult users (aged 18+), 85.5% are active on social media; of all user identities, 54.1% are women, while 45.9% are men.

According to Meta's ad audience statistics, digital advertising in Hong Kong still targets a younger demographic, despite the city’s population being mostly older and nearly everyone having access to the internet.

Here’s how Meta’s adult ad audience breaks down by age:

Users in the 18–24 age group make up 8.2% female and 5.4% male. While Gen Z is present, they don’t dominate the space the way they do in markets with longer social media usage.

The majority of users are in the 25–34 age group, with 16.8% female and 12.1% male. These millennials can be best engaged on Meta platforms, making them a key target for marketers and communicators in Hong Kong.

Those aged 35–44 follow, with 15% female and 10.8% male. Although their engagement is slightly lower than the group before them, they still represent a substantial portion of the audience.

Among users aged 45–54, the numbers taper to 7.8% female and 6.8% male; meanwhile, the 55–64 age group accounts for 4.3% female and 4.4% male. Remember that this age range makes up a large share of Hong Kong’s overall population and internet users—but not its social media audience, making it a challenge to engage this group with campaigns that rely solely on social platforms.

Lastly, users aged 65 and above account for 4.4% female and 4.1% male.

Millennials form the bulk of Hong Kong's ad-targeted demographic. The gap between the targeted audiences and the actual online population highlights the importance of more suitable social media monitoring and listening to better understand who users really are and how they behave online.

Hong Kong stands apart from other regional markets in that older generations are online—but not targeted with ads. What makes its social media audience especially worth watching is the strong presence of users aged 35–44 at a time when viral trends, marketing language, and platform culture—especially on TikTok and Instagram—can often miss the mark with older crowds.

In general, keeping in touch and staying informed are the two main reasons why Hongkongers use social media. The most popular reason is simply to fill spare time, with 43.6% of users turning to social media when they have a minute to spare. A close second, 42% use it to keep in touch with friends and family—showing that users enjoy staying connected with loved ones during the hour-plus they spend on these platforms each day.

Reading news articles ranks third at 30.6%, demonstrating that many rely on social media to quickly scan updates and headlines. Related to this, 29.7% say they use it to see what’s being discussed—whether it’s breaking news, viral posts, or trending topics.

However, the fifth reason stands out the most. According to 26.5% of Hong Kong social media users, seeing content from their favourite brands is a major reason they use these platforms. This shows that users aren’t just aimlessly scrolling—they’re actively awaiting new product drops and exclusive updates from brands they follow. In this way, social media plays a key role in how consumers discover, shop, and maintain a relationship with the labels they love—giving brands in Hong Kong a clear opportunity to engage their audience with thoughtful marketing strategies.

Most used social media platforms in Hong Kong

Among Hong Kong's social media users aged 16 and above, 70.6% use both Facebook and WhatsApp. Hong Kong’s numerous millennials and Gen Xers use Facebook as a central hub for community news and content sharing. WhatsApp, on the other hand, is a key part of daily communication, whether for personal or professional use, thanks to its reliable messaging features and simple interface.

Instagram is the third most used platform in Hong Kong, with 58.2% of users active on it monthly. WeChat ranks fourth at 49.4%. While more widely adopted in China, it remains important in Hong Kong—particularly for those with strong personal or professional ties to the mainland.

These platform preferences show that Hongkongers have varied communication needs. They also reflect the straightforward way social media is used in the city: to stay connected and stay informed.

It is becoming increasingly vital for Hong Kong's companies to pay attention to and listen to chatter on social media platforms through social listening. Access to these kinds of social media statistics allows them to draw actionable insights and properly publish sound social media on their engagement platforms. Since their audiences are and will continue to be, growing in online places, addressing issues raised there is at the top of the to-do list for marketers in Hong Kong.

While YouTube doesn't rank among the most popular social networking sites in terms of monthly users, it is the most popular among Hongkongers when it comes to time spent. YouTube leads in engagement time, with an average of 22 hours and 31 minutes per month.

Several things make YouTube so popular in Hong Kong. When people want to watch videos they can't find anywhere else, they go to YouTube first. They rely on it for entertainment, product research, and educational content. This makes it an effective platform for companies to connect with consumers. Given the significant local interest in topics such as "Hong Kong," "music," and "movie," YouTube continues to serve as a key space for both entertainment and advertising. Notably, the popularity of the search term "Hong Kong" itself reflects users' strong interest in local news, food, culture, and everything tied to the city.

Following YouTube, Facebook users spend an average of 13 hours and 47 minutes per month on the platform, while Instagram users average 12 hours and 53 minutes. WhatsApp users engage for about 9 hours and 46 minutes monthly, and TikTok rounds out the top five with 8 hours and 58 minutes per month.

The demographics of YouTube's Hong Kong advertising audience closely mirror the city’s population: middle-aged and older. Ad reach on YouTube increases with age, unlike other platforms that typically cater to younger users. The largest share of YouTube ads targets those aged 65 and above, with a near-perfect declining trend across younger age groups. Given the global dominance of Gen Z and millennials on social media, insights like this are only possible through proper social listening and media monitoring tools.

Here’s the breakdown of YouTube ad audience in Hong Kong:

55–64 years old: 8.6% female, 7.8% male

45–54 years old: 9.7% female, 6.9% male

35–44 years old: 10.2% female, 7.3% male

25–34 years old: 7.1% female, 6.9% male

18–24 years old: 3.2% female, 3.2% male

Without the right tools and resources, your YouTube ad spend could easily go toward content made by influencers or campaigns aimed at Gen Z. But in Hong Kong, the cost of that kind of miscalculation could reach millions. Imagine crafting a youth-oriented TikTok-style collaboration with a trendy brand, only for your ad to be shown to a 70-year-old man who just wants to watch the news. Knowing your target demographic isn’t just helpful—it’s the line between a successful campaign and a total miss.

Shown here in 2025 are mobile usage statistics in Hong Kong that exemplify a society deeply connected through the black screens in their pockets, supported by excellent infrastructure and extensive use of mobile technology.

Mobile usage stands out in Hong Kong: on average, every resident has more than two cellular mobile connections, with 17.4 million connections accounting for 235% of the total population. This reflects the pervasive integration of mobile devices into everyday life and shows that most individuals maintain multiple connections.

A total of 790,000 new mobile connections were added over the past year, marking a 4.8% increase. A high percentage of these connections are broadband (3G, 4G, or 5G), guaranteeing dependable and fast communication across all devices.

To sum up, mobile usage in Hong Kong in 2025 reflects a population that is tech-savvy and equipped with access to state-of-the-art services. The city’s high penetration rates and widespread 5G adoption show just how central mobile connectivity is to everyday life.

While mobile internet use is high in Hong Kong, the graph above demonstrates that many people still prefer to access the internet using desktop computers and laptops. Traditional computing remains significant alongside mobile, with 43.84% of online traffic in Hong Kong originating from laptops and desktops.

That said, mobile phones are still the leading source, accounting for 50.86% of all online traffic—a 5.6% increase from the previous year.

As a footnote to mobile usage in Hong Kong, the prevalence of Android smartphones is a notable observation about mobile web traffic. In December 2024, Android phones accounted for 50.61% of all mobile web page requests, slightly more than iOS at 46.33%.

Online shopping is becoming more popular in Hong Kong. In 2024, 3.84 million individuals shopped for consumer goods online, up 9.7% from the previous year, or 340,000 more buyers. Additionally, online purchases of consumer products reached $4.77 billion USD, an increase of 9.2% or $402 million compared to the previous year, indicating a general trend of growth in online spending. Online shoppers brought in an average of $1,242 USD annually, a decline of 0.6% from the previous year’s total; although this figure is down, the rise in overall spending signals strong consumer activity in Hong Kong’s e-commerce space.

With a year-over-year growth of 7.1%, mobile commerce contributed significantly to this trend, making up 45% of total e-commerce expenditure in 2024. This further reflects the confidence and trust that Hongkongers have in using mobile phones for purchases.

In 2024, fashion was by far the most popular online shopping category in Hong Kong. At $2.31 billion USD, the fashion industry was the undisputed leader in e-commerce sales. Online marketplaces like ZALORA offer products from well-known global brands like PUMA, Calvin Klein, and New Balance, while Lane Crawford features luxury labels such as Balenciaga and Bottega Veneta. At the same time, local brands like Sau Lee appeal to the city's multicultural palate by fusing Eastern and Western styles.

Online sales in the electronics sector also performed well, reaching $540 million USD. Fortress, which sells a variety of appliances and consumer gadgets, was a popular destination for online shoppers in Hong Kong. With $529 million USD in online sales, furniture emerged as a key category in the e-commerce scene. Many people now shop for stylish pieces for their homes at stores like IKEA. Sustainable furniture is also gaining traction through local retailers like TREE, which attract eco-conscious shoppers.

Social Media Statistics for Hong Kong [Updated 2025]

Somehow, we’re more than halfway through 2025, making now the perfect time to check back in on those goals and intentions we set all the way back in January. If you started out the year intending to change your spending habits, you’re not alone. Financial goals were the most-discussed resolutions on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day 2025. At the same time, the internet was buzzing about no-buy, slow-buy, and low-spend challenges intended to help people meet those goals. But how has interest in these challenges held up over the course of a half-year filled with tariff wars, increased buy now, pay later service usage, and persistent price pressure? We used our social listening solution to learn more about how the no-buy challenge conversation is shaping up online. 

A no-buy challenge, also known as a no-spend challenge, is a self-imposed restriction on non-essential spending observed over a certain period of time like a month or a year. While no-buy challenges often focus on saving money and financial health, variations like low-buy/low-spend and slow-buy/slow-spend emphasize more mindful spending rather than cutting out shopping altogether. In any case, what all of these challenges have in common is countering overconsumption and the impulse to spend beyond your means. Participating in the challenges often includes making a list of items and services you’re allowed to spend money on, a list of those you’re not, and sometimes a list of activities to do instead of spending money.

How popular are no-buy challenges online?

Social and media mentions of no-buy and related challenges spiked 32x higher than average on December 28, 2024.

During New Year’s Resolutions season, i.e. December 2024, the online and media discussion about no-buy and related challenges saw a huge spike just before the month’s end as people discussed controlling their spending in 2025. But did that interest continue into the new year?

Social and media mentions of no-buy and related challenges spiked 6x higher than average on February 28, 2025, the day of a U.S. economic blackout protest against major corporate retailers.

The no-buy challenge discussion didn’t sustain that December spike, but if you assumed that it would peter out by February you were wrong. Though mentions mostly slowed down after New Year’s Day, they grew in late February and early March as the challenge got new life from political and economic anxieties in the United States. 

The February 28 spike in discussion was due to a 24-hour, grassroots protest targeting major corporate retailers, particularly those that ended or rolled back their DEI policies following the election of Donald Trump. Organizers called on consumers to refrain from buying anything that day or, alternatively, only spending their money at local, small businesses using cash. 

Mentions of no-buy and related challenges spiked on X on March 7 as users discussed the impact of the February 28 protests as well as news of increased interest in the challenges.

Similar protests continued into March. At the same time, no-buy challenges saw renewed attention on X, Reddit, broadcast, and news coverage amid significant tariff actions from the White House and retaliatory tariffs from China, the European Union, Canada, and other nations. The economic anxiety the “tariff wars” inspired led some to seek a sense of security in no-buy challenges. The discussion has since waned, but it hasn’t disappeared. In June so far, there have still been about 100 mentions a day.

What are social media users saying about no-buy and no-spend challenges?

Outside of Pinterest, which is mainly filled with highly-engaged resources like checklists and guides, some key themes have emerged from the no-buy challenge discussion on social media.

This YouTube video by minimalism influencer @AtoZenLife has been viewed about 125,000 times since it was posted on January 12, 2025.

The three most engaged pieces of content were YouTube videos by creators discussing their strategies for slashing spending and saving money throughout 2025. Each one shared useful resources like no-spend lists and savings trackers to help viewers keep to their own financial goals. 

This X post by a financial service company sparked lively debate about the effectiveness of economic boycotts and protests.

Protests and boycotts earlier this year, fueled by social media discussion and promotion, inspired consumers to vote with their dollars, or more specifically, the withholding of them. With economic, social, and political uncertainty still churning, we can expect more boycotts and politically-inspired no-spend challenges to pop up this year. In a similar vein, some consumers are using no-buy challenges to direct more of their spending to companies that align with their values, like independent, local stores or brands that emphasize ethical practices.

In this quote post, an X user talks about letting an example of influencer overconsumption be their inspiration for sticking to their no-buy challenge.

As consumers are feeling the crunch of the rising costs of living, content with even a hint of waste and overconsumption risk backlash and accusations of being out of touch. (For one example, read up on the Poppi vending machine controversy from earlier this year.) Some shoppers are using no-spend challenges as a way to fight back against a culture of quick and easy consumption.

Here are some points for marketers and brands to keep in mind:

No-buy isn’t niche. No-buy challenges have enjoyed much mainstream news coverage this year and even more online discussion. While such challenges aren’t new, in 2025, they are more top of mind than ever.

Read the room. Whether it’s haul videos going out of style or major retailers facing backlash for their policies, no-buy challenges aren’t happening in a vacuum. Brands that ignore the economic and political realities of their audiences are at greater risk of making a costly misstep than those who are consistently in the know of not only what their customers are talking about but also how they feel about it. 

Values-driven brands have an edge. Around the world, buying local is a hot priority for consumers on both political and cost grounds. Meanwhile, consumers continue to flock to companies that share their values. Brands that highlight themselves as local or ethical alternatives have a competitive edge among consumers interested in more mindful spending and consumption.

Why No-Buy Challenges Are Still Trending in 2025 and What They Mean for Brands

June has been a thrilling month for NBA fans. The 2025 league finals, which began on June 5, took all seven games to complete, ending with the Oklahoma Thunder’s win over the Indiana Pacers on June 22. As the world tuned in to watch the games, presented by ABC and YouTube TV, fans, journalists, and commentators alike discussed the 2025 NBA Finals in the media and online. We used our social listening and analytics solution to measure the buzz, determine which team really won the tournament, and see how the games boosted discussion about YouTube TV.

How big was the 2025 NBA Finals social media and news coverage?

From Game 1 on June 5 to Game 7 on June 22, there were over 2.5 million social media, news, broadcast, and podcast mentions. Understandably, the biggest day for conversation was the final day of the series, peaking at about 534,000 mentions.

The phrase “game thread,” used on Reddit to denote general discussions after each game, was the top keyword in the conversation. (More on that below.) Meanwhile, Tyrese Haliburton emerged as the most discussed person, with about 159,000 mentions. The Pacers point guard, who scored a game-winning point in the last .3 seconds of Game 1, sustained an injury in the first quarter of Game 7. His absence from the rest of the game was a much-discussed factor in the Pacers’ loss.

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Social Media Statistics for Hong Kong [Updated 2025]

Why No-Buy Challenges Are Still Trending in 2025 and What They Mean for Brands

2025 NBA Finals Stats: How Big Was the Online Buzz?

2025 Social Media Statistics for Thailand

Mobile Gaming in South Africa 2025: Trends & Growth Opportunities

The Rise of AI Influencers: What the Data Says About Consumer Sentiment and Interest

How Social Media Reacted to the ChatGPT Final Exams Promotion

How Streaming UX is Driving Social Media Buzz in 2025

Beyond the Ballot: What Singapore’s Digital Pulse Revealed During GE2025

What Marketers Can Learn from the Labubu Craze

Social Listening

Three F1 Movie Activations That Drove Big Online Buzz

Tailoring Social and Media Intelligence for Global Enterprises

Social Media Statistics for Hong Kong [Updated 2025]

Why No-Buy Challenges Are Still Trending in 2025 and What They Mean for Brands

2025 NBA Finals Stats: How Big Was the Online Buzz?

2025 Social Media Statistics for Thailand

Mobile Gaming in South Africa 2025: Trends & Growth Opportunities

The Rise of AI Influencers: What the Data Says About Consumer Sentiment and Interest

How Social Media Reacted to the ChatGPT Final Exams Promotion

How Streaming UX is Driving Social Media Buzz in 2025

Beyond the Ballot: What Singapore’s Digital Pulse Revealed During GE2025

What Marketers Can Learn from the Labubu Craze

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