Opinion | How to leverage catalysts in HK hospitality campaign

By Xiong Weibo and Nina Wang

The Hong Kong SAR Government recently announced the launch of the "Hospitality" campaign, covering all 18 districts in Hong Kong, including schools, large and small businesses and various industries. The campaign aims to encourage and promote all levels of society to actively participate in promoting hospitality and enhance tourists' experience satisfaction. As the saying goes, change leads to success. But change takes time. How can we promote the city-wide politeness movement more effectively and achieve the goal of enhancing the charm of Hong Kong?

Jonah Berger, a professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, proposes a view that people are often not unwilling to change, but are facing a series of obstacles. Berger vividly calls this method of avoiding obstacles to promote change a "catalyst". "Hospitality" campaign also needs to find its catalyst.

In the 1990s, faced with a high youth smoking rate and persistent advertising from tobacco companies, anti-smoking educators adopted a new approach. Rather than telling teens what to do, they guided them to discover truths about the tobacco industry's manipulations and the glamorization of smoking in media. Teens conducted interviews with magazines, learning about the prioritization of profit over potential harm. This approach, where the educators merely guided and the action was left to the youth, cut the smoking rate in half in two years, making it one of the most successful anti-smoking programs in history.

IBerger's obstacle and catalyst theories may pose a question: what could hinder promotion? Using the "REDUCE" framework from the book, the author suggests ideas for five key resistance factors: Reactance, Endowment, Distance, Uncertainty, Corroborating Evidence.

First, people instinctively resist when forced or commanded, a concept known as "Reactance". Persuasion can trigger resistance, so businesses should be given autonomy to promote the hospitality campaign creatively and choose from different guides. Using "cognitive dissonance" can also guide reflection. For instance, asking service industry personnel how they would like to be treated when traveling in Japan or South Korea can highlight the gap between attitude and behavior, emphasizing the importance of politeness.

Secondly, the "Endowment" effect indicates people's tendency to maintain the status quo. Highlighting the hidden costs of inaction can spur change. For instance, in the hospitality campaign, the goal isn't just to "keep" Hong Kong's status as a tourism and shopping hub, but to "reclaim" it. This taps into people's fear of loss and stimulates self-transformation. Instead of emphasizing increased tourist income, we should consider the potential loss of income from dissatisfied visitors. This loss impacts restaurants, hotels, retail, and attractions. Quantifying this loss can motivate collective action to improve service quality.

Third, the "Distance" view suggests that people reject ideas which fall into their psychological "rejection zone". This is evident in hospitality campaigns where skeptical voices arise on the internet. Not everyone can be swayed by these campaigns, but they can appeal to those with curiosity and openness. Change can be promoted by highlighting small yet positive impacts such as the joy tourists feel from greetings like "Hello, welcome to Hong Kong!" A gradual approach can reduce psychological distance towards the campaign, inspiring spontaneous change.

Fourth, despite acknowledging the need for change, the uncertainty often makes us cling to the status quo. To overcome this, more people should experience the benefits of polite behavior. Increasing participation eases the transition. When local media spotlight positive customer feedback from platforms like Xiaohongshu and Dazhong Dianping, it promotes the benefits of hospitality, eliminating doubts.

Fifth, the "Corroborating Evidence" approach emphasizes the need for evidence to change views. Behavioral science categorizes attitudes as "weak" (less important views like those on a pine tree or a font) and "strong" (highly preferred or valued views like political stance, religious beliefs, and moral ethics). More evidence is needed to change "strong attitudes". Hence, the media can monitor and promote the positive changes from the hospitality campaign, enabling "corroborating evidence" to act as a catalyst for improving Hong Kong's tourism retail environment.

Changing mindsets isn't easy and requires consistent efforts. We can foster change subtly, using behavioral science as a guide and removing barriers to change. By leveraging catalysts in our hospitality campaign, we aim to enhance Hong Kong's appeal in various fields.

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