Disneyland and Ocean Park are two major theme parks in Hong Kong. As two must-go amusement parks, price increase were announced by both parks in November and December 2015. While Disneyland increased its price by 8%, Ocean Park had an 11% increase. Different voices were heard from Hong Kong netizens and Mainland netizens on the topic.
A downfall for Hong Kong
When Hong Kong Disneyland first announced its price increase in November 2015 it created a huge buzz across the internet, mostly commenting on related articles. Most Hong Kong netizens see Disneyland as a focus for tourists and is inconsiderate of local communities. As Shanghai Disneyland opening date approaches, both Hong Kong and Mainland netizens believe that there will be a significant downfall for Hong Kong Disneyland and the price increase would be the last opportunity for the park to perform well. As the ticket price reaches HK$539, Tokyo Disneyland, Shanghai Disneyland, and even Ocean Park become the top choices for Hong Kong netizens. It is obvious that price is netizens’ main concern and they would rather spend a little more to travel across the border for Disneyland or go to Ocean Park for free on birthdays.
The Other Side of Hong Kong Disneyland
However, a professor at the Nicholson School of Communication, Jonathan Matusitz, supports Disneyland by pointing out that Hong Kong Disneyland has made its effort to integrate itself into the community. The Hong Kong Disneyland ticket price was initially lowered following the Asian Financial Crisis and SARS epidemic. In another words, the price increase would be baby steps to bring the price point to Disneyland’s average. In the beginning Disneyland realized that the themes were not attracting Mainland visitors because they were not familiar with the habit and culture. As an effort to please Mainland visitors, Chinese culture was added to many aspects of the park. For example, Mickey was dressed in Red Mao suit and buildings were altered to fit the belief of Feng Shui (the ancient Chinese study of arrangements).
Hong Kong or Shanghai?
On February 3, 2016, Shanghai Disneyland announced its ticket prices at RMB370 (about HK$438) on non-peak days and RMB499 (about HK$591) on peak days. In another words, Shanghai is the cheapest Disneyland in the world on non-peak days, yet more expensive than Hong Kong Disneyland on peak days. Hot debate on the Disneyland topic rises once again between Hong Kong netizens and Mainland netizens after the announcement, mostly commenting on related articles. While Mainland netizens laugh and say that “nobody will go to Hong Kong this time”, Hong Kong netizens reply by saying “Thank you shanghai, Hong Kong Disneyland is ours again”. Two different voices were observed among Hong Kong netizens with one preferring Shanghai Disneyland regardless, and another saying it’s time to support Hong Kong Disneyland. Some netizens prefer Shanghai Disneyland because Hong Kong Disneyland is way too small and boring. Interestingly, the decrease of Mainland visitors becomes the priority for those who support Hong Kong Disneyland and the heavy price seems to be forgotten.
As more details on Shanghai Disneyland is yet to come, netizens’ preference between Shanghai and Hong Kong is expected to change with every new announcement. With less than 4 months to go, it will be interesting to see what Shanghai and Hong Kong will do to attract their new target visitors.
Loren is an experienced marketing professional who translates data and insights using Isentia solutions into trends and research, bringing clients closer to the benefits of audience intelligence. Loren thrives on introducing the groundbreaking ways in which data and insights can help a brand or organisation, enabling them to exceed their strategic objectives and goals.
Australia’s
vast distances from west to east coasts, typically means most visitors to the
country prioritise the east coast for their travels, aspiring for the touristic
photos with either the iconic Sydney Opera House, the Great Ocean Road or the
Great Barrier Reef. Ironically, none of these iconic landmarks were named the
number one place to visit, but Margaret River – a town in the south-west of the
wildflower state took the trophy. The badge of honour was awarded as the best
place to visit in the Asia-pacific for 2019 by travel authority, Lonely Planet
– trumping other idyllic places in New Zealand and Singapore.
It marks
the first time an Australian tourism spot has taken the top award in fifteen
years and according to Tourism WA, in
the year ending December 2018, Margaret River alone had 1,690,800 visitors - an
increase of 8.9 per cent on the previous year.
The New Sporting Capital
This accolade
brings Western Australia even more into the spotlight.
Perth has recently
taken the sporting capital crown from Melbourne (the original sporting capital)
after hosting impressive crowd-pleasing events including the recent 2nd game of the State of Origin which attracted 15,000 interstate visitors. Other
blockbuster slate of fixtures includes the English soccer giants Manchester
United and Leeds United heading to Optus Stadium next month, followed by
Perth’s first Bledisloe Cup match between the Wallabies and All Blacks in
August. These are all on top of the weekly AFL fixtures. Heading into summer,
the Fed Cup and ATP World Cup will bring the world’s best tennis stars to Perth
as well as the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
The McGowan
government will continue to seek out these world class events with recently
expressing interest to bid for Australia to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup as
well as potentially steal the NRL grand final from the east coast in 2021. As interstate
visitors are spending an average $1006 for every trip and international
tourists splashing out $2280 each visit, these events will result in a healthy
injection of tourism into the local economy and will mark 2019 as the biggest
year on record in sport for WA.
Local Tourism At Its Finest
Perth,
Margaret River and their surrounding cities have received some serious praise
in the past months, with over 900 media mentions across broadcast, online and
print in the past month alone. With the cities hosting events such as Gourmet
Escape in Margaret river, Truffle Kerfuffle, Jazz by the Bay in Dunsborough,
the Drop Music Festival in Busselton and the Margaret River Pro to name a few,
it is easy to understand the reasons why people from all over Australia and the
world are taking time out to visit. Local hoteliers and Perth based tourism
providers are also taking advantage of the increased exposure to WA tourism as
their businesses thrive.
Perception And Reputation
Interestingly, the reputation and perception of Perth has also been a talking point in recent months with discussions around the quality of Perth for a place to live, work, visit, study and/or invest. These conversations have been particularly apparently across online channels with 67 per cent of media mentions occurring from 1st April through to 30th June 2019. Mentions across press were a distant 2nd with 30 per cent during this period. Despite there being largely positive views of Perth held by those who live outside WA, the Committee for Perth states Perth residents are slow to recommend the city to outsiders.
If you’d like to understand the media lens on any topic, brand or audience, get in touch with us today.
"
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Blog
Go Wild In Western Australia
Australia’s vast distances from west to east coasts, typically means most visitors to the country prioritise the east coast for their travels, aspiring for the touristic photos with either the iconic Sydney Opera House, the Great Ocean Road or the Great Barrier Reef.
Many organisations know stakeholder engagement matters, but turning that knowledge into an approach that consistently works is another story. At the recent webinar How to Master Your Stakeholder Strategy, leaders from Meridian Energy, the Victorian Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, and Isentia shared lessons from the field on what meaningful engagement really looks like.
Know who your stakeholders are
Stakeholders aren’t just on the periphery. As Mandy Griffiths from the Victorian Department of Families, Fairness and Housing explained, they are “the people who really have a great influence on whether the things that you’re working on or decisions you’re making are successful or not.” Internal stakeholders can be just as critical as external ones, especially in large organisations. Choosing terminology that reflects value and honesty helps too: her team prefers “critical friends” because it signals both importance and the possibility of differing views.
Build trust with evidence
Phil Clarke from Meridian Energy described how evidence can guide engagement strategies. By surveying 500 stakeholders mid-way through a two-year project, his team gained clear insights into what drives trust. This evidence-led approach, he says, “gives teams effectively a cheat sheet for what they need to do to build trust among their stakeholders.” Starting with data rather than assumptions helps teams focus their efforts where it matters most.
Learn through listening
Complex situations, like the pandemic, show why humility and iterative learning are essential. Mandy recalled that asking communities directly about their needs often revealed challenges her team hadn’t anticipated. “So many times we went in thinking we knew what the biggest pain points were, and it turned out to be something else entirely,” she said. Taking the time to listen ensures effort is spent on the right priorities.
Measure, adapt, and personalise
Measurement underpins high-performing strategies. Ngaire Crawford from Isentia stressed that “late teams don’t guess, they measure,” from establishing baselines to tracking engagement and adapting based on what the data shows. Effective strategies also go beyond simple demographics, grouping stakeholders by motivations, concerns, influence networks, and communication preferences. Closing the feedback loop is crucial: “Stakeholders who feel heard are the ones that are most likely to become advocates,” Ngaire explained.
Key takeaways
Treat stakeholders as central, not peripheral.
Use evidence to understand trust and guide decisions.
Listen first, act later, assumptions can mislead.
Measure and adapt continuously.
Personalise engagement based on motivations, not just demographics.
The common thread from the webinar: engagement works best when it’s informed, iterative, and genuinely centred on the people involved.
Watch the full webinar here, or contact our team to see how Isentia’s SRM solutions can help you achieve your stakeholder goals.
Building stakeholder strategies that work in the real world
Many organisations know stakeholder engagement matters, but turning that knowledge into an approach that consistently works is another story. At the recent webinar How to Master Your Stakeholder Strategy, leaders from Meridian Energy, the Victorian Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, and Isentia shared lessons from the field on what meaningful engagement really looks like. […]
During reputational crises, many brands find themselves pressed into strategies that are entirely reactive. However, a better understanding of a brand's audience and stakeholders – how they communicate and what they value – would empower brands and the teams running their messaging to respond more authentically, helping comms land in the right way at the right time. With AI content taking over audience news and social feeds, brand leadership must invest in creating a framework that actually measures authenticity.
Prashant Saxena, VP of Revenue and Insights, for Isentia (SEA region) in his research paper on "Authenticity in the age of AI" has identified cues or signals that audiences subconsciously look for when identifying if a social post is written by a human or virtual influencer. Understanding these cues gives brands and PR leaders a much needed manual or playbook that guides them with the content audiences expect to consume. These equip us with a practical roadmap with clear implications for AI governance and digital literacy amidst the workplace and audiences.
Why is authenticity in crisis?
There is a trust gap, as audiences show declining faith in brands and their leadership. Some of these factors are highly polarised, such as differing responses to CEOs and their part in society. But the most universal, and nascent, challenge to brand trust appears to be the rollout of AI. Businesses are now under the microscope, with changes to business models, substandard service and inauthentic communications all likely to be blamed on leadership teams haphazardly implementing AI solutions.
Astronomer's former CEO Andy Byron and the controversy at the Coldplay concert has added to this decline in trust and all the more underscores an authenticity crisis. Post the controversy, there was a fake apology statement that was circulated on X and other social media platforms. The company had to release a statement saying that the apology was in fact fake and was concocted by someone who wanted to satisfy audience sentiments. This is very telling in that, audiences will always be more attracted to content that conforms with their views and would accept anything at face value without having the need to fact check.
This underpins the need for brands to be as authentic as possible when it comes to responding to crisis.
Cues in action
Audiences are more alert than ever to signals of what feels genuine online. These subtle markers, from factual accuracy and cultural relevance to tone, consistency, and timing, influence whether people trust a brand’s message, engage with it, or scroll past.
Our analysis of leadership posts on social platforms reveals a pattern. The more authenticity cues a post displayed, the higher the engagement it received. It’s not about relying on one signal but about layering multiple ones together. Posts that showed identity, accuracy, emotional expression, and consistency outperformed those that didn’t. For brands, this insight offers a practical takeaway. Every post can be tested against these cues. The closer the content aligns with them, the more likely it is to spark meaningful engagement. When conversations are filtered through these markers, the most valuable audience feedback comes into focus, the kind that helps brands adjust strategies and connect more deeply with people.
Looking at how tech leaders post on LinkedIn shows just how powerful authenticity cues can be. Piotr Skalski’s celebration of hitting 30,000 GitHub stars combined identity, visuals, community validation, and more - and it drew the highest engagement. Tay Bannerman’s post leaned on accuracy, cultural insight, and emotion, earning slightly less traction, while Oliver Molander’s take on ChatGPT carried fewer cues overall and saw the lowest engagement of the three. This comparison highlights how posts with a richer mix of cues tend to resonate more, while those with fewer signals struggle to spark the same response.
Authenticity isn’t one-dimensional. It’s built from many layers, and brands that balance the scale and efficiency of AI with recognisable human signals will stand out. Those who manage both can achieve more by building trust, relevance, and long-term human connection. Ching Yee Wong, VP of Communications, APEC at Marriott International said, "AI can enhance planning and recommendations, but the human element remains central to the experience. Technology supports efficiency, while cultural sensitivity and personal care must remain human-driven."
How the launch of Chat GPT-5 did not conform with audience expectations
The GPT-5 launch was not the best. The expectations were so high, that audiences knew it was bound to disappoint. Why was it not up to mark? The online vocal users of a brand are the spokespeople that the brand did not choose. These audiences are loyal users of the product and in exchange, they expect that the brand provide them with what they need. The monetary aspect becomes irrelevant if the brand delivers.
When OpenAI launched GPT-5, many long-time users felt let down. The decision to merge earlier models into one version was seen by some as a cost-cutting move, and the disappointment was loudest among the platform’s most loyal audience. Running these reactions through our authenticity cues showed a clear gap in cultural relevance. The release didn’t reflect the expectations or norms of its most vocal users. That’s an important lesson for brands and leaders - audiences want to feel heard. The best way to achieve that is by analysing online conversations through these cues, which can reveal what people truly expect and guide how to respond.
Interested in learning how Isentia can help? Fill in your details below to get access to our latest Authenticity Report and read more about our cues designed to measure brand authenticity.
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Blog
How to rebuild brand trust through authentic communication
Learn the major cues or signals that help PR leaders and brands measure authenticity, to deal with reputation risks and rebuild trust.
With a population of over 46,000 and a reputation for heritage streetscapes, and parks, the City of Burnside is one of Adelaide’s most well-known residential councils. But managing communications in a busy media landscape is no easy task. The council needed to ensure positive stories reached the public, while also tracking emerging issues and maintaining accurate records to support decision-making and accountability.
The challenge? Like many local governments, the City of Burnside needed a sharper, tailored approach to media monitoring.
The council wanted to:
See which local stories were gaining traction
Track sentiment and emerging issues early
Give executives and council members timely, accurate information
Simplify reporting and access hard-to-reach broadcast and parliamentary content
In this case study, we explore how the City of Burnside uses Isentia to:
Monitor story impact and public sentiment
Spot trends in other councils and anticipate issues
Share key updates automatically with leadership and teams
Receive proactive alerts and summaries on major events
With Isentia embedded across the organisation, the council can respond confidently, manage reputational risks, and make informed decisions across communications and planning.
How Isentia helps the City of Burnside manage its reputation and anticipate complex issues
With a population of over 46,000 and a reputation for heritage streetscapes, and parks, the City of Burnside is one of Adelaide’s most well-known residential councils. But managing communications in a busy media landscape is no easy task. The council needed to ensure positive stories reached the public, while also tracking emerging issues and maintaining […]
