Hongbaos as a branding tool: Firms pull out the stops

Singapore

IN this run-up to the Chinese New Year, companies have begun handing out their corporate red packets or hongbaos, usually along with goodwill gifts of seasonal foods or hampers.

These red envelopes, into which people put money to give away to family and friends, have become a tool for corporate branding, so businesses leave nothing to chance in their design.

UOB's line of hongbaos for this Year of the Rooster come in the auspicious colours of red, plum and gold, and bear a calligraphic brush stroke representing a stroke of good luck. Each hongbao also has a…