Careers: What it's like to work for...Poad Group

Bruce Kong is the chief executive of Poad Group. Poad, one of the largest outdoor advertising groups in Hong Kong, offers advertising opportunities through the outdoor formats of neon signs, billboards, street furniture and transport advertising (taxi, buses and metro-railway) in Hong Kong.

How many staff?

We have around 30 people in Hong Kong.

Marketing responsibilities?

Strategic marketing planning, promotion and relationship marketing. The major challenge these days is keeping up with market trends and finding new ways to cope with advertisers' ever-changing ideas and requirements.

Staff also need to keep abreast of the many Government regulations that may restrict the display of new creative work.

Locating new sites, which offer good advertising opportunities to clients, is another difficulty.

Who's the competition?

In a broader sense, competition for the local market includes all advertising media - television, print and outdoor.

However, the group competes against other local outdoor media operators.

Poad Group has a very definite identity and competitive advantages as a 'smarter outdoor' company.

The group has successfully revamped several big outdoor projects and turned them into great outdoor cases in Hong Kong.

How do you get a job there?

Write to Poad if you believe you are a smart and creative outdoor person.

We usually find new candidates through newspapers, the internet, and via referrals.

Department or office transfers?

Yes. Poad is very flexible in this regard. If a member of staff proves his or her ability, then a transfer is easy.

Any training offered?

On-the-job training plus timely training sessions.

Pay and perks?

Excellent. It is fair and one gets back what one contributes.

Long hours?

All advertising companies work long hours, but with good self-satisfaction when one sees the end product erected - the big billboards across the city.

Business travel?

Outdoor company staff travel a lot, mainly local travel.

Joanna Chow, sales director, Poad Group.