Cream of the Crop This is the seventh article in a 10-part series acknowledging the achievements of Hong Kong's most esteemed female entrepreneurs One voice Radio broadcasting guru Bianca Ma unveils her vision of a harmonious society to Sophie Leung Sister of six siblings, Bianca Ma, managing director, Metro Broadcast Corporation Limited enjoyed no favouritism as a child. From an early age she learnt to study hard at school, worked part time as a tutor and piano teacher, and helped out with domestic chores at home. Hailing from this environment where nothing was taken for granted, Ms Ma prides herself as a self-motivated go-getter. "I never fear hardship. My upbringing nurtured the tenacity which has led me to career success today," she says. Determined to defy any difficulties, Ms Ma joined Metro Broadcast Corporation Limited, and her persistence and resolve have successfully revived the radio business by reversing financial deficits in 1997 and again in 2005. She feels that her most impressive achievement has been turning loss into profit. "It was a great business challenge, but Metro made it," she adds. Tactical turnaround Over the past decade, Ms Ma has facilitated many changes at Metro Broadcast, securing the radio station a prominent position in the field. Her revolutionary theory about radio broadcasting that "sound should not only be heard, but also be seen" has laid the foundation for Metro's spearhead development in multimedia, in particular, with the launch of the Metro Finance website as the first stage. By pioneering an array of branding exercises through event marketing and public relations, coverage of the local station has also expanded to several mainland cities, enabling the station to gain a foothold in Greater China. The Metro team participated in the 2008 Walk for Millions officiated by chief secretary Henry Tang Photos: Courtesy of Metro Broadcast In addition to the visualisation of the sound broadcaster's role, Ms Ma is working to realise her dream. She notes, "We hope to foster harmony in the city and deliver positive messages to our audience." Her initiatives have proven popular so far as both market share and revenue growth rates have increased. Regarding hurdles en route to success, Ms Ma remembers the 2003 SARS outbreak as the greatest challenge she has ever seen. "People were unwilling to go outdoors at that time and sales in general took a terrible knock." Overseeing the marketing team, Ms Ma suggested collaboration with companies selling health related products and introduced a six-hour non-stop health information programme aired every Sunday. "We kept our listeners informed of health updates and shared our clients' messages with the community simultaneously," she explains. This vertical programming strategy worked effectively and helped the station sustain sales volume and ultimately survive the crisis. Entrepreneurial spirit Before joining the radio station in 1994, Ms Ma was a seasoned professional in advertising and marketing. This experience proved invaluable during her initial days at Metro Broadcast as she encouraged a break from the traditional promotional framework towards more contemporary event marketing. By increasing the exposure of radio programme hosts, for example through targeting academia, the company attracted a younger and fresher audience base. Industry leaders at the Hong Kong Economic Summit Acting on the vision to take the radio station to the next level and stretch beyond the realm of local sound broadcasting media, Ms Ma reached joint broadcasting agreements with radio stations in Guangdong and Shanghai. This enterprise made broadcasting history as Metro Broadcast became the first and only Hong Kong radio station to simulcast programmes with mainland stations. As a winner of the "China Top 100 Women Entrepreneurs" award Ms Ma has her unique view on the fundamentals of entrepreneurism: "An entrepreneur never sticks to old practices and instead harnesses innovation to launch new projects with the determination to succeed." Apart from extensive marketing efforts, Ms Ma believes in quality programming. "Once we gained wide audience support, advertisers came knocking on our door," she says. In addition to finance and infotainment programming, Ms Ma is keen to create programmes for children and the elderly. She notes, "Our corporate social responsibility agenda ensures the disadvantaged are supported and social harmony is fostered within an environment where resentment often prevails." The core focus of the programmes is to bring a smile to listeners' faces every morning and motivate them to face the day with a positive outlook. Approachable authority Ms Ma attributes her success to the team work of 200 associates. "I don't perceive myself as a detached boss but rather someone who works closely with the entire team. I care for them and create the best environment to fully develop their professional potential," she emphasises. Encouraging lifelong learning, Ms Ma has promoted further study by setting up a sponsorship scheme for staff who successfully complete an academic programme. She hopes every member of her staff feels proud to be part of the team at Metro Broadcast. To preserve a healthy work-life balance, Ms Ma has set a rule for herself: "I don't return home later than nine in the evening except on very rare occasions." She avoids discussing work at home and spends most of the weekend with her family. Valuing relationships over and above everything else she reveals her ambition in life, "I will not disappoint the people who love me," she concludes. Industry leaders at the Hong Kong Economic Summit Taken from Career Times 12 September 2008, p. C8 Your comments are welcome at [email protected]