Mainland digital advertising agency MeetSocial’s global expansion plans have received a significant boost following a visit to the Middle East organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC).
Established in Shanghai in 2013, the agency provides digital marketing services for Chinese brands on major overseas social media platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, Google and TikTok.
The company offers a full spectrum of online advertising solutions, including media placement, search traffic optimisation, livestreaming, content creation and social media account management – all to support enterprises seeking to expand globally.
To date, the firm has served over 180,000 clients and been recognised for several years by the Ministry of Commerce as a “Key Cultural Export Enterprise”.
Milestone delegation visit
In recent years, MeetSocial has actively expanded into overseas markets with a focus on the Middle East.
To assist the company better understand local market dynamics and build meaningful business networks, the HKTDC invited it to participate in a trade delegation to Qatar and Kuwait in May 2025.
Led by the Hong Kong SAR Chief Executive and organised by the HKTDC, the mission marked the first time Hong Kong and mainland companies jointly took part in a delegation to explore opportunities in the Middle East.
More than 50 business leaders and corporate representatives from Hong Kong and seven mainland provinces and municipalities took part in the visit, resulting in the announcement of 59 collaborations.
Among these, MeetSocial announced a new collaboration with HSBC Hong Kong to accelerate its expansion into Middle East markets. The collaboration aims to capitalise on major growth themes across the Gulf region, including economic diversification, smart cities, and rising trade and investment flows between Asia and the Middle East.
Reflecting on the visit, Founder and CEO Shen Chengang said the trip gave him first-hand insight into the Middle East’s market landscape and the state of its digital infrastructure.
Most important, however, were the connections forged with potential clients.
“After meeting with local telecommunications operators, I realised just how much enterprises can strengthen their business by enhancing their cross-border digital marketing capabilities. This collaboration with HSBC will elevate MeetSocial’s offerings, enabling us to provide clients with a more comprehensive suite of services.”
Connecting and expanding through Hong Kong
Since founding, MeetSocial’s Hong Kong office has served as a strategic gateway for its global operations, with most of its overseas transactions now settled in the city.
According to Mr Shen, the company’s Singapore, Japan and United States branches were opened through its Hong Kong holding entity, and further ventures in the Middle East and Europe are expected.
To better meet its clients’ increasingly diverse marketing requirements, MeetSocial has continuously expanded its technological and service capabilities. At present, the company counts more than 50 leading global media organisations as its partners and offers marketing services in up to 50 languages.
In recent years, the agency’s Middle East business has grown at an impressive annual rate of 60%. To sustain this momentum, the company aims to partner with more upstream and downstream partners, helping more Chinese enterprises reach Middle Eastern consumers through effective and targeted digital marketing.
Mr Shen is optimistic about future prospects and anticipates expanding the company’s footprint in the Middle East.
“Our ultimate aim is to integrate into the region’s digital industry ecosystem. By working closely together with local partners, we hope to enhance the competitiveness of Middle Eastern enterprises in doing digital business,” he said.
Against a backdrop of geopolitical tensions and trade frictions, an increasing number of mainland enterprises are actively pursuing overseas expansion. To support and accelerate such international expansion, the Hong Kong SAR Government launched the Task Force on Supporting Mainland Enterprises in Going Global (the GoGlobal Task Force) in October 2025, steered by the Secretary for Commerce and Development Algernon Yau.
As a key part of the Task Force, the HKTDC is proactively supporting these companies in building business networks and seizing new opportunities through a wide range of initiatives, including exhibitions, conferences and trade missions.