There are three people I can trust to give me an honest opinion: my mother, youngest son and best friend. All know a thing or two about Hong Kong, so it was natural for me to turn to them for an opinion about what authorities have so bureaucratically called the revitalised city brand. If you go to any government website, you will see it - an updated version of the old flying dragon logo with the words: 'Hong Kong Asia's World City'. In its new incarnation, the mythical creature has been stylised and has three ribbons - blue, green and red - streaming behind it.
I approached my almost-16-year-old son first. Asking for a first impression, I flashed a printed copy of the logo in front of him. 'China,' he muttered. Dragons and China - you can't argue with that.
My near-octogenarian mother gave me not an opinion, but an unrelated question. 'Why on earth was the hotel in that lovely movie about Suzie Wong pulled down?' she asked absent-mindedly. The brand clearly hadn't made an impression.
The friend in Sydney had the most to say. His gut impression was ambivalence; there was nothing about it that made him want to get on a plane and do another two-year working stint. He thought that the red ribbon was a graph of economic performance and that the city was in decline.
Officials are not so abrupt, off-topic or flippant. Since the logo's launch on March 27, they have been trying to justify the effort and millions of dollars spent on the design, campaign and running the Brand Hong Kong office. Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah articulated the government's case on this page yesterday. Cities the world over were in competition for people and investment, so we needed to ensure Hong Kong had an attractive global image, he said. Branding also engendered pride among citizens and helped build a better society. Changing circumstances meant a need to renew and innovate.
There is all manner of meaning and philosophy hidden in the new image. Behind it are core values of Hong Kong people and our city's attributes. The words thrown about include enterprising, innovative, quality living, cosmopolitan and diverse. The blue and green ribbons are symbols of a blue sky and sustainable environment. The crinkly line of the red ribbon is not a graph, but a representation of Lion Rock, which is apparently all about our 'can do' spirit.