Johnny Kwan
Ever wondered about all those A4 posters that just say “Tennis Training 2540-8333”? Tennis coach Johnny Kwan shares the secrets of poster success with Yannie Chan.
HK Magazine: Tell us about yourself.
Johnny Kwan: I used to give private tutorials to mostly elite students. Not many among my generation share my lifestyle— I can never be part of the establishment. I want to decide how to live my life and spend time learning different things. Learning is important—because when you’re bored, you start taking up unhealthy habits, like gambling.
HK: How did you get into tennis?
JK: I was very bad at sports—I am very short. My schoolmates would place things very high, so that I couldn’t reach them. After years of teaching, I became really bored and took up new interests: first biking, and then sailing. But my [sailing] instructor told me no matter how hard I practiced, there was only so far I could go. I switched to playing tennis at 40—and I became really interested in its theory.
HK: Why street posters?
JK: I started sticking up posters 10 years ago for a friend who is really passionate about tennis. He quit teaching, and I started offering lessons. Street posters are a very traditional advertising method. You can reach out to a group of people very quickly. The poster is very straightforward, but simple is beautiful, you know?
HK: Do the posters work?
JK: They work very well. I wasn’t surprised, because I believe that a lot of things can actually be done well with simple solutions. Except that my original aim to attract Chinese students didn’t work. I think it’s because tennis remains a sport dominated by the western world.
HK: Do you get enough business?
JK: I’m not concerned because I’m not looking for a lot of students. I teach for a couple of hours a day. By hour three, I already don’t want to be teaching. I am picky about who I teach: I like teaching polite and respectful students.
HK: Do you have any poster tricks?
JK: I mostly put up posters on temporary structures or stores that have already shut down, so it doesn’t affect others. I put some tape on the back, and stick them up high using a retractable stick. It’s harder for others to take them down, and people can still see them across the street. You also can’t stick up too many, or it would be annoying.