Commentary

Is it time for Singapore to adopt a national mobile payments system?

Singapore, the “little red dot” in Southeast Asia, has a landmass of just 714 km2—barely larger than Chicago.

The proliferation, promise and potential of social media have grasped the attention of many enterprises in Singapore.

A majority of consumers are uncomfortable with the amount of commercial messages they see on social networks, a large global survey has found.

The flash floods that impacted several parts of Singapore recently serve as a stark reminder that businesses of all sizes face increasing uncertainty and risks.

Going green has been given greater impetus if the latest developments concerning Singapore’s construction industry are an indication.

As more and more Superyacht owners discover Singapore as a luxurious gateway to the most glorious cruising waters in the world, the potential for the local economy to benefit from the development of a stronger yachting infrastructure and more waterside developments is exciting.

Dwindling CTR’s, High CPC’s and lesser ROI’s are a common trend in the online Campaigns in Singapore. We talk about digital advertising as the next big thing after TV, print and other traditional media, but it’s time to move beyond the traditional online advertising methods (CPM, CPC, banner adverting etc).

Is it my imagination, or have most Marketing Directors become Marketing Coordinators?

One of the many things that makes working in Singapore a uniquely enriching experience is the number of different cultures that one finds working together, particularly in the large MNC’s. There are many cities that are more cosmopolitan than Singapore – London for instance apparently has over 250 languages spoken on a daily basis. In terms of people working closely together however it is not, in my opinion, as multi cultured as Singapore. When one has so many different people from different countries communicating and work together it is important to understand how the different cultures may see each other and to be aware of the “cultural minefield” that may exist within a large organization.

Tobacco, Alcohol and Gambling are sometimes referred to as the ‘sin industries’. Not withstanding the theological implications of that word, these industries are sometimes presented in an unfavorable light because, if not properly regulated, they can provide the context for undesirable behavior.

Getting women back to work is an issue that has preoccupied Singapore for over a decade. As far back as 1997, the Government set up a Back to Work Advisory Committee to consider incentives that could allow employers to employ more women. At that time, proposals included; flexible working, part time working, job sharing and teleworking.

There’s a refreshing, obvious & strong pattern in Singapore, where many brands are turning to niche, local agencies to oversee their social media marketing campaigns as compared to the big boys out there.

In 2005, award winning columnist Thomas Friedman introduced an outstanding metaphor for a border less economic world, The World is flat. Since then the world has become conscious of economies flattening stimulating lateral growth and enhancing global accessibility.

Deal-of-the-day sites (think Groupon.sg, Deal.com.sg, Bigdeal.sg) have proliferated quite recently, and I thought I would give one of them a go since my hair needed a good fix early last year.

Singapore’s entrepreneurial stage has been set as a promising hub with enough buzz to re-launch a nineties boyband back to stardom. However, with only 778 km of highly urbanized land mass and five million consumers at best, you had better be selling the next best thing since the iPhone.