Commentary

Singapore radio needs more than a Kiss of life

Singapore has a new radio station, Kiss 92. Although aimed at 30-50 year old women I have heard it in plenty of taxis in Singapore (Yes I can still take them. The New Paper isn’t as powerful as it thinks.) driven by 50+ year old men.

Singapore radio needs more than a Kiss of life

Singapore has a new radio station, Kiss 92. Although aimed at 30-50 year old women I have heard it in plenty of taxis in Singapore (Yes I can still take them. The New Paper isn’t as powerful as it thinks.) driven by 50+ year old men.

This is what sensory branding can do for your business

To impart a distinctively “Asian” appeal to its brand and support its dynamic, upmarket look and feel, UOB Privilege Reserve at Marina Bay Sands retail mall ‘The Shoppes’ recently embarked on a bold foray into what has come to be known as “sensory branding”. Designed like a First Class Lounge on the upper deck of a Boeing Dream Liner in the year 2030, one could claim that UOB at MBS is the company’s first ever ‘concept project’ in what is usually regarded as a restrained and conservative industry.

8 things you should know before pitching to media

Forging good relations with the media is an art and should be cultivated long before specific press releases for any one client are ready to be disseminated.

Asia moves towards the third place

The office worker of 2012 is straddling two different time zones. On the one hand, 21 st century technology lets them work anywhere. On the other, 20th-century work habits mean they are still expected in “the office”.

This is what every Board Executives have been overlooking in property assessment

Although property is usually the second largest operating cost for an organisation, very often Board Executives have incomplete knowledge of how well their property assets are being managed or how they perform against their competitors.

Resource Process Outsourcing (RPO) in banks

Recruitment in the banking and financial services industry is particularly competitive, as are the markets in which banks operate. To provide a distinct point of differentiation for consumer and corporate brands, there needs to be a key focus on staff.

Surviving cut-throat business competition

Competition is borderless and without boundaries across different businesses and segments.

7 ways to kick business failure out of the way

The truth is that you cannot train entrepreneurs. Singaporean educational and governmental institutions have tried but you cannot teach someone the entrepreneurial way of failing a lot.

Maximising SMS marketing in the social media age

Asia remains the place to be, with the global ad market set to reach US$20 billion by 2015 (according to Gartner), and with Asia set to generate 35 per cent of it. Economic growth remains high in the region, with gains from that growth leading to new levels of affluence percolating away from major cities into small urban centres and in many cases even into rural areas. This, in turn, in creating a larger number of consumers, hungry to get their hands on modern advances as well as goods and services previously unavailable.

Competitiveness versus creativity

Singapore like the rest of the world has turned its focus to the most anticipated and keenly followed election race, the United States Presidential election due on November 6th.

Here's how to hunt for ethical employees

Employers in Singapore now view a candidate’s ethical behaviour as a non-negotiable when they recruit. And this desire for ethically sound candidates is apparent across all industries, although it is most obvious in the banking sector.

Why entrepreneurship and dating are the same

After starting a business twice, and having the dating life cycle of a domestic cockroach, I have come to realize the startling similarities of both endeavors. Entrepreneurship and dating really have the same process and goal, learning and continuously improving all in hopes of finding true love.

Paternity leave: storm in a tea cup ?

Recently I was at a conference listening to some senior people proudly sharing the work life policies at their companies, and the fantastic press they had received for the same. They were a part of the progressive Singapore firms that had taken the initiative to improve the work life balance for their employees through policies such as telecommuting, maternity leave, sabbaticals, etc.

The perfect assistant

No one can manage everything by themselves, and even the greatest leaders from Alexander of Macedon to Nelson Mandela have been obliged now and then to call on the services of some kind of personal assistant. I think it’s time we gave them their due.

Before you switch to a freelance career

You have friends who are freelancers? Envy them? The truth is they envy you sometimes. At least you have a fixed income; they don't. Worst still, they have to chase for their paycheck.

Complaining customers are great for business

Understanding and knowing your customers is good business sense. And the first step towards developing a better understanding of your customers is to encourage your employees to be receptive to feedback, both the good and the bad.

Facilitating cross-cultural understanding in a growing creative economy

Singapore’s creative economy is only starting to brew, creating many opportunities for businesses and individuals with a focus in the creative sector.