Commentary

Singapore is one of the most family orientated countries in the world. As a result of that, the fertility rate is actually decreasing its natural population. It’s not that Singaporean’s are off sex, they’re just off sex that leads to babies. Singapore has one of the lowest fertility rates in the world. It basically loses 1.5% of its Singaporean population every year. If it wasn’t for the ever increasing number of foreigners, (especially, ironically, the Chinese that make up the 20% of the country), then the population would not only have shrunk but they would not have enough people to be able to sustain their fantastic economic growth and lead the way in Asia and the world as a super economy and dynamic city state. There are many reasons why it’s hard for Singaporean’s to have sex. Like many Asian countries that are very family focused. Young Singaporean’s usually live with their parents until they either get married or they become millionaires (you need to be a dollar millionaire to be able to own a flat/house in Singapore!). They view renting as a waste of money and would rather live at home with their parents than rent and have that much needed privacy. It’s therefore not an especially conducive environment for becoming intimate with your partner with your parents downstairs/next door…! This is why the “staycation” has been invented in Singapore. A bit like the Japanese “love hotels” Singaporean’s regularly stay in hotels in Singapore to get that much needed privacy, space and break from their family. It’s a great source of income for Singaporean hotels who position themselves as an all inclusive romantic location for couples wanting to have some “alone” time. It’s also partly a selfish attitude that is found more and more in western countries too. Singaporeans like their luxury goods and brands and spend a great deal of their money on shopping and their friends. There’s no time for babies. There are more luxury malls in Singapore per population than anywhere else in the world. The government though are seriously looking into this growing problem and are looking at initiatives to help reverse the trend and encourage a baby boom. In the recent election many Singaporean’s complained that there were too many foreigners in the country and when they were told by the Government that that they then had to have more babies to make the difference it caused some interesting exchanges. I think that they actually need a series of aggressive strategic brand partnerships with brands ranging from hotels for those romantic Singaporean stay-cations to wine and candles, cinemas and travel brands for those romantic weekends away. They also need cheaper housing and to encourage 20 and 30 something’s to leave home, something that they are reluctant to do both culturally and financially. The government clearly need to tell their young people to go and have more sex….on them! I wouldn’t suggest a brand partnership with Durex though!

Following the global financial crisis, organisations are seeking new ways to reduce costs while still retaining their service and corporate governance standards. This has led many companies to review their spending to ensure they are getting value for money.

As the war for talents continue to heat up in Singapore, many organizations are becoming more creative in their approach to fill up their vacancies. It is no longer just about the job. It became everything else. Things have escalated to an employee courtship. Creating employer branding, making applicant feel special, allocating expensive floor space for swanky chill-out areas in the office are just the tip of the iceberg. As a job seeker, you need to peel away the layer of marketing barrier to get to the core of the position.

Many organisations in Singapore have a blind spot post-hiring, but a well-considered onboarding program can correct it and help make sure new employees stay the course.

Just because you have a trademarked brand name does not mean that you have a brand. I make a strong distinction between a brand and business because while both of them are there to make money for their owners, they are structurally very different.

The common picture of SMEs is that of a sector battered by recession, overlooked by governments, and starved of credit by banks. Many small business organisations propagate this image – after all, they exist to generate more support for their members.

Just for a moment, I’d like everyone to take off their advertising hat and become a consumer, with passions, needs, and preferences. Think about a brand which you feel a particular connection with, one that helps you fill a need in your life, one that has stood out from the competition because it connected with you emotionally. In fact, you feel so strongly about this brand that you rave about it to your friends and family, because you want to share that feeling with them.

Generation Ys are a fantastic, unique group of employees and taking the time to understand, appreciate and nurture their talent is essential for any forward-thinking organisation. According to the Singapore Human Resources Institute, Gen Y represents approximately 20 per cent of Singapore’s labour market. This is a generation that is looking for companies that provide defined career development paths and relevant training opportunities.

Singapore is currently experiencing more than full employment. Executives and professionals can pick and choose which company they want to work for. Make no mistake, this is not job hopping time. Instead, this is the best time to do some career planning.

So let me get straight to the point, what I really want to talk about is the pursuit of the truth in market research. I agreed to do this piece because I am passionate about the industry and want to share what I have come across in my 20 years of doing this that makes my stomach churn which is; how there exists amongst some players, a lack of accountability and responsibility in collecting data for their clients.

The world is constantly changing and much of that is affected by new technologies. No other medium ignites more change than mobile. Across the globe, people are finding that the mobile device is the first screen that they are exposed to, their primary point-of-access to the World Wide Web.

With the rise of Web 2.0 and advancement of Smart Phones, Tablet computers and faster broadband and mobile services, it means one thing for consumers and audiences - that their consumption habits for media has evolved.

Asia Pacific companies have to step up their sales game, but a lack of sales skills is holding them back.

I received a call recently from a company representative requesting a price quotation for a publicity campaign after winning an award. The company wanted to make some “noise.” In subsequent, I replied by email declining the assignment. My reasons were twofold: The story was not newsworthy and the caller had more ego than clothes on him.

In Singapore it’s not unusual to see coffee shops packed at 11pm/12 midnight every night of the week including weekends. This experience is replicated across many countries in the region from India to Malaysia and Indonesia. The culture of drinking in Asia is not about alcohol it’s about coffee and tea. It’s still about friends but it’s sober conversation as oppose to drunken ones. There are no coffee related fights about spilling a Venti Cappuccino! There are more coffee shops in Singapore than bars.

At the last CEO breakfast meeting, I was amused to hear the following table talk. “What do you think of misdeeds in US companies? Is it greed only or, something else?”