Singapore – Amazon has announced that it has invested more than S$2 billion across its retail and cloud businesses in Singapore in 2023. This includes both capital expenditure such as improvements to existing infrastructures, including fulfilment centers, delivery stations, and data centers, and operating expenditure towards technology, safety, expansion of programs for customers, delivery partners, small and medium businesses and employee compensation.

The company’s investment in Singapore supported more than 4,000 indirect jobs in areas like construction, logistics, and other professional services according to third-party consultancy firm Keystone Strategy. 

In addition, according to a survey conducted by Amazon, Singapore businesses selling on Amazon have created more than 6,000 jobs to support their Amazon-related business activities. In total, Amazon supported more than 10,000 indirect jobs in Singapore in 2023 alone.

Since the launch of Amazon Prime Now in 2017 (now renamed Amazon Fresh) and Amazon.sg in 2019, Amazon has continued to invest in its operations to offer a faster and more convenient shopping experience for Singapore customers. Amazon’s investments have enabled the company to avail same-day and next-day delivery for eligible products to customers in Singapore.

Moreover, through Amazon Global Selling, Singapore selling partners can export their products to customers around the world on Amazon. Amazon continuously invests in tools, services and programs to improve its selling partners’ experience and help them grow their businesses with Amazon. 

Other endeavours Amazon had helped in include Amazon Web Services supporting Singapore’s digital transformation ambition, commitment to support the communities where it operates, as well as investing and innovating in sustainability across its businesses in Singapore.

Peter Li, director of China & Singapore and International Store at Amazon, said, “Since the start of our operations in Singapore in 2010 and the launch of Amazon.sg in 2019, we’ve been able to invest and grow our presence in the country with the support of our customers and selling partner.”

He added, “We’re humbled to see our investments unlock growth opportunities for businesses in Singapore and are proud to continue to support Singapore’s economy and digitisation.”

LAMC Productions, an independent concert promoter headquartered in Singapore, alongside its sister firm for comedy entertainment, LA Comedy Live, is expanding its team and looking for new members in the Philippines to join its company.

LAMC Productions is specifically on the lookout for potential joiners in the areas of PR & marketing, social media, online events & programs, and business & operations, as well as for the development of its specific platform, Words & Music, which is its episodic insightful conversations with prominent international music artists and comedians about a variety of issues. 

According to Founder Lauretta Alabons, LAMC productions is building its entertainment platform and launching its own NFTs, hence, searching for new talents to help attain said goals. Alabons shared that team members will be working with her to help generate income for the company and grow the business regionally. 

Words and Music, with the main showcase on YouTube, is its conversations with international music artists and comedians which include developments in their careers and their personal opinions on global matters.

Words & Music was created in 2020 and is now gearing up to launch highlight videos for an NFT drop. LAMC Productions will be requiring an experienced PR and digital media professional to work with them for the marketing, PR, and social media efforts for these NFTs.

Here are the specific responsibilities of the following open positions, which will be remotely-based: 

PR and Marketing 

  • Crafts and disseminates press releases for the events and the company, develop and pitch stories & interviews to local, regional and international media and influencers 
  • Manages media inquiries and interview requests
  • Familiar with media landscape, maintain and grow media contacts, relations
  • Coordinates media coverage and the press conference for the events
  • Coordinates with local and international clients and networks
  • Plans and executes Marketing & Publicity campaigns and activities in Singapore and across Asia 
  • Crafts Electronic Direct Mail marketing campaigns via Mailchimp for the companies’ databases
  • Dealing with enquiries from the public, the press, and related organizations
  • Providing contacts with information about new promotional opportunities and current PR campaigns progres

Social Media – Facebook, Instagram, Google Ads, YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn, Twitter

  • Copy write content for websites and social media postsBasic to average editing for some video content on social media posts
  • Works with the resident designer in content creation for the companies’ social media platforms and website.
  • Constant maintenance, updates and plans effective advertising campaigns of all social media profiles (Facebook, Instagram, Google Ads, YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn). 
  • Monitors and analyzes publicity value and results after campaign
  • Plans and executes fan engagement campaigns to help grow social media following
  • Communicate with followers, respond to queries in a timely manner and monitor customer reviews
  • Suggest and implement new features to develop brand awareness, like promotions and competitions
  • Stay up-to-date with current technologies and trends in social media, design tools and applications

Online Events & Programmes

  • Craft presentations and proposals for physical & virtual events
  • Attend meetings with clients from pre-production to post-production coordination
  • Establish client relationships and coordinates content, social media and marketing timeline and plans for the events
  • Coordinates with the team from pre-production to post-production for all events, online show and podcast.
  • Assists on producing programme scripts, questions and sequence guide for virtual and hybrid events

Words & Music

  • Produce transcripts and sequence guide, video podcast snippets and highlights for promotions
  • Research and gather necessary visuals to be used in editing the video podcast
  • Come up with creative plans for social media posts to promote the podcast

Business / Operations

  • Crafts presentations, proposals and corporate emails for business and investor-related opportunities
  • Assist in presentation meetings with corporate representatives
  • Establish corporate relationships, assists on the progress of business matters
  • Assists in writing story pitches for content creation-related opportunities
  • Writing submissions for grants and award-giving bodies
  • Update work tracker on progress of tasks
  • Brainstorm / discuss with the team for business plans and opportunities
  • Coordinates with ticket holders and ticketing agent on refund requests for cancelled and postponed events

Pre-Covid, the production company’s business model was selling concert tickets to the end consumer in country-specific markets. Now with digital, it targets to reach a wider audience. 

Interested applicants can email their resumes and cover letters to [email protected].

Singapore As the peril of new waves of COVID-19 outbreaks looms, around 59% of small businesses in Singapore or around six out of ten of them say that they are basically on ‘survival mode’ in terms of operations, a new survey from global services company American Express shows.

The survey notes that only 28% of local businesses say that they are ‘thriving’, while 12% of local businesses note that they are at risk of closing their operations. About 1% of the business respondents replied that they have closed down their operations.

Despite the cautionary mood among the majority of these businesses, about 67% of the respondents are ‘cautiously optimistic’ about their future, noting that this year’s annual sale will be a lot higher compared to their pre-pandemic sales during 2019.

Reasons to note such optimism include increase in revenue from expanding their businesses online (46%), support from new customers (44%), and continued support from regular customers (40%).

In addition, 71% of respondents shared they are optimistic they can thrive in the new normal—with 76% having made adjustments to sustain their business in the next 12 months. The top two changes businesses plan to make in the new normal are to focus more on e-commerce and communicate more with customers via social media.

Ho Yat-Wai, country manager at American Express Singapore, notes that while local businesses are more optimistic after almost two years since the pandemic started, its volatility weighs heavily on business leaders’ ‘minds’, adding that the recent spike in local cases is an example of the fluidity of the situation and difficulty in planning.

However, optimism alone would not drive businesses forward, the study noted, as the uncertainty for concrete business plans to move forward are still prevalent. Only 45% of business leaders state a clear long-term strategy compared to 84% before the pandemic. Meanwhile, Another 25% changed their business strategy to become more agile to better respond to changes, rather than focusing on long-term planning. Among those who do not currently have a business plan, 23% attribute it back to uncertainty.