Singapore – The Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) has launched an integrated campaign that shows a basic truth: workplace discrimination exists and must not be tolerated. It is up to everyone to eradicate workplace discrimination by changing their mindsets and seeing people for their potential.

A film that explores the applicability of prejudice in the workplace and in society at large is part of the “Update Our Mindset” initiative. The film refutes this idea by showing prejudice in the workplace in a variety of contexts and forms, and it advises viewers to change their perspectives in order to overcome their prejudices.

The mnemonic, which was inspired by the “update” image for software upgrades, stands for the necessity of changing attitudes in order to create inclusive and equitable workplaces. This catchphrase can be seen in a variety of contexts, including social media, lift lobbies, brand films, and out-of-home (OOH) advertisements.

Speaking about the campaign, Lorraine Audrey Paul, assistant director, marketing communications, TAFEP, said, “Workplace discrimination really impacts our morale and productivity, but I believe we can change that. Let’s start by addressing our biases, updating our mindsets, and start seeing each other for our merits. We began with the campaign ‘Know It to End It,’ this follow-up campaign will continue to build on that foundation.”

Meanwhile, Tay Guan Hin, creative chairman, BBDO Singapore, stated, “We wanted to create something memorable that resonates with Singaporeans. Addressing a sensitive topic, we strategically used the “update” icon to encourage employees and employers to read more about workplace discrimination and take action on their part.”

Singapore – The nation of Singapore is about to celebrate its birthday – the country’s National Day – on 9 August and brands are already mounting their share of the tribute. 

In a very interesting and unique manner, TEAM LEWIS, the global marketing agency, jumps into the celebration and showcases what makes Singaporeans distinct and one-of-a-kind as they are through a microsite that honours their unique traits and behaviours.

Called ‘The Singapore Pattern’, the first instalment of the interactive microsite by the agency will be its ‘Good Morning Edition’, which features live polls that seek to uncover what the quintessential morning routine looks like for the average Singaporean.

“In a nation as diverse as Singapore, there are just as many things that set citizens apart that bring them together,” said the agency. 

In its entirety, ‘The Singapore Pattern’ will be a series of fun, interactive campaigns that celebrate the little and interesting vignettes of everyday moments that make them uniquely Singapore.

TEAM LEWIS, which dabbles in social media management, content marketing, and public relations, prides itself on weaving in local insights and nuances to create bold campaigns that appeal to a wider audience. 

Mark Tay, the agency’s head of content, said, “Creating great content is at the heart of many things we do at TEAM LEWIS, and we’ve always [been] keenly aware that the right insights are essential for us to do just that. We hope that this Singapore Pattern campaign can be a fun and creative way for us to pay tribute to some of the things that make us Singapore while also providing a peek into how many of us kickstart our workday.”

The microsite is now live (www.singaporepattern.com). The morning edition poll closes on 31 August, and results will be showcased on Team Lewis’ site thereafter. 

Singapore – A third of Singaporeans think cash will be the best performing investment in 2022, making it the top pick ahead of stocks, property, and cryptocurrency, according to a report by comparison platform Finder.

About 1,136 Singaporean adults and 39,573 adults globally were surveyed in December 2021, and against the global data, it was found that Singaporeans are the second most likely to back cash out of 26 countries. Only the United States ranks higher at 34%.

The next most popular picks are stocks and property (17% each), followed by cryptocurrency (15%), bonds (7%), NFTs (6%), and commodities (3%).

Finder’s Investment Editor Kylie Purcell said Singaporeans are likely seeing security in cash.

“There’s a lot of uncertainty in the market at the moment and cash is seen as a safe investment, but people need to consider the inflation-adjusted return. In October inflation rose considerably, with Singapore recording its biggest increase to core inflation in three years,” Purcell said.

“$100 dollars today may only be worth $80 down the track so consumers should be thinking about how they can inflation-proof their portfolios while maintaining liquidity should they need the cash,” Purcell adds.

However, Purcell says that with the MAS tightening its monetary policy, it could be good news for cash savers.

“When central banks look to raise interest rates, it’s typically good news for cash savers, and bad news for other investments like stocks,” Purcell concludes.

Singapore – With consumers homebound during the pandemic, online video has been gaining popularity among Singaporeans, with streaming reaching an average of eight hours and 42 minutes per week, according to a study by tech company Limelight Networks. This is higher than the global average of seven hours and 44 minutes per week, a 14% increase from the past year.

The report also showed that four in 10 have subscribed to additional streaming services in the last six months. The longer hours spent at home came out as the top reason for the increase (36%), with the availability of new content emerging as a driver for subscriptions (22%). 

Being price cautious, Singaporeans have also resorted to actions to become more economical. More than half, or 55%, of consumers, will cancel a streaming subscription due to high prices, higher than the global average of 47%. Meanwhile, almost three in 10 Singaporeans, or 29%, admit to sharing login information or using someone else’s account. Furthermore, the report also found that for most Singaporeans, delays are a dealbreaker, with 66% stating that they would be more likely to stream an undelayed live event.

In terms of the type of content, TV shows and movies are the most popular, with both being watched by Singaporeans for an average of four hours and 24 minutes weekly.

Globally, watching user-generated content has doubled over the past year to an average of four hours per week. In Singapore, YouTube dominates as the most preferred platform for watching user-generated content (68%), followed by Facebook (12%).

Edwin Koh, director of Southeast Asia at Limelight Networks said “Online video demand has clearly accelerated in Singapore this year, especially with so many people turning to video for entertainment, information, and communication as they spend more time at home due to COVID-19. Our research shows that with the rise in viewers and subscriptions, it is critical that content providers have the right combination of the content consumers want, the infrastructure to scale to meet demand and technology to give them the best possible viewing experiences.”

Singapore ﹘ Consumer preferences are perpetually shifting, all the more during the pandemic, and with Singaporeans, the majority – 52% –  have expressed that their most preferred mode of brand communication is sales and promotional emails from brands, according to a study by Qualtrics. 

This was followed by a desire to learn updates from brands on their response to the pandemic with 48%. Meanwhile, information into products and services came to a close third with 47%, followed by safety and hygiene protocols with 43%, while 41% stated they want receiving brand communications pertaining to reward programs. 

At large, the drivers of brand trust among Singaporeans is when they see brands are not taking advantage of a crisis to maximize profits (40%), followed by maintaining reasonable pricing (37%) and taking care of customers (32%) and employees (27%).

Lisa Khatri, research and brand experience lead for Qualtrics said “Being able to identify, understand, and respond to rapidly changing expectations is business-critical during the pandemic, and long after it. The fact that preferences toward the message and the medium have changed and yet the importance of actions remains hugely important reveals brands cannot afford to stand still in how they engage consumers.”

“As we move forward through the pandemic preferences and attitudes will continue to shift. This is why it’s hugely important businesses use technology like Qualtrics to have an “always-on the pulse” of consumer sentiment and behavior tracking. Insights delivered by Qualtrics help identify the lead indicators businesses need to design and deliver the brand communications and experiences people want, and which ultimately cultivate the trust needed to succeed,” added Khatri.