Singapore’s 55th birthday celebration looks a little different this year – no red-and-white extravaganzas with massive displays and performances, no “Kallang wave” at the Marina Bay floating platform and an added accessory on top of waving flags and donning National Day colours – masks!
Though celebrations appear to be more “muted” as compared to a pre-Covid times, the Singapore spirit seems to be stronger than ever. There is still much to celebrate and honour in times of a crisis. In a Time Magazine article, Singapore was chosen by Eurasia Group as one of the standout countries that handled Covid-19 best. “Singapore was among the first countries hailed as a “winner” among national pandemic responses, a well-deserved reputation on the back of its aggressive approach to contact tracing and widespread testing.” The mammoth task of clearing dormitories of Covid-19, implement nationwide measures to curb the spread and the rapid development of a coronavirus vaccine in Singapore can only be attributed to a collective effort that is driven by efficiency and leadership.
What have we learned from the past few months and how do move forward from here?
1. Embrace Uncertainty with Agility
The word “pivot” has become the latest buzzword and there’s a good reason why – everyone has been forced out of their comfort zones to embrace “the new normal”. Doctors and healthcare professionals have been reassigned to take on new roles, battling the pandemic in its face; schools and teachers have switched to e-learning when e-learning used to be sort of an unofficial holiday to stay home; sports and arts, previously associated with sprawling stadiums and concert halls were relegated to the home; and businesses have become remote and continue to stay that way.
Those who innovated to adapt using technology, creativity and optimism are those who thrived in spite of the negative outlook.
In marketing, we have helped brands take on the online sphere with more tools on hand to create a truly integrated marketing campaign through marketing, PR, social, digital and design.
Even the traditional office space and ways of working have transformed: https://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/what-the-post-covid-19-office-might-look-like
At Affluence PR, we decided to ramp up our innovation initiatives with digital platforms and apps to integrate our marketing and content calendar, automated media pitching systems and brainstorming more creative PR campaigns to help our clients get ahead. We also embarked on Project Management training where we learned the intricacies of managing projects, big and small, to achieve the KPIs set out for every project. The key? Organisation – easy to say but difficult to achieve!
2. Support Local
The term “support local” has been thrown around for a long time but the pandemic has shown us exactly why it is absolutely necessary to do so.
The vulnerability of the industries such as F&B, retail, sports, arts, events and tourism were exposed and laid bare before us. In PR, we chose to focus on telling authentic brand stories especially during this period where the human spirit and connection is in the spotlight. This has enabled us to clinch multiple key media features for our clients driver their brand awareness.
Our sister company, ENCE Marketing Group, launched a no-risk, guaranteed sales and new leads marketing package only for SMEs in support of local businesses. This package is for SMEs that need to pivot their business to go digital but lack the funds to do so. With support from the government and its financing partners, ENCE Marketing Group is able to offer an extremely attractive financial offer for all SME owners who urgently need marketing.
Find out more about the deferred payment scheme at www.encemarketing.com.
3. What is Essential Now?
With a lack of face to face interaction and almost everything moving online, good communication is key to delivering the right message to target audience and consumers. And even your clients and staff who are mostly in remote locations!
Consumers’ preferences have changed as well and it is crucial for brands to remain relevant, especially in a world that suddenly splits things into two categories: essential and non-essential.
Be in the know to stay close with your target audience and observe their changing priorities and preferences. How does your brand fit into what your target audience deem as essential?
