Branding Non-profits

July 29, 2007 • Blog • 5 comments

The Salvation Army is one of the world’s most recognised non-profit brand.

In this day and age, non-profit organisations like charities, trade associations, special interest groups, and clubs can ill afford to ignore branding. To reach a critical sized audience and membership, you need systems and processes to be in place. You need to also market your organisation for it to gain greater clout and reach so that it can better achieve its purpose. Just passion alone would not cut it.

Branding Insider, one of my favourite references for branding thoughts, highlighted 7 points of branding non-profit organisations.

A Blast from the Past

July 28, 2007 • Blog • 6 comments

Just returned from the Sound Stories Concert, a celebration of old-time bands from the past at Zouk – the icon of cool in Singapore. Held in conjunction with the Singapore HeritageFest, the bash brought back many vintage acts like Max Surin (of Tokyo Square fame), Matthew and the Mandarins, Vernon Cornelius, Jive Talkin’, and Robert Fernando.

Hosted by the ever effable Brian Richmond, the concert certainly rocks (especially for the…umm… young at heart). As I swayed to the beat of some of the numbers, I realised too that – gasp – I am getting on in years too! This, plus my latest inclination towards listening to Gold 90 FM.

Our party began at Singapore’s number one nightspot of the year. Of course, as it was only about 9 pm when we went in, the regular party-goers hadn’t quite gathered yet.

It’s TigerLIVE Time!

July 27, 2007 • Blog • 10 comments

Give that man a beer. Make it at TigerLIVE!

If you are a fan of heritage-worthy brews, you should check out TigerLIVE. Recently opened at the ultra-hip heritage clubbing venue St James Power House, TigerLIVE opens from 11 am to 8 pm daily and charges an admission fee of S$18 for adults and S$12 for those below 18. Now, before you go “So expensive!”, do note that this includes a glass of Tiger beer (what else?) plus an exclusive limited edition Tiger souvenir per person. Minors will receive a soft drink (of course).

Offering a “multi-sensorial journey into Tiger Beer’s rish past all the way to its innovative present”, TigerLIVE marries state-of-the-art technology, vintage beer bottles, local celebrities and a whimsical twist to provide an alcoholic buzz. Here’s some photos from my recent visit there as a member of the Association of Singapore Attractions.

7 Steps to Great Writing

July 26, 2007 • Blog • 7 comments

Copyblogger, one of the world’s most popular for writing aficionados like yours truly, featured this excellent post on writing effective copy by Brian Clark. I have read plenty of copywriting tips in my lifetime, but this is probably one of the best I have come across. Read it, apply it to your writing, and voila! Watch those customers come queueing at your doors…. (if only it was this simple)

Beneficial Topic
Is what you’re writing of interest to the reader? Does it solve a problem they have and add value to their lives? If not, nothing else you read here matters.
Magnetic Headline
Likewise, nothing else matters if your prospective reader never makes it past the title or headline. Your content could be amazing, but if no one is compelled to invest the time to read based on a boring or vague headline, all is lost.
Strong Opening
The purpose of the headline is to get the first sentence read, and each subsequent sentence needs to keep the reader rolling towards to the close. The momentum you create with your opening can make your job easier the rest of the way.
Helpful Structure
Are your transferable lessons easily digested via bullet points and numbered lists? Are you providing compelling subheads that act as encouraging signposts for the diagonal reader to dig in deeper?
Smooth Transitions
Good writing uses transitional words and phrases to help the content read more smoothly. But good copy also uses psychological connectors to persuade and keep the reader engaged. We’ll talk more about that soon.
Instant Understanding
Orson Scott Card once said that metaphors have a way of holding the most truth in the least space. The same is true of stories, and being highly specific facilitates understanding, holds attention, and enhances credibility in ways that general assertions cannot.
Actionable Close
How you close a piece is determined by what you are hoping to accomplish. If you’re not sure what you’re trying to accomplish, you might ask yourself why you’re writing it at all. That actually helps you to determine whether to revamp the content or to put it out of its misery.

How to Brand and Market Yourself

July 25, 2007 • Personal Branding • 11 comments

Richard Branson’s personal brand is synonymous with that of Virgin.

Was reading Steve Rubel’s post about The Golden Age of Individualism which pointed to this decade old gem by management guru Tom Peters. In Tom’s article on the “Brand Called You”, he wrote about the need to establish oneself as an authority on the matters which one is passionate about, the importance of influence and visibility, and the need to have BOTH style and substance.

In the age of social media and the democratisation of information, all of us become more important than ever before. I am sure everybody would have read or heard about Time Magazine’s Person of the Year : You. Everybody’s vote now counts more strongly than ever before in the world of business and commerce.

Viva Las Vegas!

July 22, 2007 • Business and Management • 12 comments

Marketed internationally as “The Entertainment Capital of the World“, Las Vegas is a modern day miracle in the state of Nevada, a hot, arid and almost desert like region.

By now, almost everybody in the world would be familiar with how it reinvented itself to attract some close to 40 million visitors a year.

6 Reasons to Buy This Book

July 19, 2007 • Blog • 4 comments

Here are six reasons why you should get a copy of the above book “Horse-powered & Man-powered Transport: a philatelic excursion”:

1) It is authored by three dear friends of mine, namely Victor, Wee Kiat and Noel. I hear that it is Victor’s maiden effort.

Get High on Heritage!

July 18, 2007 • Blog • 21 comments

Back again for the fourth year in a row, the highly popular Singapore HeritageFest 2007 (SHF 2007) is a key event on our cultural calendar. Happening 18 to 29 July at Suntec City Tropics Atrium and multiple venues around Singapore, the theme of this year’s celebration – “What’s Your Story?” – looks at getting everybody to think about the memories, stories, traditions and cultures that make us Singaporeans.

Last year’s extravaganza attracted more than 1.1 million participants. With so many things to see, do and experience, there are no reasons why this year’s event can’t match that. For newbies to heritage, I recommend you to check out the 10 things that you can do at the festival.

Niagara Windfalls

July 17, 2007 • Blog • 12 comments

Niagara Falls Photo courtesy of Laffy4K

I recently attended a talk on Casino Marketing by Daniel Shummy, a Las Vegas marketing veteran. One of the most interesting topics he shared was how Niagara Falls transformed itself.

Think of Niagara Falls in Canada and what crosses your mind? Great lakes perhaps? Holiday destination? How about those great iconic waterfalls and rapids often seen in movies?