Author: coolerinsights

Who Should You Really Target

November 16, 2011 Blog no comments


Courtesy of Lost & Found Online Marketing

One of the most important chapters in the book of marketing is customer segmentation and targeting. You need to know who you’re reaching and how you’re making your product or service relevant to their needs, wants or desires. Without a keen understanding of your target segment, everything else may fall apart.

The challenge however is this. How do you know who they really are?


Play Your Part at Singapore’s 2nd GovCamp

November 14, 2011 Blog 1 comment

Its time once again for GovCamp Singapore, our island’s only “unconference” focusing on how citizens and government can work together to improve our lives using technology as an enabler.

The second event this year – I moderated one of the sessions in the first in on 19 January – GovCamp looks at positioning government as a platform to engage key stakeholders in a country (namely everyone of us!) in a spirit of open collaboration, ideation, networking, and joint problem solving.


20 Things I Loved About London

November 12, 2011 Blog 2 comments

As part of my recent work trip to London, I spent many hours visiting numerous museums and art galleries in the city, topped by a full day meeting with the Tate Group. The institutions I visited include the Tate Modern, National Gallery London, National Portrait Gallery, Natural History Museum, Science Museum, V&A Museum, and the British Museum. While the trip was exhausting – we’ve put together a comprehensive report on its outcomes – there were many learning points that we have gleaned from some of the world’s leading cultural institutions.

Here are 20 highlights of my trip, in no particular order. Note that this list is quite museum-centric as that’s where I spent most of my time.  Each highlight is accompanied by a photograph.

20 Things About London
An eye catching installation at the entrance of the V&A Museum.


The Last Lecture: Book Review

November 10, 2011 Book Reviews 1 comment

“We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.” – Randy Pausch (RIP 25 July 2008)

I first blogged about Carnegie Mellon Professor Randy Pausch back in 28 July 2008, 3 days after his death from pancreatic cancer. So moved was I by the video of his last lecture (do watch it if you haven’t done so), that I bought the book.  Of course, this was way before the recent death of the more famous Steve Jobs of Apple.


What Facebook, Google Reader and iOS5 Have in Common

November 6, 2011 Blog 1 comment


iPhone 4S’s short battery life was blamed on the super juiced up iOS 5(courtesy of Obama Pacman)

Something wrong seems to be happening in the hallowed corridors of Tech.

First, we’re met with the “dynamic” and ever changing new Facebook News Feed which apparently is riling many of us. Between “Top Stories”, “Recent Stories”, “New Entries”, and the ever updating Ticker on the right which gives me a constant migraine.


Smithsonian Institution: A World Class Museum Operator

November 4, 2011 Blog no comments


Aerial view of the Smithsonian museums in Washington DC (source: Tripadvisor)

As part of the Business Of Heritage conference, I had the pleasure of learning about how the Smithsonian Institution built its world class reputation as a leading museum brand.  Delivering the talk was Ms Elizabeth Duggal, Director of International Museum Professional Education Programme of Smithsonian Institution and Co-Chair of ICOM United States. 
Here are some of the key points of the talk which I thought would be useful to share.
Excellence in Museums

Harry Potter: A Global Business Phenomenon

November 2, 2011 Book Reviews 1 comment

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Fantastic Beasts – the newest phenomenon from the wizarding world of Harry Potter (Image from Geek Tyrant)

Have you watched the latest blockbuster movie Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them?

J.K. Rowling’s latest installment – a prequel to the much beloved Harry Potter series – swept cinemas around the world with much critical acclaim. Based on a 2001 book written under her pen name Newt Scamander, it is the newest piece of the Harry Potter universe.


Should Museums Attract Niche Or Mass Audiences?

October 31, 2011 Blog 2 comments

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NHB’s Night Festival 2008

I love reading Nina Simon’s Museum 2.0 blog for her cutting insights on stuff happening in my neck of the woods. One of the issues that she recently wrote about – audience development – is something that museums and art galleries in Singapore are also grappling with.

In her post, Nina questioned the need for museums to organise “hip” events to attract younger audiences at the expense of alienating a broader more diverse crowd. While many museums have shifted from being a “cabinet of curiosities” for an elite few to “community destinations”, the question now arises whether their activities should be narrowly focused on distinct segments or appeal more broadly across visitor groups.