Blog | Cooler Insights

UC Berkley Professor Explains Financial Crisis

January 6, 2009 • Blog • 1 comment

Have you wondered if this current crisis is going to be bigger than the rest? Or whether the financial stimuli provided by the G8 nations are enough to pull us out of this mess?

Well, I found out some of the answers yesterday at a talk on Understanding the Global Financial Crisis organised by the Civil Service College. Part of the MTI-CSC Economics Speaker Series, it featured Professor Bradford DeLong (a rather prolific blogger I must add) who is the Professor of Economics at U.C Berkeley. Professor DeLong once served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Treasury under the Clinton Administration.

The Happiest Places on Earth

January 4, 2009 • Blog • 6 comments

What makes Disneyland theme parks so memorable? Why are they considered the “Happiest Places on Earth”?

To find out, my family and I visited both Disneyland Park and its neighbouring Disney’s California Adventure Park at Anaheim, California.

The Great American Sale

December 26, 2008 • Blog • 3 comments

Unlike other more typical Singaporeans, shopping isn’t really in the blood of my family. We much prefer to spend our time exploring the great outdoors, visiting museums and attractions, or indulging in a good meal. However, as a significnt part of our US tour package includes various shopping stops – an ever popular request amongst Singaporean groups – we had the chance to dive into some festive Christmas shopping in the West.

How was the experience of shopping like in the US? Well, here are some snapshots to give you a glimpse of what we did.

The US is full of warehouse discount shops like Target here, which are big factory-sized affairs offering free parking, everyday low prices, and money-back guarantees (no questions asked).

Our Holiday in California, Nevada and Arizona

December 22, 2008 • Blog • 6 comments

My family and I have just returned from an “epic” two week holiday in the West Coast of the United States. Our trip took us across three states – golden California, silver Nevada and picturesque Arizona – and a journey across cities and counties like San Francisco, Gilroy, Fresno, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, and Los Angeles. We travelled across thousands of miles of vast land – from scenic Pacific coastal drives to barren desert land – and had a taste of how post-crisis Christmas was like in the world’s largest economy.

The verdict? The United States is truly awesome and brims with opportunities. I must add though that some of the tourist spots are more hyped up than they truly are. We’ll definitely make plans to return here, perhaps touring the national parks next.

To kick off my series of posts (and I promise to inject some “marketing lessons” in my latter ones if time and energy permits), let me first bring you on our whirlwind photographic journey.

Dim Sum Dollies at National Museum

November 26, 2008 • Blog • 1 comment

Catch the amazing and adorable Dim Sum Dollies, Singapore’s most animated cabaret trio, this Saturday at the National Museum of Singapore! Held as part of the Explore Singapore! programme, this unique musical performance draws inspiration from Singapore’s history as well as the exhibits at the museum itself. All you need to gain entry is the price of museum ticket…

Wait, there is more!

Apparently, for one day only, you can also visit 2 exhibitions at the special exhibition gallery at the National Museum of Singapore with that same ticket. You can catch Brad Pitt and other stars at the Voom Portraits show by Robert Wilson, as well as another photography special by Chang Chien Chi called “Doubleness”.

Don’t just hear it from me, hear it from them! See you there!

What Do Celebrities, Chefs, Cars & Charities Have in Common?

November 18, 2008 • Blog • no comments

We’ve been extremely busy with Explore Singapore! 2008, NHB’s award winning programme (we won the Singapore Media Award’s Grand Prix and Best Value Media prizes in 2007) aimed at getting ordinary folks to enjoy museums. Our focus this year is on the family, and our theme is simply this – “Let’s Have Fun!”

What’s so special about this year’s event?

The Whats and Hows of Global Brands

November 18, 2008 • Blog • no comments

Courtesy of woodleywonderworks

I was invited to a sharing session yesterday afternoon by David Shaw, Director at Effective Brands and a former marketing stalwart at both Lenovo and HP. Founded by Marc De Swaan Arons, the company embarked on a worldwide global brand study seven-years ago which now includes close to 100 global brands with a database of about 40,000 marketers. In the study, the branding consultancy focused on global marketing challenges and possible solutions to overcome them.

Here are some of the key highlights which I picked up.

Don’t Listen to Me. Listen to Them!

November 17, 2008 • Blog • 2 comments

Marketers need to hear better! (courtesy of OrientalAsylum)

Once in a while, you come across a gem of a post that you have to highlight. This one comes from Branding Strategy Insider, one of my more thought provoking regular reads on marketing.

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