Posts Under: Blog

Tips for a Thank You Note

November 29, 2007 • Blog • no comments

Here’s yet another gem from Church of the Customer’s Jackie Huba on writing “Thank You” notes that rock! If you want to build a word-of-mouth focused and buzzworthy business, here is the way to go. I would probably add another point which is to handwrite the note – if you can help it!

Spell the recipient’s name correctly (doh!).
Thank the person for choosing your business. If they shared a specific reason why they choose your business of why they like it, reaffirm it. For heaven’s sake, though, don’t turn it into a sales pitch.
Include a personal detail about the recipient that you picked up on. Prove that you were listening. Humanity is a good thing in the antiseptic world of business.
Open the door to feedback. Whether the recipient provides it isn’t the point; it’s the idea that you’re passionate about creating a recommendable experience.
Be authentic: Include your full name and contact info — email and/or phone. Or a business card.

Link here.

Farewell to Our Dragon Boaters

November 27, 2007 • Blog • 1 comment

Courtesy of Shen_Shifa

It was a terrible tragedy and one of the saddest news which hit our shores this year. Till now, many of us are still reeling from the fact that five of our strapping young men gave their lives to a murky river in Cambodia. Victims of strong undercurrents and hostile rowing conditions, they represented some of the best athletes our nation has produced. The sadness of their family members and friends must be immeasurable.

I used to be a dragon boater, though not at the national level like the boys. I recalled watching the national team trained before – hulking, tanned and ripped guys who looked like bodybuilders (no kidding). I rowed for the Singapore Armed Forces Sports Association (SAFSA) during my NSF days and subsequently the National University of Singapore (NUS) where I studied. Although I wasn’t in the A-team, I had a chance to strengthen my fitness and health during those years. Something which I would be eternally grateful for.

Ethan Turns Four!

November 25, 2007 • Blog • 6 comments

As Ethan celebrates his fourth birthday this coming Tuesday (27 November), we had a great week of multiple celebrations. This actually felt uncannily like his third birthday, if you can recall, with pretty much the same players (close friends and relatives). Looking at the photos just makes you wish you were a kid all over again doesn’t it?

First was a celebration with his good friend Dyann, who turned five on 19 November at her place.

Ethan and Dyann before lighting up the candles.

Incredible Peeing Wall!

November 22, 2007 • Blog • 7 comments

After attending a staff seminar this evening, I walked along Boat Quay area and came across this unusual phenomenon at the base of OCBC building.

I liked the way the mirror image of the skyscrapers were captured in this dark pool. As I walked along, I gingerly strode on these granite planks…

Winning $10,000 on a Bus

November 21, 2007 • Blog • no comments

As a regular commuter on public buses and a marketer, I tend to notice the many different ways in which companies advertise their products and services. Increasingly, more and more purveyors of outdoor and out-of-home media are selling advertising spaces in practically every which way you turn.

Including beside the handles of buses, as you can see in the shot I took above. This ad is by AXS, and it offered to reward a subscriber every week with $10,000 of cold hard cash in return for using their services. Ordinarily I would only think about AXS when I have to pay a parking fine or my household bills, none of which are particularly pleasurable affairs.

Will this ad work? Well, it was literally right in my face that day. In terms of visuals and copy, this is probably as hard sell as it gets.

Personally, I thought that it was a little dangerous. Folks (especially the elderly) who needed to reach for the handles may end up pulling down one of these instead (and crash down to the floor). Hardly a way to build consumer goodwill, even if you have a chance to win $10,000.

Win Nikon Cameras with Explore Singapore!

November 19, 2007 • Blog • no comments

Are you an avid photoblogger? Have an interest in Singapore’s unique and fascinating heritage? Why not satisfy both passions and have a chance to bring home a brand new Nikon camera!

Take part in NHB’s first photoblogging contest and participate in Explore Singapore! Simply follow these easy steps:

1) Attend an Explore Singapore! event. Take lots of pictures.

2) Blog about it on your blog (remember to post the pictures!)

3) Visit the Explore Singapore! Heritage In Pictures webpage. Register your blog post URL there.

4) If approved, your blog post will be posted on the contest listings page.

5) Check back regularly to see if your entry is up. If at first you don’t succeed, try try again.

6) Get your friends to check out your entry by putting this Brag Badge on your blog.

Celebrity photographer Dominic Khoo of www.whatisthesight.com will select the winners, who will receive an exclusive National Heritage Board winners’ certificate to be placed on their blogs.

Registration is open from 10 November 2007 to 31 December 2007 so hurry! Oh and do tell all your friends about it too.

Who Says Comics are Dumb?

November 18, 2007 • Blog • 1 comment

Spotted this comic book at Times the Bookshop in Funan quite recently. This isn’t just any run-of-the-mill graphic novel revolving around the oh so popular Warcraft franchise. Instead, it actually helps to build and develop your vocabulary, with an array of important words and phrases all targeted at those taking their SAT/ ACT exams.

In other words, reading comic books can now help you prepare for university!

Published by Kaplan, Inc, a specialist in education, the books contained some heavyweight words like “sanctimonious” and “exculpate”. According to Bloomberg, this publication is part of the effort to get more US High School students to brush up on their reading skills.

Now this is what I call a Purple Cow – an edutainment product with a difference which scores in more ways than one.

Word Of Mouth Rules!

November 17, 2007 • Blog • 1 comment

Courtesy of ChurchoftheCustomer.com

Got tipped off about this from Ian McKee at a recent lunch talk, and also found it on one of my favourite marketing blogs Church of the Customer. Apparently, a new study by Nielsen has revealed that Word Of Mouth (WOM) is yet again the number one motivating factor behind customer purchases. This isn’t surprising considering that most of us would much rather trust a friend or family member than an oh-so-slick and smooth advertisement.

What’s especially interesting is this chart below:

Dandenong Delights

November 11, 2007 • Blog • 5 comments

In this last of my series of posts on Melbourne, we ventured into the forested highlands of the Blue Dandenongs, which is located close to the picturesque Yarra Valley wine areas. Breathtaking scenery awaited us at practically every corner which we turned. This, coupled with the pure and invigorating mountain air, made the drive to the hilly region totally worth it.

There is something about trees, mountains, rivers and wide open spaces which attracts me. Living in a space-constrained environment here in sunny Singapore, we relish the opportunity to run wild and free across acres and acres of lush countryside. I certainly made a mental note that this will not be the last time in which we will visit Australia.

Our first stop was at the Mount Dandenong Arboretum. An arboretum is a botanical garden containing primarily woody plants and trees.

Yarra River Rocks!

November 9, 2007 • Blog • 4 comments

Giant Ferris Wheel and Melbourne Skyline from Yarra River

After my week-long hiatus, I have decided to pick up the pen (or keyboard) once again and to start blogging. Let me continue from where I last left off on our Melbourne trip. This time, our photographic adventures centre around the scenic and lovely Yarra River.

Just a short walk from our hotel, the Yarra River is a scenic spot for sporting fun and social activity in Melbourne. The Yarra River was very important to Aboriginal people, and its name is thought to derive from Aboriginal words meaning “ever flowing”. To us, it offered a nice respite from the buzz of the city like Melbourne’s many parks, and has some of the most splendid views of the city. In fact, it is one of the favourite spots of avid photographers hoping to catch a representative shot of the city.