Small & Medium Enterprises are by definition small, but ASME President Kurt Wee demonstrates in a TV interview that that shouldn't stop you from appearing competently in media interviews. As a role model for the 214,000 SMEs in Singapore, his post-budget interview is a very worthwhile shortlisted candidate for the Hong Bao Media Savvy Awards 2018.
Singapore Trade & Industry Minister S Iswaran strikes a balance between responding credibly to difficult questions and selling the just-announced Budget 2018.
The short answer is, no. At the end of this column is an experiment that will help you see why.
The Singapore Airshow, which ended yesterday, brought the who's who of the aviation industry to town – among them this week's shortlisted candidate for the Hong Bao Media Savvy Awards 2018.
He probably is, but when your boss exudes authenticity and empathy on camera like he does, it's difficult to be angry. A worthy candidate for the Hong Bao Media Savvy Awards 2018.
This is among the toughest questions a corporate chief can be asked. But SMRT Chief Executive Officer Desmond Kuek did very well in responding to it, and so I am nominating him for the inaugural Hong Bao Media Savvy Awards 2018.
Answering this question is becoming increasingly urgent.
It's offical: all locally-listed companies must now produce an annual sustainability report. This initiative by the Singapore Exchange was announced some years ago, in an effort to attract more international investors to Singapore companies. From January 1, all SGX-listed companies must file such a report within five months of the end of their financial year.
I hear this time and time again during our media and presentation skills workshops: "we are Asian, and therefore we don't present well."
The answer to this question should be obvious, but if you find yourself saying no, maybe you should explore new options.
During our media training workshops I always highlight the need to be vigilant about cameras recording your every move when you don't expect it. Now the joke is on me.
There were two separate yet similar news stories in the past 24 hours which are important for communications directors, and anyone with a public profile, to note.
You wouldn't think the departure of a total of 400 staff at Singapore Press Holdings by the end of this year is of any relevance when you take part in a media interview. But the shrinking number of journalists actually has a much greater impact than you might think.
Audiences tune out when speakers read speeches at conferences. But when you can't avoid reading from a script, there are some things you can (must) do to prevent them falling asleep.
The BBC has apologised for showing footage in a news story about the death Shashi Kapoor, but showing different actors. This sort of slip-up in the vision library is all too common, and not just at the BBC.
The theme of the third annual Asia Pacific Communications Summit of "Driving post-digital communications" seemed a tad premature, given the struggle many communications directors have, just to get up to speed on digital. But #APCS17 nailed the contradictions and the ambiguities Communications Directors face every day, which shows why this was, actually, the most appropriate title.
Here are five things we learned during Mumbrella 360 Asia 2017, ending yesterday.
Communications Directors stage a variety of events, ranging from press- and analysts' briefings, to conferences and sales kick-offs. But apart from all the time, effort and budget that is spent on such events, the most important aspect is what you do afterwards. We discussed the eight easy things all Communications Directors can, and frankly must do, to capture the value of their events.
The media is changing so much, so rapidly, that training you might have received only recently is quickly out of date.
"When is it ever okay to leverage a crisis for marketing?" - this is the questions members of the Asia Pacific Association of Communications Directors (APACD) debated at Hong Bao Media's Kuala Lumpur studio for the APACD Coaching Day. By consensus we concluded that it can be okay to do so, but under very specific circumstances.
