SECRET LIVES OF SINGAPOREANS:
HUMANITARIAN RELIEF, THE NEW SG DREAM, REMOTE WORKING Issue #42 – Week commencing 30 October 2023 Authored by Paolo Alvarez and Joanne Hoe
OGILVY
Secret Lives of Singaporeans is an ongoing collection of marketer-friendly briefs on the fascinating people of the little red dot, by planners and PR consultants from the big red agency. It’s not “thought leadership”, it’s “inspiration to DO”.
Each issue comprises • One thing people in Singapore are talking about • One thing people in Singapore are searching for • One thing that’s in the news in Singapore
Image Credits: Pexels, TODAY, AFP
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One thing people in Singapore are searching for:
HUMANITARIAN RELIEF FOR GAZA
Image Credits: TODAY Online
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WHAT
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On October 27th, Singapore voted in favour of a resolution at the United Nations General Assembly to protect civilian and uphold legal humanitarian obligations amid conflict in the Gaza Strip. While this is an international issue, Google search trends show a spike in search for humanitarian aid for Gaza in Singapore. People are looking for ways to donate to humanitarian relief, and some are assisting Humanity Matter’s in packing relief supplies. The donation that won the most hearts was from the CEO of Sheng Siong, Lim Hock Chee. His donation of $200,000 was seen as generous and compassionate for communities beyond Singapore. While this was a personal donation, it has generated positive sentiments for the Sheng Siong brand which is positioned as a supermarket for the people.
Brands face a challenge in deciding to respond to this complex geopolitical situation. Some companies have global business interests to consider and team members to look out for. On the consumer front, younger audiences are also highly aware of global issues and appreciate when brands step in to help or make a stand – as long as they do so meaningfully.
Here are some ways to contribute meaningfully as a brand, if you choose to do so:
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Donations to humanitarian aid from the brand or individual employees
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Statements responding to the conflict from brands that are impacted by the situation like airlines rerouting flights and media companies ensuring information accuracy
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Internal statement to support team members who are directly impacted by the situation
SO WHAT Source: TODAY Online, Mothership, Google Trends
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One thing people in Singapore are talking about:
THE NEW SINGAPORE DREAM
Image Credits: TODAY Online (Illustrator: Anam Musta’ein)
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WHAT Following the release of the Forward SG report last week, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong emphasised that the “Singapore Dream” is no longer about material success a.k.a. the 5Cs (Car, Cash, Credit card, Country club, Condo), but about wanting fulfilment meaning and purpose in life.
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It’s not hard to see how outdated the 5Cs are today; in fact, the Gen Zs may not have heard of this definition of success. A 2019 National Youth Survey showed how these materialistic goals have been replaced with a focus on having strong family relationships, a place of their own, new skills, a successful career and the ability to travel the world.
While material success is less hankered-after today, the culture of comparison in Singapore is still strong even with less hard-nosed definitions of success. In fact, it is arguably even more stressful as to how to get there because there is no one-size-fits-all approach to the new “Singapore Dream”. With a focus on mental health in Singapore, brands can help to shift the conversations around achievement and finding one’s purpose. 6
How brands can help
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Acknowledge that finding your purpose is not a direct path. Celebrate people who are still figuring things out
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Expose the youth to a variety of what success looks like in Singapore
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Educate people on how to show support for the youth chasing the new “Singapore Dream” instead of going through a 5C-checklist
SO WHAT Source: CNA, Youthopia
OGILVY
One thing that’s in the news in Singapore:
SINGAPOREANS AND REMOTE WORKING
Image Credit: AFP
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WHAT
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While the pandemic started transforming labour markets three years ago, we probably didn’t expect remote working to be so prevalent today. A recent report by two International Monetary Fund (IMF) economists found that more than seven in 10 Singaporean workers have a strong preference for remote work, more than their counterparts around the world. A PwC report also found that 73% of Singaporean workers indicated a strong preference for a hybrid work model, substantially higher than the global average of 63%. Considering the size of our island-state, it’s unlikely that the (in)convenience of commuting contributes as much to this as it does in other countries. Instead, it comes down to other factors: younger individuals, those who consider themselves more productive and those from specific sectors (arts and entertainment, finance and insurance, transport, information and communications, professional and business services are the top five), are more inclined to working from home.
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Employer brands that target younger employees and/or are from these specific sectors, may want to emphasise hybrid work options as a hook in their job listings and internal communications.
SO WHAT Source: The Straits Times, Monetary Authority of Singapore
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