Raffles Hotel (Image, Mae Wong; http://bit.ly/1ryPA8o)
Like other fabled cities with long, colorful histories—Hong Kong, Istanbul, and Buenos Aires, to name a few—Singapore’s name can call to mind scenes from old movies: streets filled with teeming crowds, waterfront bars on mist-shrouded harbors, and ornate Edwardian buildings under swaying palms.
That was Then—This is Now
However, as we all know, today’s Singapore is nothing like yesterday’s. The remnants of vanished British rule having long given way to shimmering towers of steel and glass, it rises out of the of sea like
a dream. With a population of only 5.3 million, this independent city-state isn’t the biggest metropolis in Asia: Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Taipei are much larger. But, situated at the nexus of the Indian Ocean and Pacific Rim, it is an ideal venue from which to address markets as far flung and disparate as Australia, Korea, and India or China, the Philippines, and Japan. Its residents—who include millions of ethnic Asian and Western expatriates—represent diverse cultural perspectives. This is evinced by the 20 languages that are spoken there daily and by its four official languages—English, Malay, Mandarin Chinese, and Tamil.
The Weight of the Past, the Promise of the Present
The legacy of Southeast Asia’s colonial past cannot be discounted, as it is both a blessing and a curse. It is a blessing in that business people and consumers in southeast Asian countries sometimes have a greater understanding of Western practices and beliefs than the citizens of other parts of Asia, such as China and Japan, which were never completely or only briefly overcome by the West.
Image, Artemas Liu; http://bit.ly/1ryPA8o
It can be a curse because this understanding is sometimes tempered by sensitivity regarding past Western domination. Still, with a $53,000 per capita income and 1.8% unemployment, the economy of this center of international commerce is too robust to ignore. What’s more, if marketers tread carefully and stay attuned to societal undercurrents, Singapore can serve as a regional jumping off point for targeted and compelling marketing initiatives that resonate far beyond its modest borders.
A Mobile, High-Speed Interconnected World
Singapore’s diversity means that its myriad media are often aimed at different market segments and language groups—the great unifier among them is that, both in B-to-B and B-to-C, most are digital and, moreover, have world-leading usage rates. The percentage of Singaporeans with online access is 81%—among the world’s highest. Singapore further boasts one of the fastest broadband speeds. According to content delivery network Akamai Technologies, Singaporeans enjoy the world’s highest peak speeds, at 94.8 megabits per second (Mb/s), with average speeds at 12.5 Mb/s; very few experience fewer than 4MB/s. (See AsiaOneDigital, September 28, 2015, Singapore Speeds). Such high-quality access makes it easier to conduct e-business here than almost anywhere else.
Singapore’s 4G mobile coverage is nearly comprehensive. Ninety percent of the country has street-level LTE (long term evolution) coverage, and Singapore is said to enjoy the world’s fastest mobile-data transmission rates. Indoor coverage is spottier but generally works even in subterranean tunnels and parking garages, a rare feat almost anywhere in the developed world. All this mobile access means any digital marketing strategy deployed here must include a comprehensive mobile element.
Internet Search in Singapore
Fortunately, Singapore’s diversity does not extend to search engine preference, which greatly simplifies matters for companies that count on search engine marketing (SEM) to get key messages to prospects and customers. As in most other major economies, Google is the prevailing search engine; 90% of Singaporeans employ it, while the majority of the remainder use Yahoo. Further good news for advertisers is that, according to WordStream, Singapore’s pay-per-click costs are 58% lower than those in the United States, making the country an attractive venue for on-line advertising.
Social Media
In contrast to China and Japan, where local social communities such as Sina Weibo or Mixi prevail, Singaporeans participation in social communities conforms to global preferences. For example, more than 3.5 million (60 percent) of Singaporeans are Facebook monthly active users (MAUs), and 2.4 million log on daily. Twitter reports that between 350,000 and 550,000 of the country’s English speakers use the micro-blogging service every day. Finally, Linkedin lays claim to 1.8 million members in Singapore, or over 50 percent of Singapore’s 5.3 million-person workforce (more that the total number of all professionals, managers, executives, and technicians combined). In terms of messaging apps, WhatsApp prevails over Facebook Messenger or WeChat, making it the marketer’s preferred chat venue.
As is increasingly the case worldwide, influencers—especially local influencers—play an important role in Singapore social media and are useful both for launching and sustaining brands. Better known Singapore blogs, such as the food blog ieatishootipost or the lifestyle blog Xiaxue, have sophisticated sites and legions of followers. Because paying influencers to promote brands is a common practice in Singapore, “influencer” agencies, such as Gushcloud or Nuffnang, maybe necessary to get your foot in the door.
Ecommerce and the Search for Fulfillment
In a country whose residents include Confucians, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Jews, and adherents of other religions and philosophies, the path to spiritual fulfillment can take many, sometimes markedly different turns. Fortunately, the road to more prosaic, earthly forms of fulfillment is quite another matter. Hard work is a way of life In Singapore and shopping is one of its undisputed rewards. Indeed, if the city’s many upscale commercial centers and local e-commerce sites are any indication, shopping is a national pastime.
According to some sources, Singapore and Malaysia account for nearly half of all ASEAN online retail sales, with Singaporeans spending nearly $3.5 billion online in 2015, an increase of 25% over 2014. In contrast to e-commerce in the West–where major retailers such as Amazon, eBay, and Zappos prevail—Singapore’s e-business is dominated by local players like RedMart, an on-line grocer; Zalora, the fashion retailer; Lazada, a seller of electronics; and Qoo10, a huge general consumer-product outlet. However, the SP Post’s recent launch of SP Commerce—an Alibaba partner that has already signed up over 1,000 e-sellers globally—promises to provide an expanded on-line presence and local order-fulfillment option for Western retailers.
What Next?
Singapore is an ideal launch pad for western companies whose chief operating language is English and who want to expand their digital marketing in ASEAN, especially given the local preference for Linkedin, Google, and Facebook, and the population’s familiarity with Western culture and media. However, because regional players are already well established and are usually rooted in the area’s diverse cultures, outside companies might need to develop a virtual or local presence to achieve market penetration goals.
Singapore, a launch pad for SEAN ebusiness