Does Sex-vertising Really Sell?

Does Sex-vertising Really Sell?

December 15, 2011 Business and Management 2 comments

Does sex-vertising really sell
Everybody talked about the shirtless Abercrombie & Fitch greeters in 2011 (Courtesy of A&F)

Let’s talk about sex in advertising – one of the longest running meme in the history of ads.

Time and time again, the topic has ignited heated discussion amongst marketers, manufacturers and moralists alike.

Does sex sell? Would a sexy ad have a better chance of grabbing the attention of one’s target audience? Or will it just be too “been there, done that” to have any effect?


Should You Hire the Generalist or the Specialist?

December 13, 2011 Blog 1 comment


Should you hire a General (like Cao Cao) or a highly specialised Sniper? (courtesy of Rongwen’s blog)

In the Human Resource function of any organisation, an age-old dilemma commonly exists.

Should a company hire somebody with years of vertical expertise with deep and specialised knowledge in a niche area? Should it instead recruit somebody with horizontal expertise (ie a generalist) who may even hail from an entirely different profession or industry altogether? How about a candidate with a mixture of both horizontal and vertical areas of specialisation?


Why Leaders Should Embrace a Higher Calling

December 9, 2011 Blog no comments


Michael Beer (courtesy of Yale Chief Executive Leadership Institute)

To rise above the vagaries of the uncertain economy, what should companies do? How can they manage the wrath of Wall Street and the severe backlash of a liquidity crunch?

Well according to Michael Beer from Harvard Business School, the answer is that companies should embrace a higher purpose. In an excellent podcast from HBR Ideacast, Beer shares some of the characteristics of these firms and the leadership styles that they embody.


How Tightly Should You Manage Your Team?

December 5, 2011 Blog no comments


Should you control your subordinate’s every move? (courtesy of River Empowerment)

There are two major schools of thought in leadership and management.

The first approach is the older “Command and Control” style. Here, an authoritative leader uses a clearly domineering way of getting things done. Charging ahead like a bull, he/she will steamroll over anything – or anybody – who gets in his or her way. Instructions given are clear, specific and often unidirectional. Its “my way or the highway”.


World’s First Transformers Ride Opens in Singapore

December 3, 2011 Blog 1 comment

TRANSFORMERS The Ride
EVAC, a new autobot created specially for the attraction

It’s a night of 3D thrills and spills as Transformers The Ride made its global premiere at Universal Studios Singapore.

Rumoured to cost more than S$100 million and to take more than four years to plan and build, Transformers The Ride is probably one of the world’s most expensive theme park attraction. It is also the world’s first theme park based on the popular robot franchise from Hasbro, with the next opening in Universal Studios Hollywood in 2012.


Society 2.0, Social Tools and Gamification

December 1, 2011 Blog 1 comment


Preetam Rai of Global Voices Online (courtesy of GovCamp Singapore)

In an ideal Web 2.0 enabled world populated by active and engaged citizens, the public would be engaged, empowered and encouraged to use social technologies and digital tools to build a better society. As the government does not have a monopoly on ideas, it would be critical for citizens to help themselves so to speak.

What then are some of the developments in this area, and how can one take that tentative first step forward? Well, there are lots of food for thought from three sessions which I recently attended at the second Govcamp Singapore.


Conversational Capital: The Secret to Buzz-worthy Products

November 29, 2011 Book Reviews, Social Influence no comments

By now, many of you would have heard of buzz and viral marketing, experiential marketing, and the art of conversational marketing.

Some of you may have also learned about three of the most important marketing ideas in the 2010s (and 2020s): creating a Purple Cow, pushing an idea over the Tipping Point, and the almost religious need to use social media in marketing.


SPF’s First Facebook Arrest – Crowdsleuthing in Action

November 26, 2011 Blog 2 comments

Congratulations to our boys and girls in blue for making the first Facebook arrest!

According to the Singapore Police Force’s (SPF) media release, this development came on 11 Nov 2011 (an auspicious 11/11/11!) when a “public-spirited person called 999 and informed that he could identify a loanshark suspect from a photo posted on the Police Facebook Page since July 2009. The action led to the arrest of two 19 year old suspects for involvement in loanshark harassment activities in the Bukit Merah area.