Business and management articles | Cooler Insights

Creating Great Experiences at Universal Studios Singapore

February 27, 2012 • Blog • 2 comments

On a recent study trip to Universal Studios Singapore (USS) at Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), I had the privilege of learning how the theme park – arguably the most popular in Southeast Asia – creates, develops and manages memorable and delightful guest encounters. While these strategies do not cover all aspects of a world class theme park’s operation, they do form an important component of their visitor experiences. These help to trigger positive word of mouth and generate repeat visits.

Extensive and Immersive Theming

How Jeremy Can Be Linspiring For Singapore

February 22, 2012 • Blog • disabled comments

Image courtesy of PSFK

By now, everybody who is connected to a screen somewhere with the faintest interest in sport would know who Jeremy Lin is. The Taiwanese American (or Asian American) basketball player for the New York Knicks has become a media sensation, hogging the headlines with an endless series of puns like “Linsanity”, “Lintastic”, and “In Linning Form”.

Despite being a rookie, Jeremy has blazed many new trails in NBA, with a record number of scores, assists and other game statistics to his credit. He has helped a relatively low key team to gain prominence, and wowed Americans of all colours with his court capabilities. Beyond the continent, Jeremy has also stolen the hearts of basketball fans everywhere, especially in the Asian subcontinent region.

Setting and Scoring Corporate Goals

February 20, 2012 • Blog • 3 comments

Jeremy Lin sure knows a thing or two about scoring (courtesy of streetball.com)

Establishing clear goals is one of the most important things you need to do in any organisation which you work in. Otherwise known as objectives, goals provide an end point for one to aspire and work towards, providing purpose and meaning to any endeavour.

The analogy of sports provides the clearest example of goal setting. With a clear goal in place – kicking the ball through the goal posts, throwing a ball into a basket (who haven’t heard of Jeremy Lin?), or hitting a ball through an opponent’s racket – players and spectators alike would know where to focus their energies and emotions.

Evil Plans: A Book Review

February 18, 2012 • Book Reviews • 3 comments

Written and illustrated by renowned cartoonist and blogger Hugh MacLeod of gapingvoid.com (he just completed his 10th year in the business), Evil Plans: Escape the Rat Race and Start Doing Something You Love is a business book that reads more like a personal motivation tome. True to MacLeod’s craft, every other page (or more) is peppered with his characteristically abstract and witty cartoons, complete with clever captions.

An example of this is found below:

What Do Sherlock Holmes and Consumers Have in Common?

February 16, 2012 • Content Marketing • 2 comments

We all love a good mystery! (courtesy of Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows)

Answer? They love to be teased and challenged. Preferably every step of the way until the bounty is unearthed.

Sadly, however, most marketing efforts today hasn’t matched the rise in consumer sophistication and expectation. Our aggregated abilities to captivate and charm a potential customer hasn’t caught up with the explosive growth in always-on social tools and communication networks.

The Power of Positive Language

February 14, 2012 • Personal Branding • disabled comments

Tap the power of positive words today (designed with Crello)

Wonder why things do not turn out the way you like them to? Caught in a downward spiral of disappointment and negativity?

Well, perhaps you need to start by rewiring the way you think, and rephrase the things you say.

An Alluring Afternoon of Artisans and Artists

February 12, 2012 • Blog • disabled comments

Yesterday afternoon, my wife and I attended the second Keepers event hosted by Carrie K Artisan Jewellery thanks to the invitation of Geri and her gang at linea Communications. Themed “Aspects of Love” in time for Valentine’s Day, the showcase featured various artisans and “bespoke” businesses with products ranging from visual art, design, champagne, desserts, poetry and jewellery.

Corporate Entrepreneurship: A Book Review

February 9, 2012 • Book Reviews • disabled comments

How do companies like 3M, Apple, Google, Xerox, Siemens and Grameen Bank continually generate game changing products and services?

What can large organisations do to retain talent while building innovative cultures?

The answer? Corporate Entrepreurship, which is also the title of a book by Thunderbird School of Global Management’s Robert D Hisrich and Claudine Kearney.

Are Travel Fairs a Good Way to Sell Holidays?

February 7, 2012 • Blog • 4 comments

In the hypercompetitive travel trade in Singapore, merely putting together a compelling itinerary with an attractive price isn’t sufficient. With a plethora of online travel portals like Expedia, Travelocity, Zuji and Wotif muscling into their space, brick and mortar travel agents need to find new ways to differentiate themselves. With the help of online travel service providers, consumers are booking airline tickets, selecting hotel rooms, renting cars, arranging land transfers, and even making reservations for restaurants and shows in advance.

While some players like MISA Travel have gone on to develop a more e-commerce savvy website, others such as ASA Holidays have organised full-fledged trade fairs to showcase their various offerings. Together with other big outbound tour operators like CTC Travel and Chan Brothers, ASA Holidays is pre-empting the upcoming NATAS Travel Fair with their own pre-sales event (I told you it was competitive).

Are these travel fairs successful? Well, join me for a tour of ASA Holidays’ recent fair at Suntec City and decide for yourself.