Hi...Mark Zuckerberg here from Facebook. I won! Citrus PR has decided to pause its blog here and to try out my little Facebook platform for a while. I called Ian @ Citrus PR a few weeks ago and we talked it through. He said OK. So just go to my Facebook place and search for Citrus PR. You'll find them juicing it there...
As brands continue to fight through the clutter of multiple marketing channels and ways to be seen, heard and experienced; strategic event sponsorship across Asia continues to become one of the most effective ways for organizations to realize multiple sales, marketing and hospitality objectives.
Sponsorship, as a marketing concept, had its origins as an opportunity for companies to have their logo seen and for guests - normally clients - to enjoy some corporate hospitality. Today sponsorship - particularly in the growing lifestyle sector - has matured into a marketing channel that allows brands to be positioned and activated with targeted audiences for extended periods of time. Nowhere in Asia is this more evident than at Koh Samui's International Regatta that is contested every May in the tropical seas off the island's Chaweng Beach.
Just a one-hour flight from bustling Bangkok, the regatta annually welcomes an international "fleet" of participants, spectators and sponsors, the latter who leverage the event for far reaching branding opportunities. The Four Seasons Hotel & Resorts, Centara Hotels and Resorts, Hertz and Neil Pryde are just some of the respected global brands that align themselves with this "on" and "off" water marketing opportunity.
Like many major events that attract top global brands, the regatta has evolved over the ten years that it has been staged and has grown year on year. Although centred around fierce sailing action with some of the region's most exciting racing yachts going head-to-head, the regatta has developed into a leading lifestyle event where fashion, fine dining, music festivals, exotic parties and luxury property events, add to what has become a strategic choice for many of Asia's marketing professionals looking for further ways to position and activate the brands that they manage.
Bangkok based British entrepreneur Callum Laing took over the helm of the regatta in 2008, with the single focus of developing it into a lifestyle event that would not only be of interest to top sailors and spectators looking for a week of top action, but that would also attract top brands from around the world. "For me, the regatta is about the experiences that we can provide to those that come to soak-up the now-famous atmosphere that happens when the regatta takes place - as well as for our partners and the ways that they activate their brands. Digital and on-line marketing opportunities allow our partners to fully maximize their sponsorship investment by benefiting from multiple marketing activities. For example, not only do many of our partners fly in guests to experience all that the regatta has to offer, but they will also create marketing campaigns that draw on film, imagery and comment from the regatta that can support the marketing of their products or service. We've found that the regatta is positioned just at the right level to be appealing to luxury, lifestyle, F&B, travel and entertainment partners looking for something unique and different. With many of our partners committing long-term, we know that we've hit on a sponsorship model that works for many organizations".
Martin Heiniger is the General Manager of the Centara Grand Beach Resort - a long-standing Regatta partner that has been the home base for the event since 2001. Martin himself oversees the strategic relationship between the resort that he manages and the regatta's organizing team "As an organization that wants its hotel properties to be recognized as some of the best in the world, association with the regatta fits perfectly with our other marketing tactics. Not only do we see room bookings increase over the event period, but we also get the opportunity for those involved with the regatta to experience our resort first hand - and that's something that you just can't do via a brochure. Often, those that have experienced the resort, return to visit at other times of the year, becoming loyal guests that frequent our property time and time again".
Laing is particularly excited about some of the additions to the 2011 running of the regatta "By listening to what competitors, spectators and partners expect from the regatta, has allowed us to further develop it in directions that appeal to all audiences. Alongside the sailing action, the 2011 regatta will also include a Golf Tournament, Watch Expo, Premiership Soccer Legends Dinner, Fashion Dinner and & Super Car Show. Brands align themselves with the event as they have a solid understanding of the audiences that the regatta attracts and how they can engage with them".
This, the tenth year that the regatta has taken to the high-seas, is a pivotal year for the event with the partnering companies and brands involved looking set to reap the benefits from their strategic alignment.
For further details about partnership opportunities with the Sawadee.com Regatta, please see www.samuiregatta.com or contact info@sportsfestivalasia.com
The New Asian Gastronomic Awards of Excellence App for the iPhone and iPad is now available. Be taken on a journey of the best in Asian gastronomy! You can download the App free of charge from the iTunes store at: http://itunes.apple.com/sg/app/asian-gastronomic-awards-of/id417931266?mt=8
The latest Adecco Singapore Children's Career Survey reveals that Singaporean kids want to be soccer players more than anything else.
Now if only the national team could get their act together......
Read more at: http://bit.ly/ibVimH
“Citrus PR to Provide PR Support For The Singapore Launch of Asia’s First FAUCHON PARIS Le Bar À Caviars”
Citrus PR will oversee all public relations activities for the launch of Asia’s first FAUCHON PARIS Le Bar À Caviars which will be held next month on the 12th November.
Established in 1881, the renowned French luxury food purveyor, FAUCHON PARIS, has anchored its premiere in-dining seafood and caviar concept establishment at Singapore Changi International Airport in Terminal 1. A first in Asia, this outlet precedes its Malaysian counterpart at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, which will debut soon after.
“Citrus PR was selected based on its expertise in managing Lifestyle PR. We are confident that the agency will be effective in garnering awareness for this new and exciting luxury dining concept that we have brought to Singapore,” says Mohamed Suhaimi Hamidin, CEO, Saji Bumi International – the company responsible for establishing the FAUCHON PARIS brand in Asia.
This week Citrus PR planned and managed the media launch of The Body Show Singapore. The show provides us with a rare opportunity to take an inside look at ourselves and to have access to a world normally confined only to surgeons and scientists.
The exhibition focuses on the issues of modern healthcare and nutrition, showcasing how minute changes in one’s lifestyle can have long-running effects on the body’s anatomical make-up. Some fascinating exhibits, such as a full body that has been divided up into 409 pieces, and a specimen sitting astride a motorbike, are sure to prompt intrigue and wonder.
Bodies are preserved using a respectful preservation process known as Polymer Impregnation whereby bodily fluids are replaced by liquid plastic, which is then hardened to create a solid, durable anatomic specimen that will last indefinitely. The process leaves even the finest, most delicate tissue structures virtually intact down to the microscopic sphere. It results in specimens that are not only versatile but truly authentic.
Tickets available from http://tdc.sg/home/. Enjoy the Images!
The importance of open and effective communications during times of crisis.
“It will never happen to us”. Many company executives have probably uttered these words to one another when discussing crisis situations. Of course, crisis situations only happen to ‘other’ companies. Wrong.
Over the past 12 months the business world has changed significantly. Companies that we perceived as being profitable and strong have fallen heavily and questions have been asked. Questions from investors, customers, business partners and also from employees. During these times of crisis, organisations can and must communicate effectively.
Communicating effectively is a skill – while it is often done well, it can just as frequently be done badly. Strong and timely communications help maintain trust and credibility. Effective communications help people to understand what are sometimes very complex situations, by breaking them down in a step-by-step way.
Many times, company employees are the last to hear about crisis situations or major changes within their organisation – they read about them in the media along with everyone else and often feel left out and unimportant. Open company communications – whether originating from the human resources team or from the public relations department – or more often these days from both – are an integral part of marketing effectiveness that should never be underestimated.
To illustrate this point, I met with an individual several months ago who had been downsized from a major US multinational right here in Singapore. During the retrenchment process it was explained to him at every step why this change was happening, what it meant to him, how he would be looked after and what the very next steps were. The company downsizing had nothing to do with his performance – unfortunately he was a casualty of the global slowdown. As he left the company he had no hard feelings about them at all. He left with dignity, respect and his head held high. I asked him if he would consider re-joining this company should the opportunity arise and he answered, ‘Of course. Why not?’ A clear strategy of open and effective communications meant that this unfortunate situation was handled in the best possible way.
If and when a crisis hits an organisation, what can it do to ensure that the situation is understood and that all parties concerned are updated and informed? While some companies excel in this area – many others fall at the first hurdle. Here are four pointers for communicating effectively with internal stakeholders:
‘Good’ communications are not necessarily ‘expensive’ communications – and can go a long way to helping a company get back on track after a negative event or situation. Does your company have a plan?
Ian Grundy, Founder, Citrus PR
www.citrus-pr.com
Racers’ Toolbox - Singapore's leading
exercise lab that offers 'everyday individuals' access to high level
performance consulting and a state of the art exercise laboratory - has selected Citrus PR to consult with its team on brand positioning
and public relations activities.
Racers’ Toolbox, which works with clients on weight loss and performance for endurance sports such as triathlon, running, cycling and swimming, will work with Citrus PR across several areas that include positioning, traditional and new media.
Ben Pulham, one of the Founders of Racers’ Toolbox and an ex-professional athlete himself, commented “As we build the Racers’ Toolbox brand, effective public relations will be a key part of our marketing activities. With Singapore’s vibrant sporting scene going from strength to strength, it’s important that we create awareness about our services and our approach, so that those in training, or thinking about embarking on a training programme, know about Racers’ Toolbox and what we have to offer. Citrus PR will support us with these activities”.
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