Economic Development (IDA Singapore)

Historical Overview
IDA Singapore aims to build a vibrant infocomm ecosystem by attracting multinational corporations and innovative foreign companies to Singapore to complement local infocomm enterprises and start-up companies. It also seeks opportunities to grow the infocomm industry by facilitating the entry of Singapore infocomm companies into the global marketplace.

One of IDA’s key responsibilities is creating a conducive, innovative, and competitive infocomm environment that is both proconsumer and pro-business. As the telecommunications regulator, IDA puts in place policies and regulatory frameworks to ensure free and fair competition in the telecoms market in Singapore so that consumers of infocomm products and services benefit from greater choices.

JMR executives were contracted for a two-fold assignment:

• Position Singapore as a regional hub for business in Asia, and senior state government officials as global thought leaders among various target U.S. constituencies;
• Drive the attention of U.S. business, national, technology trade and other media on behalf to Singapore’s innovative national broadband, wireless, e-government, enterprise and web services initiatives.

Results
JMR executives initiated a nationwide perception audit among a select group of U.S. Fortune 500 executives, for the purpose of tailoring strategic messaging targeted at the U.S. C-level audience. The results of this audit found that there was a lingering negative perception of Singapore in terms of ex-patriot hospitality due to the Michael Fay caning incident in 1994.

Incorporating those survey results into the messaging platform, JMR executives developed strategic messaging designed to alter, or shift the current misconceptions that existed, and implemented a wide-scale U.S. media campaign, targeting business, financial and technology reporters in the top 50 markets, positioning both the national brand and specific service initiatives as best-in-breed, on a global scale.

JMR’s program reach audience of more than 6,500,000 individuals in target business and government circles in less than one year with the following highlights:

• Obtained daily coverage in CIO Magazine, multi-page features in CIO, Communications Technology , National Journal, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post;
• Secured cover story on TAN Swee Hua, director e-government services, in multiple government/technology publications, including Washington Technology, Government Computer News, E-Government, Web Services Journal, etc.
• Secured hi-level government official features on CNN, CNBC and Bloomberg (broadcast);
• Conducted roundtable discussions with representatives from ten most influential industry trade associations.