Courtesy of Christopher Chan
Yesterday, I flipped through My Paper and read that Singapore has hit the top spot in East West Communications global survey.
According to the report, all 192 countries in the United Nations together with another eight which were not are included in the survey. The company has also analysed five million references to the 200 countries or regions. These references are found in about 400,000 news articles found in 38 leading global media sources in the second quarter this year.
A fuller report of the findings can be found here.
To be honest, I was initially a little sceptical when I read this. I mean, we are a little red dot that has been derided for our harsh public caning laws, banning of chewing gum and labelled as a cultural desert.
However, when you think about it further, there really is reason for us to clinch the numero uno position. For a start, our economy has managed to sustain itself, the political situation is fairly stable here compared to our neighbours, and we are also known for leading the pack in innovation. Winning the Youth Olympics Game bid, inaugurating the world's first Formula One Night Race, and introducing the Integrated Resorts are some of the pioneering measures taken. Jobs are also at an all time high, and people are generally satisfied with their lives (relatively speaking).
Of course, these results are only valid for the second quarter (ie April to June 2008), and we do know how perception can swing tremendously in a matter of months or even weeks. Sceptics may also say that this is only one of such survey. Perhaps, our ranking may not be as positive in other similar studies. Moreover, the study only looks at press articles and reports, and doesn't include interviews with the man-on-the-street.
Well, either we are really that great or our international PR is superior. Either outcome is equally good enough for us to celebrate!Labels: branding, east west communications, media report, public relations
