SingTel's mysterious digital arm unveiled: Here comes inSing.com

Singapore - SingTel has finally unveiled the offering of its new secretive Digital Media subsidiary, a new web and mobile platform called inSing.com that aims to be a hub for all things concerning life in Singapore.

Marketing exclusively revealed the existence of SingTel Digital Media (STDM) on 16 March. The new division, which was revealed to media and advertisers yesterday, is headed by Varsha Rao as CEO and has 20 staff in total, four of whom are in marketing roles.

Centering around lifestyle, shopping, food, entertainment and things to do in Singapore, inSing.com features both local and international content as well as a Google-powered search engine, email and its own listings service. Launch advertisers for inSing.com include Sony Pictures and Volkswagen, while Admax is handling the online display advertising for the site.

STDM has its own six-staff strong local content team for inSing.com but also will feature content from providers such as Reuteurs, MCS, AP, HungryGoWhere and Arts Beat. The target audience of the site is all Singaporeans, with a particular focus on 18-39 year-olds, and it aims to increase its use of user-generated content in the future.

STDM has appointed The Secret Little Agency to its creative advertising account, Fulford PR to handle public relations and ZenithOptimedia to work on the media business.

Rao said STDM will be looking to hire new staff, with an ad campaign to promote inSing.com to launch "in a couple of days". inSing.com will also be marketed to Singtel's three million mobile customers and its 500,000 broadband customersn through its own company channles.

Anne Claire Rean has been appointed as STDM's marketing deputy director, and former Lonely Planet publisher Alex Fenby has been hired as director content. BrandHub worked with STDM to develop the brand name, identity, icons and collateral systems for inSing.com.

Allen Lew, Singapore CEO of SingTel, said the new digital media offering is part of the company's transformation from a telcommunications carrier to a multi-media content creation business.