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2017's top stories which got SG marketers clicking

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As the year comes to a close in 2017, the discussion on issues such as brand safety and problematic programmatic continue to maintain its foothold on the minds of marketers. This year also saw the rampant adoption of chatbots into not only a marketer's customer facing strategy, but also that of employee engagement. Digital has also continued to sweep the hearts of marketers and publishers alike, with rapid transformation plans on the rise as print declines.From controversial ads on LGBT issues, key people movements to throwing shade at your brand competitors, let's rewind on the top reader favourites from 2017 this year.1. ASAS asks Cathay to amend Pink Dot 2017 advertisementAfter deliberating over a controversial Pink Dot 2017 banner ad being placed inside Cathay Cineleisure, the Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore (ASAS) deemed it did not breach the Singapore Code of Advertising Practice (SCAP). However, it asked for the statement "Supporting the freedom to love" to be removed. It had since written to Cathay to inform it to amend the advertisement, stating it would follow up on its compliance. Read more here.2. Cathay Organisation responds to Pink Dot 2017 escalator ad controversyPink Dot 2017 ad placement found in Cathay Cineleisure sparked police reports from netizens against the controversial LGBTQ event in Singapore. When contacted by Marketing, a Cathay spokesperson said that as an entertainment company, Cathay has always believed in an all-inclusive society where there is a place for everyone to call home. Read more here.3. Cathay and Pink Dot respond to ASAS’ demand for ad amendmentFollowing ASAS’ recent decision on Pink Dot’s Cathay Cineleisure ad, Cathay maintained that while it was the owner of the advertising platform provided to Pink Dot, it was not the owner of the ad and hence not in a position to decide on the removal of the statement “Supporting the freedom to love”. Meanwhile, organisers of Pink Dot 2017 said they were confident that Singaporeans will able to discern its message of inclusion, diversity and love from one that seeks to divide them because of differences.  As such, the organisers said they were open to speaking to ASAS and inviting them to a ‘frank discussion’. Read more here.4. STB shoots back at Criminal Minds for massacring Singapore’s imageSingapore Tourism Board (STB) made a stand for the country after the airing of a controversial episode of CBS’ Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders. During the episode, the show makes several misrepresentations about the island, causing a negative reaction online. Following the faux pas, STB published a series of photographs on its Facebook page. Each one was accompanied with captions which took a jab and debunked most of the geographical and factual inaccuracies of Singapore portrayed in the Criminal Minds episode. Read more here.5. Motorola takes a dig at Samsung Galaxy weeks after Samsung roasts AppleFollowing Samsung’s recent dig at Apple’s iPhone, Motorola was swift in serving up shade, taking aim at Samsung’s Galaxy series in its latest spot. Motorola’s new video garnered over 98k views at the time of writing. Online reactions were mixed, with some commending Motorola for the “clap back” and the interesting ending, while others said they will still stick to Samsung. Read more here.6. Singapore sales and marketing salary guide 2017This year was a good year for technology specialists and digital marketers, as more multinationals and startups look to establish operations in Singapore, according to report by Robert Walters. Salary increments for sales and marketing job movers were said to range from 10% to 15% increase on base salaries in 2016. In 2016, marketing hiring was said to be dominated by a need for professionals with digital skills. This was with a rising demand for quality sales people as well as digital marketing candidates across all sectors. Read more here.7. Say goodbye to these 17 ad formats on FacebookFacebook discontinued 17 ad formats which are rarely used and not “closely tied” to advertiser objectives. This was to better help advertisers drive business outcomes while providing consumers with more engaging experiences. All affected ad formats was removed by 15 September 2017. Facebook said the change allowed it to improve and expand its most effective advertising products, and help advertisers better identify solutions which reach their goals. Read more here.8. Netccentric CEO and co-founder Cheo Ming Shen steps downNetccentric CEO Cheo Ming Shen stepped down from his current position as CEO. According to an ASX listing, he will remain on the board of the company as a non-executive director. Following the move, regional director Yang Huiwen was appointed interim CEO while the company’s board of directors continued to work closely with Netccentric’s executive team. This was while the company commenced its search for a new CEO immediately. Read more here.9. Salary guide: A quick look at marketing roles in demand in 2017The role for digital marketers was found to be in demand, according to the 2017 Kelly Services and Capita Salary Guide which compiles job placements and trend data annually. The guide found those with skills around CRM, applied analytics, customer journey mapping to have higher bargaining power when it comes to pay. Read more here.10. Poor word choice on train collision adds to SMRT and LTA’s PR woesFollowing the collision of two MRT trains at Joo Koon station due to a signaling system fault, SMRT and the Land Transport Authority of Singapore (LTA) issued joint statements. The first statement however, drew flak for the use the word “came into contact” to describe the collision. Netizens called out the statement an attempt to “sugarcoat” the train collision and inappropriate due to the number of injuries reported. In the subsequent posts, SMRT was quick to change the words “came into contact” to “collision”. Read more here.(Image courtesy: 123RF)

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