Criteo releases guide for Chinese New Year retail sales in 2023

Criteo, the commerce media company, has released 2022 Chinese New Year (CNY) insights to enable retailers to forecast consumer demand and ensure that they can tap onto the same trends for 2023.

Starting from January 2022, retail sales performed above baseline levels (average during 18 – 31 December 2021) until a week before CNY 2022 (February 1), reflecting positive purchasing momentum in consumers. In Southeast Asia (SEA), retail sales peaked at 27% on 25 January, a week before CNY, signalling that consumers in the region continue to shop for festive needs close to CNY and expect retailers to be able to meet any last-minute demands. Retail sales in the Greater China region (GCR) increased by 40% compared to last two weeks of December 2021.

Consumers would have already been familiar with e-commerce shopping due to the pandemic and the increase signifies their comfort levels with diversifying their purchase options. CNY 2022 saw consumers in SEA utilising other platforms besides physical shopping for their festive needs. In the GCR, app sales saw a significant increase two weeks before the event while SEA realised double-digit increases in all site types, with desktop sales recording the highest uplift.

In SEA, desktop sales saw an increase of 58%, app sales also increased by 29%, and mobile web sales rose by 30%. GCR, on the other hand, experienced a desktop sales rise of 50%, app sales up by 120%, and higher mobile web sales (+57%).

The share of mobile transactions performed slightly higher than the base period during the one-week window before CNY 2022 (12% increase in SEA, 9% increase in Singapore, 10% increase in GCR, 19% increase in Vietnam).

Retail categories continue to record improved sales performance in 2022:

Fashion performed above baseline on the way to CNY 2022, SEA’s highest increase was 24%, GCR was 34%, Singapore was 37% and Vietnam was 41%.

The food and groceries category doubled before CNY 2022, showing a notable uplift compared to the average during the last two weeks of December 2021. The highest increases occurred two weeks before the event for both GCR (103% increase) and SEA (86% increase).

The health and beauty category saw an 86% increase in SEA and a 103% increase in GCR; electronics saw a 30% increase in SEA and a 60% increase in Vietnam; and items in the home and garden category saw a 94% uplift in GCR.

“Chinese New Year is anticipated to bring about a surge in consumer spending and retailers must be prepared to capitalise on this opportunity. Brands and retailers have had a front row seat to the changes in consumer behaviour and needs over the past few years and will do well to act on these insights,” said Taranjeet Singh, Criteo's MD, Southeast Asia and India. 

“As we approach this festive season, it’s imperative for brands and retailers to consider adopting a refreshed advertising strategy that will enable them to maximise outreach to their target audience across different platforms.”

Criteo noted that consumers are concerned about inflation and rising cost of living in 2023, giving rise to the savvy shopper who will be finding ways to get the best bang for their buck. The company named five trends that retailers should take note of:

- Consumers are heading online to search for the best deal despite the return of in-store shopping. According to Criteo’s research, consumers are taking the hybrid path of purchasing and want the best of both worlds; while returning to stores, they still rely on retailer websites and mobile applications to supplement their shopping experience. 

Four in five consumers experience a significant improvement or some improvement in searching online for products which they intend to buy, indicating that consumers appreciate relevant and personalised advertising and ultimately ensuring greater reach from new and existing shoppers.

- Consumers will still purchase items they love. Consumers have no choice but to spend more on non-negotiables like mortgages or food, but a majority are still purchasing the goods and experiences they want most.

- Consumers are now planning ahead and thinking of what to buy in bulk to maximise their spending power and make use of cost savings.

- Consumers believe that deals should not come at the expense of quality. Though saving money is top of mind, shoppers still want great products that are made to last.

- They want more from brands than just discounts. Alignment with a brand’s values and loyalty programmes are strong motivators for shoppers to make a purchase right now.

With these insights in mind, retailers should keep these best practices in mind to maximise consumer traction for CNY 2023:

- Commerce media is being positioned as the 4th wave of digital advertising and has the power to reach and engage consumers where they’re actively browsing and buying. As such, emerging environments such as retail media will continue gaining traction in 2023. 

While retail media refers to the advertising placed on a retailer’s e-commerce site or app by a brand to influence the customer at the point of purchase, commerce media is more inclusive and incorporates elements from retail media, performance marketing, and brand marketing.

- Savvy retailers know that they will need to continue expanding their media offerings to own their end-to-end customer journey, and marketers will keep investing in retail media because it works.  

- A seamless hybrid shopping experience. If retailers can provide consumers with a smooth shopping experience, they will create loyalty and trust. Some measures include introducing innovative and practical customer services, such as BORIS (buy online, return in-store); this easy return policy is a top reason why consumers decide to purchase a product when shopping online.

- Appropriately targeting ads to target audiences. Retailers may ensure a greater reach from new and existing consumers by optimising data and analytics on their websites and apps, allowing for targeted ads at the point of purchase, subsequently influencing sale convergence online.

Ipsos: Over half of all Singaporeans upbeat about 2022, mixed feelings about 2023

An annual global survey by Ipsos on people’s perspective of the year gone by and predictions for the year ahead has found that nearly three quarters (73%) of global citizens say it has been a bad year for their country, 4 percentage points lower than those who had said the same about 2021.

On average, across all 36 countries surveyed in the Ipsos Global Predictions for 2023 report, over half (56%) described 2022 as a bad year for themselves and their family. Even more (73%) said 2022 has been a bad year for their country. Both figures are better than for 2021 (58% and 77% respectively) and markedly better from the annus horribilis that was 2020, when 90% said it had been a bad year for their country and 70% that it had been a bad year for them and their family.

In contrast, Singaporeans are feeling more positive about how the year went. While slightly more than half (57%) of Singaporeans say that it was a bad year for Singapore, this is a significant 23 points lower than the sentiment measured a year ago.

The economy in 2023

There is split optimism for the year ahead with about half of (55%) Singaporean respondents saying that the global economy will be stronger in 2023. There is a little more optimism for their personal situations with 64% saying that 2023 will be a better year for them than it was in 2022. This is a 15% drop from the sentiment measured a year ago, as inflation has begun to take centre stage over the receding pandemic.

Nearly nine in 10 (87%) Singaporeans believe that prices in the country are likely to increase faster than people’s incomes. Six in 10 Singaporeans also say that it is likely that major stock markets around the world will crash in 2023. Citizens are also expecting higher interest rates (83%) and unemployment (71%) in 2023.

Even as fears around rising prices loom nearer, Singaporeans trust in the overall economic stability of the country. While about half (46%) of global citizens expect their country to require an emergency bailout from the IMF next year, a lower than average 35% of Singaporeans say so of Singapore.

World security in 2023

Ipsos noted that world security has been very much on everyone’s minds in 2022 with active conflict zones in several parts of the world and international tensions rising in others. The possible escalation of such conflicts has increased concern that nuclear weapons will be used somewhere in the world.

More than half (56%) of Singaporeans now feel this is a likely scenario rather than a mere possibility, up markedly from the 40% seen this time last year. The anxiety is particularly high in neighbouring Indonesia (69%), but considerably lower in China (40%). Nearly four in 10 (39%) Singaporeans expect the war in Ukraine will end in 2023, and another 40% expect it to continue.

The role of technology in potential disruption is also recognised. Nearly half (48%) of Singaporeans say it is likely hackers from a foreign government will cause a global IT shutdown (vs global average of 44%). 

The general mood of anxiety has even had knock-on effects on concerns about catastrophic stellar events. Now, 27% of Singaporeans think an asteroid strike on earth is likely in 2023 (up 6% from last) while 22% expect aliens to visit the earth (up 8% from last year).

Environment in 2023

Most people around the world believe we will see more climate change consequences in 2023. Seven in 10 Singaporeans say it is likely there will be more extreme weather events in the country next year. In addition, 60% of Singaporeans say 2023 will likely be the hottest year on record. There is some hope for a breakthrough in technology that will halt climate change, with 43% of Singaporeans saying that this is likely. Indonesia is most optimistic, with 76% saying it is likely, and Japan most pessimistic with just 14% thinking this will be so.

Expectations for major progress in tackling climate change are relatively low: The numbers who expect to see people flying less than they did in 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic are down from 67% last year to 43% now. This is no doubt driven by a desire to resume foreign travel habits as the rules and restrictions introduced to try to limit the spread of Covid have been eased around the world. 

Society in 2023

Six in ten (63%) Singaporeans anticipate no further Covid-19 lockdowns in the country next year as people get back to some form of normality. In China and South Korea, around half of the surveyed people (43% and 44% respectively) think it is likely that this will be the case. In Indonesia, the vast majority (82%) are very confident that they will not experience further lockdowns in 2023.

It is not yet clear to what degree the changes to working patterns that were enforced by Covid will persist and continue to evolve – 46% of Singaporeans believe that it will become normal for businesses in Singapore to implement a four-day working week during 2023. At the same time, the proportion thinking that many more people will live their lives in virtual worlds has dropped by 15% from last year to 57%.

Globally, around one in three (34% up from 28% last year) say is likely that people in their country will become more tolerant of each other. In Singapore, 52% say this is likely, up 13% from last year.

Slack: Job stability, security as important as salary for talent retention

Source: Slack infographic. More than half of all Singapore knowledge workers feel burned out, with nearly half thinking of changing jobs in 2023.

Talent retention is going to be rocky going forward. The impact of the pandemic, the uncertain economic environment, and the burnout experienced by over half of Singaporean knowledge workers in the last year, have irrevocably changed what employees want from their leaders, according to new Slack research*.

The study, Leadership and the war for talent, based on a survey of over 1,000 Singaporean knowledge workers, found that Singaporeans now value stability and job security (53%) more than salary (40%) when it comes to choosing the company they work for; while having a good manager (31%) was almost as much of a consideration as salary.

Survey respondents also identified teamwork and collaboration, transparent and trustworthy leadership, flexible work, and employee wellbeing as the four biggest factors in driving organisational success - all of these factors are valued more highly than financial achievement. When it comes to flexible working, over two-thirds of Singaporeans want to be trusted to do their job regardless of location or the hours worked.

With nearly one in two Singaporean knowledge workers considering moving jobs in the next year, and 16% admitting to ‘quiet quitting’ - fulfilling the requirements of their job but not going above and beyond - it’s critical for leaders to act, Slack said. The company advises that leaders ensure their own leadership style will impact employee engagement and motivation negatively. This means:

- Focusing more on soft or ‘power’ skills - human-centred, interpersonal skills related to areas such as collaboration, social and emotional intelligence; 

- Analysing the time employees are spending on unproductive tasks; 

- Exploring ways to elevate productivity with collaborative technology; and 

- Figuring out how to meet the varying expectations of employees from different generations, who prefer to work in different ways.

Shweta Verma, Country Manager, Singapore, Slack said, “The reality is that many Singaporean professionals are burnt out. Leaders have an obligation to address this – not least for the wellbeing of their employees, but also to drive the productivity of their organisations. As we continue to go through one of the biggest workplace experiments of the century - moving from physical offices to digital headquarters - it’s critical that employers demonstrate sound, positive leadership. By harnessing collaborative technology at scale, and engaging employees in ways that best suit them, leaders can help drive productivity and a happier, more engaged workforce.” 

Poor leadership leads to burnout, quiet quitting

Slack’s research draws a clear link between poor leadership and a dip in employee morale and productivity. Only half of Singaporean professionals say they feel inspired by their leaders, and the same number find their leaders “stuck in their ways of working.”

‘Quiet quitting’ is strongly linked to poor leadership as well – over half (51%) of those who ‘quiet quit’ reported having poor leaders.

According to the study, employees with poor or average leaders feel they have much less of a voice, and less control and autonomy over their work. Additionally, they reported more of a disconnect between leaders and employees, and reported culture feeling more forced. 

Collaborative technology as potential ‘power tools’ for boosting leadership

The Slack study showed a strong correlation between those respondents that hold their leaders in high regard and those whose leaders embrace the use of collaborative technology. Interestingly, these respondents were also identified as feeling highly connected to their organisations. Contrastingly, those who deemed their leaders as technology laggards in this area say they are more likely to quit their job.

Nearly two-thirds of Singaporean knowledge workers saw collaboration tools as enabling them to be productive, among other benefits. These include being able to free up time by automating work, getting information to the right people quickly, speeding up the implementation of projects, improving communication with leadership, prioritising tasks, and achieving faster feedback loops. 

The real reason Singaporean knowledge workers don’t have enough hours in the day

The potential value of collaboration tools on organisational success becomes more pronounced, Slack said, when looking at the amount of non-productive time that Singaporean knowledge workers say they are spending on routine and often mundane tasks.

For example, nearly a third of respondents feel that it takes them too long to find information internally, and that internal processes take up too much of their day. A similar number find that communicating across the company, within big teams and across time zones is slow due to delayed responses. Where this is the case, around a quarter of this group say they are spending over an hour a day on these activities, which can be accelerated through collaboration technology. 

Mind the generation gap

The survey shows significant generational differences in employees in Singapore in terms of what they expect from their leaders, making it clear that people management is not a one-size-fits-all.

Gen Z are the most concerned with wellbeing, having a highly social culture and desiring empathetic leaders. While they are more likely to be inspired by leadership, they are the most likely to switch jobs.

Millennials also want a focus on wellbeing, transparent and trustworthy leadership, and a great employee experience. They are the most likely to feel a disconnect between leaders and employees, and have the highest levels of job dissatisfaction. This group leans in most to the use of collaboration tools.

Gen X places the greatest importance on flexibility, transparent and trustworthy leadership, and are the least concerned with wellbeing. They want their employers to have a consistent purpose, supported by robust processes. They are the least interested in technology and innovation.

Baby Boomers are middle of the road on most things, but are particularly favourable towards having robust processes, clear KPIs and accountability frameworks, and to have a clear level of autonomy in work.

Cooling down the burnout

The research also showed some clear differentiation between what Singaporean knowledge workers across different industries are feeling and looking for:

IT and technology: Respondents from the tech sector gave the highest scores to their managers for being competent and communicating well. Although not inspirational, IT leaders are seen to lead by example. Perhaps, as a result, IT workers are less likely to feel burned out, Slack suggested.

Financial services: Notably much less focused on teamwork, collaboration and wellbeing as being the keys to success, respondents from the banking sector were the most likely to want more meaning in their job. They also reported some of the highest rates of burnout, dissatisfaction and quiet quitting.

Retail: Singapore’s retail knowledge workers seem to be more positive than their peers in other industries right now. Half (51%) say they feel strongly about doing the right thing by their employer and are happy to go “above and beyond”. At 42%, retail also has the lowest proportion of workers who say they’ve felt burned out during the past 12 months.

Government: There seems to be a significant opportunity in Singapore’s government sector to tap into the benefits of collaborative technology, Slack notes. More than half (56%) of government employees say that email is still their primary method of communication with customers and partners - a proportion significantly higher than other industries in the survey. Government workers are also more likely to be working from a mix of home and office environments, with around two-thirds (67%) saying they are working this way.

A new perspective on the office

While employees are increasingly working from home, the office environment is still valued, the Slack study found. When asked what they felt the office was best suited for, Singaporean knowledge workers cited team building, social connection, collaboration and brainstorming, and one-on-one/development meetings. Activities like progress updates, company town halls, learning programmes and knowledge sharing sessions were perceived as less critical if they are held in an office. This suggests that a lot of time can be potentially saved by conducting these activities virtually, using collaborative technology.

Explore 

Read the Leadership and the war for talent report.

*Slack’s new research, conducted by Honeycomb Strategy, was based on responses from 1,000+ Singaporean knowledge workers within organisations of 100+ employees.

This is the second iteration of this Slack research in Singapore, with The Reinvention of Work study carried out in October 2021. The Slack State of Work report, a global survey including 1,000 Singaporean knowledge workers, is similar research that was carried out by GlobalWebIndex in March 2020, prior to the pandemic.

SiteMinder: Travellers are spending in 2022

A global survey* of more than 8,000 travellers has uncovered a growing appetite for overseas travel despite rising living costs.

Source: SiteMinder Changing Traveller Report 2022. Global accommodation momentum from 2020 to 2022.

 

The report uncovered five travel trends:

- Macro-travel: The urge to travel is stronger than rising inflation

- Digital influence: Right now, travellers are the most winnable consumers on earth

- Bleisure: Working travellers want the hotel of the future, today

- Trust: Every digital touchpoint matters for the new trust-critical traveller

- Human connection: Tech-enabled travellers are not willing to compromise on human connection

Across the four countries polled in Asia Pacific, 71% of travellers in China and 56% in both Indonesia and Thailand (Australia 65%), said that inflation had “no impact” to “moderate impact” in their decision when planning and evaluating the cost of travel. Respondents who cited a “moderate impact” also stated that cheap accommodation rates were not the most important factor when booking their travel.

The annual Changing Traveller Report 2022 by SiteMinder, the global hotel commerce platform, also found that about half of respondents – 48% of travellers in China and Thailand and 52% of travellers in Indonesia – intend to travel “internationally or domestically” over the next 12 months. In contrast, 85% of Australia travellers plan to do the same.

Millennials (those aged 26 to 41) form the largest segment who plan to travel, accounting for 58% of travellers in Indonesia, followed by 56% in China and 52% in Thailand.

As the largest accommodation-specific traveller survey globally, insights from SiteMinder’s 2022 Changing Traveller Report showed that:

Gen Z (aged 18-25) are also the most likely to be influenced by the social media presence of the property they book, compared to other age groups. Thai travellers are the most influenced by social media, with 78% of respondents saying they are “very influenced” or “influenced” by the property’s social media presence in their booking decision, followed by 75% in China and 74% in Indonesia. In fact, respondents in every age group agreed that they are all influenced by the social media accounts of the accommodation they book.

Bleisure - combining business with leisure - continues to be a growing trend, with 49% of Gen Z global travellers most likely to take a working holiday, followed by 46% of Millennials. Nearly two in three (65%) Thai travellers top the bleisure travel trend, followed by 62% of Indonesia travellers and 47% of Chinese travellers. In fact, roughly a quarter or more of travellers from every country surveyed in the report will be bleisure travellers on their next trip. For Australia, 24% of travellers intend to be bleisure travellers.

Travellers are likely to change their perception of the accommodation provider if they have a negative customer experience when accessing and using the accommodation provider website, for example if the website is slow, or the payment process is not secure. At least seven in 10 Asian travellers – 89% in China, 72% in Indonesia and 75% in Thailand – said they are “very likely” or “likely” to change their perception when the accommodation provider was not using technology effectively. Nearly six in 10 Australia respondents (59%), in contrast, said the same.

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) and robots by accommodation providers to replace hospitality professionals is also well accepted with 86% of travellers in China, 85% of travellers in Thailand and 76% of travellers in Indonesia saying they are “very supportive” or “supportive” of accommodation providers using AI and robots to automate previous human work processes. For Australia, 31% of travellers are very supportive or supportive.

Sankar Narayan, MD and CEO of SiteMinder, said, “We can see that optimism is returning from travellers to the tourism sector, and there is demand for travel as travel restrictions and health concerns abate across the world. Despite inflation and rising costs, travellers are reporting they are undeterred and do not intend to cancel their travel plans, which is a positive sign for accommodation industry resilience and travel globally, particularly in Asia.

“The long-awaited recovery of travel has also emerged with a new type of traveller, who has higher expectations from hotels and their travel experiences than ever. We can see that, more than ever, travellers now have ambitions to book, travel, work, connect, and experience the world with the greatest flexibility and security possible.”

Explore

Visit the SiteMinder interactive hotel experience. 

Read the report.

*Powered by Kantar, the SiteMinder  survey of 8,182 travellers aged over 18 years spanned Australia, China, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Spain, Thailand, the UK, and US. The survey, conducted in August 2022, included 2,461 travellers in China, Indonesia and Thailand. Respondents were asked 25 accommodation-specific questions, and were split up by gender, generation, location (urban, suburban, rural), travel plans, work plans and the type of accommodation they intended to next stay in. The data was supplemented with reports and data from McKinsey & Company, Deloitte, Paysafe, and others.

Sustainable travel now a priority for travellers

Trip.com Group, a global travel service provider, has released its inaugural Sustainable Travel Consumer Report in conjunction with World Tourism Day. The report sheds light on the increased acceptance of sustainable travel and its implications for the travel industry and the wider world.

Across the globe, sustainable travel - both in theory and practice - has moved to the forefront of the decision-making when it comes to travelling, with more than 68% of respondents in Singapore and 90% of respondents in Thailand acknowledging its importance.

Source: Trip.com. Despite regional disparities, more and more people are clearly engaging in sustainable travel practices.

A survey of 7,705 respondents across 11 markets in Asia and Europe has shown that the impact of travel tops the list of reasons why travellers are increasingly drawn to sustainable travel. Nearly seven in 10 (69.3%) Singapore respondents, and six in 10 (60.4%) Thailand respondents said they care about the impact of travel on future generations. 

Further, 16.2% in Singapore and 24.6% in Thailand cited the importance of sustainability in improving the travel experience, and another 6.2% in both countries perceived it as trendy.

The report indicates a growing proportion of travellers now approach the term 'sustainability' more wholistically, emphasising the economic, cultural and biodiversity aspects in addition to the more traditional environmental considerations. The more diversified understanding of sustainable travel comes through when it comes to almost four in 10 Singapore respondents (39.4%) recognising the benefit of supporting local businesses and livelihoods. Some 44.7% believe respecting the culture and heritage of local destinations is also part and parcel of sustainable travel.

The report points out that over half of respondents in both Singapore (63%) and Thailand (78.5%) named COVID-19 as a catalyst for their increased appetite for sustainable options. Travel restrictions enhanced their appreciation for nature and spurred demand for travelling closer to home.

Amid heightened sustainability awareness, more than half (59.2%) of respondents demonstrate an inclination to pay a higher price for carbon offsetting to reduce the impact of their travel.

Inadequate visibility of sustainable options poses a significant barrier to their wider adoption. Travellers blame this on the difficulty of accessing information about sustainable travel products, with 21.6% in Singapore and 39.7% in Thailand stating there is a lack of sustainable options and 18.3% in Singapore and over half of the Thai respondents (50.7%) saying these are not clearly labelled.

Accordingly, over 50% of Singapore (59%) and Thailand (57.3%) respondents believe online travel agencies (OTAs) should clearly label sustainable options, followed by 53.6% of Singapore respondents and 43.6% of Thailand respondents who called upon OTAs to make it easier to find these options. Over 70% of respondents from Singapore also suggested OTAs offer incentives to encourage sustainable travel.

While approximately half of travellers in both Singapore and Thailand are open to paying more to include sustainable options in their trips, they display varying levels of price sensitivity to the higher costs it usually entails, with only around 0.5% of Singapore respondents and 7.2% of Thailand respondents willing to pay over 10% of the total price for a sustainable option. The report also shows that 93% of respondents would consider booking via OTAs that provide sustainable options.

Jane Sun, CEO of Trip.com Group, said: "The results reaffirm our vision to educate travellers better and provide a greater volume and variety of reliable, sustainable travel options. Our findings are a clarion call to ourselves as to our allies in the travel sector.

"In the future, we will join hands with partners, travellers and other stakeholders to venture towards a more sustainable world."

Explore

Download the Sustainable Travel Consumer Report 2022 (PDF).

Salesforce uncovers where Singapore stands on national net zero targets

Salesforce, the customer relationship management (CRM) provider, has released research which found that 85% of managers in Singapore recognise the importance of technology in achieving a net zero target by 2050, with 43% noting that the role of technology would be ‘very important’.

The Trail to Net Zero for Singapore report, which surveyed over 1,000 managers from small, medium and large businesses in Singapore, reveals business sentiments towards the country’s net zero targets, and highlights how cloud technology can help to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions.

Key findings include:

Cloud migration enables businesses to deliver energy savings and cost efficiencies

With Singapore’s data centre capacity estimated to grow at a CAGR of 8% between 2022 and 2030, businesses can significantly reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions by taking steps such as moving to the cloud. 

A recent study* found that cloud migration will enable businesses to achieve energy savings of 79%. If cloud operators rely on 100% renewable power, Singapore businesses will likely be able to reduce carbon emissions by 19.3 million metric tonnes between 2022-2030, equivalent to greenhouse gas emissions from 4 million passenger cars in Singapore. This in turn results in US$4 billion (approximately S$5.6 billion) in cost savings.

Businesses show strong support for Singapore’s net zero target

Eight in ten (81%) respondents say they support Singapore’s net zero target by 2050. The level of support is even higher (88%) among larger businesses with more than 100 employees. According to the Salesforce report, 83% of managers also support the government’s initiative to provide subsidies and incentives to businesses for the development of renewable energy technologies.

Transition to net zero creates jobs

Managers are three times more likely to think that achieving a net zero economy by 2050 in Singapore will result in more jobs than less jobs (39% compared to 13%).

Businesses are more conscious of emissions across their value chain

Six in 10 (61%) managers surveyed said they are more likely to purchase products or services from supplying businesses with a net zero target.

Addressing climate change requires multi-stakeholder collaboration

Respondents agree that both the government (54%) and businesses in their industry (66%) can continue to do more to tackle climate change.

The report provides a number of policy recommendations to help accelerate Singapore’s trail to net zero. They include:

Source: Salesforce infographic. Recommendations on how to accelerate Singapore’s trail to net zero.

- Developing cutting-edge climate technology

- Increasing investment in cloud

- Addressing the sustainability skills gap

- Using environmental artificial intelligence (AI)

- Enhance international collaboration

- Adopting a shared digital platform to track emissions

Sujith Abraham, Senior VP and GM, Salesforce ASEAN said: “Technology can play a transformative role in climate action. This includes digital platforms and dashboards to help businesses drive better accountability, cloud computing adoption to drive lower carbon emissions, use of environmental AI and other cutting-edge climate innovations.”

Jared Ragland, Senior Director, Policy — APAC at BSA | The Software Alliance said: “BSA and our members are fully committed to contributing to the fight against climate change and are attuned to the responsibility that global companies have to advance sustainability while supporting communities in their efforts to do the same.

"Digital transformation is enabling businesses in all sectors to do everything from reducing energy and water use to reducing the climate impact of the buildings they fill. This Salesforce report shows how important digital tools are toward achieving sustainability goals, in Singapore and around the world.”

Lim Boon Pin, Co-Chair of SGTech's Sustainability Committee said: “The increasing migration to cloud is a major contributing factor to Singapore being home to the highest digital traffic in the Asia Pacific. 

"SGTech supports the shift to cloud and is active in championing dialogue between local data centre players and the government to strive towards decarbonisation of data centres within our shores. As we transit into a greener economy, we need our businesses to embrace the challenges, identify opportunities that come with them and create products and services that solve them.”

Explore

- Read the Trail to Net Zero for Singapore report (PDF)

- View the Trail to Net Zero for Singapore infographic

- Browse the Trail to Net Zero for Singapore YouGov survey (PDF)

*S&P Global Market Intelligence (2021): The Carbon Reduction Opportunity of Moving to the Cloud for APAC (PDF)

Crypto giveaway scams are on the rise

Source: Group-IB. A screen capture from a fake YouTube video purporting to feature Elon Musk.

Group-IB, a Singapore-headquartered cybersecurity provider, has found a fivefold increase in the number of domains used for crypto giveaway scams that involve fake YouTube streams in 1H22. Since Group-IB’s first report on the scheme, crypto giveaway scams evolved into a market segment with multiple services for fraudulent operations.

According to Group-IB, 63% of the new fraudulent domain names were registered with Russian registrars, but the fake websites are primarily designed to target English and Spanish-speaking crypto investors.

For the first time, the Group-IB Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-GIB) observed a sharp increase in the number of fraudulent YouTube streams “featuring” big names. Videos purporting to be from Elon Musk, the founder and CEO of SpaceX and Tesla; Brad Garlinghouse, CEO of Ripple Labs; MicroStrategy's co-founder and Executive Chairman Michael J. Saylor, as well as Cathie Wood, the founder and CEO of Ark Invest were found in February this year. 

The scammers used the footage of famous entrepreneurs and crypto enthusiasts to encourage users to visit a promotional website to double their crypto investment. Victims would be invited to transfer crypto to a specified address or disclose the seed phrase of their crypto wallet to receive even better terms.

Group-IB experts have discovered that the scheme has scaled significantly in six months. In 1H22, CERT-GIB identified more than 2,000 domains registered explicitly to be used as fake promotion websites. This figure increased almost five-fold compared to 2H21 and 53-fold in comparison with 1H21. In Q122 Group-IB researchers discovered 583 fake websites involved in the scheme. The next quarter the Group-IB team found an additional 1,500-plus domains newly set up by scammers to promote fake giveaways.

Scammers also advertised promo sites featuring Nayib Bukele, the President of Salvador, as well as the soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo. Both names were chosen for a reason, Group-IB said. In 2021, mainly on the initiative of its president, El Salvador became the first country to adopt Bitcoin as its national currency. Ronaldo, on the other had, became the first football star paid with cryptocurrency: the player was awarded a bonus of 770 crypto tokens from his club Juventus, one for each goal scored in his career. In June 2022, Binance, a crypto trading platform, announced an exclusive partnership with Ronaldo.

Group-IB advises crypto owners to be vigilant about free giveaways and not to share confidential data on rogue websites. Other advice included:

- Double-check the legitimacy of the streams and the websites you visit using official sources only. If you cannot find any information about the promotion taking place, you are likely being deceived.

- Seed phrases must be kept secret and stored securely. To do so, use password management tools.

- To minimise the risk of leakage, prioritise desktop solutions over cloud-based ones.

- You risk being deceived twice if you have already transferred your crypto to fraudsters and want your money back. People who message victims on forums offering help often turn out to be scammers themselves.

Off-season travel demand grows between Australia and Southeast Asia

While July to September is considered a slow travel season for both Australia and Southeast Asia, Trip.com data shows that more people from these two regions are travelling during these months.

For Southeast Asian consumers based in tropical countries, it is the perfect time to visit a cooler destination like Australia, and vice versa. For Australian travellers, short-haul travel to Southeast Asia remains perennially popular, especially after travel restrictions were gradually eased in the area this year.

Trip.com's bookings data during June and July for the Asia Pacific region and Australia shows that trips to Australia are most popular among travellers from New Zealand, and also that flight bookings from Southeast Asia to Australia increased 35% between June and July, compared to Trip.com
booking data from April and May. Australia and New Zealand recently removed many of the travel restrictions that have been in place during the pandemic.

Those travelling to Australia this summer, included travellers from Indonesia in 2nd place, behind New Zealand, Singapore taking 3rd place and Thailand, 5th place.

Domestically, Trip.com data also highlighted a trend for Australia’s southern residents to visit Queensland in the north to enjoy warmer weather during the off-season, with Brisbane, Cairns, the Gold Coast and the Whitsundays all attracting local travellers.

Driven by the international travel market recovering in the first half of 2022, Trip.com data shows that more Australians are heading further north to escape the cold. Since April, the ratio of international bookings made on Trip.com Australia has continued to increase, from 42% of all bookings in March, rising to 63% in July.

Given the uncertainty of the pandemic, most Australian international travellers booking on Trip.com have chosen to travel short haul to Southeast Asia during winter this year. Flight bookings to the region increased by 97% in June and July compared to April and May. Countries such as Indonesia, India, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore all made it into the top 10 most popular destinations for Australian users during June and July, with Indonesia taking the top spot.

Trip.com recently partnered with Tourism Malaysia to offer Australian travellers exclusive deals on their next trip to the region, including return flights from A$488. Since the launch of the campaign, Trip.com has seen a 34% increase in flight bookings to the country.

The MIX Fold 2 is Xiaomi's new flagship smartphone

Source: Xiaomi. The MIX Fold 2 is available in Black and Gold colourways.

Xiaomi has revealed its most advanced foldable flagship smartphone, Xiaomi MIX Fold 2, in Mainland China. The company has also announced Xiaomi Pad 5 Pro, Redmi K50 Ultra, and a host of ecosystem products.

Measuring just 5.4 mm¹ unfolded, Xiaomi MIX Fold 2 offers a consistent viewing experience on both its inner and outer displays. It is one of the thinnest foldable smartphones available, with a folded body just 11.2 mm ¹ thin. Additionally, it delivers an authentic Leica imagery experience and power efficiency with the latest Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 mobile platform.

To achieve these breakthroughs, Xiaomi focused on refining the hinge. The Xiaomi MIX Fold 2 is equipped with a self-developed Micro Waterdrop Hinge which features a smaller bending radius, thinner screen modules, and a customised mini rotating hinge. There are only 87 parts, enabling a lighter and thinner hinge design than ever before.

The Xiaomi MIX Fold 2 sports an inner folding design, with two AMOLED screens of two different sizes on two sides. The outer display adopts a 21:9 classic ratio design, allowing for excellent compatibility with most applications. The 6.56" display features Samsung E5 material, a resolution of 2,520 x 1,080, and supports 120 Hz high refresh rate and P3 colour gamut, with a brightness of up to 1,000 nits–giving it an edge over other common displays.

On the inside the Xiaomi MIX Fold 2 features an 8.02" Samsung Eco² OLED display. It adopts POL-LESS technology, replaces the traditional polariser with an ultra-thin colour filter, and uses a black matrix material to reduce reflection on the screen. Compared to traditional displays, light transmission has increased by 33%, with power consumption reduced by 25%. This screen has a resolution of 2,160 x 1,914, supports P3 colour gamut and LTPO 2.0 1-120 Hz AdaptiveSync Pro. The ultra-low anti-AR film allows the display to reduce reflectivity to less than 2%.

Both displays support a 120 Hz refresh rate, professional screen calibration on primary colours, 1,000 nit brightness and Dolby Vision. Regardless of which screen is used, the device supports dual ambient light sensing on the front and back, providing for natural and smooth automatic brightness adjustment.

The Xiaomi MIX Fold 2 runs on the latest MIUI Fold 13 operating system, which is optimised for the foldable form factor. Xiaomi MIX Fold 2 system applications are customised for its large screen, and a large number of app interfaces have been redesigned for a better on-screen experience. Calendar, file management, voice recorder, notes, and other applications feature a new column design to take full advantage of the large screen. Third-party application adaptation will be conducted according to solutions available in Android 12L, providing more native support capability for third-party apps.

Additional Xiaomi MIX Fold 2 innovations include updates in smart screen interaction. Users can now a three-finger swipe to split the screen. Floating windows can be quickly accessed through the sidebar, which can also be used to exit split screen mode.

Xiaomi has set a new imaging standard for smartphone photography, combining Leica’s imagery expertise with its experience in computational photography. To ensure optical excellence, Xiaomi MIX Fold 2 is equipped with a 50-megapixel IMX766 main camera, with 7P lenses that use an ALD low-reflection coating. Also featured are a 13 MP ultra-wide angle camera and a 8 MP telephoto camera with 2x optical zoom and portrait capabilities.

With Xiaomi ProFocus, Xiaomi MIX Fold 2 offers fast camera startup, quick captures, and continuous shooting support up to 30 frames per second. For video, Xiaomi MIX Fold 2 supports Dolby Vision HDR recording, as well as both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos for video viewing.

The Xiaomi MIX Fold 2 takes advantage of the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 mobile platform for snappy performance. TSMC's 4 nm manufacturing process enables a significant increase in energy efficiency while integrating tens of billions of transistors, into an area the size of a fingernail. The advanced process allows both the CPU and GPU to enjoy a 10% boost in performance, while simultaneously improving CPU and GPU energy consumption by 30%.

The device also packs a cooling system equipped with a large-area vapour compression cooling system (VC), rarely seen on foldable smartphones. The high-quality VC offers a surface area of up to 2,520 mm2, enabling 50% improvement in thermal conductivity compared to typical VCs. The inner layer of the battery is covered with second-generation boron nitride heat dissipation film, with an area of up to 3,715 mm2.

Xiaomi Pad 5 Pro

Xiaomi Pad 5 Pro features a large 12.4" display with a resolution of 2,560 x 1,600, 120 Hz refresh rate, and hardware-level blue light reduction. Xiaomi Pad 5 Pro's built-in conference mode can convert speech into text in real time, quickly distinguish between different speakers, and supports real-time translation between Chinese and English.

Redmi K50 Ultra

Joining the beloved Redmi K50 Series is the Redmi K50 Ultra. The Redmi K50 features the latest Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 mobile platform and a 1.5K flatscreen display. The smartphone's triple camera consists of a 100 MP main camera, 8 MP ultra-wide angle camera and 2 MP telephoto camera, enhanced by implementing numerous Xiaomi artificial intelligence (AI) image solutions. The combination of a 5,000 mAh battery and 120 W HyperCharge technology ensures that just 19 minutes  is needed for a full charge.²

Also launched was the Redmi K50 Ultra Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team Summer Edition. Adding on to the ultimate performance of the standard Redmi K50 Ultra, it incorporates the team's signature silver, petroleum green lines, and carbon fibre textures into the design.

In addition, Xiaomi also launched the Xiaomi Buds 4 Pro, Xiaomi Watch S1 Pro, Xiaomi Conference Tapcast, and Xiaomi Bluetooth Speakerphone.

Details

The Xiaomi MIX Fold 2 comes in two colours: Black and Gold, with three storage variants:

12 GB + 256 GB – RMB8,999

12 GB +512 GB – RMB9,999

12 GB +1 TB – RMB11,699

The Xiaomi Pad 5 Pro comes in Black, Silver and Forest Green, with three storage variants:

- 6 GB + 128 GB – RMB2,999

- 8 GB + 256 GB – RMB3,499

- 12 GB + 512 GB – RMB4,199

The Redmi K50 Ultra comes in Black, Silver and Blue, with four storage variants:

- 8 GB + 128 GB – RMB2,999

- 8 GB + 256 GB – RMB3,299

- 12 GB + 256 GB – RMB3,599

- 12 GB + 512 GB – RMB3,999

The Redmi K50 Ultra Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team Summer Edition will retail at RMB4,199. All of these devices will be available for sale via official Xiaomi channels in Mainland China starting August 16.

1 Actual measurements between individual products may vary. The specifications of the actual product are final.

2 Data sourced from Xiaomi labs.

HTC, holoride debut ride-ready glasses

HTC and holoride, the company advancing the future of in-vehicle entertainment, are partnering to deploy holoride's extended reality (XR) technology in HTC's VIVE, the virtual reality (VR) platform and ecosystem. 

VIVE Flow will be the first holoride-ready VR device for series integration in cars as holoride readies for launch in 2H22. The company merges XR content with real-time motion, location and navigational data from the car and its environment to create hyper-immersive experiences. 

With VIVE Flow, an immersive glasses device weighing 189 g, riders can navigate and maneuver through the virtual worlds with the same intuitive gestures as they would with conventional VR devices. And with holoride's advanced cinema mode, individual users can privately enjoy 2D content on a virtual, motion-synchronised cinema screen.

"Holoride is on a mission to create exciting in-vehicle experiences for passengers to travel the metaverse, and that starts with putting our technology in the hands – or on the heads – of riders," said Nils Wollny, CEO and co-founder of holoride.

"VIVE Flow is the ideal device for on-the-go XR, so we are thrilled to be partnering with HTC VIVE to give riders direct access to holoride. The glasses' sleek, portable design means riders can enjoy a fun and connected experience anywhere they go."

"VIVE Flow can fit in the palm of your hand and still deliver a breathtaking experience," said Shen Ye, Global Head of Hardware at HTC VIVE. 

"Paired with holoride's impressive tech, you'll be able to turn car rides into virtual amusement parks. We're very excited to work with holoride in shaping the future of passenger entertainment."

Source: holoride. HTC Vive glasses will support holoride content.

3 Fils is MENA's best restaurant for 2022

Source: MENA's 50 Best Restaurants. 3 Fils restaurant took the No.1 spot at the first-ever Middle East & North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants awards 2022.

3 Fils in Dubai, UAE, has been named The Best Restaurant in Middle East & North Africa 2022, as part of the Middle East & North Africa's 50 Best Restaurants awards.

3 Fils, an unlicensed casual and contemporary restaurant located in Dubai's historic Jumeirah Fishing Harbour, was founded in 2016 by two Emiratis and a Singaporean and combines Asian fusion dishes with a personable service style.

William Drew, Director of Content for MENA's 50 Best Restaurants said: "It's a great honour to announce that 3 Fils has made it to No. 1 in the inaugural Middle East & North Africa's 50 Best Restaurants list. It is a brilliantly executed home-grown restaurant, loved by local residents and visitors alike. This hidden gem prides itself on elevating every dining experience with a sense of comfort, discovery and a shared love of food."

Winners represent 11 different countries across the MENA region, including Kuwait and Qatar, though the majority of the awards went to UAE winners. Lowe in Dubai received the Sustainable Restaurant Award while Trèsind Studio, also in Dubai, won the Art of Hospitality Award. Reif Othman of Reif Kushiyaki in Dubai, was voted by his peers for the Chefs' Choice Award, while Emirati chef Sahar Parham Al Awadhi took home the MENA's Best Pastry Chef Award.

Explore: View the winners.

It's the Angs vs the Huangs and 5G on Sentosa in Singtel's 2022 Chinese New Year film

Source: Singtel. Poster for The Hunt for the Lucky Tiger, Singtel's Chinese New Year festive film for 2022.

Singtel is greeting the year of the tiger with its annual short film for Chinese New Year, celebrating the season’s spirit of bonding with family and community. Titled The Hunt For The Lucky Tiger, the film is the third instalment in Singtel’s festive film series featuring two rival families who have endeared themselves to Singaporeans after their madcap but meaningful altercations in previous films.

The film serves as a showcase for 5G use cases, such as Garuda Robotics’ autonomous drone systems which are currently undergoing trials at the 5G@Sentosa testbed*, a public-private sector collaboration led by the Government Technology Agency (GovTech), the Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC), and Singtel.

Set against the backdrop of the pandemic, this year’s film sees the Ang and Huang families (in red, or 'ang' in Hokkien and Teochew, and yellow, or 'huang' in Mandarin Chinese respectively) go on staycation during the Chinese New Year break instead of travelling overseas. They end up in the same hotel on the 5G-powered island of Sentosa, sparking fresh contention and comedic rivalry between the families when they run into each other.

They also sign up for the same treasure hunt as part of their staycation itinerary. During the hunt, the families pit their wits and skills against each other in search of a lucky tiger that is brought to life via augmented reality. 

They also go head-to-head in an immersive, remote-controlled car race powered by Singtel’s 5G network. The race is hotly contested, with both nominated drivers able to show their skills in controlling their cars with the lag-free next-generation connectivity. 

The story takes a dramatic turn when Ah Boy, the youngest Ang son, goes missing midway through the search for the tiger. Everyone rallies around Ah Boy’s mother, setting aside their differences to search for him. Mr Ang even goes as far as to call for a search and rescue drone from Garuda Robotics to locate his son. Thanks to 5G, he can capture drone footage and movements via live video streaming on his mobile device...

Lian Pek, VP, Group Strategic Communications and Brand, Singtel, said, “Chinese New Year exemplifies the importance of family, friends and relationships, closely reflecting Singtel’s spirit of celebrating connections. As we rejoice with loved ones during this festive period, it is a timely reminder to treasure the relationships we have made, especially in light of recent global events that have tested these bonds.” 

Lian added, “As we move into a new year, the film is also a look to the future, showcasing 5G technology that Singapore can capitalise on to underpin economic recovery and our journey into the digital economy. As a leader in 5G innovation, we’re offering audiences a glimpse of tomorrow, from augmented reality enhanced entertainment to drone applications powered by hyperconnectivity. 

"5G has the unbridled potential to redefine experiences and operations across multiple verticals and we hope to empower the broader community by harnessing the benefits of this next-generation technology.”

Singtel has achieved 75% coverage and its 5G network has been named Singapore’s fastest by Ookla for the second time running**.

Explore:

Watch The Hunt For The Lucky Tiger.

The earlier Chinese New Year short films in the same series have been well received, with His Grandfather’s Road named the top ad video on the Asia-Pacific YouTube Ads Leaderboard for Singapore in February 2020, and My Grandmother’s House emerging first in the 2021 Lunar New Year YouTube Ads Leaderboard. 

Watch His Grandfather’s Road and My Grandmother’s House.

*By enabling agencies to trial use cases that improve operational effectiveness and deliver citizen-centric services, the testbed aims to catalyse large-scale public sector adoption of 5G and develop Singapore’s 5G ecosystem ahead of nationwide 5G rollout in 2025. Singtel supports the initiative with its purpose-built network and edge cloud infrastructure, allowing for 5G applications to be rolled out at scale.

**Based on analysis by Ookla of Speedtest Intelligence data from Q3 to Q421.

Chinese New Year cheat sheet for the Year of the Water Tiger

The ox takes over from the rat as the third animal* in a 12-year cycle in the Chinese zodiac in 2022, and is welcomed with hope that things will change. Chinese New Year begins February 1 in 2022, and auspicious language will be the norm from the first till the 15th day of the lunar new year.

A wish for lots of business opportunities.
生意兴隆.

Common ones are 新年快乐 (xin nian kuai le), 'happy new year' and 恭喜发财 (gong xi fa cai), 'congratulations on receiving riches and prosperity'. Riches are synonymous with success Chinese culture, and especially so around Chinese New Year. 心想事成 (xin xiang shi cheng), 'may your wishes come true', and 福气满满 (fu qi man man), 'prosperity in abundance', will all be well received.

Fortune-related greetings in business settings include:

- 和气生财 (he qi sheng cai), 'wealth arising from harmony',

- 步步高升 (bu bu gao sheng), or 'rising higher with each step taken',

- 财源广进 (cai yuan guang jin), or 'may riches enter in huge volumes', or 财源滚滚 (cai yuan gun gun), 'may riches gush in',

- 东成西就 (dong cheng xi jiu), or 'achievements everywhere, literally from east to west',

- 工作顺利 (gong zuo shun li), 'may your work go smoothly',

- 鸿运当头 (hong yun dang tou), 'may fortune find you',

- 货如轮转 (huo ru lun zhuan), 'may your products sell like hotcakes, as quickly as wheels turn',

- 马到成功 (ma dao cheng gong), 'instant success',

- 年年有余 (nian nian you yu), 'surpluses every year',

- 平步青云 (ping bu qing yun), 'an easy path to a meteoric rise',

- 升官发财 (sheng guan fa cai) 'get a promotion and a raise',

- 生意兴隆 (sheng yi xing long), or 'may the business thrive greatly',

- 事业有成 (shi ye you cheng) 'success in business' , 事业发达 (shi ye fa da) 'a successful business',

- 新年进步 (xin nian jin bu), which means 'making progress in the new year', 

- 一本万利 (yi ben wan li), 'reap much more than you invest'.

Statues of tigers grace Singapore's Chinatown in celebration of the year of the tiger.

Greetings can also involve the animal for the year, such as filling in the blank accordingly for ___年大吉 (___ nian da ji), 'great fortune in the year of the ___', and ___年行大運/___年行大运, (___ nian xing da yun), 'great luck in the year of the ___ as it progresses', depending on which animal whose year it is. 福___ (fu ___), or 'the fortune-bringing ___', can also be used. It is the year of the tiger (虎, hu) this year, of the rabbit (兔, tu) in 2023, and then of the dragon (龙, long) after that.

The phrasing for Marigold's Chinese New Year marketing includes a reference to a fortune-bringing tiger, or 福虎 (fu hu)。

Puns are common in Chinese when many words sound the same, and brands may pun on positive classical Chinese sayings in their festive marketing** as a result. Some years are more fertile ground than others, however. 

 

2019 featured very few puns on pigs in Singapore, and 2020 was the same as the rat is often depicted negatively in classical Chinese phrases. 2021 has continued with this trend with just one phrase, 扭转乾坤 (niu zhuan qian kun) or 'a complete change' used, with the word 扭 replaced with the homonym 牛. The year of the tiger looks to be the same. 

 

UFC, which makes beverages, created a sleeve for Chinese New Year with a tiger-related pun on it. The traditional saying is 五福临门 (wufu linmen), 'may the five fortunes come to your door', converted into 虎福临门 (hufu linmen) - 'may the fortune of the tiger come to your door'. The word for 'five' and the word for 'tiger' rhyme.

 

Some tiger-related sayings are 虎虎生威 (huhu shengwei), 'to be as strong as a tiger', 虎进甘来 (hujin ganlai), 'when the tiger enters, sweetness arrives', and 如虎添翼 (ruhu tianyi), 'like a tiger has wings added', symbolising success that comes quickly. 猫肥家润 (maofei jiarun), 'when the cat is fat, the household works smoothly', is also considered an auspicious tiger year-related saying. Consider 虎步龙行 (hubu longxing) as a wish for someone to moves majestically and stay unbeatable. Other sayings include:

 

- 龍精虎猛 (long jing hu meng), 'have the essence of a dragon and the ferocity of a tiger', a wish that the recipient has power and vigour.

- 龙腾虎跃 (long teng hu yue), 'to soar like a dragon and leap like a tiger', a description of vigour.

 

 

Giordano's tiger message for the year is 虎虎生威 (huhu shengwei).

No traditional Chinese New Year banquet in Malaysia and Singapore is complete without a lohei (撈起) ceremony before the meal proper. Loheis are available weeks before Chinese New Year, up to the 15th day, though celebrations have been muted with social distancing rules. In Singapore, for example, diners are asked to toss the salad quietly, while the traditional verbal wishes made as the salad is assembled have been replaced with prerecorded audio.

A lohei platter. Each ingredient has an auspicious meaning, including the raw salmon (abundance) in the middle, and the crackers (money).

 

A platter of yusheng (鱼生), a raw fish*** salad, is first brought to the table after which toppings are ceremoniously added individually, accompanied by auspicious wishes. Specific ingredients are associated with specific phrases. The sweet sauce is typically added while saying 甜甜蜜蜜 (tiantian mimi, a wish that life will be sweet) and the fish or seafood component arranged on the salad while saying 年年有余 because 余 (yu, surplus), sounds like 鱼 (yu, fish).

Once complete, diners toss (lo) the salad with chopsticks while calling out their wishes for the coming year. The higher the salad is raised (hei), the better the luck for the coming year. The ceremony is to be a subdued affair in 2021, with restaurant diners in Singapore to be masked and no auspicious greetings to be said.

If you can't remember too many greetings, don't worry - a simple 'happy new year' is fine. The whole idea is to start off the year right, and it's traditional to hope for fortune, prosperity and success. Just stay away from anything negative. 万事如意 (wan shi ru yi), 'may all things be as you wish'!

 

Explore:

Fengshui masters typically release forecasts for a new year before Chinese New Year as well. Dato' Joey Yap of The Joey Yap Group and founder of the Mastery Academy of Chinese Metaphysics explains: "A forecast shows you your potential for the year both in terms of opportunities and challenges in the form of positive and negative stars. It’s not a “prediction” in a sense that it WILL come true; rather, you need to do your part in maximising good results while at the same time take precaution against upcoming challenges.

"Through awareness, you can start planning early. You can imagine it to be like knowing the direction of where the wind will blow beforehand so you know when to bide your time or when to set sail. At the end of the day, these forecasts serve to provide clarity for your decision-makings in 2022."

 

Watch Joey Yap's video about 2022, where he divides people into three categories: unstoppable, awakened, and disruptors.

Hashtags: #CNY, #ChineseNewYear, #JoeyYap, #12Animals, #YearOfTheWaterTiger

 

*The sequence, according to legend, came down to which 12 animals arrived first in a race to be included in the zodiac. The animals crossed the finishing line in the sequence of rat, ox or cow, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat or sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. What everyone also seems to agree on is that the rat took advantage of the ox. It was actually in second place, but jumped off the ox's back to get to the finish line first.

**For 2018, the year of the dog, the word 旺 (wang), which has connotations of abundance and prosperity, was common in festive decor as it sounds similar to the sound a dog makes, 汪 (wang). In 2017, the year of the chicken (鸡, ji), drinks manufacturer Pokka wished everyone 吉祥如意 (ji xiang ru yi) - all the happiness and prosperity that you hope for, but replacing 吉 with 鸡, and 祥 with 翔 (xiang), which means to 'soar' in keeping with the avian theme.

2015 was the year of the goat (or sheep), and there are a few festive greetings that take advantage of how the word for goat, 羊 (yang), is a homonym found in various Chinese idioms. 阳光灿烂 (yang guang can lan) is a wish for bright sunlight or a bright future; 喜气洋洋, converted to 喜气羊羊 (xi qi yang yang) for the year, refers to happiness everywhere; while 羊羊得意, really 洋洋得意 (yang yang de yi), is a wish that the recipient will get whatever he or she wants, in the best way possible.

马到成功 is especially apt in the year of the horse in 2014, as the character for horse, 马, begins the greeting, but it can be used at any other time as well.

 

***Various chefs have experimented with different takes on the salad. The raw fish component has been replaced by Wagyu beef slices, smoked salmon, sliced abalone or lobster for example, while the salad may be replaced by fruit. Fancier toppings such as gold flakes or caviar have also appeared in recent years.

Sony World Photography Awards 2022 opens for submissions

Submissions for the 15th edition of the Sony World Photography Awards are now open. Entry is free.

Source: Sony World Photography Awards. Copyright: © Majid Hojjati, Iran, Winner, Professional, Landscape, 2021 Sony World Photography Awards. Series name: Silent Neighborhoods.

Series description: Everything in life is made up of impressions from the past and whatever befalls us today. The fabric which took one form yesterday takes on a new form now. All creatures still fight for their survival. Nature is the battlefield. The forces of the world are as they have ever been; the waves of the sea, storms, the earth itself. But ultimately it is humanity, marching everywhere, claiming everything, proving to the world that it will endure. We strove to live, to take and to control, before even knowing what to call ourselves. We think we will last forever so we hunt, build, wear clothes and consume, changing our ideas and our tools over the years but never changing our ways. We chased after more and more and something was always left behind. Homes were abandoned, chairs left empty and clothes unworn, even the buttons of a shirt were lost. We have raced to eternity, knowing life is fleeting, leaving the lights on behind us as if to say that once upon a time we were alive. Here are the silent neighbourhoods: those places free of the presence of humanity. The noise of their silence can be heard everywhere – but here in these places we are condemned to hear nothing.

Created by the World Photography Organisation, the Sony World Photography Awards celebrate the best contemporary photography from the past year, and provide exposure as well as opportunity to photographers worldwide.

There are four categories:

- Professional, outstanding bodies of work between five to 10 images across 10 categories;

- Open, rewarding the world’s best single images across 10 categories,

- Youth, a monthly brief for those aged 12-19, and

- Student, for photography students.

A National Awards programme will also reward local photographic talent.

All category winners of the Professional, Open, Youth and Student competitions will receive digital imaging equipment from Sony. In addition, cash prizes of US$25,000 will be presented to the Photographer of the Year and US$5,000 to the Open Photographer of the Year. All winning and shortlisted photographers’ works will be exhibited at the annual Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition in London and will then be toured internationally. Winning images will also be published in the annual Awards’ book.

Details:

Deadlines for submission are:

Professional: 13 January 2022, 13:00 GMT

Open: 6 January 2022, 13:00 GMT

Student: 30 November 2021, 13:00 GMT

Youth: Monthly competitions with a changing theme running to 31 December, 2021

Get full competition and categories descriptions.

View 2021 finalists.

AR, VR show promise in APeJ

Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APeJ) spending on augmented reality and virtual reality (AR/VR) is forecast to reach US$11.1 billion in 2018, an increase of more than 100% from US$4.6 billion the previous year, says research firm IDC.

The latest update of IDC's Worldwide Semiannual Augmented and Virtual Reality Spending Guide shows investments on AR/VR products and services have gained "exceptional market momentum" in 2018 and are expected to achieve a five-year CAGR of 68.5% through the forecast period of 2017 to 2022.

“The availability of new standalone VR headsets such as Oculus Go from Facebook and Mirage Solo from Lenovo is expected to drive adoption as well as content spending in 2018 and beyond, as these headsets eradicate the need for pairing with PCs or consoles that used to drive costs higher for AR/VR experiences," said Avinav Trigunait, Associate Research Director at IDC Asia Pacific.

The consumer sector will continue to drive growth for AR/VR products and services, and accounts for 51.3% of overall spending in 2018. The growth will be primarily driven by the availability of new headsets for VR which will lead to VR consumer spending. 

AR spending will be dominated by the purchase of services – the launch of AR software development kit (SDK) platforms from both Google and Apple are also expected to drive spending on application development and games for mobile platforms. AR games in the consumer sector look  promising and are projected to hit a five-year CAGR of 90.9%, whilst VR games will register a growth of 54.7% in five-year CAGR over the forecast period. 

Source: IDC. Top use cases for AR/VR based on 2018 market share.

Enterprise spending, which represents more than 48% of AR/VR spending in 2018, is expected to overtake the consumer sector in the next five years with 58% share by the end of the forecast period. Each of the five commercial sectors is forecast to register solid growth in spending throughout the forecast period, led by the distribution and services, and public sector. Distribution and services, worth US$2 billion, will be the largest amongst the five commercial sectors in 2018, led by the personal and consumer services, retail, and professional services industries. The second-largest sector will be manufacturing and resources (US$1.7 billion) with balanced spending across the process manufacturing, construction, and discrete manufacturing industries.

The VR games use case has the highest share among all the sectors, garnering a 39.4% share of overall spending in 2018. In the distribution and services sector, training and retail showcases will be the two largest AR use cases with a combined spending of more than US$329 million in 2018. Training, industrial maintenance and project management will be the largest use cases in the manufacturing and resource sector. In the public sector, infrastructure maintenance and government training will be the two largest use cases in 2018.

"The use cases for both AR and VR are proliferating in the enterprise segment as companies across sectors are developing new IT and business applications. Many enterprises in the region have already developed solutions utilising AR and VR such as for design and visualisation, corporate training, field maintenance and customer experience, and marketing applications," added Trigunait.

"AR/VR technologies are quickly crossing the chasm with several real-world applications emerging every day in both enterprise and consumer segments. Although, the Asia Pacific excluding China and Japan adoption is slower when compared with the US or even China markets, the growth trajectory is very promising with enterprises which are utilising AR/VR technologies to accelerate their digital transformation strategies. In terms of spending, the education industry is expected to top the charts from 2019 till the end of the forecast period out of the 19 industries covered in this spending guide. Other key industries driving growth for AR/VR include retail, manufacturing and healthcare," said Swati Chaturvedi, Senior Market Analyst, IDC IT Spending Team.

On a geographic basis, China will be the region with the largest AR/VR spending with 91.3% share of the overall spending (US$10.2 billion) in APeJ in 2018 and this trend is likely to rise over the forecast period with a five-year CAGR of 70.5%. While, AR/VR technology in other countries of APeJ are slowly emerging and experimenting around how AR/VR can improve the retail and other industry experiences.