Shopee Malaysia's top beauty picks for July

Shopee, a mobile-first social marketplace tailored for Southeast Asia that makes online selling and shopping easy, secure and fuss-free, tracks bestsellers across a range of categories in real time. Shopee Malaysia's beauty bestsellers for July include:

Source: Shopee Malaysia portal. Cloud 9 Blanc de Whitening Cream.

Cloud 9 Blanc de Whitening Cream

The description on Shopee says the cream is enriched and fortified with natural organic herbs that offers an instant whitening effect that lasts up to 12 hours. With continuous usage, the cream lightens dark UV spots, reduces redness, diminishes freckles, and evens out skin tone.

Source: Shopee Malaysia portal. The Laneige BB Cushion is no ordinary powder compact.

Laneige BB Cushion

This is not normal compact powder, runs the description on Shopee. The Laneige BB Cushion is a powder cushion with UV protection, brightening formula and soothing effects. The formulation is suitable for Asian skin tones and coverage is natural and clean. Effects can last up to 12 hours.

Source: Shopee Malaysia portal. Hanz de Fuko Natural Shampoo (left), and Hanz de Fuko Natural Conditioner (right).

Hanz de Fuko

The kit consists of Natural Shampoo and Natural Conditioner. The shampoo contains natural plant extracts while the conditioner provides hydration.

Source: Shopee Malaysia portal. L’Oreal Professionel Absolut Repair hair mask.

L’Oreal Professionel Absolut Repair

This mask targets damaged hair, leaving it easier to manage. Hair looks smoother and softer from root-to-tip, thanks to a resurfacing effect. The Shopee merchant suggests replacing conditioner with the mask, or to use it occasionally for an extra nourishing feel.

Interested?

Download the free Shopee app on the Apple App Store and Google Play across Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines and Taiwan.

The top 10 brands in Singapore

The global polling and research firm YouGov has just published the 2016 Mid-Year Best Brand Ranking* for Singapore based on YouGov BrandIndex data. Singapore Airlines is ranked top with the highest buzz score in the first half of 2016, while WhatsApp and Apple iPhone are ranked second and third.

Singapore Airline scores much higher than the next-ranked WhatsApp, which practically ties with Apple iPhone in recognition and positive impressions. The other seven brands rank more closely with each other, all in the high twenties. Singapore Airlines was recently ranked by Jobstreet.com as one of the most coveted employers in Singapore.

Source: YouGov. The top 10 brands in Singapore.

Source: YouGov. The top buzz rankings and top buzz improvements in Singapore. 

When it comes to buzz*:

· E-commerce and m-commerce – Qoo10 is the highest ranked brand and Redmart is the top improver by buzz.

· Dining: quick service restaurants (QSR) & casual – McDonald’s is the highest ranked brand and EAT showed the biggest improvements.

· Financial institutions and services – DBS is highest-ranked brand and UBS improved the most.

· Insurance – NTUC Income is highest-ranked and Etiqa saw the most positive change. 

· Internet: other – Google is the highest ranked brand and Craigslist, the top improver by buzz in this category.

· Internet: social media – WhatsApp is the highest ranked brand and KakaoTalk is the top improver.

· Mobile devices – Apple iPhone is the highest-ranked and Blackberry made the most positive inroads.

· News – The Straits Times is highest-ranked and Stomp moved up the most. Both are owned by the same publisher.

· Retail: fashion – Uniqlo is the top brand by buzz, and Bershka gets the achievement award.

· Travel: airlines – Singapore Airlines is the leader, and Air Asia improved the most.

· Travel: hotels – Airbnb is the ranked highest brand and also the top improver by buzz in this category.

Interested?

See the detailed methodology, or to see the Best Brand Ranking in other countries and regions

Read the WorkSmart Asia blog posts about DBS' mobile-only bank in India and Blackberry's recent security offering

*YouGov's BrandIndex is a daily measure of brand perception among the public, tracking many brands across multiple sectors simultaneously. Twice a year, YouGov consolidates the data into the Best Brand Ranking across the globe. These 2016 Mid-Year Rankings compare BrandIndex Buzz scores for over 250 brands in Singapore, revealing the brands with the most positive noise in the first half of the year.

Buzz is one of the range of metrics that BrandIndex tracks, in which respondents are asked, “If you've heard anything about the brand in the last two weeks, through advertising, news or word of mouth, was it positive or negative?” Buzz scores can range from 100 to -100 and are compiled by subtracting negative feedback from positive. A zero score means equal positive and negative feedback.

Viator top travel experiences include choices in Japan, China and Dubai

The team at Viator, a TripAdvisor company and the leading resource for tours and activities worldwide, is highlighting some of the most popular and some of the most interesting travel experiences available on the Viator Tours & Activities App. 

While the majority of the experiences are in the Americas or Europe, Viator’s iOS users liked the Tokyo Robot Cabaret, and Mount Fuji Bullet Train excursions from Tokyo. Android users' top 10 bookings on the app include Dubai's Burj Khalifa At the Top tickets.

For Viator VIP tours, Beijing's Forbidden City with a special viewing of the Treasure Gallery and the Great Wall Ruins at Badaling are popular.

Interested?

The free Viator Tours & Activities App for iOS and Android provides convenient, 24x7 access to the best things to do in any destination with secure booking. The app features over 40,000 travel experiences and attractions in more than 2,000 worldwide destinations and 1 million+ customer reviews and photos, exclusive insider videos, maps, tips and expert recommendations. The app also provides real-time booking and last-minute availability, enhanced checkout including photo-scan for credit cards and instant confirmations, e-vouchers and direct entry ticketing.

The top 10 companies Singaporeans want to work for

Source: JobStreet.com. From left: representatives from Changi Airport Group, ExxonMobil, and Procter & Gamble; Chook Yuh Yng,(Jobstreet’s Country Manager; Jake Andrews, Chief Product Officer of SEEKAsia, Madam Ho Geok Choo, CEO of Human Capital Singapore; representatives from Google, Keppel Corporation, Shell, and Singapore Airlines.

JobStreet.com, a major online employment marketplace, has announced the top 10 companies Singaporeans aspire to work for. Google, Apple and Singapore Airlines emerged tops in a survey* where the objective was to find out which companies Singaporeans dream of working for and the reasons behind it. The findings also serve to help other companies learn best practices on what attracts candidates to work with these top companies.

Google's Singapore office houses a cafeteria called the 'Goopitiam' (a pun on the local term 'kopitiam' or 咖啡店, literally ‘coffee shop’ in a Chinese dialect), and its extensive menu changes every day. The office space is designed to spur interactions between employees and even facilitate rest and playtime. Free meals, casual dress codes and extensive healthcare benefits are just some of the perks employees get to enjoy.

Next is Apple. New hires praise the extensive training they receive from management while long-time employees feel their careers constantly advance with the company.

National carrier Singapore Airlines (SIA) is third on the list. The world’s most awarded airline, SIA is synonymous with outstanding service excellence. “Employees are nominated to attend various courses to improve themselves,” says a former security supervisor of 12 years.

Others in the list are, in ascending order from no. 4, Facebook; Shell; ExxonMobil; Microsoft; the Changi Airport Group; Procter & Gamble; and Keppel Corporation.

What makes companies attractive

According to JobStreet.com’s survey, which involved Singapore respondents across different sectors such as administration, accounting, engineering and media communications, salary is no longer the most important factor that employees consider when deciding to take up a job offer - it is now rated third, ranked important by 70% of respondents.

Seven in 10 (72.1%) of the interviewees voted work environment and culture, management and leadership as the key factor when reviewing a potential company. In senior management, they are looking for more than a boss — they want a leader, one who can push them beyond their limits and help them make personal breakthroughs. The work culture also has to be aligned with their personal goals and wants.

Benefits and incentives are rated the no. 2 in decision-making (rated as important by 71% of respondents), including performance-based bonuses, healthcare insurance as well as car and housing loans. According to a report by the Economist Intelligence Unit, Singapore is the world’s most expensive city to live in. Hence, it stands to reason that Singaporeans value these incentives as they pursue a high standard of living.

Other factors include company reputation (69%); support and training (64%); promotion prospects (54%) as well as passion; flexible work hours; growing industry; work-life balance; and known standard work quality.

Championing human capital excellence

In producing this survey, JobStreet.com is aligning itself with the Ministry of Manpower’s vision to “develop a productive workforce and progressive workplaces for Singaporeans to have better jobs and secure retirement”. The company suggests that businesses can model themselves after Singapore’s top employers, learning from the best practices that make them so successful. Human resources (HR) professionals, in particular, can discover innovative, staff-centric HR strategies that boost morale and elevate workplace productivity. All these efforts will allow a company to achieve higher staff retention and groom happier, more fulfilled employees.

Helping job-seekers get insights into Singapore’s workplace reality

JobStreet.com also introduced the Company Reviews feature to facilitate the matching and communication of job opportunities between job-seekers and employees. Company Reviews allows current and former employees to comment on their workplaces, helping candidates make more informed career choices.

“Company Reviews addresses the top questions that today’s jobseekers are asking. ‘What is the management like?’ ‘What sort of leadership styles do the bosses adopt?’ For job-seekers, the focus has shifted from ‘what do they do’ to ‘how they do it’. Company Reviews is a repository of such employees’ reviews, which will help other job-seekers better understand the workplace culture,” says Jake Andrew, SEEK Asia Chief Product Officer. The SEEK Group owns employment, education and volunteer businesses, including JobStreet.com.

JobStreet.com envisions that employers will receive applications from more engaged candidates who have decided the organisations are a good fit for them. Employers can also respond to the reviews, providing context as well as communicating their value propositions.

Reviews, received after Company Reviews was soft-launched, include:

“...Work culture that is pro self-management; company promotes internally instead of sourcing leaders from outside the company; great advancement opportunities…”
Assistant manager with four years of service and counting
Procter & Gamble

“…Good in work/life balance, excellent work environment, good management team…”
Former Marine Lubes Coordinator with four years of service
Shell 

“...What drives me to stay put in this organisation for all these years is the benefits/perks that they offer to us as employees...”
Senior Refinery Technician with over 12 yrs of service and counting
ExxonMobil

“...Environment supporting dynamic teamwork. Leader with bold and great vision, lots of opportunities within...”
Former safety officer with four years of service
Keppel Corporation

JobStreet.com covers the employment markets in Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam, servicing over 230,000 corporate hirers and over 15 million job-seekers in its database.

Interested?

Check out existing company reviews

*JobStreet.com ran an online survey from on January 2016, and received 1,265 responses from Singapore-based candidates, 30% of whom were junior staff with up to four years of experience, and another 30% were supervisor-level or people with over four years of experience. A further 23% were managers, and 13% were fresh graduates. The remainder were more senior. Survey results were validated against reviews of the companies.

Singtel TV set top boxes to be integrated with the Netflix app

Singtel TV set-top boxes will be integrated with the Netflix app, giving Singtel customers the convenience of accessing Netflix content on their television screens.

Singtel TV customers with set-top boxes connected to Singtel Fibre Broadband can enjoy Netflix via Channel 404 or their remote control’s Quick Access Button. Set-top box integration with Netflix will be performed progressively and completed by the end of April.

Singtel’s marketing relationship with Netflix exclusively allows Singtel customers to get up to nine months’ worth of complimentary Netflix subscriptions if they re-contract or sign up for eligible mobile, fibre broadband and Singtel TV plans.

Launched earlier this year, Netflix Singapore offers a rich catalogue of popular movies and TV shows at a monthly fee with no contract.

Interested?

From now to 22 July 2016, customers can experience complimentary Netflix on their mobile, tablet, computer or television screen when they re-contract or sign up for the following services:

· Complimentary three months’ Netflix Standard HD Content subscription with Mobile plan

· Complimentary six months’ Netflix Standard HD Content subscription with Fibre Entertainment Bundle+

· Complimentary nine months’ Netflix Standard HD Content subscription with both a Mobile plan and Fibre Entertainment Bundle+

For customers’ added convenience, Singtel also offers direct billing for customers who wish to continue watching Netflix after their complimentary subscriptions end.

Read the TechTrade Asia blog post about Singtel's complimentary Netflix promotion

Tour the top 25 travel destinations in the world, beginning with Turkey

The top 25 TripAdvisor destinations in the world for 2015 include a number from the Asia Pacific and Middle East regions.

Source: TripAdvisor website. Istanbul.

• Turkey is the only country with two locations listed, Istanbul (no. 3) and Goreme (no. 14). 
• French Indochina has two entries in the top five, Siem Reap, Cambodia at no. 2 and Hanoi, Vietnam in 4th place.  
• Mainland Southeast Asia is represented by Bali's Ubud, Indonesia (no. 15), and Bangkok, Thailand (no. 18). 
• The Pacific sees Queenstown, New Zealand at no. 22, and Sydney, Australia at no. 25. 
• No. 19 is Kathmandu, Nepal; no. 23 is Hong Kong, China, and No. 24 is Dubai, UAE.

Interested?

View the 2015 Travelers' Choice top 25 travel destinations

Spafinder outlines 2015 spa and wellness trends

Spafinder Wellness 365 has released its 12th report* on the top spa and wellness trends set to unfold in 2015.

“In our 12 years of trend-tracking, we have never seen spa/wellness concepts go so deep and global, be so meaningful and move in so many surprising, provocative directions,” said Spafinder Wellness Chief Brand Officer Mia Kyricos. “Our goal is to provide an in-depth resource and help the industry make informed decisions by analysing the social, cultural and economic shifts that fuel each trend.”

The top global spa and wellness trends for 2015 include wellness traditions from the Islamic world.

According to Spafinder, the world has as yet been not noticed what the wellness traditions of the Islamic world can offer with its "advanced food-as-medicine, and nature-based beauty and healing practices, refined for 1,000 years". The company predicts that more people will seek nutritional, beauty and “spa” traditions central to Islamic cultures in years ahead. Middle Eastern and African spices, grains and fruits will be the “superfoods,” ingredients used for both food and beauty (from camel’s milk to baobab fruit) will trend, and spas will offer more experiences like rasul/mud treatments and sand bathing.

Spafinder suggests checking out the blackseed-infused, Senegalese skincare line, Tiossan, and the planned Zulal Destination Spa (Doha, Qatar, 2017), which is to be the first retreat to immerse guests in the well-being traditions from across the Islamic world.

Blue collar wellness

According to Spafinder, blue collar wellness may soon become the norm. The company envisions free massage breaks for garment workers at a factory in Sri Lanka. A smartphone app connected to a wellness app at headquarters that reminds long-haul truck drivers of healthy menu options. 

The company notes that the first wave of workplace wellness programmes are focused narrowly on white-collar, management employees but that as employers battle the chronic disease, obesity, pain, and musculoskeletal and mental disabilities that can hit “blue collar” workers the hardest, more wellness programmes will be designed for them in the future. 

Worth watching, says Spafinder, are Volkswagen's "industrial athlete" fitness programme and the results of PPG's "Creating a Culture of Health Initiative" offered at manufacturing sites worldwide.

Beauty care all made-for-me

We’re no longer just consumers, we’re collaborators. In 2015 look for a shift from “This colour looks good on me.” to “This colour was made for me,” from “Is this moisturiser the best for my skin?” to “This moisturiser is perfectly formulated for me.” New opportunities to customise our primping and self-care experience will arise. We’ll see more beauty brands using in-store computer technology to create personalised solutions, more online skin coaching and more spas will let clients create bespoke everything.

Spafinder recommends Mink, a personal 3D makeup printer using cosmetic-grade inks, as an illustration of this trend.

It's probiotics time

“Listen to your gut…” usually means follow your best instincts, but it is one of the hottest trends for 2015. Look for an ongoing focus on the science of the gut and efforts to prove that by altering its make-up (aka “microbiome”) we can take our health and beauty to new levels, improve our immunity and resilience, reduce our chances for obesity and even create a happy and healthy mind. We’ll see more testing that proves the link between our gut and how we look and feel; there will be no stopping the proliferation of probiotics in what we drink, eat and put on our skin; and more spas (some of who have been on to this for decades) will offer ways to heal our leaking guts.

Luxury redefined

Extraordinary affluence, an appetite for the different and new, a zeal for documenting epic experiences and the search for solitude and silence are fueling a new trend: the quest for “Beyond the Stars” experiences– where air, light and breathing room are the new luxury, and authentic and novel destinations are the holy grail of travel. With this shift, the luxury travel industry will be challenged to top itself with even more spectacular offerings and dazzle us with spectacular offerings and experiences.

An example of an upcoming luxury destination of this nature is Amenoi Resort in Vietnam, Spafinder noted.

Read the report here. 

*The report is based on surveys with the company’s network of consumers, travel agents and spa/wellness businesses conducted over the last year. 

Flora Creek Deluxe Hotel Apartments is recognised as top performer by Booking.com

Flora Creek Deluxe Hotel Apartments, owned by Flora Hospitality Dubai, has been recognised as a top performing hotel based on guest reviews at Booking.com.

Source: Booking.com website. Flora Creek Delluxe Hotel Apartments scores 8.6 on guest reviews.

The award is in recognition of hospitality excellence and the overall scores are a combination of several review factors including cleanliness, comfort, location, facilities, staff service, value for money and quality of free Wi-Fi. 

"The Booking.com website has built a worldwide reputation as a leader in booking accommodations online attracting visitors from both the leisure and business sectors with over 750,000 room nights reserved on the website each day," said André Manning, Head of Global PR & PA at Booking.com. 

Flora Creek Deluxe Hotel Apartments is near Dubai Creek and Deira City Centre Shopping Mall. Its Wi-Fi network was recently upgraded as part of Flora Hospitality's overall network upgrade in a AED2 million investment to improve the guest online experience.

Landrush for .global, .website and .press domain names today

Online brand expert IP Mirror has announced that several top level domain (TLD) names will be in the landrush phase as of August 27 Singapore time (GMT +8). 

During the 'sunrise' phase for a domain name, trademark owners have an opportunity to register their trademarks, whereas others can come in during the landrush phase to obtain any of the remaining available names at a premium.  

According to the company, .global as the domain descriptor implies a property which reaches an international audience. The landrush phase for the domain name is between 27 August and 4 September, after which registration opens up to the general public on a first-come-first-served basis on 9 September.

The top level domains .website and .press are also beginning their landrush phases on 27 August. 

IDC Financial Insights picks top 50 mobile pioneers in APeJ

In early 2014, IDC Financial Insights published Mobilizing Financial Services in Asia/Pacific, a report detailing the most innovative and interesting mobility initiatives within financial services. The company has just released an infographic describing the findings. 

IDC Financial Insights notes that Australia, mainland China, Hong Kong, India, South Korea and Singapore are leading the mobile charge in the Asia Pacific excluding Japan region (APeJ). 

The company says the opportunity for mobile commerce is high, with growing adoption of mobile devices in Asia, and great interest in paying for goods and services via a mobile channel. Close to 10% of mobile Internet users in APeJ already make purchases through their mobile devices, for example.

Digital, the company says, has become the preferred customer channel for banking customers in Asia. 

A comparison of banking behaviour between 2010 and 2012 shows a clear rise in mobile transaction volumes over online equivalents in Malaysia and Korea, while a look at transactions in China and Thailand show that both mobile and Internet transaction volumes are expanding their share of the digital transaction mix over ATM transactions for the same period. Banks have been responding by ramping up their support for mobile channels, IDC has noted.

Finally, IDC Financial Insights has revealed the top 50 mobile pioneers in APeJ. These are companies which have adopted advanced mobile technologies like proximity payments, where bringing a mobile device near a payment terminal is enough to complete the transaction; remote payments, or payments which are not made in person; and mWallets, which are applications that allow users to store virtual cards, loyalty and promotional offers, and money in a single mobile app.

View the full list of 50 here.

*All images from the IDC Financial Insights "Asia's Top 50 Mobile Pioneers in Financial Services" infographic. View the full infographic here.

Gen X identifies Singapore's Influential Brands

The top Influential Brands in Singapore have been selected by the upwardly mobile Generation X (Gen X) in a consumer choice-based award programme driven by Brand Alliance*. 
 

Source: Brand Alliance. Brand Alliance handed out the 2013 Influential Brands awards on November 2013. The 2014 Influential Brands conference will be held on 10 November 2014.

The survey has revealed that there are more than 100 Top Influential Brands in Singapore. More than 20 new brand categories were created in 2014. The new 

categories may reflect the challenge of Gen X in finding a balance between discretionary and necessity spending. 

The new categories in 2014 relevant to the Gen X consumers include:

1. Budget airlines 
   
2. Dental clinics 
3. Electronic retailers
4. Full service airlines
5. Furniture shops 
6. Health and life insurance 
7. Milk powders
8. Online platforms 
9. Preferred credit cards 
10. Preschool centres
11. Property agencies 
12. Property developers
13. Tuition centres
14. Vitamins and health supplements 

Brands which have captured the hearts of both Gen Y** in 2013 and Gen X in 2014 include household names such as ToastBox, NTUC FairPrice, DBS Bank, Gong Cha, Old Chang Kee, Din Tai Fung, Clinique and Watsons among others. 

According to Brand Alliance, Gen X consumers in Singapore value convenience despite being price-sensitive. They tend to make brand decisions based on ease of obtaining a product or service, weighing elements such as location, accessibility and user-friendliness of online platforms when making decisions.

They are less influenced by recommendations when making brand decisions for the categories surveyed, unless they are making decisions about property.

Singapore Gen X consumers say they will consider recommendations from trusted sources from contacts when making property decisions, with one in five likely to consider recommendations when making a decision on property developers or property agencies. 

While print is still highly relevant as a source of news for Singapore's Gen X, online and social platforms are rising to be their preferred news sources. “With increasing shifts in consumer behaviour driven by technology and digital platforms, both local and international brands are communicating with a distracted group of consumers. 

"The window to capture attention and purchase decisions has shifted from traditional retail to include alternative platforms and this spells opportunities for brands to increase conversion for online platforms or increase engagement through multiple channels at various points of a consumer decision journey,” commented Jorge Rodriguez, Director of Strategy at Influential Brands.

Some of the 2014 Top Influential Brands are below.

Electronic retailers	Foodcourts	Facial Centres
Best Denki	Food Junction	Bella Skin
Challenger	Food Republic	BioSkin
Courts	Kopitiam	Citispa
Gain City	NTUC Foodfare	Jean Yip
Harvey Norman		New York Skin Solutions

*Brand Alliance surveyed more than 3,000 Gen X respondents in Singapore between ages of 34 and 54 years old in the first half of 2014 about their preferred brands across industries. 

**Gen Y would be the cohort born after Gen X, roughly aged 13 to 33.

TripAdvisor lists top 25 hotels in the world, three in Asia

TripAdvisor's top 25 hotels in the world, part of its 2014 Traveller's Choice awards, is an eclectic mix. Three of the top 10 are in Asia. At no. 2 is The Upper House in Hong Kong, and at no. 5, India's Oberoi Udaivilas. Oberoi also takes no. 9 spot with the Oberoi Mumbai.

The Upper House, in Pacific Place, is ranked no. 1 in Hong Kong. "Best hotel experience I have ever had. Faultless," says one reviewer. 97% of reviews are positive for this hotel.

The Oberoi Udaivilas is ranked no. 2 in Udaipur. “Unsurpassed service, exquisite style, and extraordinary attention to detail!” says a reviewer.

The Oberoi Mumbai is ranked no. 1 in Mumbai, with 97% of reviews being positive. One reviewer called staying at the hotel 'a lifetime experience".

New top level domain for brands with global expansion in mind

A new top level domain (TLD), '.global', has been launched at ICANN 49. The TLD will allow growing organisations with an eye on expanding beyond their home bases to create a level playing field in competing against more established brands in Europe and North America which dominate in the well-recognised '.com' TLD space.

Source: .GLOBAL website

 

The new TLD is likely to be on many corporate wishlists. While the '.asia' TLD is already in use, it has a regional feel, while '.net' does not have the same ring. “The launch of .GLOBAL today is an exciting opportunity for Asian businesses to finally get the perfect international business domain name that has been unavailable to them with .com,” said Rolf Larsen, CEO at .GLOBAL. 

“Companies in Asia had previously found themselves at a disadvantage as their rivals in Europe and America acquired the best domain names early, forcing them to pay extortionate prices on the second hand domain market.  .GLOBAL is here to re-open naming opportunities for Asian businesses who want to become global and spur innovation across the internet.”

According to the company, the .global domain is a borderless strategy which offers presents businesses with an unrivalled opportunity to establish a global online identity, which in turn can re-define or enhance their business model.  

Domain registrars worldwide will offer the choice of .global domains. Trademark holders can register their names for .global on July 9, 2014 while .global names will be open for public registration on September 12, 2014. Premium names for a select group of high-value generics and business terms will be priced separately and released via an auction system provider.

Click here for more information on new TLDs.

China heavily represented in Jones Lang LaSalle's new City Momentum Index

Dubai, Wuhan, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore are in the top 10 for Jones Lang LaSalle's new and proprietary City Momentum Index (CMI). According to the company, highly dynamic cities demonstrate strong short term socio-economic and commercial real estate momentum and longer term foundations for success.

According to Jeremy Kelly, Director, Global Research for Jones Lang LaSalle: "City momentum is about far more than just raw GDP growth. The true foundation of highly dynamic cities emerges from such factors as speed of innovation and creation of cutting-edge businesses along with new building construction, property price movement and investment in real estate from cross-border investors and corporations.

"By focusing on the features of a city that are likely to underpin future performance, the CMI stands apart from the standard historic performance upon which most indices are based. It is such measures of dynamism in infrastructure, connectivity and innovation that we believe will be steering many investment and location decisions in the future, though investors and corporates should note that high momentum can pose both risk and opportunity."

GLOBAL TOP 20
1	San Francisco
2	London
3	Dubai
4	Shanghai
5	Wuhan
6	New York
7	Austin
8	Hong Kong
9	San Jose
10	Singapore
11	Shenzhen
12	Jakarta
13	Beijing
14	Chengdu
15	Los Angeles
16	Tianjin
17	Boston
18	Seattle
19	Tokyo
20	Lima

The top cities in Asia Pacific and the Middle East have these characteristics:

Elite cities that wield clear economic might on the global stage, accounting for one-quarter of the world's direct commercial real estate investment activity from 2012-2013:
Dubai (3), Hong Kong (8), Singapore (10) and Tokyo (19)
 
Rapidly urbanising cities in China that continue to grow with massive city-building programmes despite a slowing economy:
Shanghai (4), Wuhan (5), Shenzhen (11), Beijing (13), Chengdu (14) and Tianjin (16) 

Growth hotspots beyond the BRICs driven by urban consumerism:
Jakarta (12)
 
Resurgent cities gearing up for events in 2020 with renewed vigour:
Tokyo (19) – 2020 Summer Olympics and Dubai (3) – Expo 2020

*The City Momentum Index assesses 111 cities world-wide with a weighted overall score based on 34 short-term and longer term variables.

Short-term socio-economic momentum variables (40% of the model) include recent and projected changes in GDP and population, air passenger traffic, corporate headquarter presence and recent levels of foreign direct investment as a proportion of a city's economy.

Short-term commercial real estate momentum variables (30% of the model) include recent and projected percentage changes in office net absorption, office construction, office rents, shopping mall construction and retail rents, direct commercial real estate investment volumes and real estate transparency.

Longer term variables (30% of the model) that are likely to determine future economic strength and real estate momentum include high-value incubator indicators such as university presence and educational infrastructure, innovation capability and presence of technology and venture capital firms.