Last but not least, the final 2 questions of Unit 4 - Online Branding

3. What do you think are some of the existing strategies which the chosen website use to publicise and generate awareness of the website among its key audience segments?

Singtel’s online brand is adapted from an offline brand and their offline business is definitely bigger than the online business therefore their domain name is based on their offline business - Singtel.com.sg.

The purpose of creating a brand online is to produce brand loyalty and instill higher awareness and perceived quality of the brand. The results of this would lead to more purchases made by customers, frequent visits to check out the latest promotions, to register as an online customer and other value-adding activities which helps to strengthen and promote the brand.

Singtel’s existing strategies currently fulfills the following objectives:

a) A positive attitude is created when people visit their site because of their interactive site design (flash advertisements etc.)

- This could be an attraction to new and potential customers or, persons new to the brand “Singtel”

b) Builds trust amongst its customers to further enhance the offline brand, to create the band (Singtel) awareness around the world and to fulfill its promises of impressive post-service to its customers.

- This strategy probable targets investors and potential investors as Singtel is a trust-worthy and reliable business partner.

c) It creates web value by satisfying current/ potential customers’ needs or wants by publishing a whole lot of relevant information on its products and services offered. It also exceeds expectations by customers and investors when it establishes a prominent website in addition to its strong offline brand.

- This is a win-win situation for both Singtel and its investors and customers.


4. What additional branding strategies would you recommend to this site to:

(a) Strengthen its online branding identity

It could increase the number of flash ads to attract more visitors by putting flash banner ads in its website. They should place the ads in places their targeted consumers roam. Like tech geeks, an example would be to place the ad in hardwarezone.com

Their banner ads could also be linked to their current promotions page where they’d like to sell more of the promotion items.


(b) Promote greater awareness of the website to its various audience segments?

One way is to sponsor contents in other websites. An example could be having a pop-up in a bank’s website (targets = bank executives who travels frequently).

The pop-up content is like a questionnaire/answer which states the telecommunication problems of these executives. This will get them interested in what/how Singtel can solve their problem and visit Singtel’s site.

That's the end of Unit 4.

Unit 4 - Online Branding (cont'd)

2. Examine the online branding elements (e.g. logos, colour schemes, url, buttons, screensavers etc) in the chosen website.

Colour Schemes:

One of the main colours we noticed was red and white. My group thinks that it is due to wanting to create the image that Singtel is from Singapore. And in most countries, I suppose they do recognize our SG flag as red and white. Thus, this colour combination further emphasizes that Singtel is a Singapore company. Why do they want to do that (affiliating Singtel and SG)? I think that Singapore is quite well-known for its good infrastructure in telecommunications and transport. So by relating Singtel with Singapore, it boosts confidence for our investors/ business partners to do business or buy products from Singtel.

Screensavers and advertisements:

In Singtel's site, they have very catchy and colourful advertisements of their current promotions. And this plays an important role in attracting customers/visitors to click on the link to see what are the current promotions Singtel has. For e.g. Christmas is coming and they'd have a relatively big advertisment for Christmas sales on mobile phones.

What do you think is the overall image which the site is trying to project? Do they reflect the core values of the organization effectively?

On the whole, the main image that we felt when we entered the site is the professional & corporate image they portrayed on their site. Yes we feel that they have effectively reflect their core values of the organization.

Customer Focus:

They are customer-oriented as they sell their products and services based on their targeted customers. One key essential difference from the other telco companies is that they have a page which caters just for customers after-service and/or after buying their products. (See Unit 1 post dated: 26th October 2006)

Challenger Spirit and Teamwork:

They have a very in-depth About Singtel page which basically provides an idea of the organization's position in the telecommunication industry. They have a lot of articles regarding Singtel (found on the sidebar). This says that they are a pretty open organization in the sense that they are not afraid to share the company's information. They are also partners with Bridge Mobile. This enables Singtel to (quoted from the link) "Subscribers of SingTel Mobile will enjoy quality coverage while roaming and using the Bridge members’ network. The Alliance is committed to giving its 78 million subscribers a seamless mobile experience when they travel within the Alliance's network."

Integrity and Personal Excellence:

In addition to the point that Singtel has a lot of articles posted, they also post a lot of their business information for potential investors to view. For e.g. annual reports, financial results and summary, AGM and Shareholders distribution etc. This further emphasizes that Singtel is a professional telco company with extensive global networks.

We will continue the last 2 questions in another post. =)

unit 4 - step 5 [part 1]

in this post, we will be discussing on the first question of the step 5.
we will be doing on the rest of the questions in [part 2] in another post.

Is the chosen Website’s Branding Message Strong and Memorable?

Question 1. What are the core values of the organization?
the core values of the organization are Customer Focus, Challenger Spirit, Teamwork, Integrity and Personal Excellence.

as quoted from their website:

Customer Focus

Our success is based upon our customer focus.
We listen to and connect with customers. We anticipate their needs and make it easy for them to do business with us. We keep promises. We offer them value and quality services to enrich lives and enhance business success.
We treat them with dignity and respect.

Challenger Spirit

The creativity and innovation of our people sets us apart.
We look for better ways of doing business and we share a passion for making a difference. When faced with challenges and opportunities, we don’t say “Cannot”, we ask “Why not?”. We are tenacious and we compete fairly.
We set the pace and never give up.

Teamwork

By working as one team with shared goals we achieve great things.
We value ideas and contributions from everyone. We recognise, respect and value diversity in the team. We develop strong bonds by communicating and sharing knowledge. We encourage open discussion and commit to an agreed position.
All of us have a part to play.

Integrity

Our reputation is based upon our ability to fulfill promises to shareholders, customers and employees.
We do so by being honest in our dealings, taking responsibility and being accountable for our actions. We treat everyone the way we would like to be treated. We are proactive in identifying issues and coming up with solutions. We ensure that the highest ethical standards guide us in making decisions.
We are true to our word.

Personal Excellence

Leadership and superior performance are achieved through the pursuit of personal excellence.
We are committed to doing and being the best. We seek continuous improvement and take pride in what we do. We do things to the highest possible standards. We acknowledge the potential of the individual and create opportunities for all to grow and excel.
Together, we celebrate our success and achievements.


That's all for this. :)