President, International Advertising Association Singapore Chapter, Mr James Yip

Institute of Advertising, Singapore (IAS) Governors and Council Members

Ladies and Gentlemen

Good morning. It is my pleasure to officiate at the Opening Ceremony of the 5^th Singapore International Advertising Congress 2003 and to launch the prestigious EFFIE Awards in Singapore.

I understand that the EFFIE Award is distinct from the other industry awards in that it first judges an advertising campaign on its effectiveness. Only in the second round of judging is the creativity of the campaign evaluated. This judging process acknowledges not only the creative inputs but also the market dimension that all good advertising campaigns must address. The award seeks to recognize good planning, thorough market research, appropriateness of media selection and effective accounts management that contribute to the success of an advertising campaign. In short, advertising is a business. A business, just like any others seeking profitable outcomes for the clients and advertising agencies.

The EFFIE Awards, like most other advertising awards, recognize that creativity, whether in the conceptualisation, the design or the use of media, makes or breaks a campaign. The challenge is to engage the consumer and creativity is a key ingredient in original, effective and memorable campaigns. The heavier emphasis on campaign effectiveness amidst the current economic conditions means that creativity is even more vital now for the agency to maintain a competitive edge in the market.

This stress on creativity applies equally to aligning Singapore to the new economic environment. Singapore cannot afford to continue competing solely on incremental improvements in productivity and technology. Like the advertising industry, we must nurture our creative talents and encourage them to venture out in new directions so as to grow our economy and create jobs for our people. Hence we have recognized the creative industry cluster as an important growth component of our economy. We see opportunities to invest in the creative industry to enhance our national competitive edge, achieve growth and job creation. There are even opportunities for the arts and heritage to add value to the creative industries. That is why the Government is taking the lead to spearhead the development of the creative industries in Singapore.

We are not the first in this region to recognize the value of the creative industries. Other countries in the Asia Pacific region have also turned to their creative industries for new growth opportunities. South Korea has effectively re-energised its economy on the strength of cutting edge industrial design by chaebols like Samsung and LG and in digital media like video games and animation. Thailand has successfully developed a film industry riding on the wealth of creative talents in the Thai advertising industry. It is clear that a vibrant creative cluster is no longer a good–to-have but increasingly a must-have.

Singapore’s advertising industry has an important role in growing the creative industries cluster. I see strong linkages between your business and the creative industries comprising the arts and heritage, design and media. Allow me to share my Ministry’s efforts to develop these sectors and how it relates to the advertising sector.

Development of our arts, heritage and culture is an essential part of our social development. The diversity and richness in these areas can provide many ideas for creative expressions. Singapore’s arts scene has progressed substantially since 1989, when the first report on developing Singapore’s arts and culture was released by the Advisory Council for Arts and Culture. We have focused efforts to elevate the status and quality of our creative talents and the vibrancy of the arts scene in Singapore. As your industry draws upon arts and culture for inspiration and talent, a flourishing local arts scene would provide rich resources in visual, performing and new art forms to inspire your creative efforts.

A savvy design culture in Singapore would be a strategic resource for your industry as it would elevate the quality and status of local advertising work in the international arena. To nurture Singapore’s design capability, a DesignSingapore Council comprising representatives from the public, private and people sectors, has been formed. The Council chaired by Mr Edmund Cheng will study ways to enhance the capabilities of our design workers and foster a culture and awareness of creativity and design in Singapore. This initiative is also aimed at developing Singapore into Asia’s leading hub for design and encourage local enterprises to use design to differentiate their products and services so as to cater to an increasingly discerning consumer base, both at home and abroad.

Media is the vehicle for advertising to be communicated and a vibrant media sector would boost the effectiveness of your campaigns. Hence, the MDA announced in July 2003, that it would invest $100 million over 5 years to cultivate a vibrant media industry. This initiative seeks to position Singapore as a digital media hub and exchange and grow our media talent pool and encourage creation of more internationally recognized made-by-Singapore media products, such as film and TV content. The strategy recognizes the need to generate and own ideas and create content to add value for Singapore.

These initiatives cannot be driven solely by the Government. The advertising industry as a key component of the creative industries, is a crucial partner in our efforts.

To grow the creative industries will not be easy. The spectre of SARS and terrorism threats has impeded the recovery of the global economy. As our partner in remaking Singapore, the local advertising industry faces similar challenges and will have to adapt and seek new opportunities to maintain its competitiveness.

Nonetheless, there is a perception that Singapore lacks people, capable of producing creative work of international standards. However, if we look at advertising work done in Singapore, quite a number has garnered international awards! This year alone, Singapore agencies have done reasonably well at the OneShow 2003 and the Cannes Lions Advertising Festival 2003. Direct advertising for the Republic of Singapore Navy won a coveted Gold Lion and we had a number of other awards for work in print and media. It is obvious that Singapore is already competing successfully on the world stage. Nevertheless, there is still much room for improvement and I do not doubt that given more opportunities and exposure, Singapore's creative industries, including the advertising industry, will do even better.

I am confident that the creative industries, including the advertising industry, has a great future in Singapore. There will be tough challenges and steep hills to climb. But then success is never easy, regardless of the nature of your business.

Today I would like to congratulate IAS for recognizing talent in local advertising. I am sure that the international status of creative work in Singapore’s advertising industry will receive a tremendous boost with the launch of the EFFIE Awards. The expansion of the Ad Congress to include the IDEAS! 2003 international exhibition and conference on creative ideas, tools and technology for marketing in Asia will also help attract the best creative talents and marketing expertise to Singapore.

Ladies and gentlemen, it gives me tremendous pleasure now to launch the EFFIE awards in Singapore and to declare the 5^th SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING CONGRESS open.

Thank you.

___________________