1、 1JJC News Anthology 2009LOCAL GOING GLOBAL, 22 May 2009SnapshotSingapores fashion and beauty brands are sprouting up in overseas markets. A new wave of home-grown entrepreneurs in the fashion and beauty industries is pushing the national boundary.Facts and Stats Strip, a grooming franchise, current
2、ly operating in London, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Dubai FJ Benjamins Raoul, currently sold in markets like Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines The Links Alldressedup, currently sold in multi-label boutiques and high-end department stores in 17 markets around the world and was rece
3、ntly featured in the June issue of British Vogues High Street Supplement Charles & Keith, a shoe and handbag chain, currently found in many Asian and Middle Eastern countries, including Japan Make-up label I Nuovi Professional is available in several South-east Asian and Middle East marketsWhy is th
4、is important?Cities like New York and London are highly competitive and developed when it comes to services and products and the fact that Singapore brands are seen available lends credibility. Singapore brands are usually associated with integrity and a transparent working process. With consumers o
5、verseas associating Singapore brands with values like reliability, quality and efficiency, this lends weight to the increasing popularity of 2JJC News Anthology 2009Singapore brands. However, one challenge for local brands is Singapores relative lack of history in terms of fashion and beauty heritag
6、e. This may limit the scope and space for design and imagination. This is compounded by the lack of good design schools emphasising on design and innovation. It is also more difficult for Singapore consumers to acknowledge the fact that local products may be just as good as foreign ones. 3JJC News A
7、nthology 2009Michael Jackson Dies at 50, 26 June 2009SnapshotLegendary pop singer and entertainer Michael Jackson died on June 26, 2009. While the cause of his death was earlier unknown and classified as a cardiac arrest, the Los Angeles County Coroners office later reclassified it as a homicide aft
8、er much investigations. Jacksons family and friends, including many prominent Hollywood celebrities like Madonna, Justin Timberlake and Sir Paul McCartney. Millions of Jacksons fans around the world also mourned his passing with memorials and tributes, Facts and Stats Jacksons album, Thriller, made
9、history when it became the Biggest Selling Album of All Time in the Guinness Book of World Records, selling 50 million copies worldwide Jackson was laid to rest on September 3rd, 2009 in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles, CaliforniaWhy is this important?Michael Jackson was one of the most inf
10、luential icons of popular culture around the globe with his iconic dance moves and songs. His music perpetually won awards and broke sales records throughout most of his career. Despite his entanglement in many allegations and lawsuits of child molestation and paedophilia, Jackson had indeed a cult
11、following. Furthermore, his participation in humanitarian efforts have raised awareness and sparked the interest of many towards charitable causes and 4JJC News Anthology 2009organisations working with children around the world, especially Africa. 5JJC News Anthology 2009A chance for Singapore bands
12、 to grow fan base, 4 June 2009SnapshotThe Substation and Timbre Music the driving organisations behind Rock The Sub have arranged, in the programmes third year, to evolve the Singapore Arts Festival fringe rock music mini-festival into an opportunity to develop artists.“Since the first concert in 20
13、07 there has been an increase in audiences,“ says Audrey Wong, artistic co-director of The Substation. “In this age of YouTube, MySpace and social networking, theres more awareness out there about the indie music scene, and we want to do our bit to support the bands and grow the fan base.“Participat
14、ing local bands get to vie for the chance to tour the Philippines in an exchange programme that will see the winning Singaporean band perform at several Filipino venues.Facts and Stats The bands that are participating in this event are Caracal, Amateur Takes Control, The Fire Fight, Postbox, Nothing
15、 To Declare, For This Cycle, Silhouette, Allura, A Vacant Affair, The Great Spy Experiment and Force Vomit.Why is this important?In bringing Singapore bands overseas, it fosters the creation and promotion of a unique local brand of music. Alternative music can be a lightning rod for capturing the he
16、artfelt matters that concern local artists and listeners. 6JJC News Anthology 2009Korean Wave Now A Tsunami, 13 December 2009SnapshotThe Korean wave has hit Singapore and all-things Korean are growing in popularity, from Korean dramas, fashion, food, language, to Korean tourist destinations.Facts an
17、d Stats Language schools are seeing increased interest in Korean lessons. NUS Extension, which offers non-degree courses to the public at the National University of Singapore, has gone from two classes in late 2003 to about 60 this year. Each class has about 20 students who pay about $400 for a 25-h
18、our course in basic Korean. Last year, Singapore imported 200 tonnes more Korean food products than in 2007. Some of it is re-exported to countries in the region.Why is this important?A countrys influence can be spreaded through hard power (economic and military might) or through soft power (culture
19、). Korean has successful grown in influence through soft power and this will indirectly help boost its economy and political influence. This shows that for a country to take dominion over a country, it is sometimes more effective to use soft power, just like how the US has used its American brands (McDonalds, Coca-cola) to influence the culture in other countries and indirectly, their policy towards America.
