Recently, Money Mind sees a new content direction. Tell us more about Money Mind and how it is evolving!
Money Mind is CNA’s long-running flagship magazine programme focusing on business and financial news. It is broadcast on Saturdays at 8.30pm, and is also available anytime on YouTube, meWATCH, and VOD. Since the start of 2024, Money Mind’s content has pivoted to personal finance. Every week, the programme brings tips on how to grow your money, save your money, and spend your money wisely. While the programme is produced out of Singapore, many of its stories have a regional focus and also appeal to an international audience. With cost-of-living issues a major concern for people around the world, everyone wants to hear about the best ways to stretch their dollar.

Can you share some insights into the demographics and interests of Money Mind's viewers?
The programme is targeted at the man in the street. Financial figures and concepts do not have to be complicated. Our aim is to break down key financial facts in a clear and easy-to-digest way, so that viewers have access to the financial information they need to make better decisions about their own personal bottom lines. The pain points of money management affect everyone. For example, a retirement story is not just of interest to older people and indeed, perhaps the best time to start retirement planning is when one is young!

What does the team have in mind for the programme whilst catering to news consumption trends?
One interesting challenge for the team is that our content is available on multiple platforms. The stories appear on broadcast television, as well as on digital platforms. This means that we combine the production standards of traditional broadcast television, with the immediacy and relatability of the online digital model.

What are some profiles or interviewees that the team would like to speak with?
We are interested in anyone with a compelling personal finance angle. This can be CEOs or other prominent personalities sharing their personal perspectives on money. New products that give people fresh options to grow their money. Profiles who are doing interesting things with their money, or who have interesting ways of saving or spending money. Organisations that help people manage their finances better.

What challenges does your finance and money-centric programme currently face, and how does your team adapt to stay relevant to your target audience?
As we pivot towards more people stories, one challenge we have discovered is that Asians are reluctant to speak about money, particularly when it involves public disclosure of their personal financial information. At the same time, everyone is of course very interested to hear the details of others’ personal financial information! Added to that, those who are unusually forthcoming about their own financial stories may have other reasons for their openness, that make them less than ideal story subjects. Resolving this dilemma will be key to presenting the kind of relatable and authentic stories that people like to read about.

For PRs who are keen to collaborate, what makes a story pitch stand out to the team? Are there any specific elements or angles the team looks out for?
A successful story pitch is one that aligns the interests of all stakeholders. For Money Mind, our stories focus on how people grow, save, and spend their money. We get many pitches about market trends but behind all such big figures, are the individual stories of investors, consumers, and enterprises. Interesting stories will bring a human-interest angle - and personalising what can often be cold and impersonal statistics is what will bring home the impact of figures. What will the man on the street remember more - the CAGR of vegan food in the Asia-Pacific region, or the neighbourhood cat lady who has switched her felines to a raw vegetable diet?

Answers submitted by Money Mind.