Could you tell us more about Orient Magazine, the official magazine of the British Chamber of Commerce Singapore?
The Orient Magazine provides a platform for organisations to publish thought leadership and interviews on a variety of topics, from business trends to sustainability, personal development to leadership, and everything in between. Interviews and article opportunities are extended to members of the British Chamber of Commerce in Singapore, with the magazine also providing a platform for government stakeholders to reach the business community with their updates. Five issues are published per year, with the shift from print to a digital platform and app made in 2018.

Tell us about your readers and if your target audience is mainly the members of the British Chamber of Commerce Singapore? How can we get the magazine?
The magazine is free to access via our website, on the Joomag platform, and the ‘Orient by BritCham Singapore’ app on iOS and the Google Play Store. Readers may opt for a complimentary subscription to receive the latest issue when it is published by email. The business community in Singapore and the region is our primary audience, extending to the UK and the pipeline of businesses looking to expand into this region.

What type of stories are your readers most interested in?
Our readers favour interviews with C-suite professionals, stories of successful British businesses here and deep-dive articles into the latest industry topics, where they can take the learnings back to their own businesses or career.

What are some trends that matter to your readers that you have an eye on in the coming year?
Hot topics this year include the future of education and learning and looking at sustainability from a wide range of angles and sectors in the run-up to the UK hosting COP26. In the upcoming year, I expect to see an increase in discussion on future trends in the workplace and flexible working arrangements, as businesses learn how to support the changing needs and preferences of their workforce post-pandemic.

You’re also a communications professional at the British Chamber of Commerce Singapore and work regularly with the media, can you share with us what constitutes a good media pitch and a successful PR campaign?
In my experience, the most successful PR pieces come from a collaborative approach with the journalist, providing more than is needed in background knowledge to help them shape the article, and most importantly providing direct facts, figures and quotes. As a Chamber of Commerce, we represent an entire business community, so when we appear in the media we are representing their voice as an aggregate, rather than our own opinions.

You’ve just celebrated your fifth working anniversary at the Chamber being the Deputy Executive Director / Head of Marketing, Communications & Partnerships as well as Editor for Orient Magazine, how do you juggle both your roles?
No two days are ever the same! In my various roles, I can be shaping and editing an Orient issue one day, working on an advocacy survey the next and marketing our members’ businesses to their peers in the same week. I consider my role a privilege, as it enables me to give back by helping our member companies to grow, connecting them with like-minded professionals, and advocating for the needs of the business community in Singapore.