FCCS Focus September 2012 by The French Chamber of Commerce in Singapore

Focus

The Magazine of the French Chamber of Commerce in Singapore

Trendy Singapore A Changing Fashion Retail Scene | A Fast Growing Independent Family Business in Asia | Understanding the Expectations of Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Shoppers in Southeast Asia | The French Touch in Singapore

September 2012

www.fccsingapore.com

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CONTENTS

September 2012

EDITORIAL SHORT NEWS

03 04

Orange Business Services Named Data Communications Service Provider for 2012 HDB Ties Up With EDF and Veolia on Complex Systems Modelling Morpho Acquires TSM Specialist Cassis International Thales Reality H Simulator at Eurocopter SEA Receives Dual Certification Gemalto NFC Management Service Goes Live for Singapore SDV is “Investing In The Future” by Building Its First Green Warehouse GDF SUEZ Trading Opens Trading Platform in Singapore STMicroelectronics Challenges Undergraduates on Smart Multi-Sensor Technology AFP Wins Asia Prize for Best Environmental Multimedia Coverage Singapore, Still Asia’s Most Innovative Country Singapore Tops World Bank's 2012 Logistics Performance List Singapore Garden City: Gardens by the Bay UCCIFE awards the FCCS for its Communication Discover our Newly Revamped & Extended Office Space!

04 04 04 05 05 06 06 07 07 08 08 08 09 10

COVER STORY - TRENDY SINGAPORE

A Changing Fashion Retail Scene How Cache-Cache Makes it Right in Southeast Asia The French Touch in Singapore A Fast Growing Independent Family Business in Asia Understanding the Expectations of Today's Shoppers in Southeast Asia Differentiate to Succeed Singapore Health & Beauty Landscape Singapore’s Sporting Industry is Booming

12 14 16 18 19 20 22 24

FEATURE REPORT - BRANDING STRATEGIES IN ASIA

Beauty and the East From Glocalisation to a New Global Model Design as Business Driver

27 28 30

SHORT NEWS

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French Companies in Singapore

September 2012

SDV is “Investing In The Future” by Building Its First Green Warehouse SDV, a global supply chain leader, has completed an impressive project in the western part of Singapore, by constructing a four-storey ramp-up warehouse including nine ﬂoors of production and ofﬁce space. The “green” warehouse that is in compliance with the highest environmental standards represents a total investment of S$ 55 Million.

“The purpose of this 42,000 sqm investment was twofold: First to consolidate and support our customers’ growth in the years to come, and second to build and operate this facility in a way that would meet both our and the clients’ values in terms of Sustainable Development”, says Yves Laforgue, Managing Director of SDV in Singapore.

In this respect, this project is fully in line with the ‘SAVE PROGRAM’, SDV’s environmental customer solution, in which one of our key aims is to design eco-solutions to reduce CO2 emissions. This innovative warehouse is targeting the highest “green” certifications. In March 2012, this warehouse became the first one to be Green Mark Platinum* certified in Singapore. It will also be the largest logistics centre in Asia to obtain the LEED Gold** certification. Hence, the site follows stringent specifications and construction practices. It is in conformity with a scope of materials and equipment that are ecofriendly – either in the products used for their construction, or in energy savings generated. F NOTE Green Mark Platinum accreditation delivered by the Building & Construction Authority (BCA) of Singapore Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. This is an internationally recognised green building certification developed by the US Green building Council

LEFT SDV’s ﬁrst green warehouse

GDF SUEZ Trading Opens Trading Platform in Singapore GDF SUEZ announces the opening of a trading floor in Singapore, which belongs to the Group's subsidiary, GDF SUEZ Trading. This new trading platform began trading in the markets on June 4, 2012. The reason for introducing GDF SUEZ Trading’s operations in Singapore is to support the Group's expansion in AsiaPacific and to develop hedging offers for its customers/counterparties in the area (producers, transport-shipping operators, mid-streamers, industrial companies), so that they can manage their exposure to energy price movements. Expansion in Asia is key to the strategy of GDF SUEZ, which already has a major development platform across the region and a significant presence in power generation,

GDF SUEZ Trading Singapore is beginning its operations with ﬁnancial trading of crude oil and reﬁned products, coal, and Asian LNG references, such as the Japan Crude Cocktail.

The Singapore floor strengthens the Group's international trading activities by supplementing operations in Europe. It also boosts the ability of GDF SUEZ Trading to provide Asia-Pacific customers with optimal service and meet their specific needs as a result of its geographical proximity.

This integrated platform currently has a team of 12, consisting of front ofﬁce personnel (traders and sales) and support staff (middle/back ofﬁce, risk management and legal staff). It will be drawing on the resources, tools and processes of GDF SUEZ Trading in Paris and Brussels, which has been in the market for more than a decade. GDF SUEZ Trading Singapore is headed by Eric Simon, a commodity trading professional.

For Jean-François Cirelli, Vice-Chairman and President of GDF SUEZ, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of GDF SUEZ Trading, “Singapore is Asia's energy trading hub. The opening of a trading floor by GDF SUEZ will support the Group, whose operations in Asia-Pacific are expanding rapidly. This trading platform will be of great benefit to our customers and will complement our European operations.” F

Liqueﬁed Natural Gas (LNG), explorationproduction, and environmental services.

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COVER STORY

September 2012

Trendy Singapore

Understanding the Expectations of Today's Shoppers in Southeast Asia By Aldran Wong, Business Development Manager, Albatross Global Solutions Albatross is the leading mystery shopping and store audit provider for luxury and premium brands in Asia, and one of the most recognised worldwide players. Like many businesses today, brands in the Luxury Retail industry are constantly innovating to stay ahead of the competition, increase sales and market share. While Marketing and Branding plays a vital role in achieving these goals, it also generates a very high level of expectation for consumers. There are some expectations that are always a requirement for luxury shoppers: • High quality of products. • Exceptional service quality. • Uniquely designed collections. • Perfect grooming of sales associates, clean and tidy boutiques. Albatross Global Solutions has been in the Market Research and Luxury Retail industry for six years, and in Southeast Asia for three years now. From the feedback of our mystery shoppers in Southeast Asia over

the years, we have observed a very clear pattern of proven, excellent customer service. We categorised the patterns into three key points on how luxury consumers perceive excellent service quality and why it causes them to say "Yes, I want to buy this". 1. Be attentive but respect your client's personal space Shoppers love it when sales associates respond to their needs immediately. But, following the shopper too closely may intrude into their delicate bubble of "browsing-privacy". Shoppers say they are comfortable with the sales associate standing a distance of approximately three to ﬁve arm's length away. This distance allows the sales associate to notice when the shopper needs help, yet allows comfortable browsing space. Of course, prior to this, it would be good to inform the shopper that help is just a short distance away.

2. Overcome objections and give suitable alternatives Overcoming objections is a common skill in a retail environment. It does not necessarily need to end with a full-stop. Sales associates in a luxury environment are not just expected to bring shoppers the correct sizes and colour, but also expected to adapt their recommendations to the shoppers' requests. Therefore, when being presented with an objection, it is the perfect opportunity to introduce other products or collections, to link-sell, and also to show off your expertise. 3. Having good product knowledge increases the level of trust from your clients The importance of having good product knowledge is always being emphasised. But why is it important other than to give accurate information? When a sales associate is well-versed with the products, questions from shoppers will more likely be answered with confidence and ease. This confidence easily translates to "trust" for the shopper. When a shopper trusts the sales associate, recommendations on item selection and the fitting process are agreed on more readily. Vice versa, the sales associate can expect more recommendations from friends off the shopper. These three simple key points may already be in the training guidelines for most luxury brands, but we want to underline the huge impact they have in meeting the high expectations of our shoppers in Southeast Asia. F

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FEATURE REPORT

September 2012

Branding Strategies in Asia

Beauty and the East

CSR BEST PRACTICES

When Western Cosmetics Brands Meet Asian Realities

CSR as Company Culture

Regulations – Western cosmetics brands are obliged to adhere to regulations and standards set by governments, which in Asia contrarily to Europe and the US barely cooperate on a regional level. Those regulations are likely to be tighter on branding & advertising in near future.

FCCS BUSINESS SERVICES

Newly Set Up Companies French Technology Exhibits at BroadcastAsia & CommunicAsia 2012 A great Evening with the 3rd Edition of the ICT Awards!

34 36 38

FCCS HR & TRAINING SERVICES

Find a Job Through the FCCS

FCCS CLUB EVENTS

Paris à la Belle Epoque, FCCS Gala Dinner 2012 Finance Committee Luxury & Premium Retail Committee Business Women Network Committee HR Committee Asia Committee Entrepreneurs Committee ICT Committee R&D Committee Sustainability Committee FCCS Annual General Meeting FCCS Events French Gourmet Committee FCCS New Members FCCS Privilege Card

40 44 45 45 46 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 52 54 56

Interview with Aurore Carré de Malberg, Managing Director, Crépuscule Asia Crépuscule is a brand design agency specialised in beauty and luxury sectors. With headquarters in Paris and an office in Singapore, it helps global companies to build leadership brands.

HOW MAY WESTERN COSMETICS BRANDS ADAPT THEIR STRATEGY TO SUCCEED IN THE REGION? WHY DO WESTERN BEAUTY BRANDS MAKE ASIA A NEW PRIORITY? First, they witness a slowdown in their business activity in their home countries especially for premium cosmetics and fragrances that suffer more from reduced consumer spending. Second, the boom of cosmetics market in the APAC region fuelled by rising income levels, expanding middle-classes, higher urbanisation and bigger consumer awareness, is offering them signiﬁcant opportunities. According to Euromonitor, the cosmetics business in the APAC region is set to grow more than 5% per annum and be about same size as Western Europe by 2014. China, which is today the third largest beauty market in the world after the US and Japan, is bound to record 12% annual growth through 2014, led by skin care. India’s registered sales worth US$ 9.3 billion in 2010 and are expected to witness a double digit growth in the coming years, owing to the rising beauty concerns of both women and men. In this context, the rush to the East of Western cosmetics brands is likely to accelerate still further: 4 years ago, after Unilever established its headquarters for Asia in Singapore, Procter & Gamble announced in May 2012 the move of its headquarters for skin care, cosmetics and personal care in the Lion City “to be closer to the fast-growing Asia beauty market”.

WHAT ARE THE BRANDING CHALLENGES FOR WESTERN COSMETICS COMPANIES IN ASIA? Diversity – Western cosmetics companies wanting to succeed in Asia need to break with the Western concept of Asia as a singular and homogenous place. Asia is made of 48 countries. In China there are over 200 languages. Our role as branding experts is to help them defining a regional business-building strategy that builds upon Asian common values and drivers, while addressing Asian consumers specific needs and imageries. In order to do so, Crépuscule Asia has recruited talented designers and consultants with different Asian backgrounds. Versatility – Asian consumers brand loyalty is limited, in cosmetics especially. “What you gifts?” is a lingering question in the minds of Asian consumers. Western cosmetics companies must try to deal with promotion-driven ideas while striving to maintain their brand equity. Distribution – The retail landscape varies significantly from tier-1 to tier-3 cities. For mass-market brands, as well as for designers, creating an in-store experience that remains consistent in department stores, drugstores and corner shops can be a challenge. Non-retail is also expanding. Not to mention e-tail: in 2020, half of Internet users will be in Asia.

Based on our experience with European and Asian companies such as L’Oréal, Unilever, Shiseido, I would say that most important is to “live Asia, breathe Asia”. This might be a radical shift for brands that built their success on a “think global, act local” approach. But it is a pre-requisite nowadays to gain not only a foothold but a leg up in Asia’s fast-growing markets. It is also the best way for a brand to engage with Asian consumers, who increasingly prefer to buy products that were designed speciﬁcally for their country and incorporated local imagery. Another must is product adaptation: from formulation, to address the various Asian skin types and hair types, to packaging – small pack sizes are very popular as they offer a lower cost and the chance to try new products. Design-wise, status symbols and premiumisation are key to build successful brands here. Being the global strategic design partner of Pond’s (Unilever), the n°1 face care brand in developing and emerging markets, Crépuscule both witnessed and contributed to the boom of mass-tige and super masstige cosmetics. F

TOP Pond’s (Unilever) new packaging identity, designed by Crépuscule

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FCCS CLUB EVENTS

September 2012

Entrepreneurs Committee

Entrepreneur/SME Inter-Chamber Networking Night The French Chamber of Commerce in Singapore, along with the American Chamber of Commerce and British Chamber of Commerce organised an Entrepreneur/ SME Inter-Chamber Networking Night. This evening gathered over 100 entrepreneurs and offered an excellent platform for the exchange of ideas and experience sharing among the Entrepreneur Community within the Chambers. We are already looking forward to the next Entrepreneur/SME Inter-Chamber Networking Night! F

Experience Sharing with a Successful Entrepreneur They are entrepreneurs and have set up their own company in Singapore. They have ideas, dynamism and this “petit plus” that makes them true entrepreneurs. What was their best experience? Their worst? And what if they would have to do it again? The Entrepreneurs committee invited its members to this committee meeting where our speaker Mr Stéphane Benoist, Executive Director of Orchid Link shared his experience and insights on his entrepreneurship story.

Stéphane set up Orchid Link in 1997, a consulting ﬁrm that offers a wide range of services ranging from Accounting & Corporate Support to Business Advisory &

Controlling. Through his own experience, he shared some key points and gave practical advices on how to be a successful entrepreneur. F

FCCS PATRON MEMBERS

FOCUS MAGAZINE September 2012

The French Chamber of Commerce in Singapore would like to thank its Patron Members for their continuous support.

FCCS Focus Magazine is published by the French Chamber of Commerce in Singapore (FCCS). The views and opinions expressed in its columns do not necessarily reflect those of the FCCS members and management.

director of publication Carine Lespayandel chief editor Nicolas Avril design & layout Florence Baret advertising Nicolas Avril Florence Baret colour separation & printing NPE Print Communications Pte Ltd

September 2012 4,000 copies MICA (P) N째045/09/2010

THE FRENCH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN SINGAPORE 541 Orchard Road #09-01 Liat Towers Singapore 238881 Tel: +65 6933 1350 Fax: +65 6933 1398 www.fccsingapore.com info@fccsingapore.com

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EDITORIAL

September 2012

“Asia is the gallery of the world, Singapore is the showroom of Asia, Orchard Road is the window of Singapore.” his Tag line could be a Google Earth zooming effect for the trailer of a Stanley Kubrick movie… A Journey to the Retail Jungle with the following cast: a Consumer, a Landlord, a Brand Owner and a Web Master.

The action would get immediately thrilling when the lead actors take the screen. Let’s look at what the characters could be: Consumers: They are plenty, too many actually. Asia, including India, already is 50% of the worldwide population with 3.5 billion people. The vast majority of this ever-growing population is located in emerging countries. Thanks to the Internet and digital media they know what is available… Not only are they aware of what is new and trendy but the marketing wizards have created the needs, the envy of better and nicer products, shampoos, cosmetics, shoes, watches, cars and drinks… Landlords: They are the owners of the square feet and decide on the expected returns per square foot, the magic equation and ultimate measure which will trigger the erection of shopping malls, and will allow this particular brand to have its show window at Marina Bay Sands or at Changi Airport. Scarcity requires a very strict management by Government bodies and property developers as the cost of the square foot is as meaningful as the cost of the barrel of petrol for the worldwide economy. Brand Owners: This tribe is mostly composed of Alpha-Male, the Captains of Luxury, Fashion and Cosmetics Industry

and of course F&B. They are getting bigger, they need more square feet and larger windows, they are launching more brands and are developing a marketing thinking based on In-Store-Theatre in order to give to the consumer an unforgettable Shopping Experience. Web Masters: Luxury consumers are increasingly younger and their attitude toward shopping is significantly different. They look forward to being engaged by brands. They are the knights of the virtual shopping and always look for unique experiences that they can share with their friends, family and social community. They are those who are trying to break the walls of the shopping malls without moving from the sofa or from the office desk. Increased access to the mobile web is freeing the retail experience from the confines of the physical and traditional online environment, allowing shopping to take place virtually anywhere… Physical stores are still providing the best means to communicate with customers by offering a brand and shopping experience… but future retailing is a multi-channel concept and each of the 4 characters will be fighting for the lead role… No doubt about it!

Michel Beaugier Managing Director, M2 Management Pte Ltd Vice-President, Luxury & Premium Retail Committee at FCCS

SHORT NEWS

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French Companies in Singapore

September 2012

Orange Business Services Named 2012 Data Communications Service Provider of the Year Orange Business Services, a leading global integrator of communications solutions for multinational corporations, has been named the “2012 Data Communications Service Provider of the Year” by international market research and technology analysts Frost & Sullivan. Orange is the recipient of the prestigious award for the second consecutive year. Yee-May Leong, Senior Vice President, Orange Business Services Asia Paciﬁc, said: “We are proud to be recognised as the

foremost Data Communications Service Provider for two years running. Receiving the award a second time shows our commitment to our customers and their evolving needs. Orange Business Services provides for multinational and local enterprise customers in Asia Paciﬁc worldclass integrated communications services in cloud computing, uniﬁed communications and collaboration. We consistently deliver these solutions in the way that meet our customers’ needs for coverage, capacity, performance and resilience.” F

HDB Ties Up With EDF and Veolia on Complex Systems Modelling to Develop Sustainable, Urban Planning Solutions The Housing & Development Board (HDB) is the ﬁrst public agency in Singapore to conclude a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Electricité de France (EDF) and VEOLIA Environnement Recherche et Innovation (Veolia) to work on a complex Systems Model, which will help HDB develop sustainable and urban planning solutions in HDB towns. The MOU signiﬁes HDB’s commitment, as Singapore’s largest developer, to constantly explore new tech-

nologies to promote sustainable, urban planning solutions for the heartland. This ties up with EDF and Veolia introduces a new modelling tool that stimulates the built environment of a city and its impact on resources utilisation, environment, people and costs using complex systems modelling technique. This technique is envisaged to be superior to existing simulation models, as it is multi-faceted and can analyse

more complex scenarios. It will also be a decision-making tool that improves HDB’s planning and urban design strategies in enhancing the liveability of its towns. This model can provide planners, policymakers, architects and engineers with a holistic perspective to identify the best combination of strategies in terms of urban design, technologies and social behaviour. F

Morpho Acquires TSM Specialist Cassis International Morpho (Safran Group), one of the world’s leading suppliers of identiﬁcation, detection and e-document solutions, announced it has acquired Cassis International, a pioneer and leader in Trusted Service Management (TSM). Headquartered in Singapore, the company has 82 employees and subsidiaries in Malaysia, France, South Korea and the US. Cassis will be a part of Morpho’s e-Documents Division. TSM services enable mobile network operators and service providers to man-

age and implement secure credentials on a mobile device for applications such as mobile banking, mobile payment, transit and physical access to secure sites. Following this acquisition, Morpho will be able to offer mobile network operators, banks, transit operators and governments a full architecture of secure solutions and services.

“I am very pleased to welcome our new colleagues from Cassis International. The combination of our complementary portfolios will position us to provide customers

with comprehensive secure solutions in this fast-growing market, which is expected to reach several hundred million euros over the next ﬁve years,” explained Philippe d’Andréa, Executive Vice President Morpho, e-Documents Division. “This is a good time for Cassis International to combine resources with Morpho, a leading global player in the security space. We share Morpho’s vision for the future of secured mobile applications and are excited that Cassis with Morpho will be a major enabler of mobile commerce,” said Tan Tiong Hian, Chairman of Cassis International. F

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SHORT NEWS

September 2012

French Companies in Singapore

Thales Reality H Simulator at Eurocopter Southeast Asia Receives Dual Certification Thales announces that its Reality H helicopter simulator at Eurocopter’s training centre in Southeast Asia has obtained FTD level 3 and FFS level B certification from the French civil aviation authority DGAC. Based in Singapore, this simulator serves the training needs of Eurocopter’s civil and military customers in the region. This certification to European JAR/EASA standards makes the new-generation system suitable for type-rating training on the Dauphin N3 helicopter and proficiency training for yearly revalidation of pilot’s licences. The simulator can be used in place of a real helicopter for annual operator proficiency checks. It can also be incorporated into ab-initio training for a Commercial Helicopter Pilot’s licence (CPL H) or Air Transport Pilot’s licence (ATPL H), including instrument Rating (IR)

and associated proficiency checks. Given its ability to realistically replicate flight conditions, the simulator can also be used to conduct line checks and allows pilots to train to fly with night-vision goggles. Built under a cooperation agreement signed with Eurocopter in 2009, the Dauphin N3/N3+ simulator incorporates the latest technological advances of Thales’s new Reality H product, which was specifically designed to meet the needs of helicopter operators, maximising training capacity and availability while offering greater ease of installation, operation and maintenance. Thales has delivered more than 110 helicopter simulators to customers in 25 countries around the world. F LEFT Thales’ reality H helicopter simulator. Image © Thales - Mario Guerra

Gemalto NFC Management Service Goes Live for Singapore Gemalto, the world leader in digital security, announced in August the ofﬁcial golive of NFC services management in Singapore, powered by its Allynis Trusted Services Manager (TSM) solution, hosted in Gemalto’s local TSM data centre. Supported by the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) of the nation, the project to bring NFC to Singapore consumers lines up a consortium of local partners including mobile operators, banks and service providers. This is the ﬁrst time that the mobile operators and a range of other

service providers join forces to launch nation-wide NFC services to the general public using a uniﬁed, comprehensive TSM solution.

tium partners launch their NFC services and consumers will be notiﬁed on how they can adopt NFC services as part of these launch plans.

With the upcoming commercial rollout, consumers will have the freedom to tap and pay using their NFC-enabled mobile devices at over 20,000 retail points such as convenience stores, fast food outlets, retailers and even a ﬂeet of taxis. Additional and innovative services are expected to join over the coming months when consor-

All this is enabled by Gemalto’s secure, interoperable and inclusive TSM infrastructure, which manages over-the-air provision of confidential payment credentials to users’ NFC devices, offering dependable flexibility by leveraging cellular data, SMS or Wi-Fi channels in real time. Gemalto’s TSM data centre in Singapore is MasterCard and VISA certified. This fulltime and 24/7-available service enables highly-sensitive payment applications, while enabling easy on-boarding of new applications with smooth integration for service providers to be connected any time to the NFC ecosystem. In addition, Gemalto provides a SIM-based mobile wallet application that ensures a common user experience across compatible NFC handsets. F LEFT The consortium members at the press conference

SHORT NEWS

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French Companies in Singapore

September 2012

In this respect, this project is fully in line with the ‘SAVE PROGRAM’, SDV’s environmental customer solution, in which one of our key aims is to design eco-solutions to reduce CO2 emissions. This innovative warehouse is targeting the highest “green” certifications. In March 2012, this warehouse became the first one to be Green Mark Platinum* certified in Singapore. It will also be the largest logistics centre in Asia to obtain the LEED Gold** certification. Hence, the site follows stringent specifications and construction practices. It is in conformity with a scope of materials and equipment that are ecofriendly – either in the products used for their construction, or in energy savings generated. F NOTE Green Mark Platinum accreditation delivered by the Building & Construction Authority (BCA) of Singapore ** Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. This is an internationally recognised green building certification developed by the US Green building Council *

LEFT SDV’s ﬁrst green warehouse

GDF SUEZ Trading Singapore is beginning its operations with ﬁnancial trading of crude oil and reﬁned products, coal, and Asian LNG references, such as the Japan Crude Cocktail.

Liqueﬁed Natural Gas (LNG), explorationproduction, and environmental services.

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SHORT NEWS

September 2012

French Companies in Singapore

STMicroelectronics Challenges Singapore Undergraduates on Smart Multi-Sensor Technology

STMicroelectronics, a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications and the world’s top MEMS (Micro-ElectroMechanical Systems) manufacturer1, launched mid-August the 2012 iNEMO Design Contest. This contest invites ﬁnalyear engineering students from the National University of Singapore and the Nanyang Technological University to develop innovative applications using ST’s award-winning2 iNEMO® smart multisensor technology.

ST's iNEMO is a unique evaluation and development tool that offers up to 10 degrees of freedom, using combinations of 3-axis linear acceleration, 3-axis angular rate and 3-axis motion sensing through a magnetic ﬁeld, together with barometric/altitude readings, managed by an STM32 32-bit microcontroller. MEMS sensing technology is one of the fastest growing segments of the semiconductor industry and has become ubiquitous in cars, smartphones, gaming devices and many IT products.

“Sensing technology has enabled your smartphone to know your movements and is the technology responsible for the physical excitement of motion-based video games,” said Patrick Boulaud, STMicroelectronics Regional Vice President, Analog, MEMS and Sensor, Greater China and South Asia Region. “Sensors have the potential to augment many aspects of human and technology interaction, particularly in quality-of-

life enhancement. We are challenging these students to think out-of-the-box and create new applications in lifestyle, recreation, healthcare and wellness, using the most advanced sensor technology available today.” “Advanced sensor technologies are important in enhancing the apps we have in all our personal devices,” said Prof Loh Ai Poh, Deputy Head of the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore. “This contest is a great opportunity for our students to use leading-edge sensors to design creative apps that improve our interaction with the physical world.” F NOTE IHS iSuppli: MEMS Competitive Analysis 2012 2 iNEMO has received a Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation Award and a Computerworld Honors recognition 1

LEFT INEMO-M1

AFP Wins Asia Prize for Best Environmental Multimedia Coverage Agence France-Presse (AFP) was awarded top prize for its high-quality reporting on Asia’s fast-evolving environmental challenges.

environmental campaigner, and work by a Philippine entrepreneur who has installed “solar light bulbs” in hundreds of thousands of slum dwellings.

to mobilise real change due to strong human-centric stories supported by policy and scientiﬁc facts,” the Singapore Environmental Council said. F

The prize for “Excellence in Environmental Reporting by a Media OrganiSation” was awarded by the Singapore Environmental Council, a powerful regional NGO, for a series of 10 reports comprising text, photo and video.

AFP was rewarded because of “its diverse coverage and high potential for the stories

BOTTOM Giant hydroelectric dam at Bakun, Borneo

The AFP series included a report on Malaysian tribes’ people in the jungles of Borneo whose traditional lifestyle is being torn apart by a giant hydroelectric dam at Bakun. It also includes a video report about the ﬁght by residents of the Japanese coastal town of Iwaishima to stop a nuclear power plant, a multimedia report on efforts by Cambodians to protect their forests from illegal logging after the murder of an

SHORT NEWS

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French Companies in Singapore

September 2012

Singapore, Still Asia’s Most Innovative Country For the second year running, Switzerland, Sweden, and Singapore lead in overall innovation performance according to the Global Innovation Index 2012: Stronger Innovation Linkages for Global Growth, published by INSEAD, the leading international business school, and the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), a specialised agency of the United Nations. Singapore still tops in Asian innovation, Hong Kong ranks at the 8th position. Comparing the overall scores to countries GDP per capita, the report identiﬁes two groups of countries. Among the “innovation leaders” are high-income countries – such as Singapore, Hong Kong (China), Israel, South Korea, and Japan in Asia – which

have succeeded in creating innovation ecosystems where investments in human capital thrive in fertile and stable innovation TOP 10 LEADERS IN THE GLOBAL INNOVATION INDEX

Ranking

City

Switzerland

Sweden

Singapore

Finland

Netherlands

Denmark

Hong Kong

Ireland

USA

Singapore Tops World Bank's 2012 Logistics Performance List Singapore leads the world in providing logistics capacity to facilitate trade, according to a recent report by the World Bank: Connecting to Compete 2012: Trade Logistics in the Global Economy.

two categories: the efﬁciency of the clearance process and the frequency with which shipments reached consignees within the expected or scheduled delivery times. F

In this report, Singapore scored highest in

Source: World Bank

infrastructures favorable to knowledge, technology and creative outputs. Then, the group of “innovation learners” – middle-income countries in Asia – includes Malaysia, China, Jordan, India, Mongolia, and Viet Nam. These economies demonstrate rising levels of innovation achievement as a result of improvements in institutional frameworks, a skilled labour force, better innovation infrastructures, a deeper integration with global ﬁnancial and other markets, and a sophisticated business community – even if progress in these dimensions is not uniform across all segments of the country. F Source: NSEAD & WIPO

TOP 10 COUNTRIES FOR TRADE LOGISTICS

Ranking 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Singapore Garden City: Gardens by the Bay Singapore's new attraction is Gardens by the Bay, a cutting-edge horticultural mega project featuring 50-meter-high solarpowered "supertrees" and climate-controlled biomes located less than a five-minute walk away from Marina Bay. This ambitious 101-hectare project, estimated to have cost more than S$1 billion, officially opened on 29 June 2012. Gardens by the Bay has already welcomed its millionth visitor mid-August, slightly more than a month and half since its official opening. F

Source: Gardens by the Bay

City Singapore Hong Kong Finland Germany Netherlands Denmark Belgium Japan USA UK

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SHORT NEWS

September 2012

French Companies in Singapore

UCCIFE awards the FCCS for its Communication UCCIFE (Union de Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie FranĂ§aise Ă l'Etranger) is a network of 114 French Chamber of Commerce with 28,000 members worldwide. It represents the largest private network of French companies in the world. In presence of Mrs Nicole Bricq, French Foreign Trade Minister, the UCCIFE Annual General Meeting gathered Presidents and Directors of the French Chambers of Commerce abroad. UCCIFE awarded the French Chamber of Commerce in Singapore (FCCS) for its successful communication strategy for the year 2012, highlighting its various initiatives to promote sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility. The FCCS indeed successfully launched

in February 2012 the Sustainability Charter, in order to engage its member companies to join hands for a more sustainable economy. Further to the official launch of this Sustainability Charter, the FCCS also produced a Guidebook for Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility and a dedicated Sustainability

Newsletter to share best practices among its members. This award distinguished the French Chamber of Commerce in Singapore for its ongoing efforts towards its members and encourages the FCCS to stay pro-active and innovative. F

SHORT NEWS French Companies in Singapore

Discover the FCCS Newly Revamped & Extended Ofﬁce Space! The FCCS has renovated its ofﬁce and extended its business centre.

A BRAND NEW LOOK! The new ofﬁces reﬂect the dynamism of the Chamber. With an increasing number of members, a growing activity for the Business Support and HR services, the FCCS team is constantly expanding to better serve its members. The new meeting room can accommodate more guests for upcoming exciting committee meetings!

Please note the FCCS new contact numbers: Tel: (65) 6933 1350 Fax: (65) 6933 1398

ENHANCED OFFICE SOLUTION Located on Orchard Road, the Business Centre provides a flexible offer for French companies looking for a temporary office solution in Singapore while allowing them to benefit from its wide network. F

• A prime location – Right in the heart of Singapore on Orchard Road. • Plug & Play offer – Just bring you laptop. • Great ﬂexibility – Short-term to long-term agreements. • Access to meeting rooms. • And of course, competitive prices.

DO YOU NEED TO RENT A MEETING ROOM? • A modern and fully-equipped meeting room. • Capacity of 24 persons.

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COVER STORY

September 2012

Trendy Singapore

COVER STORY

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Trendy Singapore

September 2012

A Changing Fashion Retail Scene Interview with Isabelle Allix, Managing Director, Isalis Since 2001 Isalis has been combining the activities of strategic consulting, marketing and sales for small and medium-sized companies in the fashion industry in the Asia region. Isalis helps them to create, reinforce and adapt their own brands to the specificities of the Asian markets. The company works closely on new ways of leading and managing companies and on their offer. Isabelle Allix shares with us her views on the fashion retail scene in Singapore.

WHEN DID YOU ARRIVE IN SINGAPORE AND HOW WAS THE FASHION RETAIL SCENE AT THAT TIME? I set up my company when I first arrived in Singapore in 2000. I can easily say that Singapore fashion retail landscape has tremendously changed over the past 12 years. Singapore had a particular status back then as it was the only city in the region with such elaborated and complex infrastructures. The City-State was already extremely well-developed and organised, with the highest GDP per capita in the region, and both commercial and private property markets were still affordable compared to its sister competitor city: Hong Kong. For geographic, climatic and cultural reasons, Singapore has always been more casual and less fashion-oriented than Hong Kong. However, the construction of the Integrated Resorts brought a radical change

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The construction of the Integrated Resorts brought a radical change in the retail scene.

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in the retail scene in Singapore. This was a clear sign that Singapore was moving from its regional hub status to an international hub. According to the Singapore Tourism Board’s latest data, the tourism receipts hit a record of S$22.2 billion for 2011. This represents 17% of the total retail sales in Singapore (with mostly Indonesians, Chinese, Malays, Australians and Indians). Even though 76% of visitor arrivals are still coming from Asia, newcomers such as Russian tourists help growing these numbers. Adding to its increasing attraction, Singapore population also grew from 4 to 5 millions in 10 years. These reasons, combined with a low unemployment rate, have of course influenced the commercial and private property markets, which prices have sky rocketed since 2005. HOW IS THE SINGAPORE RETAIL LANDSCAPE NOW? Strong Singapore Dollar and economy are pushing up retail spending especially in the luxury segment. It is not a surprise that retailers, both foreign and local, are riding on this trend. Retailers from the luxury segment strongly reinforced their position since 2009. It also seems that Singaporean department stores are willing to grab market shares in the luxury retail segment here,

by spending a lot in their renovation like CK Tangs for example, or by relocating on top spots on Orchard Road like Robinson’s. Luxury brands have for the past four years massively invested in the Merlion city to reinforce their positions and exposure on the international scene. To illustrate this trend, we can cite the recent opening of the flagship store of the French fashion house, Louis Vuitton, with the Louis Vuitton Island Maison at Marina Bay Sands or the new Hermès stores at Scotts Square or Marina Bay Sands. A recent trend is the growing impact of the middle-range brands. Until recently, the retail market was clearly divided into two parts; on one side the luxury brands and on the other the mass market brands. Today, we can see emerging a need for more differentiating middle-range brands. As a leading shopping capital in AsiaPacific, Singapore’s retail scene is now offering a good alternative to the Hong Kong fashion Mecca. BASED ON YOUR PAST EXPERIENCES, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A NEW FRENCH FASHION BRAND WISHING TO TACKLE THE SINGAPOREAN MARKET? Let’s take a case study to illustrate this. Among others, I had the opportunity to work for a famous French fashion brand

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This work concerned not only the design of the collections but also the whole customer experience.

which was present in other Asian countries but not yet in Singapore. And even though their presence in other Asian countries was strong, opening independent stores in one of the most competitive cities in Asia was a different challenge.

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We first had to reinforce its brand values and put the emphasis on its French identity in order to deliver a stronger and clearer message to Singaporean customers. This work concerned not only the design of the collections but also the whole customer experience, from the store concept to communication strategy.

on their industrial strengths; one of them being the ability to reorder their best styles in less than four weeks to replenish their worldwide retail stores. Also, more attention was put on increasing the quality and finishing, while keeping their affordable price range.

On the collection side, we worked closely with the French fashion brand on reinforcing their creativity while meeting some of Asia’s specific needs, in terms of styles, colours, cut and sizing. This adaptation was soft enough to be attractive for customers while remaining true to the brand’s DNA. On the other hand, the brand had to focus

This implementation was successful thanks to the commitment of all the management and staff. To pursue its expansion, the brand has just opened a corner at Robinson’s Centre Point. Even though Isalis is very oriented towards SMEs, we also provide services to French MNCs which start their operations in Southeast Asia. We work in collaboration

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with them on defining their optimum retail pricing for Asia, as well as their shop assortments to match the Southeast Asian demand, and on the strategic locations to allow them an enhanced visibility and image. Throughout our history, we notice that some of the recommendations we did for the Asian market were then applied to all their shop networks even in their home country! F

LEFT PAGE Isabelle Allix, Managing Director, Isalis BOTTOM The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands

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September 2012

How Cache-Cache Makes it Right in Southeast Asia By Jérôme Cambounet, Deputy General Manager of Operations, Beaumanoir Asia Holding Singapore Singapore has been the first milestone for Cache-Cache development in Southeast Asia with a first opening in April 2009. Cache-Cache has now 36 stores* split over Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. Cache-Cache belongs to Groupe Beaumanoir along with other brands such as Morgan, Patrice Breal, Bonobo, La City and Scottage. With a total network of 2,336** stores worldwide, Groupe Beaumanoir boasts an annual turnover of € 1,200 million**. A STRONG CHINESE ANCHOR Groupe Beaumanoir’s first move in Asia was the establishment of our Asian headquarters in Shanghai in 2005, which was followed by the opening of our first store in December of the same year. CacheCache success in China has been rapid with a current network of more than 600 stores and a team of more than 350 people in our Shanghai office. During our further development in Southeast Asia, we took advantage of the first experience in China, thus, speeding-up our learning practices and by sharing resources. We also use our Chinese base as a logistics hub centralising our collections and products for Asia.

A SPECIFIC COLLECTION At the early stage of Cache-Cache development, we have realised that current production would need to be adjusted to better serve the Singaporean market. Cache-Cache has since developed a specific collection for all Southeast Asia area, which includes a mix from our French and China collections along with a unique production line dedicated for Southeast Asia. The objective of this approach was to offer a 100% summer season all year long for our clients in Singapore and Southeast Asia. This approach has been relevant as shown by better than good response and a real demand from our clients. Year after year, we keep tuning our collection focus to Southeast Asia market with specific designs and adapted cuts and fittings that are suited to the hot weather. We follow the latest fashion trends around the world to satisfy our target segment: all the

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Cache-Cache has developed a specific collection for all Southeast Asia area.

women between 15 and 25 years old attracted by fashion without being a fashion victim.

ATTRACTIVE PRICING & PROMOTIONS Cache-Cache brand is a price attractive fast fashion brand for young women. Our positioning is not only consistent in terms of design but as well in terms of price and store location. Our shop location strategy is driven by the fact that we look for neighborhood popular malls with high customer traffic. By nature these malls are closer to our market segment and represent a good signal to our customers in terms of price. We have developed a close relationship to our clients. In our shops our customers feel free to try clothes to make their own look with Cache-Cache products. Current rental fees combined with generated traffic allow us to offer a lower tag price compared to our main competitors. Cache-Cache business model makes sense on a large scale and it is the reason why we have developed four more countries based on early success in Singapore. We have stressed our development on new openings to be able to gain more volumes and, therefore, bargain power with our suppliers and logistics providers. In addition to original affordable price tag, Cache-Cache offers new promotion campaign every two weeks ranging from store-wide rebate to specific category

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items discounted. You always have a good deal in Cache-Cache stores! This rolling promotion is reflected in our showcases and store staging highlights.

OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY Groupe Beaumanoir has an operational expertise in terms of time to market from design to store. Omnipresent information technologies, fast logistics, quick replenishment, strategic partnerships with suppliers; all these processes and methods developed in Europe have been applied to Southeast Asia area. Year after year, operational performance has increased showing better integration from design, production, logistic, and store operation given the specificity of covering 5 distinct areas without any local warehouse which means a critical need for excellent anticipation and coordination, in order, to have always the right product with the right size in store to capture maximum value.

LOCALLY BOND TEAM Then, in terms of team organisation, I am happy to see that employees from the initial team are still part of the team today showing the strong attraction of such intrapreneur project within a big group such as Groupe Beaumanoir. It really reflects one of the top core values of the group, entrepreneurship which is distilled in each new project launched. The organisa-

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tion adopted is quite similar to a venture capitalist project in the sense that the team is totally independent to choose how to tackle new opportunities and the organisation is lean since part of the team, is based in Shanghai to be closer to the production and to share common functions with Cache-Cache China. Based on that, we have an office in Singapore to ensure the relationship with stores and partners, check the implementation and resolve operational issues. Our Singapore office staff overview sales coordination with the rest of the area. The objective is to provide to the franchisee less administrative work, so as to be focus only on offering the best customer experience

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As a fast fashion brand for young women digital communication is essential.

with a clean and well replenished store. The Southeast Asia team is a mix of local employees and international employees with strong experience in Asia.

AN EFFICIENT COMMUNICATION In addition to keeping looking for new store opening opportunities, Cache-Cache development plan is based on increasing store attractiveness, improving customer relationship and getting a digital footprint

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to offer a better and more personal customer experience. The philosophy of Cache-Cache in terms of advertising is to use our stores as the spearhead of the communication. We have a strong merchant culture in Cache-Cache, and want our resources to be mainly focused on providing the best deals to our customers. In an Asian culture where shopping is strongly intertwined with entertainment the “last meters communication” is the best option to get recognised from customers who are bombarded by so many advertising every day. In the fast fashion industry, things in terms of style, visual merchandising and store staging are in a constant change. We have to keep the pace with our competitors. As a fast fashion brand for young women, digital communication is essential. It reinforces our relationship with the customers allowing new customer experience and interaction. We really assist to a switch in terms of mentality in the market which will affect deeply our organisation. Customers want their voice to be heard and, as a close-popular brand, Cache-Cache has to be ready. We have since launched distinct Facebook pages for the five countries of the area. This is the best option for Cache-Cache to bond with their fans spreading out the brand. Customers are looking for more and more personal attention and are expecting that the brand understands who they are. It is now possible with tools such as membership programme and digital social networks. Tomorrow, we will have increased interactions with customers. Our business will be even more in analysing behaviour of segmented population. Future is in data management to keep analysing the latest trends and always provide a comprehensive value proposition to our different profile of customers. F NOTE Number of stores on June 30th, 2012 ** Both number of stores and turnover are end of 2011 *

BOTTOM Cache-Cache store in Bandung, Indonesia

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Trendy Singapore

September 2012

The French Touch in Singapore By Vanessa Rex, Marketing Executive, Imaginasia Management Services Pte Ltd Petit Bateau has been an iconic French children’s brand since 1893 and is now a firm favourite with both young and old. Our timeless basics make light work of every season and whether they are worn or handed down, they are kept for a lifetime. A WIDE COLLECTION The iconic brand of pants and t-shirts has become the benchmark of multigenerational style for babies, children, men and women around the world. Its beautiful material of infinite softness and impeccable cuts cross the seasons. The 115-yearold French fashion brand is synonymous with quality and comfort clothing and still manufactures its cotton knitted jerseys in its factory located in Troyes, France. Petit Bateau is a staple for baby wear and perfect for the humid climate in Singapore. The infant collection makes a special gift for newborns. Mothers who want something in their size can also find simple, classic daywear. Petit Bateau has a wide array of colours and styles that is fun and trendy for all ages. The brand designs 500 styles per season and so, allows a large choice for every collection. There are 5 different ranges for each season: • Nursery Collection for Babies; • Underwear Collection for Babies & Kids; • Sleepwear Collection for Babies & Kids; • Daywear / Fashion Collection; • Underwear, Nightwear, Homewear, Fashion Tops for Adults. This season it is a flashback movie-style for Petit Bateau Fall/Winter 2012. Stars of the show are decked out in woollies, tubic knits, reversible fabrics and bright stripes. Colour adds an infusion of light and the two themes of grey and navy blue provide a thread of suspense.

COMMUNICATE LOCALLY FOR A GREATER IMPACT To create a more lasting impression and generate more brand awareness locally, Petit Bateau in Singapore favours towards having PR (Public Relations) events that allow our loyal customers to feel connected to their childhood brand. In turn,

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The company has preserved its original expertise while successfully expanding internationally.

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their children too experience the comfort and joy of wearing a Petit Bateau product. Another business strategy we adapt is media exposures including product features, image ad, editorials and advertorials in newspapers and magazines. We also do interviews with the people behind Petit Bateau so our local consumers understand better where we are coming from. The company has preserved its original

expertise while successfully expanding internationally. Even so in Singapore, Petit Bateau has currently two stand-alone stores and three shops-in-shops. Our third stand-alone store will be launching in Vivocity early this November. This iconic clothing brand, simple and fun, adapted to the desires of individuals throughout their lives, from babies to adults. Petit Bateau, for everyone and forever. F

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Trendy Singapore

September 2012

A Fast Growing Independent Family Business in Asia By Constance Laparra, Country Assistant Singapore, Promod The women’s fashion brand Promod opened its first store in Singapore in 2006. The company has now 6 stores which offer all collection of prêt-à-porter and accessories designed by the company.

A FRENCH SUCCESS STORY – OVER 900 STORES IN 50 COUNTRIES Promod is an independent family business that chose not to be listed on the stock market. The brand created in France in 1975 now has over 900 stores in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. It achieved a turnover of € 950 million in 2011, a significant growth compared with the previous year. It appeals to over 225 million visitors per year and employs 6,500 people worldwide. Promod rapid growth in Europe in the 90’s encouraged the company to expand abroad and to open its first franchise store in Saudi Arabia and develop its presence in the Middle East in the 2000s. The first Promod shop in Asia was opened

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The City-State is also considered as a hub and the right place to expand through Southeast Asia.

in 2006, and the same year, the brand arrived in Singapore. The company has now 6 stores in the country (313@Somerset, Marina Square, ION, Paragon, Takashimaya and Tampines 1) and wishes to develop further in the months to come, but not exclusively in Singapore. Indeed, the City-State is also considered as a hub and the right place to expand through Southeast Asia. As a result, Promod is also present in Indonesia (4 stores), Malaysia (5 stores), Philippines (10 stores), Thailand (11

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stores), and will open very soon in Vietnam.

DESIGNER-INSPIRED CLOTHES AND ACCESSORIES After working through partnership for a few years, all the shops in Singapore are now owned by the company itself, which is also the designer of all the collections. Indeed, Promod collections are designed in France by an integrated team of stylists who create women’s garments and accessories that are easy to wear for young active casual women. Promod is always upto-date on fashion trends and on what women want. Every week, the company renews its collections with new fashion items. As one of the most economically advanced countries in Asia as well as a shopper’s paradise, Singapore is also one of the most fashion-oriented countries in the region. The City-State is now considered one of the emerging fashion capital in the world and tends to promote innovation and welcome designers in order to establish a platform for new brands and trends. This could be an aspect explaining the rapid development of Promod in the country in the past few years; customers are interested in fashion coming from Europe but not only in luxury brands, they are getting more curious and adventurous in their way of dressing and that is why brands such as Promod can expect a lot from the Singaporean market. F

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the years, we have observed a very clear pattern of proven, excellent customer service. We categorised the patterns into three key points on how luxury consumers perceive excellent service quality and why it causes them to say "Yes, I want to buy this". 1. Be attentive but respect your client's personal space Shoppers love it when sales associates respond to their needs immediately. But, following the shopper too closely may intrude into their delicate bubble of "browsing-privacy". Shoppers say they are comfortable with the sales associate standing a distance of approximately three to five arm's length away. This distance allows the sales associate to notice when the shopper needs help, yet allows comfortable browsing space. Of course, prior to this, it would be good to inform the shopper that help is just a short distance away.

2. Overcome objections and give suitable alternatives Overcoming objections is a common skill in a retail environment. It does not necessarily need to end with a full-stop. Sales associates in a luxury environment are not just expected to bring shoppers the correct sizes and colour, but also expected to adapt their recommendations to the shoppers' requests. Therefore, when being presented with an objection, it is the perfect opportunity to introduce other products or collections, to link-sell, and also to show off your expertise. 3. Having good product knowledge increases the level of trust from your clients The importance of having good product knowledge is always being emphasised. But why is it important other than to give accurate information? When a sales associate is well-versed with the products, questions from shoppers will more likely be answered with confidence and ease. This confidence easily translates to "trust" for the shopper. When a shopper trusts the sales associate, recommendations on item selection and the fitting process are agreed on more readily. Vice versa, the sales associate can expect more recommendations from friends off the shopper. These three simple key points may already be in the training guidelines for most luxury brands, but we want to underline the huge impact they have in meeting the high expectations of our shoppers in Southeast Asia. F

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September 2012

Differentiate to Succeed By Lynn Tan, Managing Director, Fusion Cosmetics Pte Ltd Fusion Cosmetics Pte Ltd is a fast growing, and dynamic hair care and skin care company. They are the leading marketer and sole distributor of award winning French beauty and hair care brands.

Singapore can be considered the most competitive market in the world due to our miniscule size of 5 million. Manpower has been the biggest headache for a lot of businesses here for both quality and quantity of manpower. Especially for retail and F&B trade. Unlike the patriotic and beauty manufacturing hubs of Japan and Korea, where their locals are inclined towards home grown brands, here in Singapore we love and accept brands from around the world – France, USA, UK, Japan, Korea, Italy, Australia, etc. This simply adds to the stiff competition we face here everyday. In addition, Singapore is tiny, we have a land space of 778km2, to illustrate further, I have friends who own a farm in New Zealand and a sugar cane plantation in Thailand which are bigger than the entire Singapore island itself. Hence, the landlords in Singapore rule over all businesses. In other developed countries, rental (in retail) takes up 5-10% of their revenue. But in Singapore, you will be overjoyed if rental only takes up no more than 30% of your revenue.

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Here in Singapore we love and accept brands from around the world.

Which only goes to show that we have to work much harder for the dollar and even by doing so, our margins are squeezed so badly that it affects profits and cash flow. This comes to the topic in hand, how then do we survive and manage these external forces and find a way to succeed. You may take a leaf out of this book from Jack Trout: “Differentiate or Die – Survival in our Era of Killer Competition” as I have to stand out from the crowd. Fusion Cosmetics Pte Ltd is a Distributor & Retailer of Botanical Beauty Brands in Singapore and Malaysia. Unlike any ordinary distributor who markets various run of the mill brands, we only distribute natural brands which are safe and effective such as Phyto Hair Care, NUXE Skin Care & Le Petit Olivier Personal Care. And because of our fond love of nature and the advocate that nature always provides, we plant trees in Singapore and around the

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world as a small way to give back to the world. Beauty By Nature was born out of the need to provide excellent customer service and to give expert diagnosis for skin and hair for customers. And in order to provide a complete 360 degrees service, we started Beauty By Nature which acts as a customer service centre in three locations in Singapore. Customers can come in to see us everyday for a detailed and complimentary diagnosis by our well-trained sales representatives. These are just two of the many strategies that Fusion Cosmetics have implemented to differentiate and to make a difference to the world. F

TOP LEFT NUXE products TOP RIGHT Beauty By Nature Stores @ VivoCity

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September 2012

Singapore Health & Beauty Landscape By Ariane Jaubert, Director Sales, Marketing and Branding, Guardian Founded in 1972, Guardian Health & Beauty, Singapore operates under the Dairy Farm Group of Companies. It is Singapore’s largest health & beauty chain comprising more than 150 stores offering professional services such as patient-care counselling & dispensary services as well as a wide range of health and beauty products.

In Singapore, western pharmacies are the most popular retail outlets for shoppers to purchase personal care or health & beauty products; other alternatives include super, hypermarkets or convenience store. In western pharmacies market, there are mainly three actors: Guardian Health & Beauty, Watsons Personal Care and Unity NUTC Health Care, Guardian being the largest network with 150 stores. The Singaporean shoppers are visiting an average of two personal care stores in a four week period. Hence creating interesting promotions and bringing new retail concepts and new brands is absolutely needed for any chain to remain competitive and be perceived as attractive and contemporary.

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In 2010 Guardian embarked on a new journey “from Pharmaceuticals to Beauticiticals”.

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GUARDIAN HEALTH & BEAUTY SINGAPORE JOURNEY With 150 stores, Guardian Health&Beauty is Singapore’s largest, and most established health and beauty chain. Its first store was opened 40 years ago and has been catering to the health and beauty needs to Singaporeans ever since. In 2010 Guardian embarked on a new journey “from Pharmaceuticals to Beauticiticals”: leveraging its strong heritage and stretch-

ing its point of difference in health to expand into Beauty – not with any Beauty brand, but with those brands with a strong health anchor, such as dermatologist recommended brands. This strategy was brought to life in store through a new concept store, first launched in 2010, subsequently rolled out through an ambitious plan for the entire market. With a spacious layout and wide range of grooming products, Guardian new

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concepts stores are dedicated to creating a lifestyle shopping experience for customers, through the following main elements: • Guide the shoppers in their shopping journey thanks to different atmospheres for different product categories and clear categories signage. For instance, Beauty shoppers are taken through their whole skin and beauty regime with carefully thought out sections – starting from skin care to cosmetics and hair care. • Delight the shoppers, thanks to an extended range of products and additional services: - Emphasis is put on three categories supporting the new image of Guardian Health & Beauty stores: Derma Skin care, Hair Care and Health Supplements. These three categories enjoy prime locations in store, extensive range of products as well a choice of exclusive brands. Guardian has also dedicated a section just to men’s products. A comprehensive range of items are collated in this area, making it convenient and accessible for men to shop for their grooming needs. - Private Patient Care Counselling Room: Guardian has also launched a private Patient Care Counselling Room. For the first time, customers can look forward to privacy when discussing their health needs such as medication review, long term disease management, smoking cessation or weight management programmes.

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Guardian Health&Beauty was able to gain significant share since the new concept launch.

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THE CUSTOMERS’ FEEDBACK The new concept was very well accepted by shoppers. Market research has shown major improvements in the overall shopping experience, mainly driven by better performance in store environment, customer service, brand selection as well as the product offering. In addition, the new concept improved significantly Guardian’s image as exemplified by these customers’ quotes: “It is really more cheerful and vibrant”, “Unique and welcoming”. Last but not least, Guardian Health & Beauty was able to

gain significant share since the new concept launch.

ENRICHING THE SUCCESSFUL CONCEPT A Natural and Organic section has recently launched with a comprehensive and extensive range of healthcare and wellness products for customers to pick from. Perfectly integrated within the store, this new concept has been designed to answer the important consumer trend towards more Natural and Organic products currently available at Mount Elisabeth Novena hospital and North Point. Guardian is also launching a new Japanese cosmetic concept, with a number of exclusive Japanese brands. Designed to delight the Beauty involved female who likes to try out new things, for the “girls who want to be pretty” the “HarajuCute”concept has a unique and disruptive “look and feel” in store. These two concepts are the latest additions to the already successful concept – more are to come in the following months. F TOP Natural & Organic section LEFT Pharmacy corner

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Trendy Singapore

September 2012

Singapore’s Sporting Industry is Booming By Damien Eyssautier, Sales Manager – Asia Pacific, Petzl Petzl is a company known for its high quality climbing equipments, mountaineering equipments and headlamps. In Singapore, the highest natural point is Bukit Timah Hill at hardly 166m (545ft) above sea level and the city is lit-up 24 hours a day. We could wonder what Petzl is doing here. But appearances may be deceptive in the retail world… On a more global perspective, the sports industry in Asia Pacific has been booming with a total value of the market estimated at US$ 20 billion. Singapore has been a centre for this growth, organising the Asian Youth Games in 2009 and the Youth Olympic Games in 2010. A survey realised by the Singapore Sports Council (SSC) shows that half the population on the island is now involved in sports at least once a week. This survey also underlines that if jogging is the most popular sport, people in Singapore are opened to less traditional sports as well. Climbing is one

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Half the population on the island is now involved in sports at least once a week.

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of them! Riding on this trend, climbing gyms have popped-up around the city, most schools and universities have set up climbing walls and climbing has become part of the curriculum of many students. Impressive for a country without mountains!

On the retail market, this trend was reflected with the opening of new outlets specialised in outdoor sports & activities like Outdoor Life. Technical apparel brands like The North Face or Columbia have rushed in and obtained successful results helped by the rise of consumer

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purchasing power as well as by the high number of expats and tourists. The consumer behaviour has also been very favourable as Singaporeans tend to value more the brands with a strong technical image. Considering these factors and the other well-known advantages of Singapore, it was all but logic that the City-State becomes an anchor point for Petzl development in Asia Pacific. We hence recently opened our Singaporean office. In addition to positive market conditions, this investment has been driven by three essential concepts in Petzl retail strategy: proximity, reactivity and visibility. Petzl has been present in Singapore through its network of partners for more than 20 years. During this period, the company has mainly been focused on developing its offer for professional customers. Rope access is indeed a very strong market for Petzl worldwide. Rescue teams, fire fighters, glass cleaners or technicians on offshore platforms use Petzl solutions in their daily work. But our growth in the sports industry in Singapore

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On the retail market, this trend was reflected with the opening of new outlets specialised in outdoor sports & activities.

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was still relatively slow. By having a direct presence, we increase our proximity with the climbing community, outdoor activities enthusiasts and retailers in Singapore in order to understand better the market and its expectations. As a consequence, we are able to be more reactive and offer suitable solutions faster. This is a key point in the retail sector as the biggest does not necessarily win anymore compared to the fastest… Visibility is an obvious but still capital concept in retail. There are different ways to be visible. Mass marketing is surely the most common way. For Petzl, as a very technical and specialised brand, we chose to be visible in the core of our activities by sponsoring events and athletes. In Singapore, taking advantage of our new base,

we are sponsoring this year the World Youth Climbing Championship and the TNF100 Trail running race in addition to other smaller events. The most famous tool for Petzl to develop its visibility remains however the Petzl RocTrip. This in-house event aims to discover, set up and celebrate a new climbing site accessible to all. Last year, the RocTrip took place in Getu, China. More than 600 climbers from all over the world gathered with our team and enjoyed this amazing site. Such events not only build a relation between Petzl and the climbers, but also create a strong emotional connection with the brand which is often shared with others. This, we believe, represents the peak achievement for any company in the retail industry. F

FEATURE REPORT

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Branding Strategies in Asia

September 2012

Branding Strategies in Asia Communication, branding, digital revolution, product adaptation, role of design… How to tackle the Asian Markets? Asia is all about diversity, this bring new challenges for western companies. How can you promote your offer to such a large and diversified audience? Cultural differences, diversity of the audience are not the only issues. Companies are now facing a new context, which keeps evolving. Communication channels are exploding and fragmenting, consumers have more choices, more distractions; interactions with customers become vital. In this context, we have approached three FCCS members to bring to light the do’s and don’ts in order to efficiently approach Asian markets. Through their experiences, these experts share with us their views on these matters.

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FEATURE REPORT

September 2012

Branding Strategies in Asia

Beauty and the East When Western Cosmetics Brands Meet Asian Realities Interview with Aurore Carré de Malberg, Managing Director, Crépuscule Asia Crépuscule is a brand design agency specialised in beauty and luxury sectors. With headquarters in Paris and an office in Singapore, it helps global companies to build leadership brands. Regulations – Western cosmetics brands are obliged to adhere to regulations and standards set by governments, which in Asia contrarily to Europe and the US barely cooperate on a regional level. Those regulations are likely to be tighter on branding & advertising in near future. HOW MAY WESTERN COSMETICS BRANDS ADAPT THEIR STRATEGY TO SUCCEED IN THE REGION? WHY DO WESTERN BEAUTY BRANDS MAKE ASIA A NEW PRIORITY? First, they witness a slowdown in their business activity in their home countries especially for premium cosmetics and fragrances that suffer more from reduced consumer spending.

Second, the boom of cosmetics market in the APAC region fuelled by rising income levels, expanding middle-classes, higher urbanisation and bigger consumer awareness, is offering them significant opportunities. According to Euromonitor, the cosmetics business in the APAC region is set to grow more than 5% per annum and be about same size as Western Europe by 2014. China, which is today the third largest beauty market in the world after the US and Japan, is bound to record 12% annual growth through 2014, led by skin care. India’s registered sales worth US$ 9.3 billion in 2010 and are expected to witness a double digit growth in the coming years, owing to the rising beauty concerns of both women and men.

Versatility – Asian consumers brand loyalty is limited, in cosmetics especially. “What you gifts?” is a lingering question in the minds of Asian consumers. Western cosmetics companies must try to deal with promotion-driven ideas while striving to maintain their brand equity.

In this context, the rush to the East of Western cosmetics brands is likely to accelerate still further: 4 years ago, after Unilever established its headquarters for Asia in Singapore, Procter & Gamble announced in May 2012 the move of its headquarters for skin care, cosmetics and personal care in the Lion City “to be closer to the fast-growing Asia beauty market”.

Distribution – The retail landscape varies significantly from tier-1 to tier-3 cities. For mass-market brands, as well as for designers, creating an in-store experience that remains consistent in department stores, drugstores and corner shops can be a challenge. Non-retail is also expanding. Not to mention e-tail: in 2020, half of Internet users will be in Asia.

Based on our experience with European and Asian companies such as L’Oréal, Unilever, Shiseido, I would say that most important is to “live Asia, breathe Asia”. This might be a radical shift for brands that built their success on a “think global, act local” approach. But it is a pre-requisite nowadays to gain not only a foothold but a leg up in Asia’s fast-growing markets. It is also the best way for a brand to engage with Asian consumers, who increasingly prefer to buy products that were designed specifically for their country and incorporated local imagery. Another must is product adaptation: from formulation, to address the various Asian skin types and hair types, to packaging – small pack sizes are very popular as they offer a lower cost and the chance to try new products. Design-wise, status symbols and premiumisation are key to build successful brands here. Being the global strategic design partner of Pond’s (Unilever), the n°1 face care brand in developing and emerging markets, Crépuscule both witnessed and contributed to the boom of mass-tige and super masstige cosmetics. F

TOP Pond’s (Unilever) new packaging identity, designed by Crépuscule

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FEATURE REPORT

September 2012

Branding Strategies in Asia

From Glocalisation to a New Global Model By Emilie Tisserand, APAC Regional Director, Comkeys

Comkeys is an independent and international communication group broadcasting global campaigns since 1993. After having successfully conquered the Asian market from Beijing and Tokyo over the last few years, Comkeys opened its Singapore regional hub one year ago in September 2011 with the launch of Mediakeys, the media agency of the group. Our team of experts supports its clients to handle global campaigns with one point of contact to efficiently engage local audiences with a Return On Investment (ROI) perspective. Emilie Tisserand, APAC Regional Director based in Singapore, shares her views about the implementation and adaptation of advertiser’s branding strategies in the APAC region.

FROM GLOCAL… Think global, act local! Most multinational companies are organised around the traditional “glocal” concept born in the late 80’s with the international expansion of mass market brands. The principle is simple: the brand strategy is thought and managed globally from the headquarters; local offices implement the global strategy locally with a local adaptation of their marketing. This concept was born right after the mass

market brands understood that the world was not really a “world village” but more the addition of very different entities: marketing and communication strategies had to be adapted locally to expect a worldwide success.

Doing so, brands invest in local media, being convinced to leverage on their local knowledge to build and sustain their brand on a local way.

To broadcast their marketing approach and get access to local media, such companies usually appoint an international communication group to setup local strategies through their own network. Local entities connect each other’s to launch the best marketing & communication mix according to each local market.

Think local, act global!

… TO A NEW GLOBAL MODEL

But what if local campaigns were not the best channels to broadcast global ideas on global media? What if local specialists were not the best experts to inspire an endless changing audience, to spread a promise, to bring fantasy, to create a community and an engagement? In other words, what if local specialists were not the best experts for brand management? At Comkeys, we think that broadcasting a global brand strategy on a multi local way could be an old fashioned vision of the international. A new media landscape The main reason is that the traditional media landscape has totally changed during the past few years with the digital revolution. Today, we cannot imagine global brand strategies without the implementation of global communication tools mainly driven by the social media technologies such as

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FEATURE REPORT

September 2012

SMM, community management, SEO, e-CRM to name a few: they all become new media to be handled and included in classic media plans. And figures talk: 80% of the total online users interact on the social networks regularly, 60% of consumers expect brands to respond on social media, 90% of companies using social technologies report business benefit from them. A concrete opportunity that became a must. Which impact on brand strategies? With no borders, brands need to go beyond their traditional organisation and be part of the digital global revolution to match with the new media consumption. It does not mean that they will not adapt their products and brand strategies to the local markets – this is still the key to reach all markets – but it concretely means that they need to adapt their communication and media solutions to the new landscape. To spread their voice in the social media for instance, brands will then need to create global pages on the main channels such as Facebook of course, but also Renren, Sina Weibo in China, Mixi in Japan, Orkut in India, etc… as well as hundreds of other local platforms according to brand’s goals. And considering that being active on the social media is not only about having a page, they will need to create a new global organisation to build marketing actions and guarantee transformation of prospects

Branding Strategies in Asia

“

The traditional media landscape has totally changed during the past few years with the digital revolution.

into consumers and retention. They will need to act globally to control their tone & corporate image and being able to react as fast as their audience, while communicating in local languages... A totally new approach considering that you cannot rely on your local offices anymore. And it works: brands became part of the daily life and interact with an immediate reach. Brands became media in themselves, creating a totally new business model. It does not mean however that glocal is dead. Most of the relevant media are still very local: this is therefore all about doing the good mix between traditional media bought locally and global tools handled globally.

AN INCREASING NEED TO EMPOWER REGIONAL OFFICES, ESPECIALLY IN THE APAC REGION To play within this new framework, we noticed an increasing need to implement global strategies with one point of contact with the support of a global communication expert able to implement both global and local solutions.

”

A new international niche market taken by Comkeys who supports brands at the global scale; but also multi local based communication groups who need an alternative network to sell a proper global solution to their clients. In a global organisation, the main point of contact is usually and naturally set-up at the headquarters of the companies but according to the region and the local specificities, this is often necessary to regionalise the implementation of the global strategies to guarantee exposure and reach in all markets: and as a direct consequence, there is an increasing need to empower regional offices. Asia Pacific is a good example for such an organisation: Singapore and Hong Kong are at the heart of the regional marketing strategies of the most powerful brands in the region. A door opened on immature markets that must be closely controlled and a business friendly atmosphere with all requested experts at hand to launch and coordinate local strategies. Singapore as well is also beloved for its capacity to represent a sample population of Asia, the perfect place for test campaigns and brand strategies adjustments. F

LEFT L’Oréal at Seoul Incheon airport: local product & creative adaptation with L’Oréal local teams, global media buying with Comkeys / Mediakeys RIGHT Emilie Tisserand, APAC Regional Director, Comkeys LEFT PAGE Comkeys’ new office in Singapore

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FEATURE REPORT

September 2012

Branding Strategies in Asia

Design as Business Driver Interview with Florent de Maximy, Director, Why? Brand Design Pte Ltd Why? Brand Design is a Singapore based design agency specialised in packaging design, new product development and retail design for FMCG.

WHY WHY? BRAND DESIGN? Why? Brand Design was born with the idea that good design comes with a purpose (a reason why!) In an ever fast pace environment, where speed of implementation is critical, we often missed out asking simple fundamental questions like the (true) reason for a design project or setting clear design objectives. In Why?, we try to combine the speed of execution with the right amount of strategic thinking ahead. For this we rely on a network of design and marketing experts in France and a production and client servicing team here in Singapore. HOW WOULD YOU SAY THAT DESIGN IS A BUSINESS DRIVER? When it comes to FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods), packaging design and product innovation are at the heart of business growth.

“

Packaging design is a key touch point with consumers.

”

Packaging Design Packaging design is traditionally largely underemployed and neglected. However after a second thought, many will realise that packaging design is a key touch point with consumers – in most cases the only sales person in the supermarket. It plays a major role in communicating instantly the brand positioning and product information to consumers; not only it has to be practical to use, but also to stand out from the sea of on-shelf competitors. Take for example a case study from Asia Pacific Brewery: Tiger Beer migrated from a gold outlook to silver – which looks fresher, less heavy taste and more contemporary, at the same time keeping the authenticity of the 80 years old brand. Instantaneously, the change resulted in a significantly increase in sales among key markets like Vietnam or Malaysia.

Innovation / Product Development Innovation can have different objectives and design solutions; to name a few: 1. Increase penetration with formats adapted to the needs of target market (eg: shampoo sachets in India); 2. Increase frequency or quantity per purchase with formats adapted to the different distribution channels (eg: mini, maxi packs); 3. Maximise purchase per consumer with line extensions (eg: Dove’s new anti hair-fall range); 4. Image enhancer – via premiumisation or limited edition designs. Another good example is from Diageo: Why? specially designed a new Smirnoff mix dispensing tower device for high-end outlets. We took the traditional dispense tower totally to the next level in terms of

1. image – with a playful, sharing and sought-after product, that enable in-outlets activation and communication of new Smirnoff mix recipes. And 2. functionalities – increased in brand consumption and being more user friendly for bar staff and consumers, with special features like returnable shuttle, lights to check contentlevel and a keep-cool device. WHY SINGAPORE? Singapore is the home for our main clients (Asia Pacific Breweries, Unilever, Diageo...) and we can expect more and more decisionmaking centres of global brands to be relocated in Singapore – which is in my opinion at the heart a today’s world economic growth. The multiculturalism of Singapore is also a great asset to us when working on regional and global brands. Also, a great effort is being made for design education in Singapore. Constant effort from government bodies like MICA (Ministry of Communication and the Arts) providing both financial and informational help to design entrepreneurs and the increase number of art schools like Lasalle and SOTA are good indicators that Singapore treasures the creativity industry. WHAT LIES AHEAD? Our key challenge ahead is to continue growing in an ever more competitive market. Continue striving for excellence to make the difference… to the benefit of our clients in the end! F LEFT FROM TOP TO BOTTOM The new Smirnoff dispensing tower device designed by Why? Brand Design; Tiger beer’s new packaging design

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CSR BEST PRACTICES

September 2012

The FCCS Engages its Members on CSR

CSR as Company Culture Interview with Miguel Castellanos, Director of Environment, Health and Safety, L’Oréal On the occasion of the Singapore International Water Week (SIWW), we had the opportunity to interview Mr Miguel Castellanos, Director of Environment, Health and Safety on L’Oréal’s sustainability strategy and latest projects. HOW IS THE ENVIRONMENT, HEALTH AND SAFETY DEPARTMENT ORGANISED IN L’OREAL? The Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) Department covers all fields of business throughout the world which represents more than 69,000 employees worldwide. In order to pursue our ambitious policy successfully, we have an EHS Manager for each geographic zone (North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa-Middle East and Europe) whose task is to assure that the group’s EHS standards are implemented. These zone EHS Managers liaise with the International EHS Department. In total, we count 468 EHS professionals at L’Oréal. WHAT ARE L’ORÉAL’S MAIN ENVIRONMENTAL GOALS? As part of our 10-year strategy (20052015) to reduce our ecological footprint, the group has set itself an ambitious goal for its plants and distribution centres: halve greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption per unit of finished product and waste production per unit of finished product. To that end, the group has streamlined its resources and implemented novel technologies. Let’s first take the example of greenhouse gas emissions: the goal set was to reduce by 50% greenhouse gas emissions in absolute value (distribution centres and factories included) from 2005 to 2015, taking into account a growing activity and turnover. We have already achieved a 37% CO2 reduction and we know that we will do better than halve our CO2 emissions by 2015. In the water consumption, our goal is to

“

L’Oréal’s Asia zone has already reached the 2015 50% reduction target for water consumption.

”

reduce by 50% water consumption per finished product unit. We are proud to see that L’Oréal’s Asia zone has already reached the 2015 50% reduction target for water consumption! And regarding the waste generation, we aim at reducing by 50% waste production per finished product unit. COULD YOU GIVE US ANY CONCRETE EXAMPLES ON HOW YOU MANAGED TO REACH THESE TARGETS? Even though our environmental goals are the same for everyone, each site is free to handle these matters and the local context should be taken into account. In Belgium for instance, at Libramont, L’Oréal has cooperated with the Belgian developer of sustainable energy Bio Energie Europa and the energy company Eneco to build an industrial biogas plant close to the L’Oréal plant. Biomass, from local farmers and the agro alimentary industry, is collected in a hermetic sealed tank. In this tank bacteria convert the biomass into methane through the biological process of fermentation. This biogas is then transported through a 600 metre subterranean pipeline to the factory. The biogas is used as a fuel to run three cogeneration engines that generate both green heat and electricity. The plant is unique because both the generated electricity and heat, which is converted into steam, is completely used by the factory. Moreover, more green electricity is

generated than the site itself requires. The remaining power, which is enough to meet the needs of around 4,000 households, is injected into the public grid. This high-technological concept makes it possible for companies to handle their energy consumption in a very efficient and sustainable way. A similar project is currently in development in Saint-Quentin, France, and should be ready for 2013. If we focus on Asia, I can cite the example of our future factory in Jakarta, Indonesia, which will cater for the needs of all the ASEAN countries. This factory is designed according to the latest ideas on sustainability and is the first industrial project in Indonesia to receive LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environment Design) certification from the US Green Building Council. Our three others factories in Asia, based in China, will also be upgraded to be LEED certified. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF YOUR CSR STRATEGY? HOW DO YOU MEASURE IT? We do not think in terms of return on investment; we have a duty to be responsible not only to our customers, our suppliers and our 69,000 employees, but also the communities with whom we carry out our business.

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CSR BEST PRACTICES

September 2012

From the Research & Development, the innovation has to be green. Sustainability is part of our corporate culture. We have integrated these values in all our chain of values. HOW DO YOU COMMUNICATE THESE GREEN INITIATIVES TOWARDS YOUR CUSTOMERS? L’Oréal communicates its green values through certain brands, such as Body Shop or Kiehls for example. Since the “Grenelle de l’Environnement” in France, L’Oreal has participated, with other industries, in the experimentation of environmental labeling where products display indications of their environmental footprint. According to the first results of this test in France there is no evident prove that customers select a specific product due to its environmental assets. I believe that communication starts with the education. We have to increase public awareness, from our children to our stakeholders, suppliers… Not many people know that, since 2003, L’Oréal has been doing social audits (child work for example) through external audit companies in order to be neutral. We have started with our own entities, then with all our supplier networks. This represents not less than 3,700 audits since 2003. These values are part of L’Oréal’s genes. There is for example the “Citizen Day” where our staff, all over the world, contributes to solidarity actions during one day. The programme includes a wide choice of social and environmental actions carried out with hundreds of partner associations. As for me, I spent a day gardening for an association based in Aulnay-SousBois. Everyone is going in this direction; the ultimate goal is to be the best citizen company of the world. And our efforts are recompensed by several awards through several rankings. Just to name one, L’Oréal has been ranked among the top 100 global firms committed to sustainable development in 2011, for the 5th consecutive year, by Corporate Knights, a global responsible investment network.

The FCCS Engages its Members on CSR

“

We focus on local solutions to solve our global issues.

”

AS WE ARE AT THE SIWW, DO YOU HAVE ANY BEST PRACTICES IN THE REDUCTION OF WATER CONSUMPTION THAT YOU COULD SHARE WITH US? As we are in Asia, I will cite the example of our plant in Suzhou, China, constructed in partnership with Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies. This wastewater treatment plant has been designed specifically with the company's carbon and water footprint in mind. As a result, we have seen an 8,5% reduction in energy consumption; 58% reduction in sludge production; and the elimination of high concentrated liquid waste, which is now treated in the wastewater treatment plant. In addition, the total CO2 emissions of the wastewater treatment plant have been reduced by 43%. I can also talk about different projects we

have launched in Asia, such as the vermiculture project in our factory in Pune, India. This local vermiculture plant converts waste water into clean water and eco-friendly manure. This illustrates how we focus on local solutions to solve our global issues. L’Oréal’s ambition to win over a billion new consumers in the coming years while still achieving its environmental targets is driving the group to be even more stringent. So day after day, the group seizes every opportunity for savings and rationalisation, as well as innovating in order to deploy completely new technologies in line with its environmental excellence approach. F

BELOW Mr Miguel Castellanos, Director of Environment, Health and Safety of L’Oréal with Ms Hélène Toury, Co-president of FCCS’ Sustainability Committee

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FCCS BUSINESS SERVICES

September 2012

French Companies in Singapore

Newly Set Up Companies Over the last few months, several French companies enjoyed our services supporting their business set up in Singapore in view of ensuring local company representation and enjoying development opportunities in the region.

The company covers 3 areas of expertise:

• Business Consulting: - Customer Organisation. - Quality Certification. - Performance Management.

• Application Software: - UC Care: a unified communications optimisation solution for users and system administrators. - Logepal: a performance management solution for customer service, IT and HR teams.

Activeo Singapore will coordinate operations on the Asian market to deliver innovative solutions and expertise and provide its value added software. The company is a member of the Limebridge worldwide alliance and of the French customer relation association AFRC. F

• Technology Consulting: - Unified Communication. - Customer Collaboration. - Contact Centre.

Contact: Mrs Veronique GODART, Managing Partner Email: vgodart@activeo.com Website: www.activeo.com

Relations and Call Centre Technologies with a highly qualified team of professionals.

Activeo is a recognised leader in customer relation technologies and in customer experience management consulting. We help our customers achieve immediate measurable efficiencies. Established in 1993 in France, Activeo is specialised in the area of Customer

It all started with caving... The company was started by Fernand Petzl. A great inventor and caver, he spent his life experimenting with new vertical progression techniques.

Petzl was founded on a commitment to serve "Aiding progression towards the inaccessible". From the outset, this idea is in the spirit of founder Fernand Petzl, a caver looking for solutions to the challenges presented by progression. For 30 years, Petzl has been designing and distributing solutions that aid in commitment and progression on vertical and/or dark terrain with optimal efficiency, freedom and safety. While looking to bring concrete solutions to the user, Petzl aims to solve the technical challenges encountered on the terrain. The company's greatest innovations have been the result of expertise, and also of a method: listen to the client, analyse his needs, experiment, develop, test.

Fernand created completely innovative rope-access solutions for caving: using nylon rope instead of ladders in 1943; building the first ascenders and descenders in 1968. In the beginning of the 1980s, his son, Paul Petzl, applied these tools to other vertical terrains: first to the mountains, with climbing and mountaineering, and then to the professional domain, with work at height and with rescue in difficult to access environments (confined spaces, mountains, etc.). Our two areas of expertise: - sport: mountaineering, climbing, caving, trail running… - professions: difficult access, tree care (arborists), rescue, intervention... Petzl offers solutions that have over the years become complete, and include:

- systems and tools for verticality and hands-free lighting. - technical advice and training. These solutions are built on a continuous process: - in a relationship with users, based on sharing. - with a constant drive to improve. - anticipating and innovating to make practices evolve. Through our on-going search for improvements in safety, comfort and simplicity, Petzl has greatly contributed to the emergence and evolution of new vertical disciplines in sport, industry, and rescue. While closely involved with outdoor sports enthusiasts and professionals, we remain true to our core values and ways: listening to and valuing our customers, taking innovative and practical approaches and demanding the highest quality. F Contact: Mr Damien EYSSAUTIER, Area Sales Manager Email: deyssautier@petzl.fr Website: www.petzl.com

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BUSINESS SERVICES

September 2012

Created in 1979 in France, TMN provides heat and surface treatment solutions for industries such as Energy, Oil and Gas, Aircraft and Automotive.

Be Aqua is the first company in Singapore specialised in exclusive aqua fitness solutions for hotels, condominiums, clubs and private individuals. Our innovative aqua fitness equipment

Newly Set Up Companies

To reach required properties on our customers’ products, such as corrosion resistance, mechanical resistance, electrical properties and wear resistance, TMN offers a large range of surface and heat treatment on all metal substrates.

industry.

In 2012, TMN set up TMN Industry Pte Ltd to bring our know-how especially on heat treatment of magnetic materials and control of magnetic properties for electrical

Contact: Mr Samuel VOYAU, Project Manager AP Email: svoyau@tmn.fr Website: www.tmn.fr

combined with the positive effects of water generate significant benefits. It is today the best way to shape the body, lose weight, eliminate cellulite and improve health while avoiding joint, bones and muscle stress.

Bootcamp and Personal Programme.

We provide customised aqua fitness solutions to our clients: • Aqua fitness equipment: Aqua-bikes, Aqua-treadmills and Aqua-ellipticals. • Individual and small group aqua training sessions: Aquabiking, AquaSculpt, Aqua-

We will also support our customers to help them to increase performance and reliability on electrical components dedicated to new energy. F

We also offer additional support services for professionals to maximise the value of their aqua fitness investment, facilitate the set-up of the new services and help them create a strong competitive advantage in their market. F Contact: Mrs Vanessa GANDOLFI, Founder and Director Email: vanessa.gandolfi@beaqua.com.sg Website: www.beaqua.com.sg

BUSINESS SERVICES

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Tradeshows

September 2012

French Technology Exhibits at BroadcastAsia & CommunicAsia 2012 29 French companies gathered under the French Pavilions at CommunicAsia and BroadcastAsia 2012, located at Marina Bay Sands and Suntec International Convention & Exhibition Centre. This successful event provided the exhibitors with a great platform to showcase their innovative solutions to decisions maker in the Asia region. Exhibiting at CommunicAsia and BroadcastAsia is indeed the perfect opportunity to be part of the most relevant trade and business event for the info-communications industry in Asia. More than 50,307 attendees and 37,111 industry visitors, conference speakers and

delegates, exhibiting staff and media attended the 4-day event. Cloud Computing, eGovernment, FTTx, IPTV, LTE, OTT (Over the Top Technology), File-based / Digital Media Asset Management were some of the highlights offered during the show. The FCCS had the great pleasure to invite French and Singaporean companies to a networking cocktail at the French pavilion.

The FCCS also co-organised with Ubifrance, the 3rd edition of the ICT Awards, kindly sponsored by CVML at Indochine Clarke Quay. The FCCS thanks all the exhibitors of CommunicAsia and BroadcastAsia for being a part of the event to make it a success. We look forward to welcoming you at the French Pavilions at BroadcastAsia and CommunicAsia in 2013! F

AETA – Audio codecs (portable & studio) and professional portable sound recording products.

Envivio Inc. – Encoding, transcoding, IPTV, Internet TV, Mobile TV, live, on demand.

Aviwest – Advanced digital video equipment and solutions for the broadcast and the security markets.

Neogroupe – Software applications for radio and television broadcasters.

Broadpeak – Video delivery solutions for network service providers deploying IPTV, cable and OTT services. Digidia – Products for digital radio transmissions and FM synchronisation. Digigram – Professional sound cards, IP audio codecs and other network audio solutions. Enensys Technologies – Broadcast network equipment manufacturer and test & monitoring tools for DTTV.

SGT – Vivesta – VEDA & Mediaflow. Designed for content, open for business. Visiware – Social TV application for operators and channels. Vitec – Digital video products supporting endto-end media solutions. Winmedia Asia – Professional broadcast management and automation solutions. WorldCast Systems – Audio codecs, FM and DAB transmitters and control and monitoring.

FOCUS MAGAZINE September 2012

BUSINESS SERVICES Tradeshows

Qosmos – Network intelligence and DPI technology that identifies and analyses data as it crosses networks. Alioscopy – Glasses-free 3D LCD displays. Saft Batteries – Industrial batteries. Andrexen – Unified communication solutions for operators, service providers and big corporations. Ates – Professional solutions to mobile operators, service and content providers. Avencall – Publisher and integrator of free and open source telephony solutions. Forsk – Radio planning & optimisation software. Geoimage – Digital maps for radio frequency planning & telecom network design. Iqsim – SIM server platform, GSM/3G gateways and QoS probes. Mazars – IT management and consulting.

Sofrecom – A France Telecom – Orange Group Company, world leader in telecommunications consulting and engineering. Supranetcom – Service delivery platforms software for Telecom Value Added Services (VAS). Taztag – Secure contactless products and solutions based on NFC & Zigbee. Thema – Distribution of TV channels and video content. Transfer To – International top-up, international airtime transfer, international prepaid utility bill payment. Ubifrance – French agency for international business.

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FCCS BUSINESS SERVICES

September 2012

French Companies in Singapore

A Great Evening with the 3rd Edition of the ICT Awards! For the third year in a row, the FCCS and Ubifrance, with the kind sponsor of CVML have decided to support the exhibitors by granting 4 awards to companies selected by a Franco-Singaporean jury board composed of representatives of Google, Singtel, MDA, IE, Mediacorp Technologies, ARCEP Board, IDA and NTU.

The ICT Awards were presented by H.E. Olivier Caron, Ambassador of France to Singapore during a prestigious evening at Indochine Clarke Quay. We look forward to welcoming you on the French Pavilions @ BroadcastAsia/ CommunicAsia in 2013! F

OUR FOUR WINNERS • Most Innovative Telecom Solution: Viaccess • Most Innovative Broadcasting Solution: Visiware • Greatest Potential in Asia: Capptain • Most Impactful in Asia: Korvac

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FCCS HR & TRAINING SERVICES

September 2012

Testimonial

Find a Job Through the FCCS Anne and GĂŠrard, freshly arrived in Singapore from France, contacted the HR Department of the French Chamber of Commerce in Singapore (FCCS) in order to get help in their job search. A few weeks later, they both found a job. They share with us their story in this interview. COULD YOU SHARE WITH US A BIT OF YOUR BACKGROUND? <GERARD> After completing my MBA at Stockholms Universitet, I started my career in Paris as a buyer for Metro Cash & Carry in 2008 in charge of IT products. In 2010, I joined Amazon as a vendor manager to develop their online store for IT products. <ANNE> After completing my business degree, I joined BNP Paribas Securites and Services in the Asset Management department, and thereafter, as a Consultant in an audit firm.

<ANNE> During my studies, I had the opportunity to travel around the world and spent a semester in the University of New Delhi. I really enjoyed living abroad and meeting people from different countries and cultures. After having worked for 4 years in France, I was looking for new challenges and opportunities. Asia seemed to be the right place to be. I chose Singapore because it is the world's fourth leading financial centre; English is the official working language; it is easy to travel around Asia; and it is one of the safest countries in the world. HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE FCCS RECRUITMENT SERVICE?

WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO SINGAPORE? <GERARD> Traveling and discovering new cultures is my main hobby so during my studies, I worked in Australia for 6 months. From that experience, I knew that I wanted to settle abroad to pursue my career. After 4 years working in Paris, I decided earlier this year to move to Singapore to start a new career path. Singapore is a central point within Southeast Asia with many MNCs headquartered here. So without any hesitation, I left everything behind and came here.

<GERARD> Before leaving France, I started to build up my network to facilitate my arrival and integration. I also knew about the French Chambers of Commerce and their network as I have dealt with them during my studies. <ANNE> Before I came to Singapore, I did a lot of research on the internet and exchanged with many expatriates on the web. The FCCS website, and its Recruitment Service, was highly recommended by the French community for job placements in Singapore. HOW DID THE FCCS HELP YOU DURING YOUR JOB SEARCH? <GERARD> I knew that the FCCS was helping French companies to develop their business and also helping French expatriates for their integration. Therefore, I was expecting to find job opportunities with high responsibilities in young and dynamic companies. I naturally went to the FCCS website and applied for different job openings. Shortly after, I was contacted by the HR service to discuss about my profile. <ANNE> The FCCS website featured new job openings very frequently and displayed a lot of information regarding the local em-

ployment market. The HR Manager of the FCCS really helped me during the interview. And even once I had started my new job, she continued their follow up with me. TODAY, THANKS TO THE FCCS, YOU HAVE BOTH FIND A JOB, COULD YOU SHARE A BIT ON YOUR NEW RESPECTIVE ROLES? <GERARD> Today, I am still working in the online industry, managing the overall activity (operations and strategy) of StreetDeal.sg, co-founded by 2 French in late 2010. The website features amazing deals every day in different industries: Health & Beauty, Food & Beverage, Travel & Activity and Retail. The challenge is fascinating as the Group Buying industry is growing fast and many opportunities abound. Also, it is a good mean to develop my understanding of local customs and management. <ANNE> I currently work in the CIC Singapore Branch as a Senior Officer in the Accounts & Finance department, looking after head office reporting. Other than me, my team is made up of Singaporeans, and I enjoy discovering and appreciating our cultural differences everyday! F

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FCCS CLUB EVENTS

September 2012

FCCS Gala Dinner

Paris A la Belle Epoque Every year, the FCCS Gala celebrates the friendship between France and Singapore. This year’s annual Gala Dinner took place at the Ritz Carlton Hotel ballroom and featured “Paris à la Belle Époque“. The event brought together some 540 of the most eminent Singaporean and French guests for this evening of French Style. Our Guests of Honour Mr Teo Ser Luck, Minister of State for Trade and Industry and H.E. Mr. Olivier Caron, Ambassador of France in Singapore also participated in this wonderful night. The Michelin starred Chef Jean-Louis Nomicos demonstrated his culinary talents by cooking a well appreciated and creative dinner. His cuisine reflected both a great respect for tradition and the search for modernity where product is first and foremost. The dinner provided an experience of fine French Cuisine accompanied by the most delicate French wines and Champagne. This 2012 Gala Dinner finally ended with the famous French Cancan show that every guest was glad to watch. Both Singaporean and French business communities enjoyed the evening with great entertainment based on the theme “Paris à Belle Époque”. Co-Sponsors

The evening was a fabulous night where the best of Singapore meets the most refined of French creativity. Thank you to all our guests for joining the FCCS Gala Dinner celebration! Supporting Sponsors

This event would not have been possible without the strong support of our sponsors. F

FOCUS MAGAZINE September 2012

FCCS CLUB EVENTS FCCS Gala Dinner

FOCUS MAGAZINE September 2012

FCCS CLUB EVENTS FCCS Gala Dinner

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FCCS CLUB EVENTS

September 2012

Finance Committee

The Taxation System for French Non-Residents The taxation system might be profitable for French non-residents but you have to know how to optimise it. This talk aimed at

explaining the taxation system and highlighting the key points for optimising.

This breakfast talk was well received and ended with a very active Q&A session. F

Our speaker, Mr Claude Lagadec, Juriste fiscaliste, Cortal Consors (BNP Paribas group), first defined the term nonresident in taxation contect, and then tackled several topics such as the real estate investments, life insurances, and ended the talk with advices and tips on how to prepare the return to France after the expatriation.

Protection Against Political and Commercial Risks The Finance committee invited Mr Dimitri Faysse, Political Risks Underwriter, Coface, to give Coface’s vision on the political and commercial risks. Dimitri started the talk with the definition of Single Risk, then continued with Single Risk covers, and finally detailed the four types of cover that can be provided, related to exports, imports, investments, and financing. F

Key Developments in the Offshore Renminbi Market Mr Yves Jacob, Managing Director, Head of Debt Capital Markets, Asia Pacific, Société Générale, gave an outline of the opportunities available to international companies to fund their growth plans in China by issuing in the “Dim Sum” market. This bond market has gone from strength to strength ever since it emerged in mid 2010 as a capital markets platform for raising Yuan offshore. He focused on the experience of Société Générale which recently became the first foreign bank to finance its PRC operations via a benchmark issuance in the Dim Sum market. This successful meeting presentation included a description of both the capital markets transaction and the regulatory process for remitting the transactions proceeds onshore. F

Mid-Year Outlook During this Finance committee meeting, our two speakers shared their insights on the economic situation in Asia & Europe. After an initial presentation of the forecasts, a panel discussion gave our 20 attendees the opportunity to interact with the speakers and to ask their burning questions. Ms Frances Cheung, Senior Strategist for Asia ex-Japan, Fixed Income Markets Research, Credit Agricole CIB and Mr Mitul Kotecha, Head of Global Foreign Exchange Strategy, Managing Director, Fixed Income Markets Research, Crédit Agricole CIB animated this session. F

FOCUS MAGAZINE September 2012

FCCS CLUB EVENTS Luxury & Premium Retail / Business Women Network Committees

Key Actors & Key Drivers of a Growing Watch Market 2011 has been a phenomenal year for global luxury goods, in terms of sales and performance. The sales continued 2010’s double-digit growth trajectory and saw an increase of 10%, to €191 billion in 2011.

Australia discussed why luxury was experiencing a sort of “anti-crisis” despite the headwinds of global events and economic uncertainty. He focussed specifically on the watch market and its current trends.

Mr Alexis de Laporte, Managing Director of Jaeger Lecoultre Southeast Asia and

Mr de Laporte also explained the positioning of Jaeger-LeCoultre, sharing with the

audience the values of this authentic watch Manufacture, maintaining the “tradition of innovation”. During this breakfast talk, Mr De Laporte shared with the participants his knowledge of the luxury industry, especially on the watch market. F

Women and Their Careers: What Is At Stake? Women have made huge progress in the workplace – for instance, they are slowly but surely representing a growing share of board members in multinational companies. Did it take an extra amount of work, a different mindset, a special way of defining priorities, or a part of abnegation for women who succeed in their professional life, to achieve this? During this meeting, our speaker Valérie

Autissier, Head of Indirect Sourcing – SEAP, Nokia, gave the audience her keys for women success. Know and accept oneself is a first step to succeed in business and daily life. Everyone has to be a realistic optimist and ask himself what happiness means. Another key point is about visualising what success will look like in the future. Then, having a clear plan to where you want to get is an important step (specify the targets, the actions and find ways to boost the network). Valérie also talked about some main qualities that will lead to

Balancing Career & Family Life During this Business Women Network Committee Meeting, Ms Mabel Sim, Chief Operating Officer for Southeast Asia, Société Générale, genuinely shared with us “her personal recipe” to successful work/life balance, all the challenges she has been facing, how she managed them, what she has done that did work well or did not and, from that experience, what advice she would give to a young woman starting her career or starting a family or coping with teenage children. F

success such as being organised and delegate to people, choose the timing you want at work and learn how to use your assets. Finding a right balance between family, friends, work and leisure is the last key to success. It is also important to find other experiences to enrich your life (training, hobbies, sport, taking part in an association, learning a new skill…). This meeting successfully ended with experiences’ exchange among the participants. F

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FCCS CLUB EVENTS

September 2012

HR / Asia Committees

The Danger of Intuition in Inter-Personal Situations Most of the activities performed by senior leaders involve interactions with people: subordinates, peers, bosses, boards, shareholders, external stakeholders, etc. In the modern world characterised by uncertainty and ambiguity, these relationships are increasingly being conducted at a distance (as opposed to face-to-face), under ever more intense performance pressures, with increasingly diverse groups of individuals and with increasingly ambiguous authority patterns. Despite that challenging context, managers often pride themselves on their ability to make decisions – “business decisions” and “people decisions”. Unfortunately, several aspects of the way managers gather process and act on infor-

mation delude them into over estimating the accuracy of their judgment, especially when people judgments are concerned. During this session, Professor JeanFrançois Manzoni, Director of the INSEAD Global Leadership Centre, gave the audience an opportunity to review the major biases and traps managers must be aware of and against which they must learn to protect themselves in order to make better decisions and develop more productive relationships. He also talked about the power – and limitations – of managerial intuition. This breakfast talk ended with a very interactive exchange between Mr Manzoni and the participants. F

Staff Retention in Asia Retaining key staff is crucial for the long term success of a company. Effective staff retention not only allows to maintain your existing employees but also to attract high potential employees to your organisation. Further, it can improve productivity, thereby enhancing return on investment. Today, many of the business set ups in Asia have realised the importance of staff re-

tention, and as a result, majority of the companies in the Asia Pacific region have taken innovative steps to retain their key employees. This Human Resources committee meeting co-animated by Ms Melany Sulaiman, Global VP and HR & Communication at FCI Electronics & Ms Cécile Diversy VP and HR Asia Pacific at Danone, dealt with this crucial topic.

Staff retention in Asia, and in particular in Singapore, is a real challenge for HR managers. Our two speakers shared with our attendees concrete examples through their own experiences at FCI Electronics and Danone. This HR club ended with a discussion where our HR professionals had the opportunity to share their opinions and experiences. F

Presentation of Batam Batam is a Free Trade Zone in Indonesia – near Singapore – that offers attractive tax incentives: Batam provides investors and businesses compelling reasons for consideration, offering comparative geographical advantage as well as competitive advantage.

Mr Liew Kian Heng, (Director, Development & Marketing of PT Kabil Indonusa Estate) and Mr Agabriel (Chief Financial Officer AP of Vallourec & Mannesmann Tubes) shared their views on their respective activities in Batam.

The Batam Indonesia Free Zone Authority (BIFZA) was appointed as an authorised government body that fosters investment on the 715 sq kms region of Batam.

The speakers emphasised on Batam’ strategic position: close to the main shipping lanes which allow serving customers abroad. There are also the advantages of a free zone trade, a cheap land and energy costs and good infrastructures. Moreover the is-

The Deputy Chairman for Supervision of BIFZA/BIDA, Mr Asroni Harahap presented during this meeting some investment opportunities of the island.

land benefits from strong supports from both governments of Indonesia and Singapore (as the largest investor and first destination for Batam’s exports). F

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FCCS CLUB EVENTS

September 2012

Entrepreneurs Committee

Stéphane set up Orchid Link in 1997, a consulting firm that offers a wide range of services ranging from Accounting & Corporate Support to Business Advisory &

Controlling. Through his own experience, he shared some key points and gave practical advices on how to be a successful entrepreneur. F

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FCCS CLUB EVENTS

September 2012

ICT Committee

ICT Trends for 2012 and Beyond This breakfast talk organised by the ICT committee dealt with the ICT trends for 2012 and beyond. Our first speaker, Mr Alain Schneuwly from Accenture revealed Accenture Technology Vision 2012. He shared Accenture's position on emerging technology and major technological changes and where technology is leading the business over the next three to five years.

Management at Pacnet, presented the Future of Telecoms, with the Evolution towards the Cloud. Sanjay shared with the attendees the latest trends in the telecommunications landscape, discussed the technology challenges that businesses are facing and how the telco industry is

evolving to help them exploit new technologies in the cloud. A very active Q&A session took place at the end of the presentations where our 30 participants had the opportunity to deepen their understanding of some specific points. F

In a second part, Mr Sanjay Nayak Vice President of Product Strategy &

ICT e-Commerce Trends Presented by Mr Elias Ghanem, Managing Director, PayPal Southeast Asia and India & Ms Katie Marsden, Head of Marketing, Business and Product Development, Showbiz Asia, this breakfast talk shared the online and mobile marketsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; latest trends and innovations, followed by a case study from a fast-growing company. PayPal is a fast, safe way to pay and get paid online. The service allows members to send payments without sharing financial information, with the flexibility

to pay using their account balances, bank accounts (where available), debit cards and credit cards in various markets. Mr Ghanem delivered key insights on the overview of online and mobile commerce market in Singapore, e-Commerce trends, the multichannel retail opportunity and the innovation in payments.

with PayPal and how showbiz has successfully integrated PayPal into their International business. F

In a second part, the speakers shared with our attendees a case study from www.showbizasia.com, Singapore's first integrated ticketing and packaging website, offering local, regional and International customers access to an array of shows in Singapore. Ms Marsden covered the benefit and growth of using mobile/online purchasing in the ticketing industry, testimonial of the QR code campaigns run

Network Access in Cloud Computing & Future Trends This ICT committee meeting welcomed Mr Guillaume Brodar, Lead Technical Engineer at OneAccess, who gave a very concise presentation on the following points: - Network access today and cloud services: an IP-centric service delivery. - "WAN is the new LAN": the emergence of carrier ethernet. - Virtualising the network infrastructure: the future of SDNs. The audience, composed of IT experts, transformed this session into a discussion where everyone had the opportunity to interact with the speaker. F

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FCCS CLUB EVENTS

September 2012

R&D Committee

Innovating Digital Security: Gemalto Experience from an R&D Viewpoint In 2011, Gemalto received two prestigious awards from ATKearney and BearingPoint saluting its innovation DNA, amidst compe-

tition from larger corporations. Since the 80s, Gemalto, the result of the merger between Gemplus and Axalto, has significantly grown in a fierce competitive global environment around digital security products, solutions and services. Gemalto believe that its success is due to a continued focus on building the right innovation processes within its R&D on top of its dayto-day execution work in its business units. The objective of the presentation was to

share a few of the “recipes” that they have designed to foster this vision, to build an output focused on R&D and promote innovation as a core culture in the organisation. With more than 16 years of experience in ICT, Mr Cyril Annarella, Strategy Director – Asia and CITO office at Gemalto, shared his insights and experience with our attendees. This committee meeting was fully booked and resulted in a very constructive discussion at the end of the presentation.F

Essilor R&D Activities in Singapore & SEA Essilor, the world leader in generating and manufacturing ophthalmic lenses, is committed to put forward technological solutions, products and innovative services in order to respond to market’s needs and anticipate the expectations of users and customers by taking advantage of the best in worldwide expertise. In 2003, Essilor set up its third R&D Centre in

Singapore to cover the Asia-Pacific region. Thanks to Mr Jean-Philippe Launay, Vice President, Asia R&D Centre, Essilor Amera, the R&D committee organised a site visit of the R&D Centre.

organised in Singapore and Asia, and shared some key points on how the company leads successful cooperations with universities. Our members were then invited for a tour of the facilities.

Mr Launay first introduced Essilor’s R&D organisation and activities. He explained how Essilor’s Research & Development is

This site visit was a great success and allowed our R&D members to better understand the R&D strategy of Essilor in Asia. F

PIC: A Powerful Innovation Tax Incentive Scheme for Singapore-Based Companies In line with its strategy to raise Singapore as an innovation hub, Singapore government has introduced for the past few years several schemes to support and encourage companies in investing on innovation and in adopting the latest technologies. One of the most recent and interesting scheme introduced is the Productivity & Innovation Credit (PIC), an enhanced tax deduction scheme available to all Singa-

pore based-companies. Mr Jean-Romain Dalle, Business Development Manager of Global Approach Consulting – Asia Pacific, provided an overview of the Productivity Innovation Credit and its key components, in order for the audience to fully benefit from this scheme in accordance to their own projects and future investments. F

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FCCS CLUB EVENTS

September 2012

Sustainability Committee

Green Building Design in Tropical Asia During this Sustainability committee meeting, the FCCS Sustainability Charter was launched as well as the Guidebook for Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility. One of the headlines was the panel on Engaging Together for Sustainability: Green, Inclusive & Responsible Economy. In a second part, Mr Peter Stück, Principal at Aedas, gave a presentation on the “Green Building Design in Tropical Asia”, and presented the challenges and benefits of doing this form of business in Singapore. They also debriefed on the first issue of the FCCS Sustainability Newsletter & Timeline for the next one. The session ended with a brainstorming on future projects. F

Impact Investments: Toward a New Industry? During this joint-event organised with Singapore Venture Capital & Private Equity Association (SVCA), our speakers addressed the following questions: Is impact investing a new industry emerging or a temporary trend? Will impact investment be able to unlock new capital to complement public resources and philanthropy in addressing

pressing global challenges? Are we moving toward a new form of capitalism? Moderated by Mr Robert Kraybill, Managing Director, Impact Investment Exchange Asia and Mr Hugo Virag-Lappas, Managing Director, Stormharbour Securities, this talk welcomed two speakers;

Sustainability Committee Meeting This committee meeting began with the presentation of the Best Practices at Schneider Electric, by Mr Ang Koon San, Country President, Singapore and Brunei. Different activities were then discussed during a brainstorming session: Sustainability mentoring project, Smib for smiles projects, and workshop to present CSR to schools.

A presentation of the “FCCS Charter Guide” for other French Chambers of Commerce was done as well as a debriefing on FCCS meeting with the British and German Chamber of Commerce Sustainability Committees. Finally, the second issue of the FCCS Sustainability Newsletter was debriefed. F

Mr Hari Haran, co-founder and CEO, Third Wave Power and Ms Suzanne Chew, Alliance Director, Nexus-Carbon for Development. This Sustainability breakfast talk was well received and ended with a very active Q&A session. F

FOCUS MAGAZINE September 2012

FCCS Annual General Meeting The FCCS Annual General Meeting took place on Friday 8 June 2012 at the Alliance Française. The meeting started at 6.30pm. Mr Pierre Verdière was presiding the meeting and the speakers were Mr Pierre Verdière, Mr Hervé Guinebert (Treasurer) and Mrs Carine Lespayandel (Executive Director). Mr Verdière addressed the Assembly for approval of the 2011 results to introduce the meeting. He explained that 2011-2012 had been an excellent year for the FCCS – with more members, more activities and services – and thanked the team, the board members and the company members for their active contribution. The President and the Executive Director then gave an overview of the FCCS activities in 2011-2012, presenting results achieved from each department. They also highlighted the new agreement signed with Singapore, which would boost our actions in helping more French companies set up in Singapore. F

FCCS CLUB EVENTS FCCS Annual General Meeting

FCCS CLUB EVENTS

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FCCS Events / French Gourmet Committee

September 2012

Networking Event - French Business Schools After the first two successful editions, the FCCS renewed this special event and invited all the former students from French Business Schools living and working in Singapore to join us for a drink! This special night, held at Harry's at the Esplanade, was a great success and gathered over 120 participants! This networking event was the perfect occasion to get in touch with your ex-colleagues. Several well-known French Business Schools joined us for this specific event. F

Business + Gastronomy = FCCS Monthly Luncheons! Each first Friday of the month, the FCCS organises a business luncheon in a French restaurant, every time in a new venue with a different menu. These informal networking sessions create excellent opportunities to develop new contacts and exchange ideas on business issues while enjoying some great French food. Our last three luncheons took place at Le Petit Cancale, Raffles Grill and Le Petit Salut. Check on our website www.fccsingapore.com our next business luncheons and broaden your network! F

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FCCS MEMBERSHIP

September 2012

FCCS New Members

FCCS New Members We are very pleased to welcome the following new members who recently joined the French Chamber of Commerce. Please visit www.fccsingapore.com for more details.

CORPORATE MEMBERS CGGVERITAS SERVICES (SINGAPORE)

KPMG SERVICES

Contact: Mr Don PHAM, Director Southeast Asia Website: www.cggveritas.com Sector: Energy / Chemicals / Mechanical Industries

Contact: Mr Sai Choy THAM, Managing partner Website: www.kpmg.com.sg Sector: Bank / Finance / Investment

COSFIBEL

Contact: Ms Catherine HOYEZ, Account Manager Website: www.mse-solutions.com Sector: Consultants, Supply Chain Management

MSE SOLUTIONS Contact: Mr Marc-Antoine BOIS, Asia Sales Director Website: www.cosfibelgroup.com Sector: Packaging / Design

DELICIAE HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT Contact: Mr Olivier Henri BENDEL, Director Website: www.deliciae.sg Sector: Hospitality / Restaurants / Bars

DUBOS FRERES & CIE Contact: Mr Wilfried BOURCEAU, SEA Manager Website: www.dubos.com Sector: Wine & Wine Shops

OLSWANG ASIA LLP Contact: Mr Rob BRATBY, Managing Partner Website: www.olswang.com Sector: Legal / Audit / Consultants

PETZL DISTRIBUTION Contact: Mr Damien EYSSAUTIER, Area Sales Manager Website: www.petzl.com Sector: Consumer Goods / Sports & leisure

SOCAPS ASIA GEOSTOCK ASIA Contact: Mr Lotfi MOUNEDJI, Managing Director Website: www.geostockgroup.com Sector: Engineering Services

Contact: Mr Aurélien LAYET, Sales Manager Asia Website: www.socaps.com.asia Sector: Technical assistance

SOFITEL ASIA PACIFIC INSPEARIT Contact: Mr Yann HAMON, Director Asia Website: www.inspearit.com Sector: Consultants, Software/Information services

Contact: Mr Nicolas CASTANET, Financial Controller Website: www.sofitel.com Sector: Hospitality / Hotels

INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS MR LIONEL BIENNIER, Managing Director, TEAMWORK MANAGEMENT ASIA HEADQUARTERS Sector: Software / Information Services

MR JEREMY MAZUC, Director Business Development SEA, Korea & ANZ, DOCS - ICON CLINICAL RESEARCH Sector: Resourcing Solutions

MR FRANCK FAYARD, Institutional Sales, MITSUBISHI UFJ TRUST INTERNATIONA Sector: Bank / Finance / Investment

MR FRANK RIBUOT, Senior VP, Asia Pacific & Global Talent Management General Manager ASEAN, RIGHT MANAGEMENT SINGAPORE PTE LTD Sector: Education & Training

MR JEAN-LUC HENRIOT, Financial Controller, GLOBAL PROCESS SYSTEMS Sector: BTP / Environment / Transportation MR SÉBASTIEN LACROIX, Director, Industry Relations, Asia, CAIA SINGAPORE OFFICE Sector: Consultancy

MR JEAN-PAUL ROBBE, Consultant Sector: Consultancy

MR DIMITRI TSAMADOS, Partner, CTPARTNERS Sector: Executive Search Firm

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FCCS MEMBERSHIP

September 2012

FCCS New Members

ASSOCIATE MEMBERS CHINESEGAGA

MAKARIM & TAIRA

Contact: Mrs Yanni HAN, founder Website: www.chinesegaga.com Sector: Education & Training

Contact: Mrs Rahayu N. HOED, Manager Partner Website: www.makarim.com Sector: Legal / Audit / Consulting

DHI WATER & ENVIRONMENT (S)

ROCKET INTERNET

Contact: Mr Tom FOSTER, Managing Director Website: www.dhi.com.sg Sector: Consulting & Research Organisation

Contact: Mr Chris FENG, Managing Director Website: www.rocket-internet.de Sector: Internet industry

EQUANCE

SCHLUMBERGER BUSINESS CONSULTING

Contact: Mr Olivier GRENON-ANDRIEU, President Website: www.equance.com Sector: Analysis, Auditing and Asset Management Consultancy

Contact: Mrs Hinda GHARBI, President Asia Pacific Website: www.slb.com Sector: Oil and Refinery

HAY GROUP Contact: Dr Andreas RAHARSO, Director Global R&D Centre Website: www.haygroup.com/sg Sector: Education & Training

ENTREPRENEUR MEMBERS B P SOLUTIONS

LA PETITE ECOLE

Contact: Mr Michel NOEL, Managing Director Website: www.BPSolutions.com.sg Sector: BTP / Environment / Transportation

Contact: Mrs Viviane SALIN, Director Website: www.lapetiteecole.com.sg Sector: Education & Training

GREEN CARAVEL

WHY? BRAND DESIGN

Contact: Ms Linda AICH, Founder Website: www.greencaravel.com Sector: Retail & Distribution

Contact: Mr Florent DE MAXIMY, Director Website: www.whybd.com Sector: Media / Communication

ENO LIFESTYLE Contact: Ms Sabrina BELKADI, Founder & Director Website: www.enolifestyle.com Sector: Wine & Wine Shops

BECOME A MEMBER Joining us brings you directly to the heart of the French Business Community in Singapore. Our lively membership of more than 470 reflects French expertise across a wide range of sectors, both industrial (Technology, Electronics, Telecommunicationsâ&#x20AC;Ś) and services (Banking, Insurance, Marketing, Advertising...). Join us and benefit from a wide range of advantages, such as a greater business exposure, an easier access to people and information and many events and business services. For more information, please contact us at 6933 1362 or by email at membership@fccsingapore.com.

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FCCS MEMBERSHIP

September 2012

FCCS Privilege Card

FCCS Privilege Card Terms & conditions apply. Visit www.fccsingapore.com for more details. AGS FOUR WINDS - Up to 30 days free storage rent in Singapore - 1 hour handyman service free

ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE - 5% discount for any French tuition - 10% discount for any French tuition tailored to a company’s needs and given in the company premises

AU PETIT SALUT - Special rate for use of private dining room

BODY WITH SOUL - 10% off TCM & 1st assessment at Body Temple - $20 off Ostheopathy & Physio - $100 off clinical pilates packages

CITROËN TT SINGAPORE - 5% of discount for the FCCS members

EDITIONS DIDIER MILLET (EDM) - 20% off on specific titles with free delivery or 40% off on specific titles with self-collection

FOREST ADVENTURE - 10% off on individual tickets, birthday packages and merchandising

HEDIARD - S$25 gift certificate at the Hediard Café with a min spend of S$100 at the Hediard Boutique

HILTON SINGAPORE HOTEL - 10% off Wine Classes

IBIS HOTEL SINGAPORE BENCOOLEN - 25% off upon ordering set menu - 10% off Best Available Rate for guest rooms

LAURENT BERNARD - 10 % for corporate orders - $ 300-$999 - 15% for corporate orders - $ 1000 – 1999 - 20% for corporate orders - $ 2000 and above

PETIT BATEAU - 10% off regular items

RAFFLES HOTEL, SINGAPORE - 15% off all Food & Beverage outlets - 15% off Meeting and Banquet packages

RASA SENTOSA RESORT, SINGAPORE - 15% off total Food Bill at Barnacles Restaurant, Casserole, Silver, Shell Café and Trapizza upon dining

SPICE VILLAGE - 10% off all catering event above S$1,000

ST REGIS FOXYSALES - A permanent 10% discount on your orders

FRASERS HOSPITALITY - 10% off Best Available Rates

FRENCH TERROIRS - 10% off all wines (+ gift for 6 bottles purchase) - 15% off food - 10% off all products for corporates above S$300

GLOBIBO - 6% off Translation Services - 11% off Interpretation & Language Courses - 6% off Language Courses - 11% off Corporate Training Course

GMC SERVICES – ASIA PACIFIC - 10% discount for new GMC members

GRAND MERCURE ROXY HOTEL - 15% off on dinner at selected restaurants - 10% off Best Available Rate for guest rooms

- 20% off at Brasserie Les Saveurs & Labrezza - 20% off at Astor Bar - 15% off a la carte treatments at Remede Spa

SURVIVAL CHIC LIFESTYLE MEMBERSHIP - Reduction of 10% upon the Survival Chic Membership, against immediate payment

THE RESILIENCE INSTITUTE - 1 complimentary Diagnostic

TRADERS HOTEL, SINGAPORE - 15% off Food & Beverage at F&B outlet

UNIQGIFTTM - 10% off on unigift.com

VUE PRIVÉE - 15% off L’Aventurier series (100 editions) and VP lifestyle products

WINES2U - 15% off on Champagne Moutard - 10% off on all other wines for a minimum order of 12 bottles per purchase

HARRY’S CATERING COMPANY - 10% off at all Harry's outlets in Singapore - Harry's Premium Lager Beer @ S$9 nett

ZWIESEL - 15% off all items