Shubha George Managing director MEC India |
David Tang President & CEO DDB Singapore |
Pat Lim Managing director PHD Singapore |
Frazer NeoMacken Head of corporate communications Asia Pacific Breweries |
MAYBE |
NO |
NO |
YES |
"It's always good to update a publication periodically, especially when the consumer is bombarded with new stimuli every 10 seconds. People get jaded very quickly and things have a shorter shelf-life these days, so there is a constant need to replace, renew and update. Whether the relaunch was worthwhile, however, remains to be seen. One will only know if circulation figures are revealed to have gone up. Until then, this much is true: the relaunch enabled the newspaper to generate buzz by dedicating a substantial number of its news pages to the new look." | “What's hot: more interactive, online discussions and blogs (they’re trying), and a laudable attempt in RazorTV (well done, whoever was behind it) - signs of new life. What’s not: print guys trying to go interactive, yet old designers trying to bring back '1845'. And what is it with the red, maroon, blue and black? It looks cluttered. This was a missed opportunity to really freshen up and go digital. The Straits Times' decision makers should have at least looked at nytimes.com." | "My clients are very happy with the enlarged front news section, but the general consensus is that the paper has gone backwards. It’s not an awful revamp, but it now looks too much like Malaysia's New Straits Times (which is not a compliment). The Straits Times has had a monopoly for a long time, and the change won't make Singaporeans any more proud of their national newspaper. A few more may pick it up, but readership will level off again after the hype of the relaunch has faded. And it’s a shame that it has removed the weather page, because a few of my advertisers used that space well." | "I like the cleaner design and masthead and the touch of ‘retro-ness'. The front-page layout is more adventurous. The full-page, cropped-out body-shot of American swimmer Michael Phelps in the Olympics is a good example. The summaries box provides a good at-a-glance overview of the top stories of the day. Singaporeans have much to applaud in the new-look The Straits Times. It’s not just design but the paper’s effort to connect with readers online and offline. The relaunch signals how important it is for mass media to meet readers' demands." |
Vox Pop... Has relaunching The Straits Times proved worthwhile?
Singapore's flagship national daily has had yet another facelift. But was all the fuss worth it for readers and advertisers?
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