The ASEAN markets outside Singapore are showing robust signs of growth. But the decision
about how and when to invest in these markets is complex. Anand Kumar, the practice head
from Synovate's Business Consulting division in Singapore presented to the American
Chamber of Commerce some of the methodologies to use when assessing the suitability for
investing in emerging markets. Using examples and case studies, Mr Kumar showed a roadmap
for assessing risk and opportunity that can be adapted for all industries looking to expand
in the region. The presentation was held at the AMCHAM office in Singapore on 2nd September
2011.
The presentation can be downloaded from the link below. To find out more about this topic
or speak to the Synovate team in Singapore, please contact tim.hill@synovate.com.
Synovate Business Consulting shared the results of the quarterly business sentiment briefing
at a breakfast briefing at Orchard Parade Hotel, Singapore on Friday 29th July. The briefing,
delivered by Anand Kumar, went through the results of the recent survey of business leaders in
Singapore and compared the business sentiment with other market data. The survey uncovered a
general feeling of caution towards the Singapore economy, but identified the priority
surrounding markets and methodologies that were being used by companies to achieve growth.
The presentation can be downloaded from the link below. To find out more about this topic
or speak to the Synovate team in Singapore please contact tim.hill@synovate.com.
Synovate Business Consulting was delighted to be able to welcome over 50 business people at a business
breakfast briefing on Wednesday 1 June 2011 at the New World Hotel Saigon, Ho Chi MInh City, Vietnam.
The theme for the business briefing, co-hosted with the American Chamber of Commerce, was "Customers: Who cares?"
where we looked at the theory and reality of the Customer Value Proposition and how companies in Vietnam might
respond to the need to refresh the value proposition. Delegates from industry as well as the government and not
for profit sector were addressed on how we can make sense of a potentially complex framework, giving it a
practical application within the organisation. The briefing, delivered by Colin Kinghorn and Gordon Milne,
also looked at how research can be used to unlock value and why the classic research tools don't work in some
Asian markets.
The presentation can be downloaded from the link below. To find out more about this topic or speak to the
Synovate team in Vietnam please contact bc.vietnam@synovate.com.
Thai business leaders' confidence continue to rise, remaining firmly in the optimistic
arena at 5.83 out of 10, according to the July 2010 Business Outlook Survey from Synovate
Business Consulting.
The majority of companies in Thailand still have no policy in place for dealing with climate
change, despite growing awareness that it poses both risks and opportunities for their businesses,
a recent survey reveals. "Interestingly, although 78% of them viewed climate change as important
for their strategic plans, over half do not have a policy in place to respond to climate change,"
said Colin Kinghorn, head of business consulting at Synovate.
In India, Out-of-Home continues to grow rapidly and in recent years as a stand-alone medium
has been highly successful for major national and local advertisers. Eye Reporter asked Karthik
Ramamurthy, Head of Synovate Business Consulting India, to tell us how the medium performs in
India.
How should the automakers react to the supply chain challenge brought by the ups and downs in
the automotive market? Gasgoo, a leading portal for the China automotive industry, interviewed
Tao Lin (head of China, Synovate Business Consulting), for his insights on the auto supply chain.
Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia had reached a preliminary agreement at the 15th Asean
Telecommunications Regulators' Council (ATRC) meeting hosted by the NTC (National
Telecommunications Commission) from July 27-29 in Thailand. Findings from Synovate's
study on the international roaming voice market in Asean were presented to the ATRC
meeting by Singapore's national regulatory body.
The city-state's three operators seek to grow market share by turning their focus to the
pre-paid consumer. Linda Loh (Manager, Synovate Business Consulting Singapore) shared her
insights on this topic with Glenn Smith for this Media article.
December 2008 — Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) The E-Commerce Edge
As the global financial crisis clips the wings of business travelers, and as a new generation
takes over at Hong Kong's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), these companies are
increasingly going online to save costs and reach new customers. Jolene Tan, a senior business
analyst at market research company Synovate, said SMEs are increasingly looking to local websites
as a way to market their products and services and, in some cases, are moving away from large
search portals.
The Coca-Cola Company submitted an application for anti-monopoly approval to the Ministry
of Commerce (MOFCOM) for its $2.3 billion takeover of premier domestic juice maker China
Huiyuan Juice Group. "This is certainly a very significant step for mergers and acquisitions
(M&As) in the beverage market, given that this is the first time that the Chinese antitrust
law faces a challenge," said Tao Lin, head of China at Synovate Business Consulting.
The worst is yet to come. Management students graduating from business
schools in 2009 will face the real brunt of the current global economic
crisis, warn experts. For starters, high paying industries like investment
banking and financial services will not recruit next year, says Kris
Lakshmikant, CEO and managing director of the Bangalore-based
recruitment firm The Head Hunters. "Day One companies such as Lehman
Brothers and Goldman Sachs that visit the Indian Institute of Management
(IIM) campuses will not be recruiting next year. About 10 to 15 IIM
graduates are recruited by these companies," says Lakshmikant. He adds
that consulting companies like McKinsey will also go slow on recruitment.
"One of the major concerns client sometimes have is to be advised by consultants who have never "lived" in
their industry," says Christophe Grimont, consulting director, APac, Synovate Business Consulting.
The influential Australians in minerals and energy are based in Melbourne,
Perth and London and are rarely found in
Tokyo, writes Tokyo correspondent Peter Alford
Wal-Mart's announcement of its agreement with Bharti Enterprises has resulted in plenty of activity.
Much has been written in India about the repercussions of the "Wal-Mart Effect," even though the U.S.
retail giant's role in the joint venture is restricted to only providing back-end support to its Indian
partner (Bharti will be setting up the stores on its own, on a franchise basis).
Now in a completely rewritten, updated, and expanded second edition, "Doing Business With India:
A Guide to Investment Opportunities & Business Practice" under the expert editorship of Roderick
Millar (a specialist in personal finance, business start-ups, development economics, and management
education) continues to be the definitive instructional guide for any entrepreneur or corporate CEO
wanting to do business on the Indian subcontinent.
When Whirlpool US executive Scott Phillips invited locals to get a first-hand experience of jazzy
kitchen appliances, his company risked inventing the first-ever Insperience Studio in Atlanta.
Synovate Business Consulting is two years old in India, and considering that most people think
that Synovate offers only market research services, a client list of 30 in business
consulting is not bad at all.
