justsaying with... – Détails, épisodes et analyse

As Neopets approaches its 25th anniversary in November, it stands at a crucial turning point. Once a leader in the virtual pet realm, the platform has experienced stagnation under various corporate owners over the years. Now under the leadership of CEO Dominic Law, Neopets is on the brink of a renaissance, rekindling its magic that captivated millions when it first burst onto the scene. The team is committed to modernizing the experience by exploring avenues such as mobile and tabletop games and merchandise to ensure Neopets evolves beyond its PC roots, adopting fresh developments while still evoking a strong sense of nostalgia. We speak to Dean Ravenola, who serves as Neopets' Narrative and Creative Director, bringing a tapestry of rich storytelling to the digital realm. With a diverse portfolio from video games to graphic novels, he has dedicated his efforts to weaving engaging storylines and fortifying the brand's narrative arc, preparing it for a global audience. https://www.justsaying.asia/ep-39-justsaying-with-dean-ravenola-narrative-and-creative-director-at-neopets/

tokidoki, which translates to “sometimes” in Japanese, is one of the most iconic lifestyle brands today - founded by Italian artist Simone Legno and his partners, Pooneh Mohajer and Ivan Arnold.   

We catch up with Simone Legno, tokidoki’s creative director, in Singapore and talk about the brand's rise, and how it has become the lifestyle icon it is today.   

Since debuting in 2005, tokidoki has amassed a cult-like following for its larger-than-life characters and emerged as a sought-after global lifestyle brand. tokidoki offers an extensive range of products, including apparel, handbags, cosmetics, accessories, toys and more.   #tokidoki #SimoneLegno

In this episode, we chat with Leo Leong, the General Manager of Kitchen & Bathroom, South and North East Asia at Kohler Co. to discuss how consumer habits have changed post-Pandemic.

Since the pandemic, we've spent more time at home than ever before. Where our homes were once our castles, for some, they've become our sanctuaries - a place to rest and relax. No longer a transit lounge between travelling to and from the office.

With that being said, I think it's fair to say that we now understand how we use our homes better as well and have spent more on our houses than we've had before. Bringing luxuries home.

Founded in 1873 and headquartered in Kohler, Wisconsin, Kohler Co. is a global leader in the manufacture of kitchen and bath products; engines and power systems; premier cabinetry, tile and lighting; and owner-operator of two of the world’s finest five-star hospitality and golf resort destinations in Kohler, Wisconsin, and St. Andrews, Scotland.

As homes become increasingly connected, Kohler is focused on making everyday moments better through thoughtful design and smart technology.

Mr Leo Leong joined Kohler in 2020 and is in charge of leading and managing the Kitchen & Bath business in the South and North East Asia region comprising Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau, Japan, Guam and Saipan, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines and Vietnam.

The global pandemic has affected almost every industry over the last couple of years. Live music and concerts were noticeably absent and musicians and artists had to pivot - there was no other option. 

We speak to Roland Lim, Sales and Marketing Director, Professional Audio Sales, Southeast Asia, Sennheiser, about how the audio industry has evolved during the pandemic - taking quality concerts online, and us experiencing them from our homes. 

We also touch on some of the technological advancements such as the AMBEO 2-Channel Spatial Audio which is now streaming on Netflix and is designed to deliver an incredibly immersive audio experience with standard stereo speakers.

#sennheiser #ambeo #interview

We speak to Mr Pinyot Pibulsonggram, Head of Commercial of ThaiVietJet who shares the airline's perspective on post-pandemic travel, and its plans to serve the tourist community.

In April 2022, Thai Vietjet successfully commenced the maiden flight from Bangkok to Singapore, with a welcome ceremony at Singapore Changi International Airport.

On the inaugural flight, the Thai registered low-cost carrier, treated its first group of passengers to Singapore with the signature inflight performance ‘Fly for Love’ from Thai Vietjet cabin crew, and received a special souvenir from the airline.

Thai Vietjet is continuously expanding its flight network, both domestic and international while increasing its young and modern fleet.

The airline has also recently been awarded the “Most Passenger-Friendly Cabin Crew” in 2021 by the International Finance Magazine, emphasizing its position as the “airline of hospitality”, and reinforcing its core value, “Friendly and Fun” together with “Safety”, “Punctuality” and “Affordable Price”.

Across industries, research has shown that there is a direct correlation between diversity and an increase in the level of innovation.

This is especially important in the gaming industry, as diverse teams with different experiences and knowledge will no doubt make for more creative and robust titles.

Driving diversity and inclusion is not just about being socially responsible — it is also commercially imperative to create great games and tell craft epic stories.

Companies have to look inwards to rebuild their culture, holistically. They'd have to foster an inclusive work environment, while also taking into account training and development, employee autonomy, and mental health.

Studios would have to look externally as well, by building the gaming ecosystem in local communities to inform budding developers about the industry, and encouraging them throughout their career journeys.

We speak with Darryl Long, Managing Director at Ubisoft Singapore and Philippines about the need for diversity in the gaming industry.

As a 20-year veteran of the industry experienced both as a hands-on game developer and as a leader of studios across the world, Darryl shares about the need for gender diversity, the impact the Singapore and Philippines have had on the cultural diversity at Ubisoft, and the importance of functional diversity.

https://www.justsaying.asia/ep-27-justsaying-with-darryl-long-diversity-in-the-gaming-industry/

Multiple award-winning actress and singer Lea Salonga is renowned across the world for her powerful voice and perfect pitch.

Best known for her Tony Award-winning role in Miss Saigon, Lea has also won the Olivier, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Theatre World Awards, in the field of musical theatre. 

She was also the first Asian to play Eponine in the musical Les Miserables on Broadway and returned to the beloved show as Fantine in the 2006 revival. 

Many fans of all ages recognize Lea as the singing voice of Princess Jasmine from Aladdin and Fa Mulan for Mulan and Mulan II. For her portrayal of the beloved princesses, the Walt Disney Company bestowed her with the honor of Disney Legend.

Most recently, Lea is a celebrity guest judge for a first-of-its-kind singing competition, Sing for the Stars, by social media platform, Kumu.

Kumu is not only the first Filipino app to be the #1 top-grossing social app in the Philippines, but one of the highest-grossing social apps in the world, ranking top 10 in multiple markets including Canada, Australia, Middle East, Europe, Hong Kong, and Singapore app stores.

We speak to Lea about her start as a musician, and what it was like to be the first female of Asian heritage to win a Tony Award.

Lea also shares how Sing for the Stars is a unique opportunity for many, and what she’s looking for from contestants.

Kumu’s Sing For The Stars also features Michael Bublé as a guest judge and is now live and open for voting.

The second runner-up will win $2,000 in cash, while the first runner-up takes home $4,000 in cash. The grand champion will take home a whopping $10,000 in cash, a one-year record contract with Warner Music, and their own mini-concert inside the Kumu app, plus a one-on-one coaching session from none other than Michael Bublé.

Today, there are more tools and resources than ever for youths to pursue their entrepreneurial spirits - from apps such as Canva that help you design the trendiest logos and social media posts, to platforms such as WordPress, that allow you to easily set up websites, as well as hosting platforms such as Exabytes that not only provide great hosting services for those website, but have initiates to support those pursuits as well. 

However, while these resources are more than we've ever had available, are they truly enough? 

We speak to Faith Lim, who spearheads the Marketing Team in the Communications Office of Cyber Youth Singapore as Deputy Director. Under her leadership, she has led the team through various events ranging from the CYSummit’21 to a number of various Memorandums of Understandings. 

Faith believes that there is still a lack of resources available for youths and young entrepreneurs, which led led her to co-found a digital marketing agency – Faio Creatives, which provides digital marketing services ranging from copywriting to web services to. 

Nurturing and supporting Singaporean youths on their digitalisation journey

Digitalise Singapore (DS) is a joint technology programme offered by the Research & Innovation Corps of Cyber Youth Singapore (CYS) and Exabytes Networks (Exabytes). 

The programme aims to support ground-up technical projects by youths in Singapore through $150,000 worth of digital solutions and services. Launched 22 May 2021, DS will pilot for one year. DS is powered through the Cyber Youth Innovators Programme and the Cyber Youth Researchers Programme and seeks to impact 1,000 youths. 

The Research & Innovation Corps (RIC) is a department in CYS’ Technology Division (TechDiv) responsible for encouraging and inspiring innovation, entrepreneurship and technological research among Singaporean youth. 

The RIC runs both the Cyber Youth Innovators Programme (CYIP) and Cyber Youth Researchers Programme (CYRP), both of which are used to power Digitalise Singapore.

Video On-Demand streaming services such as iQiyi have become a staple of modern love. Today, you'll be hard pressed to find any couple not spending quality time streaming their favourite films and TV series together.  

iQiyi commissioned a survey across four markets — Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and Thailand — seeking to track how streaming behaviours and habits corresponded to different stages of a relationship.  

We speak to Dr. Angela Tan, Intimacy Coach and Co-Founder at the Academy of Relationship and Sex who shares her thoughts on the results, and explains how streaming accounts help to advance, and influence, relationships today.