Bask Communications: A Quarter in Review
In the blink of an eye, we’ve wrapped up the first quarter of 2025! As the year gains momentum, we’re excited to share some highlights and meaningful milestones from the past few months.
In the blink of an eye, we’ve wrapped up the first quarter of 2025! As the year gains momentum, we’re excited to share some highlights and meaningful milestones from the past few months.
Deepening Our Commitment to Cancer Advocacy
Continuing our partnership with 365 Cancer Prevention Society (365CPS), we are honoured to be retained as the Society’s PR agency of record. Over the past two years, we have worked hand-in-hand to strengthen their presence across mainstream media, radio, and online platforms, reinforcing their tri-fold mission of Cancer Prevention, Cancer Fighting, and Cancer Education. Beyond spotlighting 365CPS’ suite of free annual cancer screening campaigns, our efforts have helped the Society deliver essential health education and support to the wider community, through collaborative knowledge sharing in the media together with healthcare professionals.
Lianhe Zaobao (联合早报) – “肺”事何时了 认识肺癌症状做好预防
Berita Mediacorp - Diramalkan hanya ada lagi 6 bulan untuk hidup, pejuang barah hati ini nasihat orang ramai jalani ujian awal
CAPITAL 958 – 城市号列车
In March, we returned to Our Tampines Hub for the third edition of 365CPS’ Bloom with Hope celebration. Inspiring cancer fighters, families, friends and partners came together to celebrate the resilience of the cancer fighting journey; attendees were also encouraged to take proactive steps in early detection by signing up for the free screening campaigns #My1stPapTest, #My1stMammo, and #My1stColonoscopy. At the celebration, nOm’s culinary content creator and producer, Azfar Maswan delighted attendees with a cooking demonstration of Assam Fish Curry with Vegetables and Nasi Ulam, proving that we don’t have to sacrifice our beloved flavours to eat healthier. The event also hosted a heartfelt fireside chat discussing the impact of cancer on families, the power of prevention and the importance of a strong support system.
Check out the inspiring stories of our cancer fighters Mdm Vijay and Ms Mallika on Tamil Murasu
Celebrating Successful Partnerships
In Q1, we also concluded our partnership with family care brand BZU BZU and hospitality client Dorsett Changi City Singapore.
With BZU BZU, we positioned the brand as a trusted homegrown name through strategic media engagement, influencer marketing and partnerships, as well as targeted campaigns and giveaways. We successfully engaged with over 40 mummy influencers, delivering an estimated reach of 436,000, and achieving an average monthly engagement rate of 12.1% from their social media content sharing. We also built up a strong brand presence for BZU BZU in key local parenting titles.
Over at DCCS, we supported the communications around its recent acquisition and rebrand—successfully building awareness in the early stages and helping the refreshed identity gain traction in the hospitality space. It was a pleasure to journey alongside both brands.
Singapore Motherhood - Dorsett Changi City Singapore: An East-Side Escapade and Local Foodie Staycation to Savour
Looking Ahead
As we move into the rest of the year, our team remains focused on elevating our offerings and delivering impactful storytelling for our clients. Whether you’re looking for PR support, influencer marketing, media pitching, or press release distribution, we’d love to hear from you.
Reach out to us at hello@baskcomm.com - let’s create meaningful and engaging narratives together.
Bask Communications solidifies its partnership with 365 Cancer Prevention Society as the PR agency of record
Bask Communications has been appointed as 365 Cancer Prevention Society (365CPS)’s PR agency of record with a 1-year retainer, effective February 2024. Tasked with spearheading 365CPS's communications initiatives, Bask Communications will be focused on fostering a greater public understanding of cancer and the support offered by 365CPS.
SINGAPORE, 6 February 2024 - Bask Communications has been appointed as 365 Cancer Prevention Society (365CPS)’s PR agency of record with a 1-year retainer, effective February 2024. Tasked with spearheading 365CPS's communications initiatives, Bask Communications will be focused on fostering a greater public understanding of cancer and the support offered by 365CPS. Additionally, the collaboration aims to boost participation in vital areas of cancer prevention, such as health screenings, and promote a better understanding of cancer within the community.
For the past two decades, 365CPS, a non-profit organisation, has remained steadfast and dedicated to raising awareness, advocating prevention, and educating communities in Singapore on cancer. The strategic alliance with Bask Communications is poised to boost the society’s outreach and better serve the community.
Ng Lay Peng, Director of Bask Communications shared, “We have been actively supporting 365CPS in its communication endeavors across various projects since 2023. The society’s decision to award us as the PR agency of record is a validation of our work and a testament to the success of our collaborative efforts. The team at Bask Communications is deeply inspired by the impactful work undertaken by 365CPS to serve the community. We look forward to working closely together to drive more effective communication and engagement for the society.”
This strengthened partnership reflects the shared commitment of both organisations to make a positive impact on the community through communication efforts.
For more information and media enquiries, get in touch at hello@baskcomm.com.
A look back at 2023!
As 2023 draws to a close, Junior Consultant Kay Guan looks back on his journey in team Bask Communications.
As 2023 draws to a close and the festive cheers ring, it is always a good time to call for reflection and a look back on my new journey as part of the team at Bask Communications. What an interesting experience it has been, being new to the PR industry in Singapore. There are certainly steep learning curves for a stranger to the industry, and the constant feeling of change that lurks at the back of my mind. But after 9 months, I have come to a greater and deeper understanding of the work we are involved in, and the vision we strive to achieve for our clients and various projects.
One of the more memorable clients that I have had the privilege to work with this year is 365 Cancer Prevention Society. To be in the presence of the brave cancer fighters has been an eye-opener to the courage and strength one can have amid a gruelling battle against cancer. Not only do they uphold the positivity and energy to live life to the fullest, some even picked up roles to help their fellow fighters in the community. Some of the uncles and aunties I’ve met are truly inspirational and a shining example of how we can stay strong in the face of adversity. It is inspiring to learn about the efforts of organisations like 365CPS and the important roles they play in lending a hand to the less fortunate. I truly believe their work is extremely important and greatly appreciated by their many beneficiaries.
One of our other projects this year is the Mitsubishi Electric Asia’s Car Boot for Good event. The weekend car boot pop-up market was part of the company's effort to encourage sustainable living and lifestyle in line with some of the global efforts in tackling the issues of climate change and pollution. It was another meaningful event that not only brought new life to secondhand goods but also showcased charities and social enterprises to the community. Beyond that, it was heartening to see many individuals willingly play a part in their lifestyle for a common cause.
Mitsubishi Electric Asia's "Car Boot for Good" Preloved to Reloved Drive
In recent months, we have also begun working with Chinatown Business Association. As a Singaporean Chinese, this project resonated strongly with me. Perhaps it was a sense of individual responsibility, and the need to help preserve our Chinese culture and heritage, especially in an iconic location like Chinatown. Please look forward to what the CBA will be bringing in the upcoming year as we continue to bring in fresh ideas and activities that can hopefully help to build upon the rich history of Chinatown and at the same time introduce new sentiments and longing for this precinct.
To wrap it all up, it has indeed been a fruitful 2023 for me as a PR consultant and I hope that there will be more learning opportunities in the coming year as I get to come into my own in the industry. Meanwhile, enjoy your holidays during this festive season. Here’s wishing everyone a great 2024 ahead!
Mitsubishi Electric Asia's "Car Boot for Good" Preloved to Reloved Drive
Close to 500 people attended Mitsubishi Electric Asia’s “Car Boot for Good” pre-loved to reloved drive at the Mitsubishi Electric Building last Saturday. Despite the heavy downpour in the morning, Car Boot for Good ended as a wholesome and fun-filled event with activities for all ages.
Close to 500 people attended Mitsubishi Electric Asia’s “Car Boot for Good” pre-loved to reloved drive at the Mitsubishi Electric Building last Saturday. Despite the heavy downpour in the morning, Car Boot for Good ended as a wholesome and fun-filled event with activities for all ages.
The event was graced by Guest-of-Honour, Tanjong Pagar GRC MP Joan Pereira. Attendees to the event shopped and thrifted from 30 car boots and 20 booths for unused or preloved finds, ranging from clothes, accessories, homeware, books and more. Mitsubishi Electric Asia also presented a $10,000 donation to Apex Day Rehabilitation Centre for Elderly (ADRC), its adopted charity since 2006, and one of the six participating charities and social enterprises that set up shop at the event.
Mitsubishi Electric Asia Director of Corporate Affairs Division Mr Frederick Goh shared, “This is our first foray into engaging the public to join us in our journey towards realising Mitsubishi Electric Group’s Purpose of a vibrant and sustainable society. The event is not just a platform for ADRC and supporting social enterprises to showcase their talents and partnerships, but a shared space to cultivate more sustainability-driven ideals within our Singaporean community. We hope we have inspired attendees that every little effort counts towards the shared objective of preserving the environment and planet for our future generations.”
Bask Communications is glad to partner with Mitsubishi Electric Asia for its first public engagement CSR event. We hope that visitors to the event and all Singaporeans can continue to take tiny steps in their commitment and responsibility towards a greener and more sustainable future.
Tweet or Twat: Will Elon Musk’s X see Trial or Triumph?
July saw some of the world’s biggest social media companies wrestle and tussle with new service offerings as they try to upend Elon Musk’s Twitter, or shall we say “X” under the new rebrand.
Photo illustration by Slate. Photos by Patrick Pleul/Pool/AFP via Getty Images and Twitter.
July saw some of the world’s biggest social media companies wrestle and tussle with new service offerings as they try to upend Elon Musk’s Twitter, or shall we say “X” under the new rebrand.
It’s been less than a year since Musk took over Twitter on 28 October 2022 and the journey has been erratic to say the least. Fidelity recently reported that Twitter’s valuation has fallen by 66%; Musk also tweeted that Twitter’s advertising revenue has plunged by about 50%, with overall traffic declining steadily since January, falling by 5.8% as of June.
While Twitter seeks to steady its ship with the appointment of new CEO Linda Yaccarino, the company now has more to worry about as it looks beyond the bow.
THREADS
Photo illustration by Dado Ruvić/Reuters
Threads is Meta’s foray into the battleground and Mark Zuckerberg’s attempt at usurping Twitter’s control in the short-form social media market. The application went online on 5 July 2023, reaching over 100 million users in less than 5 days. It broke ChatGPT’s record as the fastest platform to reach one million active users. However, criticisms were abound about users being inorganically pulled into downloading the app through prompts on Instagram. To add further furore, users who signed up for an account through their Instagram cannot delete their Threads profile without losing their Instagram account. Meta is reportedly working on a fix for the future but the only solution at present is a deactivation function that hides your profile and content,
Latest reports have seen the number of active users drop drastically since launch, raising doubts about whether the platform will actually have the longevity and tenacity to build on its early success. Some are also speculating the current situation affirms that their initial hit was a mere result of their Instagram-linked sign-ups.
Perhaps Meta saw “an opportunity” to pounce on the market following the controversies at Twitter since Musk’s takeover and rushed to push out an unfinished product that failed to impress. The verdict is still out on whether Threads will eventually be successful, but its features and designs do not offer anything that proves a head-turner compared to what Twitter currently does.
However, anyone with an existing Instagram account will enjoy the ease of porting over their existing followers and people they follow onto Threads. This function will be particularly helpful for brands and organisations to not have to rebuild their community of followers from the ground up, and also enjoy the ease of using Meta’s Business Suite across its social media platforms.
TIKTOK
Photo illustration by Shutterstock
TikTok joins the fight to replace Twitter with the launch of text-only posts on 24 July. Unlike Meta, this new feature is fully integrated onto the existing platform, taking advantage of its already large user base. The new function is similar to text features on Instagram stories and may not be substantially different or revolutionary enough for users to see it as an alternative to Twitter. After all, TikTok’s niche is still built on short-form videos with a large focus on entertainment compared to the discussion and conversational focus of Twitter. However, it may be a welcomed content tool used to create shorter-form status updates and comments to bridge a gap in engagement that was only previously available on other social media platforms.
Over the years, TikTok has enjoyed great success in building an active community for Gen Z, with users twice as likely to recommend something they found on the platform compared to other social channels like Facebook & Instagram. The statistical difference demonstrates a more intimate and connected space between users on TikTok.
X-ing The Competition
Photo illustration by Joel Saget/AFP/Getty Images
Twitter’s reaction to its competitors’ new features came out of left field. On 24 July, the social media network launched its new “X” logo, replacing the familiar blue bird design that had represented Twitter for 11 years. The sudden change followed Elon Musk’s aim to turn the platform into an all-inclusive application similar to China’s WeChat. But is Elon Musk’s Twitter rebrand a shot in his own foot?
Users and the general public have not responded well to the shift as many lament the loss of the iconic bird logo as well as the use of the word “tweet”, which has culturally become a verb for many over the years.
Beyond the initial abrupt layoff of its employees, glorification of overwork, blue ticks controversy, and Musk’s spasmodic tweets, Twitter’s branding and the values it represents are no longer clear. The many changes have not only cultivated a fear of misinformation on the social network, but Twitter has become severely entangled with Elon Musk the personality, who often speaks too candidly and antagonistically to the mainstream. With all the changes Musk has implemented since the takeover, one can’t help but ask if his public engagements thus far are mere PR stunts to sustain and build upon his tremendous sphere of influence as he prepares for the launch of his next big idea. Like it or not, the resulting negative press has permeated into the Twitter brand itself and perhaps Musk would see improvements if he lets the dust settle quietly before he conjures his next storm.
Ultimately, will this change add further problems to the current advertising crunch Twitter is facing? Or is this the painful rebuild Musk seeks in order to birth a new superpower app in its place? Time will certainly tell but if there’s anything, as long as the demand for short-form text media exists and the lack of strong competition, users will stay in the Twitter comfort zone for now.