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Stridec Advocates SEO to be at the Heart of the Modern Business’ Online Marketing Strategy

With recent data privacy trends and rising advertising costs, companies must reevaluate how they can be found by their customers without escalating marketing spend.

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 24 September 2021 – Stridec Worldwide (“Stridec”), a Singapore-based SEO agency recently awarded by Clutch as one of the top SEO companies in Singapore for 2021, is advocating for businesses to adopt a SEO-centric approach to their digital marketing strategies moving forward, to establish and maintain their digital presence across the internet, in light of the recent developments announced by tech giants such as Apple and Google with regards to data privacy of users online.

 

With Apple’s rollout of its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework, and Google’s move towards scraping third-party cookies from its Chrome browser, the impact and implications to advertisers worldwide who have religiously relied on such technologies for their audience targeting and marketing campaigns cannot be overstated.

 

The issue of user data privacy and tracking people’s online activity is a thorny one that has been the subject of heated debate for years. In recent years, the consumer public has become increasingly vocal about this issue, and with more governmental regulations on how tech companies handle such data, it is inevitable that leading tech companies will make moves to appease their massive user bases while also strengthening their market positions.

 

Such developments have for better or worse created yet another set of challenges for businesses – especially the smaller players – to overcome, while still navigating their way through a plethora of digital marketing complications amid a weak economy brought on by the worldwide pandemic. Many advertisers have already expressed fear that their campaigns will be less effective and precise than before, resulting in increased marketing costs yet with poorer results.

 

Businesses need a more long-term, viable and sustainable approach to establishing their online presence without having to be held ransom every now and then by the shifting digital marketing landscape.

 

The answer lies in search engine optimisation (SEO), and Stridec has been advising brand and business owners to recalibrate their digital strategies with SEO being the centrepiece around which other marketing tactics revolve.

 

“SEO is the only marketing instrument that does not depend on invasive user data to achieve its objectives and generate the desired results”, explained Mr. Alva Chew, resident SEO expert and consultant at Stridec.

 

“SEO does not need to know nor track your audience’s demographic details, online buying history, or browsing behaviour, to work. All you need to get SEO to work is users’ search intent, which can be gleaned from publicly available data, simply by taking a deeper read into the search engine results that show up whenever you perform a search,” Mr. Chew elaborated.

 

Shifting to an SEO state of mind that grounds the brand’s overall digital marketing strategy has paid off nicely for both consumer-facing and B2B businesses that have embarked on it.

 

A Singapore homegrown bakery has been able to grow its online sales for birthday cake as well as festive products such as mooncakes and CNY goodies from scratch, purely on the strength of its SEO strategy, generating on average 5 times the return on investment (ROI). More importantly, it was able to reduce spending on social media ads without a decline in sales.

 

In addition to sidestepping the limitations brought about by the aforementioned data privacy changes, adopting an SEO-oriented marketing methodology serves as a long-term replacement for tactical, in-the-moment marketing activities that do not build and accumulate benefits over time. 

 

Understanding this, an established security company specialising in CCTV camera surveillance has focused heavily on search engine optimisation and managed to maintain its market share against larger competitors while at the same time expanding into new opportunities that yield new revenue streams, through its strong ranking performance on the search engines. 

 

Besides Apple and Google, other technology companies, including Microsoft, are also actively looking into replacing current tracking technologies such as cookies and user identification with newer implementations, such as contextual targeting, implying a more fragmented marketing ecosystem in the future.

 

Businesses and their marketing teams will have their work cut out for them moving forward. It is therefore crucial that they build their marketing strategies on a foundation that remains stable and sustainable over a long period of time, and SEO leads the pack in this regard.

 

Companies would do well to quickly realign their current marketing activities to the new reality and establish SEO at the heart of the overall online strategy to improve their winning chances. And Stridec is ready to help them on this journey.

 

To learn more about Stridec and the seo services that it offers, visit https://www.stridec.com/.

About Stridec Worldwide

Stridec is a digital marketing agency that specialises in SEO and Ecommerce solutions with a mission to help brands Get Found Online. Using its proprietary “Awesome in B.E.D.” framework, Stridec helps businesses acquire more traffic, customers and revenue to stay ahead of the competition and dominate their markets.

Stridec focuses on helping clients build long-term, strategic online assets that deliver sustainable Return on Investment (ROI) for years to come.

For more information on Stridec, visit https://www.stridec.com/

#Stridec

Tembusu Law LLC Launches 2 New Websites For Free Legal Advice On Their Platforms

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 24 September 2021 – Tembusu Law LLC, has recently launched 2 new websites, SingaporeFamilyLawyer.com and TheSingaporeLawyer.com. With the vision of providing transparency in how the legal industry in Singapore is being operated, Tembusu Law LLC aims to provide free legal advice through these two platforms.

Having understood the pain points of customers, Tembusu Law LLC has decided to launch these two websites in an effort to educate the public on legal matters.

 

Singapore Family Lawyer is a new website that focuses on matrimonial and divorce matters concerning couples who wish to seek a divorce but are not sure on how to get started. Additionally, the website even provides useful information on child custody matters, alimonies and the division of matrimonial assets.

 

On the other hand, The Singapore Lawyer is a new website that provides a broader spectrum of legal advice concerning criminal law, family law, business law and civil litigation. The objective of both websites are catered to serve different Singaporean audiences.

 

The firm also hopes that through these 2 new websites, more Singaporeans will be able to get access to quality legal advice online.

 

With the firm belief that law firms should be established to provide a higher level of purpose through free access to legal advice, Tembusu Law LLC believes that profit cannot be the sole reason why businesses exist. Tembusu Law believes in providing valuable legal advice to Singaporeans, so as to bring a positive change and greater access to help, answers, fairness and justice.

 

The firm also has more than 50 videos on The Singapore Lawyer’s YouTube channel, which provides free legal advice to the masses, Tembusu Law LLC has no intention to stop providing free and valuable content to help Singaporeans make empowered decisions when they are faced with legal issues.

About Tembusu Law LLC

Established in 2019, Tembusu Law LLC is a Singapore based law firm that started both The Singapore Lawyer and Singapore Family Lawyer initiatives. Both initiatives were founded on a commitment to help people and driven by a calling to serve a higher purpose – to bring greater access to help, answers, fairness and justice. Tembusu Law LLC offers free consultations for all, and even pro bono services for those who are qualified.

#TembusuLawLLC

BLUE BOTTLE COFFEE Commits to Carbon Neutrality by 2024

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 23 September 2021 – Blue Bottle Coffee announced its commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2024. This extends to the entire brand, in the United States and Asia, and from coffee and ingredient sourcing to guest-use and end-of-life greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for product and packaging. Blue Bottle will attain carbon neutrality for its GHG emissions first by reducing as much as possible—including through work with coffee producers to sustain and expand regenerative agricultural practices—then by supporting carbon removal and high-quality offsetting projects for unabated GHG emissions.

 

Today’s announcement represents a significant next step towards the brand’s long-term sustainability goals of leading the food service industry in the boldest, most comprehensive waste and GHG emissions reduction movement. 

 

This year, the company focused efforts to reduce GHG emissions across four key areas: coffee sourcing, electricity, dairy, and waste. The company also committed to help scale regenerative agriculture as part of its 2024 carbon neutrality target. Blue Bottle made a multi-year commitment to purchase the first available high-quality, registry-certified agricultural carbon credits. Produced by Carbon by Indigo, these credits support U.S. farmers transitioning from conventional practices toward more beneficial agriculture.

 

In 2022 the company will publish its accelerated roadmap to achieving carbon neutrality by 2024.

 

“Since our founding in 2002, sustainability has been a core value at Blue Bottle. Sustainability for us means caring for people and planet,” said Karl Strovink, CEO of Blue Bottle Coffee. “We are steadfast in providing guests with the highest quality coffee and cafe experience without the need to compromise on our values.”

 

In 2020, Blue Bottle held true to the commitment of compensating for the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with its e-commerce business on orders shipped throughout the United States.  

 

This next major milestone of carbon neutrality by 2024 will involve fundamental changes to Blue Bottle’s business operations and partnerships with suppliers. During the past year, Blue Bottle has taken the following actions:

  • Coffee Sourcing: Blue Bottle is completing its first round of sustainability audits across the majority of its coffee purchasing. Audit reports will assist Blue Bottle in integrating climate targets into its work with coffee suppliers.
  • Electricity: Blue Bottle reduced GHG emissions associated with its electricity usage first in the United States and Japan by purchasing renewable energy certificates for a portion of cafes and one production site. 
  • Dairy: Blue Bottle led the change to introduce oat milk in its Asia markets, having long offered oat milk at no extra charge in U.S. cafes. In June 2021, test cafes in Northern and Southern California markets invoked oat milk as the default in milk-based drinks for in-cafe and mobile orders, resulting in 8% less cow’s milk use in these cafes.
  • Waste: Blue Bottle is on track to achieve zero waste operations for half its U.S. cafes by the end of 2021, with a goal of reaching all U.S. cafes by 2023. This target requires cafes to divert 90% of their waste from landfill, incineration, or the environment. Blue Bottle’s Jackson Square cafe opened this spring with zero waste operations, reaching a 98% diversion rate in its first month. In 2022, Blue Bottle will scale zero waste operations to its U.S. production sites and begin implementation in Asia.

 

“We invite guests to join us in forging positive change—from wasting less and reusing more to adopting new product offerings with lower environmental footprints—we are committed to accelerating progress but cannot do this alone,” said Strovink. “We hope our guests will join us in taking bold steps on climate action, one cup of coffee and one day at a time.”

 

For more information on Blue Bottle’s sustainability efforts, please visit www.blog.bluebottlecoffee.com/sustainability. The full report on Blue Bottle’s carbon neutrality commitment can be found here. A case study prepared by 3Degrees of Blue Bottle’s methods to identify highest-impact emissions categories and prioritize action ahead of a full Life Cycle Assessment can be found here. A press kit of additional supporting assets can be accessed here.

About Blue Bottle

Blue Bottle Coffee was founded by James Freeman in Oakland, California, in 2002 with a simple yet revolutionary idea: to serve delicious coffee, roasted fresh and brewed to order, sourced from the finest, most sustainable coffee farms. Today, Blue Bottle is a global network of cafes in the US and Asia. We are the leader in specialty coffee, driven by our obsession for quality and our commitment to environmental health. Our belief is simple and our goal unchanged: to connect the world to delicious coffee, because delicious coffee makes life more beautiful. Follow Blue Bottle on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, or visit bluebottlecoffee.com for more information.

#BlueBottle

MOVE Network announces strategic investment and cooperation agreement with AVATAR (Avalanche Asia Star Fund)

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 23 September 2021 – MOVE Network is thrilled to announce a strategic investment and cooperation agreement with AVATAR(Avalanche Asia Star Fund).

MOVE Network will work with AVATAR to deploy NFT, DeFi, GameFi and metaverse functions on the Avalanche (AVAX) eco-system.

We see NFTs as the gateway to creating a multilayered metaverse. DeFi + NFT creates a new NFTFi industry. We aim to pioneer this trend and believe that Avalanche with one of the fastest smart contracts platform in the blockchain industry will help us bring this mainstream. We are very excited to have the opportunity to work with Avalanche and AVATAR” said Bernard Lee, CTO at MOVE Network.

About MOVE Network

MOVE Network is a leading NFT aggregator covering a wide range of NFT products. MOVE Network allows enterprises and start-ups to obtain value by using blockchain technology to trade, pledge, create and auction NFT assets. Users will be able to use MOVE Network to access NFTS from different industries including entertainment, music, art, and e-sports.

Learn more about MOVE Network

Website: https://www.movenetwork.io

Twitter: https://twitter.com/movemovenetwork

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/movenetworkofficial

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/movenetwork_official/

Medium: https://medium.com/move-network

#MOVENetwork

About Avalanche (AVAX)

Avalanche is an open, programmable smart contracts platform for decentralized applications.

Avalanche is the fastest smart contracts platform in the blockchain industry, as measured by time-to-finality, and has the most validators securing its activity of any proof-of-stake protocol.

About Avalanche Asia Star Fund (AVATAR)

Avalanche Asia Star Fund is an independent venture fund formed by leading Asia VCs, dedicated to funding development of Avalanche’s ecosystem in Asia. AVATAR intends to invest in DeFi, NFT, industry infrastructure, and ecosystem development projects.

AVATAR is composed of an experienced team of leaders from Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Tsinghua University, Peking University, and Carnegie Mellon.

Urban Renewal Fund Celebrates Its 10th Anniversary Connecting Communities for Sustainable Urban Renewal: Innovations and Inspirations Cum “Community is Renewing” Community Online Exhibition

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 23 September 2021 – The Urban Renewal Fund was founded in 2011, with “People First, Districts Based, Public Participatory” as its conception of urban renewal, serving citizens affected or dislocated by urban renewal projects, and promoting heritage preservation and revitalisation of local districts.

 

Image 1: Online Exhibition on the 10th Anniversary of Urban Renewal Fund

 

 

Image 2: The brand new website for URF has been launched
URL: https://urfund.org.hk/

 

 As the 10th anniversary of the founding of the Urban Renewal Fund approaches, it celebrates the occasion recurring the theme of “Connecting Communities for Sustainable Urban Renewal: Innovations and Inspirations“. Previous collaborations with various partners are showcased through different platforms and events, chronicling projects the Fund has achieved with its partners, reviewing our past experiences while looking forward with an innovative mind towards future challenges, to continue support for social programmes and services, realising our aim of sustainable urban renewal and the betterment of the quality of life of citizens.

 

Anniversary Celebration Opens with Online Exhibition on 10 Years of Urban Renewal

 

 “In the past ten years, the Urban Renewal Fund has worked closely with NGOs and different stakeholders to promote heritage preservation and district revitalisation projects in different regions within Hong Kong. The Fund has also continually served citizens living in renewal areas. With the achievement of the 10-year milestone, the Fund has organised ‘Community is Renewing’, an online exhibition looking back at highlights of the Fund’s past projects over the past 10 years.”

 

—The Chairman of the Urban Renewal Fund’s Board of Directors, Professor Steven Ngai Sek-yum

 

The exhibition takes on four core directions: “Connecting, Inheriting, Co-creating, and Integrating”, highlighting projects that are funded by URF and created by URF’s team of social workers under each service area, including projects and events aimed at creating social interactions and community building via various artistic mediums; in-depth, heartfelt stories from older districts, carrying collective memories to the next generation; research and practice of local traditional handcraft, revitalising them and helping them create new, alternative value; acceleration of dynamic cultural interaction, building of an inclusive society. In the past decade, URF has funded multiple communal projects, revolutionising older districts and revitalising communities through mutual creation, community design, local creations, and social innovation.

Under the pandemic, the exhibition takes place online, utilising interactive elements on the website such as words, videos, and motion graphics, together with an energetic design, to showcase the inner workings of older communities. Through the exhibition, the public will be able to see how URF connects various NGOs and stakeholders in detail and investigate how each and every project innovate and inspire the community.

 

An Abundance of Events Celebrating the First Decade, Diversifying the Scope of Recipients

 

The URF fully committed itself to pushing the Urban Renewal Authority and Urban Renewal Fund in the past decade. Right now, the amount sponsored has reached 160 million Hong Kong dollars, funding 17 different projects which are held by NGOs and other stakeholders in conducting heritage conservation and district revitalisation within urban renewal areas. Four NGO Social Services Teams are also funded by URF, giving aid to the inhabitants of over forty urban renewal projects conducted by the Urban Renewal Authority. In reaching the milestone of a decade, other than showcasing the fruits of the Fund’s work through the years, various activities are also held surrounding the theme of “Connecting Communities for Sustainable Urban Renewal: Innovations and Inspirations”, expanding and diversifying the scope of recipients of the Fund.

 

In May, URF has revamped their website and increased presence on two additional social media platforms, providing timely updates on information regarding project funding and services, nurturing the connection and bond between different stakeholders and partners, interacting with the general public anytime and anywhere. A series of videos celebrating each of our past projects and partners is released, each project is seen through the lens of a participant, detailing their experiences of participating in events and receiving services from URF, leading the public to gain a deeper understanding to Our community. The Fund has also organised several seminars and a closing forum for URF’s celebration of its 10-year anniversary, inviting scholars and stakeholders from different fields, discussing topics in-depth from various angles, inspiring thinking related to sustainable development.

 

After a decade’s worth of effort, URF has sponsored multiple community co-creation projects, such as “Our Community of Love & Mutuality—Nurturing Cultural Diversity & Community Legacy in Kwai Chung”, “Kengaku’ Small Shop Handcraft Master Nurturing & Community Revitalisation Project”, “Inheriting the sense of lane: we-build the Sai Ying Pun”, “Live in C&W”, “REstore – Small Shop Culture Reconstruct Project”, “To Kwa Wan Community Dining Room”, “Kowloon City Themed Walking Trail”, and more. Each project is centred around how to enhance district-wide characteristics and are welcomed with enthusiasm. In the following year, URF will continue to serve citizens, collaborating with the community to innovate policies, increase residents’ sense of belonging to their communities and raise cohesion, all in the name of improving the quality of life for citizens.

 

URF hopes to raise public knowledge on the Fund via this series of events celebrating the 10th anniversary, integrating and increasing the strength of the collaborative relationship with partners, promote knowledge and experience exchange of related organisations in order to encourage more NGOs to utilise URF to serve and unite the community, and to ensure future support for community development and service users, ultimately contributing to the betterment of communities in Hong Kong.

Annex 1: Introduction to the latest phase of the Urban Renewal Heritage Conservation and District Revitalization Funding Scheme

1. Via North Point, A place for Imagination. A place for belonging

Corporation:

Hong Kong Arts Centre

Brief description of the plan:

“Via North Point” aims to inspire community residents to think about and design the future use of public space as a vision, hoping to bring changes to the community and improve the quality of life of residents.

The Hong Kong Arts Centre will work hand in hand with cross-sector individuals and organizations to design a series of community participation workshops and creative art works to connect new and old residents, enhance residents’ awareness of public spaces, and showcase the unique local charm of North Point. The aim is to create a sense of community belonging and cultivate cultural citizenship and spontaneous community building through imagination.

 

2. South – The Heritage and Communities Arts Project

Corporation:

The Warehouse Teenage Club

Brief description of the plan:

Preserving and promoting the South side and its unique historical cultural significance and community features of the Southern District through multiple cultural activities.

The purpose of the project is to create an artistic and cultural space that is a symbolic of the rich region and build a collaborative, self-reliant community.

Through a series of programmes including community study, guided tours, community arts events and thematic exhibitions, we aspire to transform the district into an arts and cultural hub by revealing its unique characters, and revitalize the community by strengthening its local neighbourhood network.

 

3. Our Community of Love & Mutuality – Nurturing Cultural Diversity & Community Legacy in Kwai Chung

Corporation:

HKSKH Lady MacLehose Centre

Brief description of the plan:

Kwai Chung was built on the hillside, the public staircase is the major carrier of the pedestrian flow in the district. Its “numerous, long and steepness” characteristics have always been criticized by the community. In view of this, the third phase of the project is to renew and revitalise the public staircase in Kwai Chung. Based on our experience in the past four years, we aim to extend the district renewal model of Kung Yung Koon and “Ping Lai Plus” projects to the staircases of Kwai Chung, to catalyse the community’s ability to turn disadvantages into advantages. As the heart of the project, Kung Yung Koon and Ping Lai Path will turn the manpower mobilization and resources into the energy of the community. They will be transported through the staircases, like blood vessels, to all parts of Kwai Chung, enhancing the mutual communication between Chinese and South Asian low-income neighbourhoods, enriching the landscape of Kwai Chung and bringing back the power to Kung Yung Koon and Ping Lai Path as a loop.

 

3. Kowloon City Themed Walking Trail

Corporation:

HKSKH Welfare Council Limited

Brief description of the plan:

Kowloon City is a diverse community full of different histories, cultures, attractions and specialty shops.

Potentially the longest in Hong Kong, the planned themed walking trail will be 6.5 kilometres, divided into five different characteristic road sections. The goal is to promote the preservation of historical and cultural relics and the promotion of art and culture by connecting local residents and stakeholders in the district. At the same time, it is hoped that the district will embrace major urban changes such as reconstruction and railway completion, while maintaining the favour of the local community.

 

*For earlier funding schemes, please visit: https://urfund.org.hk/projects/

About Urban Renewal Fund

The infrastructure of Hong Kong is rapidly aging. The government, specialised agencies like the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) and the Hong Kong Housing Society, owners’ corporations and professional organisations have contributed great effort to improve the situation. However, the overall situation of old buildings in Hong Kong remains unsatisfactory, posing great threat to public safety.

Hence, on 24 February 2011, the “Urban Renewal Strategy” is published after a two-year long period of public consultation by the Development Bureau. It aims to put humans as a priority, and to arrive to their goals starting from the local and public collaboration. The founding of the Urban Renewal Trust Fund was also one of the highlights of “Urban Renewal Strategy”.

The Fund was established on 15 August 2011, as the trustee and settlor of the Urban Renewal Trust Fund. On 10 November in the same year, the Urban Renewal Trust Fund was recognised as a charitable organisation or trust of a public nature by the Inland Revenue Department, and thus is exempt from taxes in accordance with Article 88 of the Tax Regulations.

The Fund received a grant of 500 million dollars from the URA to serve as an independent source of funding, providing aid for Social Services Teams that provide services to citizens affected by redevelopment projects implemented by the URA, funding for research projects and social impact assessments conducted by the Urban Renewal District Consultation Platform, and to provide funding for heritage conservation and district revitalisation projects conducted by NGOs and other stakeholders within urban renewal areas.

Looking forward, URF is going to revamp itself as an active participant of the force of realising sustainable urban redevelopment projects. The Fund will continue its focus on the feasibility and sustainability of funding projects, through co-creation, social design, place making, and social innovation to revamp the image of old districts, to discover even more district characteristics that are unique, and plant the seed of renewal in the community.

For more information, please visit:

Website : https://urfund.org.hk/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/urf.hk

Instagram: @urf.hk

#UrbanRenewalFund

Microsoft launches Code; Without Barriers across nine countries in Asia Pacific

Thirteen companies join Microsoft to increase employability of female technical talent and nurture entrepreneurs across Asia Pacific

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 23 September 2021 – Microsoft and 13 companies across nine Asia Pacific countries today launched Code; Without Barriers to help close the gender gap in the region’s fast-growing cloud, artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technology sectors.

 

The program provides a platform to enable female developers, coders, and other technical talent to contribute towards inclusive economic growth, encourage innovation and better reflect the societal makeup of their region.

 

“The balance between consumption and creation is changing. We see developers increasingly influencing every business process and function. Which is why Code; Without Barriers was created. We identified an urgent need to increase the diversity of cloud, AI and technical talent in APAC, so every country can achieve their national digital agendas and have truly inclusive economic growth,” said Andrea Della Mattea, President for Microsoft in Asia Pacific.

 

The partners in the program include Accenture, AvePoint, Government Big Data Institute (GBDi), HCL Technologies, Just Analytics, MetLife, NTT Ltd, PALO IT, Petroliam Nasional Berhad (PETRONAS), Simbiotik Technologies, Thoughtworks, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK), and Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM).

 

These organizations operate in the areas of education, energy, financial services, public sector and technology in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

 

Microsoft will provide skilling and certification in cloud and AI to increase the technical talent pools in the countries. Each of the 13 companies is committed to improving diversity within their organizations and offers career opportunities to female creators and developers. Equally, through a series of engagements, from career fairs to hackathons to mentorship and support from business leaders, Code; Without Barriers will nurture and develop female entrepreneurs in APAC.

 

Code; Without Barriers works with more than 21 developer communities across APAC, reaching more than 407,000 developers across data, AI, DevOps, Java, JavaScript and Python and Women in Tech.

 

“We identified an urgent need in our region to increase the diversity of technical talent, as only 26% of professionals in data and AI are women and this drops to 12% for professionals in cloud computing. For this to change, and for APAC markets to have a truly inclusive national digital agenda, it starts with breaking barriers and empowering developer diversity in our organizations and industries. It’s our responsibility as leaders of this community to shape what comes next; to show what’s possible when our digital worlds reflect the diversity of the society we live in,” Ms Della Mattea said.

 

Code; Without Barriers has piloted 18 Women in AI certification programs across eight APAC markets, training more than 480 women, and certifying 203 developers. Microsoft also hosted cloud skills challenges for more than 7,617 developers.

 

“Gender-diverse teams are smarter and more productive,” said Gina Smith, PhD, IDC’s lead analyst for DevOps and digital innovation in the Asia/Pacific region. “Hiring women in technology roles adds far more than a fresh perspective. Recent studies quantifiably demonstrate that gender-diverse enterprises demonstrably more innovation and higher returns than the mean overall. Programs like Microsoft’s Code; Without Barriers go a long way toward bridging that critical gap.”

 

“It is an established fact that having more women in the tech industry benefits companies and societies. But creating the conditions for a more diverse workforce is a complex challenge – no single organization can do this alone. We have a shared responsibility to simultaneously remove barriers and uplift women, and I’m thrilled to see companies and organizations collaborate through Code; Without Barriers,” said Leanne Robers, Co-founder and Co-CEO, She Loves Tech.

 

“We can’t do this in isolation and are thankful that organizations across industry sectors have joined us in APAC,” shared Annie Mathew, Director, Developer Relations and Program Lead for Code; Without Barriers at Microsoft in APAC.

 

Sustaining diversity by advocating for responsible AI

Microsoft’s Code; Without Barriers team is taking this further, with an upcoming community playbook that tackles how to handle bias and how to sustain diversity in emerging tech.

 

“Communities look to Microsoft to address and share the best practices in Responsible AI, so that they can build in diversity, reduce bias, and ensure transparency in the work that they do. We are empowering a new generation of women in technology through Code; Without Barriers,” concluded Ms Mathew.

 

Learn more about Code; Without Barriers: Listen to our Podcast series on Spotify, watch the YouTube playlist, and read more at https://aka.ms/codewithoutbarriers


 

About Microsoft

Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

#Microsoft

O.C. Tanner Unveils Landmark Study, the 2022 Global Culture Report, as Companies Continue to Navigate the “Great Resignation” Era

In a world where employers no longer hold all of the cards, the fourth annual report provides a roadmap for organisations as they move out of crisis and look to refine or rebuild their cultures

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – Media OutReach – 23 September 2021 – O.C. Tanner, the global leader in employee recognition and workplace culture, today announced the release of its 2022 Global Culture Report. In its fourth year, the report provides an in-depth look at timely workplace culture and employee experience issues based on data gathered from over 38,000 employees, leaders, HR practitioners, and executives from 21 countries worldwide. The report was announced at O.C. Tanner’s annual culture conference, Influence Greatness, which took place virtually for the second consecutive year.

“Demonstrating a causal relationship between employee recognition and the strength of connection between employees, this year’s landmark study supports over a decade of research to show that recognition is a critical tool for organisations, particularly in an era rife with disconnection and social fragmentation,” said Dr. Alexander Lovell, Director of Research and Data Science at the O.C. Tanner Institute. “Additionally, our research makes clear that the recent ‘Great Resignation’ phenomenon is only the beginning. Repairing the damaged aspects of workplace cultures is imperative, but will not be easy. It will take time to thoroughly rethink long-held beliefs about the employee experience and approaches to building workplace culture, and we hope this report will act as a guide for those company leaders looking to do so.”

 

As companies approach a post-pandemic era, the report highlights some of their greatest challenges: creating meaningful employee experiences and connecting people across the organisation. Generic, top-down programs for collaboration, recognition, and growth will no longer be effective. Because the pandemic has affected employees in extremely different ways, personalising the employee experience will be crucial to building inclusive cultures. Leaders will have to inspire great work in their people regardless of where it’s done. As they look to reimagine the workplace, organisations today have the opportunity to refresh their cultures—to exceed the best of their old normal, evolve their employee experiences, and focus on what will truly drive business results.

 

“The former concept of workplace ‘normalcy’ left the building in March 2020, and it’s not coming back,” said Gary Beckstrand, Vice President of the O.C. Tanner Institute. “A new landscape of work and business has emerged from the pandemic, and helping employees feel connected to purpose, accomplishment, and one another—no matter where or when they work—is more important than ever. With so much continued uncertainty, the 2022 Global Culture Report shines a light on the specific elements that organisations need to prioritise as they look to navigate the next phase of work.”

 

“No matter how tempting it may be to revert back to pre-pandemic modes of thinking and working, the 2022 Global Culture Report emphasises the need for organisations across the globe to continue the march forward,” said Alan Heyward, Managing Director for Asia Pacific at O. C. Tanner. “As markets recover and HR leaders continue to assert their position as a strategic partner through trying times, the findings from this extensive research can prove to be invaluable.”

 

Sample key findings include:

●        The average employee engagement score is down 18% from last year’s report.

●     Crucial elements of successful hybrid employee experiences:

        ○     Career development program: 68%

        ○     Flexibility to choose the number of days worked remotely: 65%

        ○     Clear expectations for availability when working remotely: 65%

        ○     Opportunities for in-person social connection with coworkers: 58%

●     When employees have schedule and location flexibility at work, the probability of cultural outcomes increase:

       ○     Engagement: 41%

       ○     Retention: 77%

       ○     Likelihood to be a Promoter on the eNPS scale: 41%

●     61% of employees say the workplace is where they form most of their new friendships and that their social group at work inspires them to do their best work.

●     45% of employees say the number of individuals they regularly interact with at work has decreased significantly over the past year, and 57% say they engage in fewer social activities.

        ○     In addition, 1 in 3 employees feel disconnected from their leader, furthering feelings of isolation and loneliness.

●     When employees feel less connected to their workplace, culture, and purpose, the likelihood of great work falls 90%, the probability of burnout increases 11x, and the odds that employees will leave within three years surge 6x.

●     Five distinct employee personas emerged and were defined, each with their own general focus, work style and self-esteem: Socialiser, Tasker, Builder, Coaster, and Achiever.

       ○     Each of these personas has a different probability of being engaged, and a different probability of doing great work. Builders and Socialisers have the highest likelihood of doing great work, while Coasters have the least. Achievers have a relatively high probability of engagement, but not great work.

       ○     Different types of recognition affect feelings of connection differently for each group. For the often-introverted Tasker, public praise has a negative effect, but eCards and monetary eCards increase connection. For Builders, any form of recognition builds connection. Public appreciation has the most significant impact on the more outgoing Achievers.

●     The formula for creating peak employee experiences starts with meeting three basic needs: autonomy, connection, and mastery.

        ○     When leaders understand employees’ recognition preferences and personalise recognition moments, the odds of higher autonomy satisfaction improve 126% and the chances of higher connection satisfaction jump 145%.

        ○     Leaders who advocate for employee development increase the likelihood of satisfying autonomy needs by 115%, connection needs by 124%, and mastery needs by 131%.

●     Organisations have a 7.5x increased likelihood of improving the employee experience when they meet the needs of employee autonomy, connection and mastery.

 

This comprehensive report, which serves up actionable data for business leaders seeking change, can be accessed at O.C. Tanner’s website here: https://www.octanner.com/global-culture-report.html.   

About O.C. Tanner

O.C. Tanner is the global leader in software and services that improve workplace culture through meaningful employee experiences. Its Culture Cloud employee recognition platform helps people feel appreciated, do their best work, and want to stay. O.C. Tanner drives positive business results by helping millions of people thrive at work. For more information visit octanner.com.

Research Methodology

The O.C. Tanner Institute uses multiple research methods to support the Global Culture Report, including interviews, focus groups, cross-sectional surveys, and a longitudinal survey.

Qualitative findings came from 16 focus groups and 85 interviews among employees and leaders of larger organizations. Each group represented various types of employers, including both private and public entities.

Quantitative findings came from online survey interviews administered to employees across Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Philippines, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The total sample size is 38,177 workers at companies with 500+ employees.

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Callsign survey says half of consumers blame banks, retailers, social media companies and telcos for scam message explosion

Survey shows erosion of digital trust, with fed up consumers saying more needs to be done to protect their personal information

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach  23 September 2021  Callsign, the digital trust pioneer reveals that consumers think banks, retailers and mobile operators need to do more to protect them and their personal information from fraudsters. Trust in these organizations is eroding fast because consumers say they are overwhelmed by scam messages from fraudsters spoofing brand names daily.

The problem has become so pervasive that consumers mistrust the technology, processes designed to protect them from fraudsters and confirm identities with many adamant that users must prove beyond doubt who they are when logging in to use a platform, and that there should be an online identity system to quell the surge of scams.

“Callsign’s data demonstrates that consumer trust in our digital world has vanished and, rightly or wrongly brands, are being blamed. Yet the sense is that little is being actually done to purposely re-establish digital trust through complete and accurate digital identities,” explained Stuart Dobbie, Senior Vice President, Innovation, Callsign.

The survey of global consumers – including Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Philippines, and Singapore – revealed that almost half (45%) of consumers say their trust in businesses such as banks, retailers, mobile network operators and delivery companies, has decreased due to persistent scams spoofing brand names. With global consumers (42%) asking mobile network operators to do more to stop scammers using their platforms, and a third (33%) asking the same of banks.

People claim to have received scams through email (67%), SMS (57%), phone (46%), messaging apps (33%) and social media (23%) in the last year. But over a third (37%) of global consumers don’t know where or who to report a scam message to, or simply get too many to bother (34%).  Over half of all consumers don’t trust organizations to keep their data safe; 43% of scam victims react with suspicion wanting to know where fraudsters got their details.

“The solution lies in re-thinking how we fight fraud and how we identify people online. Current approaches tackle both challenges by only identifying fraud,” said Namrata Jolly, General Manager – Asia Pacific, Callsign. “The problem with this approach is that a fraudster using stolen credentials looks like a genuine user gaining access to accounts or executing transactions. If instead fraud strategies look to positively identify only genuine users, this automatically and simultaneously prevents fraud.”

Callsign’s technology involves the layering of behavioral biometrics over threat detection, device, and location data.  Through a simple swipe of a phone, typing pressure, mouse movements or device angles, users can be personally recognized to a 99.999% accuracy. Organizations eliminate one point of failure in the authentication process and achieve two-factor authentication with minimal friction.

“With consumers feeling the brunt of perceived inaction by organizations, it’s no surprise that they are asking for more protection. If we continue to be unable to know and trust that the person is who they say they are online, large parts of our society will stop working.

Digital Trust is about the confidence we have in the technology, processes, and people to secure our digital world. Digital Trust is underpinned by digital identities, and the fact that scams are running wild proves that our digital identities are well and truly broken. It’s time to re-think fraud prevention strategies, identifying genuine users through their behaviors will allow us to identify users online and re-establish digital trust,” concluded Dobbie.

Editors notes.

*All figures, unless stated are from Opinium. The total sample size was 9568 adults with the following national breakdown: Brazil, 1000; Germany, 1000; Hong Kong, 420; India, 553; Indonesia, 541; Philippines, 529; Singapore, 457; UK 1000; USA, 2003.

Regional samples; Benelux, 500; Middle East and Africa (UAE, KSA, Qatar, Bahrain, South Africa) 1065; Nordics; 500. The fieldwork was carried out online by Opinium in June 2021.

About Callsign

Callsign is pioneering digital trust through proprietary technology that uniquely mimics the way humans identify each other in the real world. Positive identification of genuine users delivers privacy, safety and minimal friction whilst ensuring that bad actors are blocked. Through a simple Swipe or Type, users can be personally recognized to a 99.999% accuracy, delivering the highest-fidelity AI based user recognition for the digital world.

To learn more about how this technology is used to underpin digital trust across financial institutions, governments and commerce globally visit: https://www.callsign.com/

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