Asians are brand-centric but not design-centric If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him.~John F. Kennedy Singapore is hardly ever known as a creative city due to its tough censorship and media-related laws.Local artists have to struggle to find balance between freedom of expression and civil obedience.Historically, many local talents are either lured by more lucrative careers in service and finance industries or they have to take their talents elsewhere.
もし芸術が文化を豊かにするものなら、自らの考えに従い進んで行ける様、芸術家は自由にしてやるべきだ。~John F. Kennedy
シンガポールは、検閲やメディア関連の法律が厳しいので、今までクリエイティブな都市として認識される事はほとんどなかった。地元のアーティストは、表現の自由と社会的慣習に従う事の間で、一生懸命バランスをとってきた。昔から、地元の才能がある多くの人達は、サービスや金融業界などの儲かる仕事に魅力を見出していくか、違う場所で才能を活かすしかなかった。
But the scene is changing with internationally acclaimed institutions like Hyper Island and events like CreativeMornings/Singapore (disclaimer: I am an organizer of this event) bringing together foreign talents and local creatives.The Singapore government is also lending more financial support and creating the necessary infrastructure for a creative culture to thrive.Presently though, we’re also faced with a less design savvy market as compared to our East Asian neighbors like Japan and South Korea.This means that many design-oriented startups will have to educate the market and wait for a growing middle class with higher disposable incomes who may come to appreciate the value of design.
It’s baffling why consumers wouldn’t mind spending several months of their pay checks on branded goods but insist on bargaining for handicrafts at flea markets.Or as a local doctor would have put it, consumers here are willing to spend their fortunes on cosmetic surgery but will complain about high clinical consultation fees for flu and fever.Solutions for a creative economy Make no mistake, the emergence of platformed creativity in sheer numbers is not representative of a viable market ready to consume creative goods and services at scale.It’s simply an indication that willing and passionate entrepreneurs are out there and ready to make a change in the creative and technology scene.
創造経済のためのソリューション
確かに、数字を見る限り、プラットフォームクリエティビティーの台頭が、いかなる規模であれクリエーティブなグッズやサービスの消費を実現できうるマーケットの準備ができていると示しているのではない。意欲があって情熱を持った起業家がいて、クリエーティブ・テック業界に変化をもたらす準備ができていることを示しているにすぎない。
Those who are here for the long run and are committed to educate local and regional consumers will learn to build a sizable (and perhaps loyal) following.Startups now have access to popular internet media channels, and this will shorten our go-to-market cycles and free talents from bad ideas so they can work on better ones.The next 5 years will be an interesting for entrepreneurs blending creativity and tech.Especially when we’re witnessing an influx of foreign talents assimilating to the local culture and participating in creative projects that will push the bar for all creative disciplines from fashion to film.The media players here will have to think bigger and scale abroad too.
America was the first to dominate as a soft power after the war.In the last two decades, our East Asian neighbors had a head-start with South Korean and Japanese culture assimilating into global music and film.Today, China is catching up fast.Their sheer number in talent creates exportable content that will help solidify their position as a future soft power.Consumer startups cannot afford to stay under the radar and that is why mainstream media will play a pivotal role in lifting all technology startups in Southeast Asia.Look at the growth and incubation period of Etsy and Kickstarter below.For every success story we know of, there are plenty of unknowns we’ve yet to hear about from the news.
Yet the media continues to propel the growth of Etsy and Kickstarter.Parts of the puzzle are still missing for Asian entrepreneurs hoping to capture the hearts of regional consumers.Yet, exploring the unknown is what makes the work of a pioneer is exciting: we get to set the rules while disrupting and consolidating markets.
