“Oh Granny, what big eyes you’ve got!”

“I’ll huff, and i’ll puff, and i’ll puff, and i’ll blow your house in!”

“Mirror, mirror on the wall, whose the fairest of them all?”

When was the last time you read or heard about the story of Red Riding Hood, Three little pigs, or Snow White and the seven dwarves? Mine was back in kindergarten, back when i played with Legos, had trouble spelling my name, and i was learning to read… or write? Hell, i cant even remember. Yet the mention of these quotes intuitively brought me back to these fairy tales resoundingly, which for some reason i am still able to remember the book from head to toe. Why is that so? I sought to find out.

On 31 January 2020, Friday, and my fellow SIT Hospitality Business students and I were hosted by Mr Azhar Abdul-Salam, Course Manager and Senior Lecturer for the Diploma in Mass Media Management, for Nanyang Polytechnic. With experience ranging from Mediacorp to ESPN, my follow classmates and I listened intently as he shared with us story-telling structures and the process behind video productions.

Mr Azhar touched on storytelling techniques and humoured us with his bubbly anecdotes. He further demonstrated these with video examples. With a large emphasis on storytelling, i learned more on what makes a story good.

With the short video titled Petronas’ ‘Tan Hong Ming’, not even 2 minutes long, he exemplified how to create a good story. A simple short interview with 2 young children, to tackle the problem of racial discrimination in todays society, has really put into perspective what storytelling means. It did not matter that the video production was imperfect, nor did it matter that there was neither a script, nor expensive editing. What mattered was that it was a genuine, empathetic story.

Next, he showed us the story of Google’s ad titled ‘Reunion’, a powerful video touching on the forsaken friendship of 2 childhood friends fractured due to the Pakistan-Indian Border. A heartfelt advertisement, Google truly exemplifies how to incorporate features of their product while telling a captivating story, which has definitely left a mark on me. “A good story helps the audience connect to the characters in the video”, Mr Azhar demonstrated perfectly on why stories matter.

A good story is one that fascinates and draws in the audience. A good story brings out emotions of the audience. A good story is not inhibited by duration or time – it is timeless.

And perhaps, that is why I’ll always be able to remember the next line: “”No, no, by the hair on my chinny chin chin.”

And that is why stories, matter.

Times should be adapted to.

It is a laudable achievement for TTG Asia, an organisation established in 1974, commemorating its 46th year as a veteran in the tourism and media industry. However, its journey has not come without its trials and tribulations. With the rise of new media, the media industry has been hit hard, with traditional print media, the lifeblood of TTG, phasing out and being replaced by digital media. What do you do then?

On 24th January 2020, we were graced by Mr Ooi Peng Ee, Head of TTG Global Commerce and Development and Publisher, where he gave a talk about the zeitgeist of the tourism and media industry. The talk comprised of insight into the company’s procedures, the current market environment, and TTG’s corporate strategy going forward.

TTG started with print publications in 1974, and was the number one platform, lauded as the “goldmine for the industry,” as the lack of the internet then meant that such deals and info were only available in this exclusive magazine. The strength of TTG was their credibility and their ability at producing quality content that is relevant, timely, and news-worthy, making it highly sought after in the industry.

Mr Ooi also mentioned that the current market environment is constantly changing, with disruptions like new media and changing customer preferences. Mr Ooi talked about the need to adapt, a recurring theme in today’s talk, and explained TTG’s diversification plans. In 1985, they branched into database marketing, providing rich data assets for clients. With the help of their database, they started a conference in 1998 – Corporate Travel World – with its niche in attracting C-level key stakeholders, making it a highly esteemed trade fair today. In 2009, TTG digitalised its media, and slowly integrated its print publication online, in the same theme of keeping up with the times. I was inspired by TTG and their continuous advocacy for adaptation.

Looking into the future, Mr Ooi has revealed TTG’s future plans to us, such as their Experential Travel App, the Experience Pass initiative, and also new partnerships with accomplished tech companies such as LDR Technology and GlobalTix. TTG’s ability to adapt and anticipate future threats has defined them as a powerhouse in the tourism and media industry.

Success is not achieved from a surefire formula, instead it is the capability to adapt to the perilous threats in this ever-changing and hostile business environment.

A famous latin proverb comes to mind: Tempora aptari decet (hence the title). We should not plan and then try to make circumstances fit those plans. Instead we should make plans fit the circumstances, and TTG is a loud testament to this.

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