There hasn't been much of a chatter over here, but that's only because the past quarter has been so kind to us.

We can't believe we're saying it - Bask Communications survived the one year mark!

We'll always be thankful to Kara Bensley from The WYLD Shop for taking the plunge in becoming Bask Communication's Client #1, and for her endless positivity, encouragement and support.

In the past year, we've worked on 14 projects from 13 clients across fashion, beauty, food, social and lifestyle businesses. We stayed true to supporting small business owners such as Biconi and The WYLD Shop, as well as the community through work with Love Action Project. The social enterprise has brought us from Chinese New Year celebration with migrant workers living in Singapore, to a fun-filled day of experiencing new sports with athletes from Special Olympics Singapore during the Ultimate Grit Challenge by Dun & Bradstreet Singapore. 

Ultimate Grit Challenge with Love Action Project, Dun & Bradstreet Singapore and Special Olympics Singapore

Alexis Bauduin, Top Dog at YOLO Group

2017 also marked the very first time we worked on a PR project for the halal F&B industry. Bask Communications was engaged by YOLO Group to get the news out there to the Muslim community when YOLO Food got its halal certification. Halal heathy food, yay! Through our digital PR strategy and programme with key influencers and media in the Malay community, we helped triple YOLO's following on Instagram, and generated many more business profiles for founder Alexis Bauduin on his business journey. 

Our biggest win of the year? Partnering up with Red Bull Singapore for the Red Bull Racing Team when they were in town for Singapore Grand Prix 2017. In addition to media relations, we worked closely together with the team to produce Dan and Max: How NOT to Open a Durian, garnering over 18 million views globally, and thousands of conversations for the brand and drivers.

To all the clients who have journeyed with us, thank you. To all the individuals who gave us a lift in times of need, thank you. To all the media friends for your encouragement and support, thank you. 

We can't wait for what Terrific Two will bring.

PR Agency for Red Bull Singapore

Featured on Marketing Interactive, 31 August 2017

“As a newcomer in the market, Bask Communications is humbled to have the opportunity to work with Red Bull Singapore. Together with the team, we hope to help break more boundaries and offer strong, strategic support for the Red Bull Racing team in the lead up to Singapore Grand Prix,” Ng Lay Peng, founder of Bask Communications, said.

A little while ago, Bask Communications announced that we are now offering in-house photography and videography services in addition to our portfolio of PR services. In the past few weeks, clients including Manulife and YOLO got fresh new photos for the team, and we had the opportunity to capture the behind-the-scenes magic during the first ever photoshoot with upcoming online destination for conscious fashion and beauty brand ZERRIN.

Come behind the scenes with team ZERRIN for our official launch shoot! www.zerrin.com Massive thanks to Justin Fernando for this fab video Ken Tan - www.withinimages.com on photography Lay Peng - Bask Communications www.baskcomm.com for her general awesomeness Make up and hair by Kelly Bilimoria - www.kellybilimoria.com

Wanna see more? Our chief photographer and videographer Justin Fernando has more works uploaded here and here. Feel free to get in touch at hello@baskcomm.com or contact@justinfernando.com to see what kind of visual pleasure we can create for you. 

This August, we're back in the fast lane in more ways than one! We're excited to share two new partners on board with Bask Communications - YOLO and Red Bull Singapore! 

YOLO is a dynamic, fast, casual takeaway outlet that puts the fun back into healthy eating, and allows you to #EATYOURGOALS with the launch of its flexible and ridiculously tasty daily meal plan combos. The halal-certified brand places an emphasis on good, cooked food that warms the belly along with the reinvention of scrumptious dishes close to our heart, enjoy the familiar tastes of Asian dishes including Miso Salmon, Peranakan Veggie Curry and Coconut Chicken, as well as Western alternatives like Salmon Quinoa Pancake and Beef Steak. Our team loves the food at YOLO but don't just listen to us! Halalfoodhunt and The Halal Food Blog both gave the daily meal plans a go last week with tons of hilarious puns and banters, so go check out what they have to say on their Instagram.

Gearing up for the Singapore Grand Prix, Red Bull Racing has appointed Bask Communications on a project-basis to manage the public relations programme for the Red Bull Racing Team. Following last year's crazily viral Dan and Max Speaks Singlish video, they are back again with a twist. This year, fans stand a chance to win meet and greet sessions with Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen as well as Red Bull Racing merchandise when they correctly guess the words the boys are attempting. Will the boys "catch no ball" again this time round? Head on over Red Bull's Facebook Page to check out the video and join in the race! 

We are marking the beginning of August with not just exciting wins and work to look forward to, but also our first and newest team member, Madihah Hamid. She joins Bask Communications as a PR Coordinator, and this little fire cracker has been rocking the media scene since the age of 14. 

If you're interested to know what we are up to, or how we can work together, get in touch with us at hello@baskcomm.com!

Own a start-up? Looking for PR? Do you need PR? Why? 

When start-up companies think about public relations services, they think press releases, BBC, CNBC, Bloomberg, Straits Times, Business Times etc. Frequently, this "ah-ha, I need to find a PR agency" moment also comes at a time when the team is hunting for investment dollars.

While coverage on mainstream media lends credibility to businesses and helps in pitches for funding, there are steps that all businesses have to go through before landing that front page news or getting into the hot seat. 

1. Build Your Credibility

If this is your team's first bootstrap start-up, it is important to recognise that probably, nobody knows you. Just like how an employee has to prove his capabilities to the bosses to gain recognition, the same applies in the media industry. Journalists want to speak to thought leaders, change makers, industry shapers and shakers. We need case studies, statistics, surveys, expansion plans, projected revenue numbers, market share numbers. Numbers numbers numbers.

Facts, or it's fiction. 

2. Question What Makes You Newsworthy?

As a PR agency, we want to pitch stories that interest journalists. With the start-up world getting increasingly competitive, journalists have also become more selective in their stories. Some of the key questions to ask yourself as a business owner would be:

• How is your product or service different from the rest of the market? 
• Start-ups are usually spearheaded by passionate innovators finding a solution to existing problems. Is your business solving a problem or helping to create new demand? 
• If your business has already launched, are your numbers strong enough to make the media (and start-up community) sit up? If not, what are your plans? 

I've met businesses who believe that their technology is so exciting that journalists will be crazy not to feature them, in spite of the fact that they are adapted from existing models and technologies in the market. They are so passionate about what they do and failed to see those who might think otherwise.

3. Set Your Objectives, and Know Why You Want a PR Partner

Marketing and PR goes hand in hand. You may need to spend some time on marketing, SEO, social media advertising and engagement to build your customer base before PR comes in for the big bang. Set the objectives clear at the start among all parties to know what you want to achieve with the different pillars, including PR. 

If you are looking for someone to instruct, hire an in-house communications executive. If you are hiring an agency, respect their professional knowledge and work together as a team. You know your business inside out, and we know how the media works. 

So, what's your story?