TheSmartLocal (TSL) Media Group: Difference between revisions

From Wiki.sg
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Line 10: Line 10:


==Content growth==
==Content growth==
=== Lifestyle publisher ===
[[File:TSL Daiso article.jpg|thumb|''The cover image for TSL's "[https://thesmartlocal.com/read/daiso-singapore-best-deals/ 20 Greatest Daiso Things To Buy]" article in January 2020.'']]
[[File:TSL Daiso article.jpg|thumb|''The cover image for TSL's "[https://thesmartlocal.com/read/daiso-singapore-best-deals/ 20 Greatest Daiso Things To Buy]" article in January 2020.'']]
In a 2017 interview with ''Vulcan Post'', TSL’s founder Bryan Choo shared that the site had encountered hiccups with its initial crowd-sourced review portal concept.<ref>Chan, Melissa. "[https://vulcanpost.com/624435/thesmartlocal-singapore-founder-bryan-choo/ TheSmartLocal Founder Bryan Choo - From Champion Gamer to Media Entrepreneur]". ''Vulcan Post.'' October 27, 2017. Accessed 12 November 2019.</ref> The site was slow to grow as Singaporeans were not contributing as actively as he had hoped.<ref>Chan, Melissa. "[https://vulcanpost.com/624435/thesmartlocal-singapore-founder-bryan-choo/ TheSmartLocal Founder Bryan Choo - From Champion Gamer to Media Entrepreneur]". ''Vulcan Post.'' October 27, 2017. Accessed 12 November 2019.</ref> With that in mind, TSL was then developed into a lifestyle media publisher.
In a 2017 interview with ''Vulcan Post'', TSL’s founder Bryan Choo shared that the site had encountered hiccups with its initial crowd-sourced review portal concept.<ref>Chan, Melissa. "[https://vulcanpost.com/624435/thesmartlocal-singapore-founder-bryan-choo/ TheSmartLocal Founder Bryan Choo - From Champion Gamer to Media Entrepreneur]". ''Vulcan Post.'' October 27, 2017. Accessed 12 November 2019.</ref> The site was slow to grow as Singaporeans were not contributing as actively as he had hoped.<ref>Chan, Melissa. "[https://vulcanpost.com/624435/thesmartlocal-singapore-founder-bryan-choo/ TheSmartLocal Founder Bryan Choo - From Champion Gamer to Media Entrepreneur]". ''Vulcan Post.'' October 27, 2017. Accessed 12 November 2019.</ref> With that in mind, TSL was then developed into a lifestyle media publisher. By 2020, TSL has covered a wide variety of topics ranging from wisdom tooth removal<ref>Syuhada Suri. “[https://thesmartlocal.com/read/wisdom-tooth-removal/ Guide to wisdom tooth removal in Singapore - Extraction, costs and recovery]”. ''TheSmartLocal.'' November 13, 2019. Accessed 13 November 2019.</ref> to hiking locations<ref>Khoo, Deborah. “[https://thesmartlocal.com/read/highest-mountains-asia/ 10 Highest Mountains to climb near Singapore if Bukit Timah is no kick for you]”. ''TheSmartLocal.'' May 28, 2018. Accessed 13 November 2019. </ref> and overseas scams.<ref>Tan, Kezia. “[https://thesmartlocal.com/read/travel-scams/ 15 travel scams Singaporeans always kena in Asia, Europe & USA and how to avoid them]”. ''TheSmartLocal.'' August 14, 2019. Accessed 13 November 2019.</ref>




By 2020, TSL has covered a wide variety of topics ranging from wisdom tooth removal<ref>Syuhada Suri. “[https://thesmartlocal.com/read/wisdom-tooth-removal/ Guide to wisdom tooth removal in Singapore - Extraction, costs and recovery]”. ''TheSmartLocal.'' November 13, 2019. Accessed 13 November 2019.</ref> to hiking locations<ref>Khoo, Deborah. “[https://thesmartlocal.com/read/highest-mountains-asia/ 10 Highest Mountains to climb near Singapore if Bukit Timah is no kick for you]”. ''TheSmartLocal.'' May 28, 2018. Accessed 13 November 2019. </ref> and overseas scams.<ref>Tan, Kezia. “[https://thesmartlocal.com/read/travel-scams/ 15 travel scams Singaporeans always kena in Asia, Europe & USA and how to avoid them]”. ''TheSmartLocal.'' August 14, 2019. Accessed 13 November 2019.</ref> Other than publishing editorial content on its website, TSL actively creates video content on [https://www.youtube.com/user/TheSmartLocal YouTube] and [https://www.facebook.com/TheSmartLocal/ Facebook]. The site is also active on [https://www.instagram.com/thesmartlocalsg/ Instagram]. On average, TheSmartLocal has an average monthly reach of over 3 million Singaporeans.<ref>“[https://thesmartlocal.com/aboutus/ About us]”. ''TheSmartLocal.'' Accessed 13 November 2019.</ref>
Other than publishing editorial content on its website, TSL actively creates video content on [https://www.youtube.com/user/TheSmartLocal YouTube] and [https://www.facebook.com/TheSmartLocal/ Facebook]. The site is also active on [https://www.instagram.com/thesmartlocalsg/ Instagram]. On average, TheSmartLocal has an average monthly reach of over 3 million Singaporeans.<ref>“[https://thesmartlocal.com/aboutus/ About us]”. ''TheSmartLocal.'' Accessed 13 November 2019.</ref>


=== TheSmartLocalTV (TSLTV) ===
TheSmartLocal has built a following on its YouTube channel - TSLTV - over the years. As of February 2020, the channel has over 260,000 subscribers.<ref>"[https://www.youtube.com/user/TheSmartLocal/videos?view=0&sort=da&flow=grid TheSmartLocal]". ''YouTube''. Accessed on 11 February 2020.</ref> The first public video on TSLTV was published in 2013. Titled "Ultimate Drive HD Singapore 2013",  it was the first episode for the series - TheSmartLocal.com Singapore Attractions.<ref>TheSmartLocal. "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMYqj8cfFfM Ultimate Drive HD Singapore 2013 - TheSmartLocal.com Singapore Attractions Episode 1]" . ''YouTube''. January 17, 2013. Accessed on 11 February 2020.</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Series
!Seasons
!Episodes
!Refs.
|-
| rowspan="4" |2017 - ongoing
| rowspan="4" |#Instawalk
|4
|8 (ongoing)
|[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLURCSyX4ldqngg1_up7O9I54Upc2knVj0 Playlist]
|-
|3
|8
|[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLURCSyX4ldqlINovVc-llnDN3BdjxbjK0 Playlist]
|-
|2
|2
|[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLURCSyX4ldql8ujf_qUSic5k7Z_nFFo2T Playlist]
|-
|1
|2
|[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLURCSyX4ldqkRb3QiKKo1t2Mw6uCXw574 Playlist]
|-
| rowspan="2" |2016 - ongoing
| rowspan="2" |TSL Vlogs
|2
|70
|[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLURCSyX4ldqnvJGapX5YaClh5PVC_6P4H Playlist]
|-
|1
|27
|[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLURCSyX4ldqll5WWZyJyWRnSEkCHa1t7q Playlist]
|-
| rowspan="2" |2016 - ongoing
| rowspan="2" |TSL Plays
|2
|100 (ongoing)
|[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLURCSyX4ldqkhGq7AG5xJlGrpRg6ny2Rb Playlist]
|-
|1
|10
|[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLURCSyX4ldqmLWeXWi-WLeDm4IPncbEN2 Playlist]
|-
| rowspan="4" |2015 - ongoing
| rowspan="4" |Singaporeans Try
|4
|85 (ongoing)
|[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLURCSyX4ldqmsOYJEbFXpXZa_knl4c4Y4 Playlist]
|-
|3
|40
|[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLURCSyX4ldqmtzkxnPl9Mw_rh6NVBI30f Playlist]
|-
|2
|60
|[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLURCSyX4ldqlLuqz31g7Irb3qBN11BysB Playlist]
|-
|1
|40
|[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLURCSyX4ldqkLdkWRfvnncRp4-ZLn_vAq Playlist]
|-
| rowspan="2" |2014 - ongoing
| rowspan="2" |TSL Comedy
|2
|19 (ongoing)
|[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLURCSyX4ldqlj_O9DnkWmhxCxw0-I0MXZ Playlist]
|-
|1
|24
|[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLURCSyX4ldql2bFvZaPkzT5MsjITCwmme Playlist]
|-
| rowspan="3" |2013 - ongoing
| rowspan="3" |TSL Travels (as of 2020, TSL Travel videos are standalone videos)
|3
|19
|[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLURCSyX4ldqmMfMLD3e077wz5AilmX4lj Playlist]
|-
|2
|15
|[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLURCSyX4ldqm77LfDldiaqkuwrTVEmd0t Playlist]
|-
|1
|11
|[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLURCSyX4ldqnM9iZlmg_4t5ecnOS-Pkjo Playlist]
|-
| colspan="5" |
|-
|2018 - 2019
|Coffee Break
|1
|14
|[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLURCSyX4ldqnhAy80j1zkfAj3L3rwikPM Playlist]
|-
|2018 - 2019
|Hired or Fired
|1
|14
|[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLURCSyX4ldqkp9JPsu9F5yotmlGIjafuN Playlist]
|-
|2018
|Next Station
|1
|6
|[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLURCSyX4ldqkFO677ioh6BXIQDYdg7Be1 Playlist]
|-
|2017
|"TheStartUp" Web-Series
|1
|4
|[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLURCSyX4ldqkufHbOoTSz-eJfoKVzGQmN Playlist]
|-
|2017
|TSL Talent Search
|1
|9
|[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLURCSyX4ldqkNVthB2ZwFvTYZSVd3LlCk Playlist]
|-
|2017 - 2018
|TSL Reviews
|1
|36
|[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLURCSyX4ldqkCOuYZFKYe3Kf76gYv1_DR Playlist]
|-
| rowspan="2" |2016 - 2018
| rowspan="2" |Word On The Street
|2
|10
|[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLURCSyX4ldqkG9u1VBI3yMsyowOZKd0D9 Playlist]
|-
|1
|39
|[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLURCSyX4ldqlfMIb1sq4EXUD_P_a984hc Playlist]
|-
|2016 - 2017
|PLUS 65
|1
|5
|[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLURCSyX4ldqm0Qlyl_UjJO0EUtyGpe8OG Playlist]
|-
| rowspan="2" |2015 - 2017
| rowspan="2" |TSL Acoustic Sessions
|2
|11
|[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLURCSyX4ldqkTylWz6pXlaoJCi0bJbrKJ Playlist]
|-
|1
|12
|[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLURCSyX4ldqnLbPoADWI7jXgTIL2Rl1Ps Playlist]
|-
|2015 - 2017
|Guide to Singapore
|1
|13
|[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLURCSyX4ldqnapm_Q-cfoJ7FsAM3ya4gr Playlist]
|-
| rowspan="2" |2014 - 2018
| rowspan="2" |PrettySmart
|2
|77
|[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLURCSyX4ldqnUMsOBqbKKAurQRSUHVBFZ Playlist]
|-
|1
|51
|[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLURCSyX4ldqn0J75l-RuhyOlPgUP8uMl0 Playlist]
|}


=== Sister companies ===
Over the years, TSL has expanded to include the following sister companies.
Over the years, TSL has expanded to include the following sister companies.
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"

Revision as of 14:45, 11 February 2020

TSL is a leading media publisher in Singapore with 5 subsidiary companies.

TheSmartLocal (TSL) started in August 2012 as a “positive hyper-local crowd-sourced review portal”.[1] Now a leading lifestyle publisher in Singapore, the TSL Media Group has grown to consist of the following sister companies: TheSmartLocal, ZULA, MustShare News, Eatbook.sg and Wiki.sg. As of 2020, the company has also opened regional offices in Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Japan and Korea. In 2018, TSL won ‘Media Brand of the Year’ at the Mumbrella Asia Awards.[2]

Background

Founder

Bryan Choo is the founder and Managing Director of TSL Media Group. Before setting up TSL in 2012, Bryan was a competitive Starcraft gamer,[3] participating in multiple competitions in and out of Singapore.[4][5][6][7] In 2010, Bryan kickstarted SC2SEA - a South East Asia (SEA) eSports community site.[8] Bryan went to Catholic High School before furthering his studies at the University of Queensland where he graduated with a Bachelors of Commerce (Honours) in Finance.[9]

Business model

In 2018, TSL created a 10-part commissioned network programme for Toggle.

Equipped with an in-house editorial and video team, TSL creates content for its audience that can also be monetised.[10] TSL remains profitable by creating branded editorial and video content, an effective alternative to traditional advertising. Acting as a media publisher, creative agency and production house, TSL provides an “end-to-end service” for its paying clients.[11]

Content growth

Lifestyle publisher

The cover image for TSL's "20 Greatest Daiso Things To Buy" article in January 2020.

In a 2017 interview with Vulcan Post, TSL’s founder Bryan Choo shared that the site had encountered hiccups with its initial crowd-sourced review portal concept.[12] The site was slow to grow as Singaporeans were not contributing as actively as he had hoped.[13] With that in mind, TSL was then developed into a lifestyle media publisher. By 2020, TSL has covered a wide variety of topics ranging from wisdom tooth removal[14] to hiking locations[15] and overseas scams.[16]


Other than publishing editorial content on its website, TSL actively creates video content on YouTube and Facebook. The site is also active on Instagram. On average, TheSmartLocal has an average monthly reach of over 3 million Singaporeans.[17]

TheSmartLocalTV (TSLTV)

TheSmartLocal has built a following on its YouTube channel - TSLTV - over the years. As of February 2020, the channel has over 260,000 subscribers.[18] The first public video on TSLTV was published in 2013. Titled "Ultimate Drive HD Singapore 2013", it was the first episode for the series - TheSmartLocal.com Singapore Attractions.[19]

Year Series Seasons Episodes Refs.
2017 - ongoing #Instawalk 4 8 (ongoing) Playlist
3 8 Playlist
2 2 Playlist
1 2 Playlist
2016 - ongoing TSL Vlogs 2 70 Playlist
1 27 Playlist
2016 - ongoing TSL Plays 2 100 (ongoing) Playlist
1 10 Playlist
2015 - ongoing Singaporeans Try 4 85 (ongoing) Playlist
3 40 Playlist
2 60 Playlist
1 40 Playlist
2014 - ongoing TSL Comedy 2 19 (ongoing) Playlist
1 24 Playlist
2013 - ongoing TSL Travels (as of 2020, TSL Travel videos are standalone videos) 3 19 Playlist
2 15 Playlist
1 11 Playlist
2018 - 2019 Coffee Break 1 14 Playlist
2018 - 2019 Hired or Fired 1 14 Playlist
2018 Next Station 1 6 Playlist
2017 "TheStartUp" Web-Series 1 4 Playlist
2017 TSL Talent Search 1 9 Playlist
2017 - 2018 TSL Reviews 1 36 Playlist
2016 - 2018 Word On The Street 2 10 Playlist
1 39 Playlist
2016 - 2017 PLUS 65 1 5 Playlist
2015 - 2017 TSL Acoustic Sessions 2 11 Playlist
1 12 Playlist
2015 - 2017 Guide to Singapore 1 13 Playlist
2014 - 2018 PrettySmart 2 77 Playlist
1 51 Playlist

Sister companies

Over the years, TSL has expanded to include the following sister companies.

Year Founded Sister Companies Summary Refs.
2019 Wiki.sg A site dedicated to fact-finding and fact-checking in Singapore. [20]
2017 ZULA A site producing female-centric content for Singaporeans. [21]
2015 Eatbook.sg A site producing food-related content for Singaporeans. [22]
2014 MustShare (MS) News A news site providing credible and engaging news to Singaporeans. [23]
2012 TheSmartLocal was founded.

Office culture

TSL's office cats Jaymee (left) and Pika (right).

The first TSL office in 2013 was located in River Valley. The office space was then relocated to 592F Balestier Road in 2014. A year later, TSL moved again 71 McNair Road. In November 2016, TSL Media moved into an office space at Kallang Bahru which has since remained the company's headquarters.[24] In 2019, TSL opened physical offices in Malaysia and Thailand.


Founder Bryan Choo places importance on a positive office culture as this translates into a conducive environment for good work ethic and values. The TSL headquarters has an open-office concept and is equipped with a communal dining area, three studios, one meeting room and a chill area. TSL also has two office cats, Pika and Jaymee.[25]

Awards & accolades

Mumbrella Asia Awards (2018) - “Media Brand of the Year”

Mumbrella Asia Awards is a prestigious award celebrating media-marketing work across the region. The awards consist of 30 categories that are judged by 200 industry jurors.[26]


In September 2018, Bryan submitted an award entry for TSL to Mumbrella Asia.[27] In November, TSL was nominated alongside media companies such as VICE Media, Consumer News and Business Channel (CNBC) and South China Morning Post (SCMP).[28] They won the award for Media Brand of the Year. The award presentation ceremony was held at the Intercontinental Hotel in Singapore.[29]

References / Citations

  1. ↑ Tan, Vanessa. “Be a Smarter Local with TheSmartLocal.com”. Tech in Asia. May 24, 2013. Accessed on 13 November 2019.
  2. ↑ Yang, Joyce. “Winning work: How TheSmartLocal harnessed the power of positivity to beat the big media players”. Mumbrella Asia. November 30, 2018. Accessed on 28 January 2020.
  3. ↑ “About Bryan Choo”. I am Bryan Choo. July 25, 2015. Accessed 15 November 2019.
  4. ↑ “Taking Starcraft II with Team aLt’s Bryan nivAnA Choo”. Game Spot. March 20, 2011. Accessed on 15 November 2019.
  5. ↑ “WCG 2001”.  Liquipedia. Accessed 13 November 2019.
  6. ↑ “Final Results”. SC2SEA. August 8, 2011. Accessed 13 November 2019.
  7. ↑ “Smuft's Team Battle Tournament”. Liquipedia. Accessed 13 November 2019.
  8. ↑ Chan, Melissa. "TheSmartLocal Founder Bryan Choo - From Champion Gamer to Media Entrepreneur". Vulcan Post. October 27, 2017. Accessed 12 November 2019.
  9. ↑ Bryan Choo. Facebook. Accessed 12 November 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.facebook.com/beautifulseoul/about?section=education&lst=1596858661%3A635691171%3A1573547106
  10. ↑ Yang, Joyce. “Winning work: How TheSmartLocal harnessed the power of positivity to beat the big media players”. Mumbrella Asia. November 30, 2018. Accessed on 28 January 2020.
  11. ↑ “Advertise”. TheSmartLocal. Accessed on 28 January 2020.
  12. ↑ Chan, Melissa. "TheSmartLocal Founder Bryan Choo - From Champion Gamer to Media Entrepreneur". Vulcan Post. October 27, 2017. Accessed 12 November 2019.
  13. ↑ Chan, Melissa. "TheSmartLocal Founder Bryan Choo - From Champion Gamer to Media Entrepreneur". Vulcan Post. October 27, 2017. Accessed 12 November 2019.
  14. ↑ Syuhada Suri. “Guide to wisdom tooth removal in Singapore - Extraction, costs and recovery”. TheSmartLocal. November 13, 2019. Accessed 13 November 2019.
  15. ↑ Khoo, Deborah. “10 Highest Mountains to climb near Singapore if Bukit Timah is no kick for you”. TheSmartLocal. May 28, 2018. Accessed 13 November 2019.
  16. ↑ Tan, Kezia. “15 travel scams Singaporeans always kena in Asia, Europe & USA and how to avoid them”. TheSmartLocal. August 14, 2019. Accessed 13 November 2019.
  17. ↑ “About us”. TheSmartLocal. Accessed 13 November 2019.
  18. ↑ "TheSmartLocal". YouTube. Accessed on 11 February 2020.
  19. ↑ TheSmartLocal. "Ultimate Drive HD Singapore 2013 - TheSmartLocal.com Singapore Attractions Episode 1" . YouTube. January 17, 2013. Accessed on 11 February 2020.
  20. ↑ “About Wiki.sg”. Wiki.sg. April 4, 2019. Accessed 13 November 2019.
  21. ↑ “About us”. Zula. Accessed 13 November 2019.
  22. ↑ “About us”. Eatbook. Accessed 7 June 2019.
  23. ↑ “About MS News”. MS News. September 15, 2014. Accessed 13 November 2019.
  24. ↑ Lee, Grace. “Office Renovation: TSL turned this rabak industrial unit into a mini-Google HQ”. TheSmartLocal. December 16, 2016. Accessed 12 November 2019.
  25. ↑ Chan, Melissa. "TheSmartLocal Founder Bryan Choo - From Champion Gamer to Media Entrepreneur". Vulcan Post. October 27, 2017. Accessed 12 November 2019.
  26. ↑ “Asia’s more credible media & marketing awards”. Mumbrella Asia. Accessed 12 November 2019.
  27. ↑ Bryan Choo. “OMG WE WON!!” Facebook. November 15, 2018. Accessed 12 November 2019.
  28. ↑ “Mumbrella Asia Awards winners revealed”. Mumbrella Asia. November 15, 2018. Accessed 12 November 2019.
  29. ↑ Choo, Bryan. “The Smart Local wins media brand of the year at the Mumbrella Asia Awards”. I am bryan choo. November 16, 2018. Accessed on 30 January 2020.
Retrieved from "https://wiki.sg/index.php?title=TheSmartLocal_(TSL)_Media_Group&oldid=5612"