This apparently appeared in the Straits Times on the 21st of May this year. Part of a series of advertisements to market SMU, I believe. This left me feeling rather weird about my candidature here in SMU – I understand the basic idea behind playing up the entrepreneurial paths that some of our graduates have taken, but really, fish soup? In an admissions advertisement? Here’s what the text in the little blue box at the bottom of the ad reads:

“SMU students don’t follow the crowd, they lead the way. Our revolutionary, broad-based and participative pedagogy transforms them into confident individuals prepared to go against convention. It helps them develop an entrepreneurial spirit and a sense of social and ethical responsibility. Claire Au, for example, runs a thriving fish soup business and considers giving meal coupons to the poor an integral aspect of her business philosophy. Above all, SMU teaches students to follow their passions, through good times and bad. Many found challenging careers in a variety of industries, others became budding entrepreneurs. Either way, each one has what it takes to choose their own path in life. THE WORLD IS YOUR CAMPUS.”

Once again, I think I can appreciate the spirit of the advertisement – entrepreneurship generally tends not to be the usual path of advancement for many young workforce entrants in Singapore, and now that the government is encouraging it, SMU is trying to be out in front and encourage it to. And a large part of that is attracting the kind of students that have the inspiration and drive to one day set up their own businesses and not just start climbing the ladder at a big-name MNC. So yep, to this Claire Au person and all the other entrepreneurs who have graduated from SMU, well done, and all the best. Honestly.

But I think the really questionable thing the marketing department of SMU has done here is putting the name of our school next to a picture of a lady offering the cameraman a bowl of what is allegedly fish soup (albeit a very well-dressed and attractive lady). We know that the economy is bad, and everyone who’s applying to university is weighing how marketable each university can make him or her. All this while SMU has been running the line that SMU graduates are on average more marketable than most Singaporean graduates, i.e. 100% find a job within 6 months of graduation, SMU Economics students are on average the highest paid among whoever, etc. My question to the school marketing department is – why suddenly change tack and emphasize entrepreneurship? And even if entrepreneurship is to be emphasized, why fish soup? Different, for sure, but what kind of impression is it going to give someone who has just left JC/Poly and is looking for somewhere to invest his/her next four years and $30,000+ in?

So in a spirit of candor, I present my take on this ad.



(I'm sorry if I've offended anyone, don't take it personally, I just have it in me to criticize marketing materials)