Singapore’s dynamic economy and strong financial sector have continuously attracted global investors and enterprises. With a diverse population and a multilingual atmosphere, effective communication has become a critical necessity for corporations operating in the country.
In efforts to reach a broader audience and ensure effective communication, numerous Singapore Exchange-listed (SGX) companies have prioritized the development of multilingual online representations. This move not only highlights the cultural diversity of the region but also fosters stronger connections with international stakeholders.
A recent assessment of SGX-listed companies unveiled the extent to which these entities have embraced multilingual strategies on their online platforms. Information gathered by our research team via a desk study shed light on the communication language strategy of these corporations and their endeavors toward inclusive web communication.
The top 100 companies, ranked by revenues, were analyzed. The analysis was conducted remotely using only the published resources of those companies. The data was later grouped by industry and analyzed. All data and underlying screenshots are published on public databases for review.
On average the companies used 2 languages to communicate web content.
Broken down by industry, the following picture emerged:
| Industry | AVERAGE of Language Translations |
| Asset Management | 1 |
| Automotive | 1 |
| Business Services | 1 |
| Defense | 1 |
| F&B | 1 |
| Farm Products | 1 |
| Lodging | 1 |
| Luxury Goods | 1 |
| Metals & Mining | 1 |
| Telecom Services | 1 |
| Financial Services | 1.14 |
| Medical | 1.25 |
| Transport | 1.33 |
| Real Estate | 1.36 |
| Software—Application | 1.5 |
| Electronics | 1.66 |
| Utilities | 1.66 |
| Chemicals | 2 |
| Conglomerates | 2 |
| Publishing | 2 |
| Oil & Gas | 3 |
| Aviation | 5 |
| Solar | 10 |
| Avg | 2 |
Isolated companies, e.g. Singapore Airlines Ltd from the aviation sector, offered web content in 12 languages, including English, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Korean, Thai, Bahasa, Deutch, Francais, Dutch, Russian, and Portuguese. This comprehensive linguistic support underscores the company’s global outreach and its dedication to providing a seamless experience to travelers worldwide.
A Leading real estate giant Ascendas India Trust, CapitaLand Ltd has also taken significant steps to cater to diverse audiences, with translations available in 3 languages, including Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese. Interesting here is th choice of languages (not the national languages), suggesting the potential investors that the organization wants to attract. These efforts demonstrate their recognition of the need for effective communication with international investors and clients, solidifying their positions in the global real estate market.
Among the prominent SGX-listed companies, some telecommunication and regional banking entities Singapore Telecommunications Ltd, NetLink NBN Trust, StarHub, DBS Group Holdings Ltd, Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp Ltd, and United Overseas Bank Ltd, > were observed to exclusively deploy English content in their presentations.
- The data further revealed that various companies:
- Keppel Corp Ltd
- Singapore Exchange
- Sembcorp Industries
- BOC Aviation
- SATS
- Singapore Press Holdings
- ComfortDelGro Corp
- Haw Par Corp
- GuocoLand
- iFAST Corp Ltd
- Wing Tai Holdings Ltd
- Bukit Sembawang Estates Ltd
- Sinarmas Land Ltd
- Nanofilm Technologies International Ltd
- PropNex Ltd
- Halcyon Agri Corp Ltd
- XP Power Limited
have also made efforts to offer bilingual or multilingual support on their websites, accommodating the language preferences of their stakeholders across different regions.
This emphasis on a multilingual online presence not only serves as a strategic move for effective communication but also reflects Singapore’s cosmopolitan nature, emphasizing inclusivity and accessibility for all.
For raw data, please contact info.ph@globibo.com
Repository published on https://data.world/globibo-pte/sgx-listed-companies-and-their-multilingual-online-presence/insights
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