The Year of the Horse: Why PR and communications in Singapore can’t afford to lose momentum

By Chloe Tan, Account Manager, Aspectus Group 

As the year of the Fire Horse begins, communications leaders face compressed news cycles, heavier scrutiny and rising expectations of authenticity and trust. 

Chinese New Year welcomes in the Year of the Horse, traditionally associated with momentum, stamina and confidence. As many organizations use the moment to reflect on strategy and priorities for the year ahead, it is worth mapping those qualities against Singapore’s marketing and communications (marcoms) landscape to ask how that symbolism might be turned into practical advantage.  

In Singapore, conversations increasingly center on how quickly markets are shifting, what is expected of leaders, and how effectively marcoms teams are able to respond with agility and authority on complex issues despite uncertainty.  

If the Year of the Horse is meant to signal forward motion, the more useful question for marcoms leaders is what must change inside organizations to keep pace with real-world circumstances. Ensuring momentum, confidence and stamina in the Horse year therefore requires reviewing systems, governance and decision-making structures.  

What momentum looks like in practice 

Traditional communication models often rely on short bursts of activity around major announcements, followed by extended periods of quiet. While these moments can generate attention, they rarely build lasting reputation. Momentum in communications comes from continuity and sustaining a consistent narrative across earned media, owned channels and leadership visibility throughout the year. 

It may seem logical to align the yearly plan with company launches, but this may create a stop-start rhythm which might impact media credibility. Journalists, analysts and stakeholders look for continuity in messaging and direction to see whether a company’s priorities surface consistently across commentary, data releases, executive viewpoints and owned channels over time.  

In that sense, momentum requires a steady cadence. Earned media, thought leadership, executive profiling and digital communications as well as launch communications should be planned to reinforce each other throughout the year and not just when a new product or report launches.  

Confidence comes from informed perspectives 

Another characteristic often associated with the Horse is confidence. Here, timing shapes communications outcomes. Many organizations are comfortable entering public conversations only when issues are fully formed and widely debated. By then, the opportunity to shape perception has largely passed.  

Audiences are increasingly skeptical of overly cautious or heavily sanitized messaging. What resonates more strongly is clarity and conviction. Leaders who communicate progress openly, even when outcomes are still evolving, are more likely to build trust than those who wait for complete certainty. For many organizations, this requires a shift in how executive messaging is developed and approved, prioritizing substance and timeliness over excessive refinement. 

In 2026, effective communications in Singapore will be characterized by earlier engagement, with brands and leaders articulating informed perspectives before consensus is reached. This means that scenario planning and clearly articulated viewpoints, with executives prepared and trained for insightful media discussions will be crucial for contributing informed perspectives before the field gets crowded.  

Speed as infrastructure 

Speed, meanwhile, must be treated as a structural capability rather than a reactive measure. A marcoms team that moves only during crises will miss out on opportunities.  

To move quickly on opportunities, teams require a common infrastructure, including clear approval pathways, pre-aligned core narratives and spokespeople who have been briefed well before potential issues break. Additionally, rehearsed crisis scenarios, and data and proof points that are readily accessible will set the marcoms machinery on track to capitalize on opportunities. 

Of course, none of this suggests that more activity alone leads to better outcomes. Momentum without direction also risks becoming noise. The challenge for marcoms teams in the Horse year will be to balance the focus on priority narratives and a cadence of multi-channel visibility to reinforce reputation. Clear alignment across leadership, PR, marketing and digital teams will be essential to sustaining purposeful momentum. 

Keeping pace in the Year of the Horse 

As Singapore’s communications environment becomes faster, noisier and more demanding, the symbolism of the Horse is less about optimism and more about execution. Momentum will not come from sporadic visibility, confidence will not come from silence, and speed will not come from last-minute mobilization.  

The organizations that succeed in the year ahead will be those that treat communications as a continuous, strategic discipline that is built for endurance, clarity and forward motion.  

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Key takeaways

How do marcoms teams create momentum beyond launches?

Maintain an always-on cadence that connects earned media, owned channels, and executive visibility into one continuous narrative.

What builds confidence in leadership communications in 2026?

Timely, informed perspectives delivered with clarity—supported by scenario planning and executive preparation—rather than delayed, overly polished messaging.

How do organizations move faster without becoming reactive?

Treat speed as infrastructure: clear approval pathways, pre-approved core messages, trained spokespeople, rehearsed scenarios, and accessible proof points.

How do you avoid “more activity” turning into noise?

Anchor everything to priority narratives, align PR/marketing/digital, and measure consistency and impact—not just output volume.

About the author

Chloe Tan is an Account Manager in our Singapore team.