CATS Classified
Encyclopedia
CATS Classified is the print classified advertising
platform of Singapore Press Holdings
(SPH). Its classifieds products are distributed together with various newspapers published by SPH. These include, The Straits Times
, The New Paper
, Lianhe Zaobao
, Shin Min Daily News
, Lianhe Wanbao
, Berita Harian
and Tamil Murasu
. Its tagline
is "Buy it. Sell it. Find it."
CATS Classified is divided into 8 sections.
On 1 July 1845, the Straits Times registered office was a three-storey building at No. 7 Commercial Square, now Raffles Place. The first issue of the Straits Times & Singapore Journal was published on 15 July 1845, consisting of an 8 page folio size, with Classified Ads on the front page. The paper cost was half a Spanish dollar. Front page of 1st issue of The Straits Times (i.e. July 15, 1845) was monopolised by advertisements presented in a composite fashion.
1900s:
In the early 1900s, presentation of newspaper advertisements slowly improved with the introduction of new typefaces or letters and pictorial illustrations. However, the newspaper’s front page was still blanketed with advertisements.
1940s:
The Classified Section first appeared in the Straits Times on December 5, 1946. "CATS Classified" was first launched in Singapore on October 7, 1969, starting off with four female call center operators.
The person in charge was Mr Koh Tiong Choo. Mr Koh joined Classified when he was 28 years old. Mr Koh had to scrutinise all ads, as far as English was concerned. Also he had to be sure of the genuine nature of the advertisers. Death certificates had to be produced before publication of the death announcement. For engagement ads, both parties had to be present and identified from their IDs.
1950s:
On April 3, 1958, HQ moved to Times House at Kim Seng Road. Business Office was located at ground level.
In Anson Road office, City Council (now PAP) placed some notice advertisements with The Straits Times. The girl who handed their ads made a big mistake - she kept a bunch of City Council notices in her drawer and forgot about them totally. For days it didn’t come out for publication. A week later, City Council demanded an explanation on why their ads were not published. Due to the girl’s omission, the Mayor of Singapore Mr Ong Eng Guan then issued an order to ban government advertising in the Straits Times for 2 years, It meant a great loss of income for The Straits Times because their advertisements were long.
1970s:
On 11 June 1978, registered office was moved to Times Centre. Advertisements in The Straits Times and New Straits Times went metric from September 1975.
1980s:
In 1983 headquarters were moved back to Times House.
1990s:
On March 4, 1991 the newspaper switched to a scaled-down size of the conventional broadsheet to junior broadsheet. On 21 January 1995, the headquarters were moved to the current location at News Centre, 1000 Toa Payoh North.
2000s:
CATS Classified underwent a systems upgrade on 1 September 2010 to the new Classified Advertisements Sales Hub (CASH), after 3 years of development. The new system will make classified advertisement taking easier and faster for advertisers, as well as cutting the time taken to train new staff.
with four sections, Jobs, Cars, Property and Shops. From January – June 2010, ST701.com was ranked number one in the Hitwise
Singapore 'Shopping and Classifieds - Classifieds' industry based on monthly average market share.
Classified advertising
Classified advertising is a form of advertising which is particularly common in newspapers, online and other periodicals which may be sold or distributed free of charge...
platform of Singapore Press Holdings
Singapore Press Holdings
Singapore Press Holdings Limited is a media organisation in Singapore with businesses in print, Internet and new media, television and radio, outdoor media, and property. SPH has over 4,000 employees, including a team of approximately 1,000 journalists, including correspondents operating around...
(SPH). Its classifieds products are distributed together with various newspapers published by SPH. These include, The Straits Times
The Straits Times
The Straits Times is an English language daily broadsheet newspaper based in Singapore currently owned by Singapore Press Holdings . It is the country's highest-selling paper, with a current daily circulation of nearly 400,000...
, The New Paper
The New Paper
The New Paper is Singapore's second-highest circulating paid English-language newspaper, first launched on July 26, 1988, by Singapore Press Holdings . According to SPH, its average daily circulation for August 2010 was 101600....
, Lianhe Zaobao
Lianhe Zaobao
Nanyang Sin-Chew Lianhe Zaobao , commonly abbreviated as Lianhe Zaobao , is the largest Singapore based Chinese-language newspaper with a daily circulation of about 176,000. Published by Singapore Press Holdings , it was formed on March 16, 1983 as a result of a merger between Nanyang Siang Pau and...
, Shin Min Daily News
Shin Min Daily News
Shin Min Daily News is a Singapore Chinese-language afternoon newspaper currently published by Singapore Press Holdings...
, Lianhe Wanbao
Lianhe Wanbao
Lianhe Wanbao is a Singapore Chinese afternoon newspaper published daily by Singapore Press Holdings . It was started on March 16, 1983 after the merger between as Nanyang Siang Pau and Sin Chew Jit Poh....
, Berita Harian
Berita Harian
Berita Harian is a major Malay language newspaper in Malaysia. Its Sunday Edition is called Berita Minggu. It was founded on 31 August 1957, which also marks the date of Malaya's independence...
and Tamil Murasu
Tamil Murasu
Tamil Murasu is a Singapore based Tamil language newspaper. Launched in 1935 by Thamizhavel G. Sarangapani, Tamil Murasu is Singapore's only Tamil language newspaper...
. Its tagline
Tagline
A tagline is a variant of a branding slogan typically used in marketing materials and advertising. The idea behind the concept is to create a memorable phrase that will sum up the tone and premise of a brand or product , or to reinforce the audience's memory of a product...
is "Buy it. Sell it. Find it."
CATS Classified is divided into 8 sections.
- Personal
- Business
- Vehicles
- Properties
- Travel
- Education
- Notices
- Recruit
Advertisement Types
CATS Classified features a different number of advertising options throughout its products. Described as one of the more active and vibrant classified publications in the world, it has been used as a learning tool by various publishers in the industry.Events
Apart from Classified advertisements in print, CATS Classified organizes several events on an annual basis, bringing together advertisers and customers on a large scale.History
1800s:On 1 July 1845, the Straits Times registered office was a three-storey building at No. 7 Commercial Square, now Raffles Place. The first issue of the Straits Times & Singapore Journal was published on 15 July 1845, consisting of an 8 page folio size, with Classified Ads on the front page. The paper cost was half a Spanish dollar. Front page of 1st issue of The Straits Times (i.e. July 15, 1845) was monopolised by advertisements presented in a composite fashion.
1900s:
In the early 1900s, presentation of newspaper advertisements slowly improved with the introduction of new typefaces or letters and pictorial illustrations. However, the newspaper’s front page was still blanketed with advertisements.
1940s:
The Classified Section first appeared in the Straits Times on December 5, 1946. "CATS Classified" was first launched in Singapore on October 7, 1969, starting off with four female call center operators.
The person in charge was Mr Koh Tiong Choo. Mr Koh joined Classified when he was 28 years old. Mr Koh had to scrutinise all ads, as far as English was concerned. Also he had to be sure of the genuine nature of the advertisers. Death certificates had to be produced before publication of the death announcement. For engagement ads, both parties had to be present and identified from their IDs.
1950s:
On April 3, 1958, HQ moved to Times House at Kim Seng Road. Business Office was located at ground level.
In Anson Road office, City Council (now PAP) placed some notice advertisements with The Straits Times. The girl who handed their ads made a big mistake - she kept a bunch of City Council notices in her drawer and forgot about them totally. For days it didn’t come out for publication. A week later, City Council demanded an explanation on why their ads were not published. Due to the girl’s omission, the Mayor of Singapore Mr Ong Eng Guan then issued an order to ban government advertising in the Straits Times for 2 years, It meant a great loss of income for The Straits Times because their advertisements were long.
1970s:
On 11 June 1978, registered office was moved to Times Centre. Advertisements in The Straits Times and New Straits Times went metric from September 1975.
1980s:
In 1983 headquarters were moved back to Times House.
1990s:
On March 4, 1991 the newspaper switched to a scaled-down size of the conventional broadsheet to junior broadsheet. On 21 January 1995, the headquarters were moved to the current location at News Centre, 1000 Toa Payoh North.
2000s:
CATS Classified underwent a systems upgrade on 1 September 2010 to the new Classified Advertisements Sales Hub (CASH), after 3 years of development. The new system will make classified advertisement taking easier and faster for advertisers, as well as cutting the time taken to train new staff.
Online Products
In 2006, CATS Classified launched an online Classifieds product, ST701ST701
ST701.com is the leading site in Singapore for online classified advertisements. Consisting of four sections - Jobs, Property, Cars, Shops, it serves the needs of job applicants, home seekers, drivers, e-shoppers, recruiters and online advertisers...
with four sections, Jobs, Cars, Property and Shops. From January – June 2010, ST701.com was ranked number one in the Hitwise
Hitwise
Experian Hitwise is a global online competitive intelligence service which collects data directly from ISP networks to aid website managers in analysing trends in visitor behavior and to measure website market share. The Hitwise product is a commercial platform whereby customers pay Hitwise a...
Singapore 'Shopping and Classifieds - Classifieds' industry based on monthly average market share.