Singapore's new formula for success

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has just launched its new destination brand - "YourSingapore" in Thailand.

The new tagline suggests that Singapore can be personalised by the visitors. And that's probably not far from the truth, as the small island country has everything for everyone - including the 12 million foreign visitors it anticipates might arrive in 2010.

"YourSingapore" replaces "Uniquely Singapore" - the marketing gimmick has been used for the last five years.

As a brand, YourSingapore articulates Singapore's uniqueness and captures what travellers seek - a personal travel experience. Visitors can look forward to an emotional reward of empowerment and liberation that allows them to travel on their own terms in Singapore, according to their individual needs, preference and interests.

The new campaign, with an air of user-centricity, taps into "new media" culture - where people are active - if not egocentric - themselves.

"The strategy in developing YourSingapore was three-pronged: Leverage the equity of the Uniquely Singapore brand by single-mindedly qualifying Singapore's uniqueness and attributes as a destination; build upon the emotional connection that visitors experience in Singapore and, at the same time, connect with potential visitors in the digital media space," says Chang Chee Pey, STB's Director of Brand Management, during his introduction of the new Singapore in Bangkok.

In the past few years, the way that people plan and book travel has fundamentally shifted from passive content consumption to the active engagement of empowered individuals, primarily due to the dominance of digital and social media.

"We believe that to differentiate Singapore in what is becoming a crowded market for destination marketing, STB has to embrace global trends and the shift in media consumption, to the extent that we have put digital at the heart of our marketing communications, in order to transform the way we reach out to our potential visitors," Chang adds.

At the heart of the YourSingapore campaign is a holistic approach that includes both traditional and digital media like a new website, search engine marketing, mobile, social media and travel e-commerce. These platforms will engage visitors before, during and after their arrival in Singapore, and will be aggressively promoted.

The portal, www.yoursingapore.com, is an innovative and interactive platform that allows travellers to conceptualise and plan their individual Singapore travel itinerary in a user-friendly manner.

The campaign website facilitates sharing of experiences among travellers and local residents alike, and will be powered by up-to-date multimedia content about all things Singapore.

The website will deliver a new virtual experience that no other destination website currently offers.

The evolved YourSingapore destination brand is being launched in a milestone year for Singapore tourism.

This year has seen the opening of two multi-billion dollar integrated resorts - Resorts World Sentosa and Marina Bay Sands. Both properties offer myriad shopping, dining, accommodation, meeting and other leisure and entertainment options under one roof.

This month, the island nation is also hosting the world's first ever Youth Olympic Games.

Next month will see the third instalment of the Formula 1 Grand Prix, which is a night race on street circuit in the heart of the city.

The country's premier shopping street, Orchard Road, has been refreshed with new malls, flagship stores along the tree-lined boulevard, while the historic Singapore River has been re-energised with new lighting schemes for its distinctive bridges, waterways and walkways to complement its variety of dining, clubbing and shopping options.

"From Singapore River to the Orchard Road, Singapore has transformed the tourism landscape," says Geraldine Yeo, STB's regional director looking after Asean market. "The visitors could enjoy the diverse attraction, and make their own Singapore."

More than 300,000 Thai visitors travelled in Singapore in 2009, making Thailand the 10th largest source market of visitors to the city state.