Brand Singapore: Capturing the spirit of a nation

• Main Authors: REDDY, Srinivas K., Chan, Chi Wei
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2022
• Subjects: Nation branding; Marketing; Advertising; Tourism; Stakeholder management; Competitive positioning; Asian Studies; Strategic Management Policy
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/cases_coll_all/418; https://smu.sharepoint.com/sites/admin/CMP/cases/SMU-22-BATCH%20%5BPDF-Pic%5D/SMU-22-0009%20%5BSTB%5D/SMU-22-0009%20%5BSTB%5D.pdf?CT=1652771315921&OR=ItemsView
• Institution: Singapore Management University

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) had been working on a new brand campaign to attract visitors to Singapore. However, instead of highlighting the country’s attractions and listing the reasons why it would be a good destination, they wanted to roll out a different kind of campaign that would resonate with consumers. Working with the Economic Development Board (EDB), STB developed a country brand to deliver a more compelling message to tourists and investors alike. Drawing on Singapore’s early history, STB focused on telling stories that showed how Singaporeans overcame adversity on their road to success. STB worked with many people and organisations before launching the campaign about people following their passions. After the launch of the ‘Passion Made Possible’ campaign, STB hoped for widespread adoption of the country brand and a useable framework for future campaigns. This case can be used in undergraduate, postgraduate and executive management programmes. Case participants will learn about competitive positioning in branding and how to address consumer perceptions. The case also discusses the difficulties of nation branding and when to use pull and push marketing strategies.