SECRET LIVES SINGAPOREANSOF Issue #15 Week commencing 29 Aug 2022 Authored with pride by Ng Sian Jhi and Yeo Wei Xiong
Secret Lives of Singaporeans is an ongoing collection of marketer friendly briefs on the fascinating people of the little red dot, by planners and PR consultants from the big red agency. It’s not “thought leadership”, it’s “inspiration to DO”. people in Singapore are talking people Singapore are searching
Each issue comprises • One thing
for • One thing that’s in the news in Singapore Images from TODAY, Channel News Asia, The Straits Times.
about • One thing
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3 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC UK STATES SINGAPORE IS IN MALAYSIA One thing people in Singapore are talking about: Image Credits: Fever
OGILVY National Geographic UK recently posted an image of Singapore’s iconic landmark Gardens by the Bay but mislabeled it as ‘Gardens by the Bay in Singapore, Malaysia’. In a similar incident back in June 2022, a Scottish tourism page had published an image of the Rain Vortex at Jewel Changi Airport but captioned it to be at Almondvale Shopping Centre in BothLivingston.pagesreceived viral backlash from the local community, which took on a comedic turn for onlookers but wasn’t quite as amusing for the organisations in question. 4
It’s too late by now for brands in Singapore to jump on the trendjacking bandwagon, so let’s talk about how they can avoid becoming fodder for the next trendjack themselves. In short: factcheck fastidiously.
Sources: TODAY, Mothership Marketing Interactive
For brands dealing with content that reference community and places at an international level (and let’s face it, when you’re in this little red dot, most places are beyond our native environment), extreme sensitivity and accuracy are needed to maintain the level of trust and credibility they enjoy with audiences. Engage local market consultants, or if that isn’t practical at least consult Google.
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5 JOSEPH SCHOOLING ADMITS TAKING CANNABIS One thing people in Singapore are searching for: Image Credits: Fever
Many brands have clearly defined criteria for appointing influencers and ambassadors at the best of times. How many have equally clear criteria for when to drop – or stand by – them when things aren’t as rosy? Maybe they should.
“We have taught future generations that it’s okay to make mistakes, to own up, but you will have to take responsibility and more importantly, fix it.”
A day after his confession, one of Schooling's sponsors, Hugo Boss, has come out in support of the swimmer, stating that its partnership and support for him remain "strong and unwavering" and that the company believes he will deliver on his promise to make amends.
OGILVY Singaporean Olympic gold medalist Joseph Schooling, 27, confessed to taking cannabis overseas in May 2022 although he tested negative for controlled drugs in a urine test. The swimmer has confessed in a statement that he “gave in to a moment of weakness” after going through a very tough period of his life.
Steven Lam, Managing Director of Hugo Boss SEA SO WHAT TODAY, CNA, Mothership, Marketing Interactive, Google Trends
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7 THE REPEAL OF SECTION 377A One thing in the news in Singapore:
After a long battle between Pink Dot SG and their fellow LGBTIQA+ community, Singapore will be repealing Section 377A of the Penal Code revoking a colonial era law that criminalises sex between men. However, the definition of a family unit and marriage will remain unchanged while advertising standards and film classification in Singapore will maintain “prevailing norms and values” of Singapore society.
The repeal is, without a doubt, a step forward for the local market to be more inclusive.
1) DON’T stereotype. 2) DON’T sexualise.
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3) DO show that love is love, and that the desire for it is universal across all relationships. Get it right, and they can stand out from the majority of brands in Singapore whose marketing neglects this community.
Sources: TODAY, Mothership Straits Times In his National Day Rally Speech, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong noted that “We need to find the right way to reconcile and accommodate both the traditional mores of our society, and the aspiration of Singaporeansgayto be respected and accepted.”
Even before the repeal, we’ve seen inclusive advertising content work around current standards. But how can brands keep up with these changes and improve on marketing to thecommunity?LGBTQIA+
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Hungry for more? Talk to us at secretlivessg@ogilvy.com
