BLKJ tapped for inaugural SG Brand Mark campaign, 48 firms get brand stamp

The Singapore Brand Office and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), supported by Enterprise Singapore, have jointly launched “Made With Passion”, a national marketing initiative that promotes local lifestyle brands and the stories behind them. The initiative comprises a brand mark, a campaign, as well as partnerships among brands, trade associations and the broader industry. According to the Singapore Brand Office, carrying this brand mark allows brands to signify their strong connection to Singapore and their unwavering passion. 

Along with the official launch of the Singapore Brand Mark, 48 local brands across four lifestyle categories - beauty and wellness, fashion and accessories, homeware and decor, as well as packaged F&B - have been awarded the brand mark. They include Eu Yan Sang, HYSSES, Charles & Keith, Love, Bonito, Supermama, Brewerkz, awfullychocolate, Yeo’s, Ya Kun International, Camel, and The Golden Duck. The Singapore Brand Office is also looking to onboard more local brands in the future. The Singapore Brand Mark was first announced in September by Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing.

As “Made with Passion” focuses on the passion that goes into the makings of local brands, the brands selected were said to have a passion story behind them. In a conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, Karen Low, director of Singapore Brand Office, said while there are certain criteria when it comes to selecting the first 48 brands, such as being owned by Singaporeans and having a good track record, the main objective is to encourage these brands and other local brands to tell their own passion stories. She added that the brand mark is not meant to be a quality mark or a certification.

According to Low, the four categories were chosen as the Singapore Brand Office wanted to make the idea of "passion" tangible by placing a brand mark on products. B2C brands were also chosen as it wanted to ignite conversation regarding the “Made with Passion” initiative within Singaporeans. While Low declined to comment on the amount invested into the initiative, she explained that the initiative focuses on domestic audience, specifically Singaporeans who purchase consumer products, as well as local brand owners to get them to share stories.

"Passion plays a very big part with it comes to the Singapore story. People know us for the hardware such as our infrastructure, and how we have transformed from a third-world to a first-world country, but not a lot of them know the emotional story of resilience behind it," Low added.

Meanwhile, an integrated marketing campaign will also be launched to promote the Singapore brand mark. According to Low, the campaign will feature an over-arching brand film, along with several brand stories, which will be rolled out over the next couple of months. The campaign will be amplified with both online and offline marketing strategies as well. Online platforms include Made With Passion’s Instagram and Facebook pages, as well as its official website, Low added. 

https://www.facebook.com/MadeWithPassionSG/videos/430551521671014

Additionally, the marketing campaign for "Made With Passion" will also complement the ongoing SingapoRediscovers campaign by STB. Creative agency BLKJ is responsible for the full integrated marketing campaign for "Made With Passion", while Tate Anzur has been tasked to handle PR and media duties.

Rowena Bhagchandani, CEO and co-founder, BLKJ said: "As a Singaporean creative collective, BLKJ is proud to be working on bringing alive the 'Made with Passion' brand. We deeply resonate with both the SG brand ambition to stand for Singaporean brands’ excellence and their owners’ passions to make their mark in Singapore and globally."

The Singapore Brand Office is a joint partnership of the Economic Development Board , STB and the Ministry of Communications and Information. Set up in 2019, the office leads the promotion of Singapore’s unified nation brand, Passion Made Possible. 

Tapping retail partners to promote local products

To raise awareness of locally-branded products, the Singapore Brand Office will also be working with retail partners such as FairPrice, Shopee, Visa, and Krisshop. Meanwhile, "Made With Passion" brands will be showcased or made available for purchase over the next few months through various partners, such as at an upcoming pop-up at Design Orchard, a newly-launched retail food hall at Lau Pa Sat, and selected FairPrice Finest stores.

Trade partners such as Association of Small & Medium Enterprises, Restaurant Association of Singapore, Singapore Food Manufacturers’ Association, Singapore Furniture Industries Council, Singapore Retailers Association, and Textile and Fashion Federation, are also supporting the initiative through ongoing dialogue and advice to develop the initiative further.

At the same time, there will also be engagement with the public to drive the brands’ passion stories further, and aspire other Singaporeans to follow their footsteps. In the upcoming months, interested public and aspiring entrepreneurs can engage with "Made With Passion" brand owners through inspiration sessions, which consists of mentorships and meet-and-greet opportunities to learn from their experiences and hear their stories first-hand. The public will also have a chance to share about other local lifestyle brands they love through an upcoming social media activation. These engagement initiatives aim to open sharing of knowledge and spur more Singaporeans to be inspired by local brands to pursue their own ambitions.

Lynette Pang, advisor to the Singapore Brand Office and assistant chief executive (marketing group) of the Singapore Tourism Board, said: "Passion is at the heart of our Singapore story. We are also home to a host of innovative and iconic brands that have been created with passion. By sharing the stories behind both established and up-and-coming brands, we hope that more people will be able to rediscover well-loved brands and be wowed by the myriad of brands that speak of our passion and creativity."

Dilys Boey, assistant CEO, Enterprise Singapore, added that the "Made With Passion" initiative is a gateway for Singaporeans to discover more local brands. With greater awareness and interest, Boey said that initiative will amplify positive brand attributes of Singapore brands across the wider lifestyle sector.

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(Photo courtesy: 123RF)

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