MyRepublic Singapore refreshes brand identity as it turns 9

Singaporean communications service provider MyRepublic has refreshed its brand identity to celebrate turning nine. It has also launched a self-serve SIM card activation service for new mobile customers beginning May 2021. With its new brand identity, MyRepublic Singapore says it wants to embrace a modern, personable tone and personality that is intelligent but also down to earth.

The new identity sees a refresh of its brand assets and its core purple colour will be optimised for a screen-first approach, in line with changing digital consumption habits. This will be gradually rolled out across all of its brand assets and sub brands. According to the brand, "the bold simplicity of the identity cuts through a cluttered category" and sets MyRepublic up for expansion of its business footprint. 

MyRepublic’s updated brand identity has been showcased through an integrated campaign which launched in March 2021, appearing across MRT stations and digital channels. Following the launch campaign, an internal brand study conducted by MyRepublic found that 97% of subscribers preferred the new brand identity over the previous look, with 95% indicating that the new branding reflected a sense of simplicity and customer-centricity.

A total of 1,758 MyRepublic subscribers were surveyed. According to its press release, the refreshed brand identity comes off the back of a study of 750 customers conducted by MyRepublic and branding agency Superunion, to evaluate current brand perception as well as key customer consideration factors and features. Findings from the customer survey guided the overall brand discovery process and informed MyRepublic’s brand positioning as "People who get people".

“As we continue to grow as a company, and as our world becomes increasingly digital-first, it is important for us to retain that human touch and simple, approachable relevance to our customers,” said Lawrence Chan, managing director, MyRepublic Singapore.  “Our mobile service enhancement and brand refresh are part of a larger, ongoing commitment to place our customers’ evolving needs and preferences at the heart of our brand and business. We are who we are today because of our customers, and our ability to bring meaningful value to them will be critical for our continued success,” he added.

In a conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, Enning Yow, head of creative studio and insights at MyRepublic said the RFP process to look for the right agency partner began in the second quarter of 2020 and Superunion was appointed in July 2020.

“We connected well with Superunion. The agency had not worked with a Singapore-based telecommunications company for a brand refresh before, and both sides were eager to see how we could creatively define MyRepublic’s brand identity. We also liked the agency’s digital-first approach to brand building, which resonated well with our business,” she said.

Yow added that this is the first phase of MyRepublic’s brand refresh and there are future phases in the works. “We will gradually roll out the new branding in our shops and online channels, and further develop our sub-brands as well as other aspects of our brand identity,” she added.  

Yow also said extensive research was done prior to the brand refresh, and having those insights drive the strategy was what the new brand assets were based on. Assets which were representative of the new identity were then tested among the team and further refined over a period of months. A toolkit of brand assets was also developed to guide creative and marketing teams and ensure further assets developed align with the new identity. 

Marketing initiatives

Meanwhile, MD Lawrence Chan also added that the onset of the pandemic and circuit breaker measures in Singapore last April certainly impacted MyRepublic’s traditional physical marketing channels, from retail stores to usual out-of-home advertisements. The pandemic also saw the acceleration of a digital-first marketing approach with internet and mobile connectivity becoming even more essential during the pandemic.

“We saw a need to pivot quickly, and explored and identified alternative channels to keep our customers engaged, all in a safe and engaging manner,” Chan said. 

Some of the initiatives the team rolled out over the course of the year include LIVE by MyRepublic campaign, where stay-home audience were engaged through live-streamed music performances, whilst supporting artistes whose livelihoods had been affected by Singapore’s circuit breaker measures through remunerations for their engagements. The team also started producing more long-form video content on trending topics such as work from home and gaming livestreams were hosted on Facebook to keep customers engaged.

“As we gradually return to the new normal with the return to workplaces, reopening of social spaces, and easing of social management restrictions, we have been seeing the return of traffic and footfall to public spaces - thus making it a timely moment to unveil our refreshed brand identity across traditional out-of-home channels, in addition to the rollout across our digital channels as well,” he said.

Moving forward, as the company continues to navigate an increasingly digital-first world, building a distinct brand that is relevant, smart and unpretentious will be critical to its identity and brand building. “This is why our refreshed brand identity is  embracing a modern, personable tone and personality that is intelligent but also down to earth - and this is just our first step in this journey," Chan added.

Executive client director at Superunion, Danley Stone said: “At the heart of this branding effort was extensive research, especially amongst the MyRepublic community. We focused on why MyRepublic shares a special bond with its users. And it simply came down to their unique culture; these are smart, fast-moving, genuine people who truly care about their people. The new identity embraces that sentiment and sets up MyRepublic as a breath of fresh air within the category.”

Last year, the brand also secured a finalist position in the Best engagement strategy - specific audience in MARKETING-INTERACTIVE's Loyalty & Engagement Awards 2020. As one of the first internet service provider in Singapore to launch a gaming optimised broadband network (MyRepublic GAMER), gaming has always been part of MyRepublic’s DNA. MyRepublic established itself as a pioneer in Singapore’s gaming scene through a series of gaming events, influencer sponsorships, and internet sponsorships at local gaming events and tournaments.

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