Sentosa Development picks WE Communications as strategic comms partner

Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) has picked integrated communications firm WE communications as its strategic communications partner, according to a statement by the agency. 

The partnership will roll out communications strategies aimed at increasing engagement and emotional connections with locals and tourists to build on Sentosa’s new brand promise: “Where discovery never ends.” The other key focus will be on boosting the island’s sustainable tourism through the Sentosa-Brani Master Plan, including the upcoming launch of Sentosa Sensoryscape. 

“WE Communications brings fresh perspectives, a vibrant team spirit, and data-led insights to our strategic communications challenge. Their commitment to sustainability and holistic well-being also aligns with our vision for Sentosa, and we are confident that this partnership will help elevate Sentosa's position as the leading eco-tourism hub in Asia," said Mira Bharin, divisional director, marketing and guest experience at SDC.

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“We are beyond thrilled to embark on this exciting partnership with Sentosa Development Corporation and to play a key role in positioning both Sentosa and Singapore as a leading tourism destination,” added Daryl Ho, the managing director of WE Communications Singapore.

“Our mission is to celebrate and share Sentosa's continued transformation into a must-see sustainable leisure destination where people discover unique experiences and connections. The worlds of travel, experiences and sustainability are colliding, and Sentosa is well-placed to address this opportunity. I believe our team’s strength in impactful storytelling and expertise in data-led strategic integrated communications will be integral to achieving success in this,” he continued. 

The news comes shortly after Sentosa announced that it would officially be moving away from the “State of Fun” - a branding it has had since 2014 - to a new tagline, “Where discovery never ends”.

In addition to the tagline, Sentosa’s logo was redesigned to bring out the promise of creating fulfilling moments on the island. According to a statement sent to the press, Sentosa, along with its creative agencies said that logo’s tranquil sunrise reflects the array of emotions from the experiences on the island from sunup to sundown.

In a conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, Mira Bharin, Sentosa’s divisional director, marketing and guest experience shared that the rebranding came about due to the disruptions by the pandemic.

“It gave us time to step back and recalibrate to better understand the needs of our guests through research,” Bharin said.

“We then discovered that while fun experiences were still important, our guests are becoming more discerning with the type of leisure experiences that they are looking for. They wanted offerings which are authentic and experiences which allows for a sense of introspection,” she explained.

With this in mind, a rebranding process was undertaken with four new brand values. These were the island soul - a celebration of the natural, physical attributes of the island, Island connection which enables the creation of experiences for guests, island discovery that ignites curiosity to explore Sentosa and island future which is a commitment to sustainability and social responsibility on the island.

Overall, the entire exercise took the team over a year from conceptualisation, consumer testing as well as engagement with stakeholders.

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