Sentosa’s ‘fun’ new image

Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) launched its newest marketing campaign – looking to heavily target locals in the first year of the push.

“The main thrust of the campaign is aimed at deepening our emotional connection with our guests, and portraying a fun and engaging brand, so as to keep Sentosa as top-of-mind among our target audiences,” said Susan Ang, the divisional director of island investment and branding, for the Sentosa Development Corporation.

Ang said the campaign intended to draw locals and foreign guests who had not visited the island in a while.

“Sentosa holds fond memories for many Singaporeans and we would like to see that it continues to be a favourite leisure spot for their enjoyment. The many experiences on Sentosa are increasingly more inclusive and appeal to different local segments.”

The campaign will be extended to key overseas markets in the subsequent phases, with the SDC working with its partners to push the concept on the latter’s sales platforms. The entire campaign consists of three phases, with a budget of SG$3 million set aside for each phase.

It has launched a new brand concept for the island called “The State of Fun”. The idea behind the concept is Sentosa is a place where all visitors become “citizens” with the “freedom and the right” to have fun. This concept will span internal and external communication activities.

The previous concepts for Sentosa’s campaigns were “Asia’s Favourite Playground” and “Play”.

At present, 50% of Sentosa’s visitors are local, with the rest from other markets.

“We’re trying to communicate Sentosa has a lot to offer – from attractions, the beach, hotels, restaurants and spas – to its guests, no matter who they are and what kind of fun they are looking for. It’s all about both the physical and mental states of fun that we want guests to have on the island. Note this is different from simply ‘playing’,” said a spokesperson for Sentosa’s creative agency, Grey.

A significant portion will be allocated to online engagement, particularly social.

To kick off the new campaign activities, a teaser campaign was launched on 12 May, where participants were encouraged to guess where “The State of Fun” was. More than a thousand guests hedged their guesses over two weeks, with the answer that “Sentosa is The State of Fun” being revealed on 26 May.

A launch party also took place on 7 June, as part of the campaign. A flag-raising activity was conducted in the lead-up to the event. Staff and guests of Sentosa wrote down on coloured flags their pledge to have fun at the Sentosa Beach Station from 2 to 7 June. These flags were strung along Siloso Beach as part of the celebration.