Singapore Tourism Board looks for PR and marketing partner in HK

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has launched a tender to appoint public relations and marketing agency for consultancy in Hong Kong. The agency will be tasked to help STB boost the local market's travel confidence to Singapore as measures ease post pandemic. The agency will also be tasked to build awareness and advocacy of Singapore in Hong Kong. 

STB also plans to build awareness, consideration and advocacy of Singapore as a compelling leisure and BTMICE travel destination. It aims to strengthen Singapore’s destination presence digitally on social networks, to implement destination marketing campaigns by leading on PR and activations and working closely with STB’s creative and paid media agencies.  Some key areas of evaluation, include strategic competency and integration with STB’s marketing approach; creativity of ideas and concepts, team dynamics, account team experience and agency resourcing. The proposals responding to STB’s pitch need to address price schedule, account team's experience, agency portfolio, and list of current clients that may be in conflict of interest to STB, along with crisis communications case studies.

Public relations and marketing representatives are invited to submit their proposals and according to a tender document seen by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE submitted proposals that exceeds the stated maximum budget of HK$4,356,000 will be disqualified. The appointed PR & marketing representative shall provide PR and marketing consultancy services for STB in Hong Kong from 1 Sep 2022 to 31 August 2024, with an option for STB to extend for period of one year – the extension period being from 1 September 2024 to 31 August 2025.  Shortlisted PR agencies will be invited to give a presentation of the two required proposed pitch challenges to a STB review panel. This will be held virtually, from 12 to 13 July 2022 via Teams, tentatively.

STB also called for a PR pitch in Singapore in April this year. The appointment will be for a period of one year and 10 months, with the option to extend on an annual basis for up to two years. Edelman is the incumbent.

The appointed agency will work alongside the STB marketing group in Singapore in developing and executing its PR and media communications strategy. The agency should also build awareness, consideration and advocacy of Singapore as a compelling leisure and business destination and strengthen STB's influence with key traditional and online media, as well as with KOLs and digital influencers in Singapore.

The agency will also provide support in developing and growing Singapore's tourism sector, enhance and protect STB's overall corporate image to the public and relevant business stakeholders, as well as provide strategic discretion to guide STB's regional offices in their PR implementation.

Meanwhile, in Indonesia, STB appointed Petrie PR to provide PR consultancy services and the appointment is from 14 January 2022 to 13 January 2024. Petrie PR had beat out 15 other agencies vying for the account, including incumbent agency Klareo Communications, who held the account from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2021. Petrie PR will be tasked with assisting STB Indonesia in PR efforts to prepare for tourism recovery, with the objective of maintaining Singapore as the top of mind destination of Indonesian travellers. The appointment will see the agency focus on three main scopes of duties: Planning, strategy and counsel; always-on PR and marketing; and integrated marketing campaigns.

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