UEM Sunrise unveils new tagline after 'a long period of soul-searching'

UEM Sunrise has unveiled a new tagline named "Find Your Happy", signifying belief, optimism and resilience, and is one which recognises and accepts the differences among everyone. It also aims to drive home the message that happiness is a journey, and as a state of mind, differs from one person to another. The property developer also launched a new tagline logo.

In a statement to A+M, CMO Kenny Wong (pictured right) said it underwent "a long period of soul-searching" since January 2019, which ended in an internal kickoff last month. The process included internal brainstorming, focus groups and speaking to consumers. Following this, UEM Sunrise moved from segmenting its customers according to only demographics, to including psychographics as well. Subsequently, the exercise was taken externally in the form of a quantitative survey with a renowned research agency. From there, UEM Sunrise had five distinct audience segments from which it developed distinct communications based on the theme "Find Your Happy" for each of them.

Wong explained that with the property industry experiencing challenging times these past few years, UEM Sunrise felt the need to use a more human-centric approach that tackles not only the "hardware" or the physical aspects, but also the "software" part of the equation. The latter seeks to listen, understand and adapt to our customers’ more intangible or emotional needs, which are dynamic and ever-changing. According to Wong, property developers have moved from physical brick and mortar branding approaches to move emotive, lifestyle-centric messages. In a crowded space such as this, UEM Sunrise wanted to go a step further by differentiating itself more. He said:

One thing we found that is quite universal across all cultures, ages and languages is the need and constant pursuit of happiness.

"We position ourselves as a brand that creates spaces which are planned, built and curated to inspire togetherness and contentment at all our brand touch-points. We also wanted to rebrand ourselves to create greater awareness about what we stand for beyond brick and mortar," he said.

Instead of a destination, "Find Your Happy" represents a multiple-stop journey in which consumers continuously have the choice of finding their happiness in each moment. "Looking back, it’s connecting all the happy dots to determine if we have led a happy life. ‘Find Your Happy’ is a mindset, a quest and a journey," Wong explained. This tagline applies to all individuals from customers and colleagues, to partners as well as family and friends. 

More important, Wong said that the idea of "Find Your Happy" applies to and begins with oneself and that all individuals are accountable for their own happiness, and contributing to others' happiness will add to their own as well. The new tagline is also supported by UEM Sunrise's brand values of caring, honest, involved, enthusiastic and fun-loving (C.H.I.E.F.).

Good, fast and easy

While brainstorming for the new tagline logo, UEM Sunrise drew inspiration from things that symbolise happiness and the smile was a perfect fit since it is the most basic expression of joy and happiness. "It is good to see, fast to create, easy to produce and has a positive resonance about it," Wong explained.  The new brand identity revolves around three coloured layers and shapes of "smileys". Together with the company logo, Wong said the smileys form the building blocks of the company's identity and is reflective of the new UEM Sunrise.

"UEM Sunrise 2.0 is not sharp edges and straight lines. We are moving away from the identity of a rigid corporate brick and mortar property developer. We are organic, agile, cheerful and genuine," he said.

When it comes to a rebranding, converting all brand assets is no mean feat and UEM Sunrise is doing it in stages. Currently, cosmetic changes to exteriors such as doors, lifts of its HQ, and sales galleries, as well as some of its marketing collaterals are completed. "We want to make sure we are ready to breathe the new brand and brand values," Wong explained. Over time, he said that there will be a consistent look and feel across all its physical assets and touch-points, as well as a more standardised voice and manner in the way the company sounds. 

UEM Sunrise 2.0 is not just reset of business goals but how we look, behave, as well as recruit and develop people to fall into this psyche.

He is confident that the new tagline and its C.H.I.E.F. brand values are very relevant to consumers and can easily appeal to them, as well as remain at the top of their minds. These brand values, according to Wong, are the same ones the company undertakes in listening, learning and responding to customers' needs. Hence, allowing it to deliver a product that fits their needs better.

Throughout the years, UEM Sunrise has placed special emphasis on nurturing strong relationships with its customers - homeowners, loyal residents and business owners, as well as members of its loyalty programme who are also known as Trèsorians. Going beyond brick and mortar to become more customer-centric, Wong explained that UEM Sunrise wants to inspire joy and happiness through its philosophy E.V.E, which means exciting, bringing value, and easy to own. E.V.E. guides the property developer in the creation and delivery of products, services and initiatives that are exciting, bring value and are easy to own.

Changing mindsets a 'colossal challenge'

It is common for rebranding initiatives to face challenges. According to Wong, the company found it "a colossal challenge" to have to change mindsets and find a brand direction that could appeal to all in different ways. However, the journey became easier when UEM Sunrise established its target segments and was able to identify what aspects of property ownership made them happy. 

He explained that the rebranding was not merely a cosmetic change, but also a cultural and behavioural change. "Cascading the information is the obvious, but how do we ensure that everyone in the organisation lives and breathes the new brand values? The brand team works very closely with our people and culture department, and through various workshops and engagement sessions, we then spread the new identity throughout the whole company," he added.

As part of the rebranding, its 1,100-strong staff were named chief happiness officers, with the intention of them having a customer-first mindset. This was also to ensure that every point of contact with internal and external stakeholders would be a joyful and happy one.

"We believe that if we can instil and embed the C.H.I.E.F. values well internally, these will be transmitted to our customers and in turn, play a huge part in them finding their happy," Wong said. In a bid to make the rebranding effort resonate with employees and have a physical embodiment of its C.H.I.E.F values, UEM Sunrise handed out Pestle  and Mortar hoodies in cheerful colours of pastel blue and green, which aim to give a sense of warmth.

"We have also been running a campaign for staff to share photos of themselves in the hoodies on social media to get them to be excited about the new rebranding effort, which has been quite well-received," Wong said.

Curating lifestyles and a people-based approach

The industry might evolve quickly but the fundamentals of marketing will remain the same. Wong said curating lifestyles and delivering a people-based approach to marketing, and placing importance on environmental or social impact as well as sustainability elements will be a few of the critical factors driving the success of both marketing and brand campaigns.

"In the future, we need to have that foresight to anticipate that the customers will need more than just four walls and a roof. We would have to take into consideration those technological advancements such as 5G, smart home capabilities, Internet of Things, and more which could end up being dealbreakers or dealmakers," he explained.

Ultimately, UEM Sunrise wants to make it easier for consumers to have homes. Hence, it looks at its buyers' personas, studies them and curates specific pitches that "pull the right levers" with them, Wong said. "If we do this correctly and well, the company will be able to evolve successfully with any marketing trends," he added.

As consumers get younger, more discerning and sophisticated, they also become more environmentally conscious, and seek developers that can offer their products in a responsible and sustainable manner. Based on this trend and its support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, UEM Sunrise tries to weave in sustainability in everything it does. This includes eco-friendly facets of its developments such as rainwater harvesting, bicycle tracks, low organic compound paint, LED lights, and ensuring connectivity and town planning for the decades ahead. 

(Read also: UEM Sunrise names Kenny Wong CMO)