Singapore Tourism aims to break the clutter in tourism ads with its latest campaign

Tourism boards across the globe generally take the OOH, movie or TVC route to reach out to their target audiences in India. Their campaigns, with striking visuals, ensure visibility to a majority of India’s population. 

Aiming to break the clutter of global tourism ads targeted towards Indian audiences, Singapore Tourism is experimenting with a different marketing campaign this year. Explaining the reason behind this shift, GB Srithar, regional director, India, Middle East, South Asia, Singapore Tourism Board (STB), says that the board wants to reimagine its communication.

STB used traditional mediums for its tourism ads in the past. It’s now looking for better ways to build a deeper connection with its target audience. 

This time around, STB has released 41 different product collections in collaboration with Little Black Book (LBB), Chumbak, The Souled Store, and RSVP by Nykaa Fashion. These collections include clothing, accessories, house appliances, etc.

“We’re keen on connecting with India’s working millennial population. We associated primarily with LBB, Chumbak, The Souled Store and RSVP By Nykaa fashion after identifying that the demographic of their customers is the audience group we’re trying to connect with,” shares Srithar. 

He identifies STB’s collaborators in India as like-minded creative partners. After some rounds of deliberations, companies sent representatives to Singapore to get inspiration for the creations. With this campaign, the board aims to create a connection with their target group when they may not necessarily be planning an international trip. Srithar's take on this is that if someone gets attached to some accessory or some fashion that comes from Singapore, that is likely to trigger an interest to visit the country down the line.

“We want to position Singapore as a place that’s culturally deep. It has a happening lifestyle and its destinations leave a lasting impression on tourists. Our partner teams came to Singapore and the creations are inspired from whatever inspired them during their visit,” adds Srithar.

According to him, if someone likes an accessory or something else from Singapore, it’s likely to trigger an interest to visit the country down the line. 

The collection was launched at an event held in Mumbai on April 13. Srithar calls it a successful launch, as many social media influencers were present at the event. These influencers posted content on their social media accounts.

For Srithar, the growth of social media influencers is a phenomenon that can’t be ignored. STB is exploring the digital route for promotional activities but collaborates with influencers which meet a few criteria. They look for influencers whose audience consists of millennials. The board looks for authenticity and credibility when collaborating with a social media influencer. "We make sure that the influencer is a person who has visited Singapore and is an authentic advocate of Singapore as a tourist destination," he adds.