Did the Government just copy the SDP's slogan?

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Monday, 08 March 2010

Singapore Democrats

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) announced last week that it was changing its branding message from Uniquely Singapore to Your Singapore and has "built a multimillion-dollar marketing campaign around the phrase." (See report below)

Wait a minute. Isn't this the Singapore Democrats' phrase? We started using the message Your Voice, Your Party several years ago and even changed the url of this website to yoursdp.org in 2008 to reflect our message. Now we find the Government taking a leaf from our playbook.

Of course, we don't hold a patent on the phrase and anyone is free to use the kind of language that they want for their brand, but isn't it interesting that the Government spent millions of dollars on a campaign message that the SDP thought of without the need for all the big money?

But here's where the difference is: The SDP uses Your SDP to tell Singaporeans that without their support and participation, there can be no opposition to speak up for them. In this way, the party belongs to the people of Singapore and, hence, Your SDP.

The PAP, in contrast, is using Your Singapore to talk to tourists who are, of course, not Singaporeans. How appropriate is such a slogan? Tourists come here to sight-see. They have no interest in making Singapore their home.

Or is there something more to STB's message?

On the other hand, the PAP refrains from using this message for Singaporeans just in case we start getting the idea that this country really belongs to us and, heaven forbid, we want a say in how it's run.

In another context, the STB's branding message might not mean much except to showcase the planners' ineptness at strategising and lack of originality.

However, in the current atmosphere where locals are seething over the PAP's bringing in of foreigners to replace them, the pitching of Your Singapore to non-Singaporeans and telling to "come, make Singapore your own" must surely go down as one of the most tone-deaf acts in the history of governance.

It's 'Your S'pore' now
Straits Times
6 Mar 10

Uniquely Singapore is so last year.

To sell the Republic to tourists, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has adopted a new catchphrase: Your Singapore.

It has built a multimillion-dollar marketing campaign around the phrase, one that involves an interactive website where would-be travellers can customise their Singapore sojourns, book their flights and hotels, and soon even have itineraries sent to their mobile phones.

Launching the new branding campaign yesterday, STB's assistant chief executive of marketing Ken Low said it was time for a change.

The rationale: to cash in on the trend of more consumers going online to plan their trips, as well as to differentiate Singapore from its competitors in the region.

Uniquely Singapore, which had been used to sell the country to the world for the last six years, has to be changed to cater to today's traveller, said Mr Low.

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_498735.html

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Comments (5)

Tue 09 Mar 2010 1:06 PM | Clear eyed

The clowns are surpassing themselves in stupidity each passing day. Half a million dollars up in smoke to learn that Marina Bay should remain Marina Bay. And now several million dollars on a marketing campaign whose slogan is a copy cat of their favourite whipping boy's message! But it is not just stupidity that should worry us. Inviting foreigners, even those who visit for a few days, to "make Singapore your own"?! These clowns are traitors! Greed has fogged their minds and stolen their souls and they are selling Singapore and Singaporeans to foreigners for money!

Tue 09 Mar 2010 2:11 PM | johntoh

Million dollar salaries. The "best talents" of the land. Yet, they cannot even come up with something original. To think, these "best talents" have to plagiarise other people's ideas.

Why are we still paying them millions?

Thu 11 Mar 2010 2:42 AM | AnnA - Your Singapore To? ...Is That An Offer?

Thoughts of 'Your Singapore' to Singaporean? YES, my country, my motherland.

Thoughts of 'Your Singapore' to Foreigners? YES, let's go to Singapore and make like 'my' father's land!

Only morons will offer their own home to strangers.

Bloody morons...

Thu 11 Mar 2010 2:24 PM | Human Rights

A nation bereft of true democracy hampers creativity. What more can we expect from government institutions of these countries to stoop so low even to the extent of copying its enemy's slogans. It probably had to be a pull factor unattainable to them. Keep up the good work SDP!

Sun 14 Mar 2010 10:27 AM | Robox

Very likely that the PAP government has in fact copied the slogan from the SDP, if you consider the fact that one of the SDP's most inconsequential detractors, the person who started the "notyoursdp' blog also did: both have discerned the connecting power of the SDP slogan.

In the case of the PAP government, they also have a well-established track record of copycatting precisely the those whom they most demonize.

It's the epitome of the lack of integrity that characterizes them.

As to whether, it is crafted to send a subtle message to foreigners to make work/live in Singapore, I think that it is entirely possible. I too had thought when I initially read this piece of news elsewhere that their slogan was somehow not too appropriate for wooing tourists.