The Complete Guide to Advertising in Singapore

No one can deny Singapore is the economic tiger of Southeast Asia and that is why you should start advertising in Singapore. Advertising in Singapore can get a big exposure for your brand across the continent and you can also experience a spectacular amount of growth in your business profit and popularity. In fact, since the early 60s, the tiny island has been able to grow its wealth faster than any other countries around the world! And this is largely due to its labour and capital– specifically in the eastern countries. 

To add to that, Singapore’s political stability, industrial competitiveness and transparency have helped to pave the way for it prosper as the one the leading advertising hub in the world! In fact, Singapore is currently the headquarters of over 3000 multinational companies. Its financial and service sectors are considered to be world-class and its physical infrastructure is known to be highly efficient. All these reasons have made Singapore as one of the most attractive countries in which to conduct international business.

The Key Advertising Trends in Singapore 

Thanks to globalisation, the mode of advertising is constantly growing and changing. Singapore too has experienced the new waves of advertising trends and has managed to cope with it. In fact, Singapore was one the very few to adapt and implement the new trends in advertising such as digitalization, personalization and more. In fact, the evolution of Singapore’s economy is the latest advertising trend. Below are the key advertising trends in Singapore

 

  1. Personalization

 

For instance, with the booming economy, personalisation is currently the main focus of the advertising industry! This is because many are companies interested in getting to know more about their general target audience at a very individual level. Singapore companies feel the need to make sure that touchpoints are as specific as possible so that they are able to streamline the purchasing process as well as make it more responsive.

 

  1. AI Technology

 

Many advertising agencies have started to heavily incorporate AI into their ad making and engagement. This is especially the case when it comes to using chatbots to interact with the customers and appeal more to their individual needs. This is a way to not just improve the customer experience but also get a deeper understanding of the customer. Also, AI can provide data crumbs from around the web and give businesses a better understanding of consumer behaviour.

 

  1. Data Measurement and Analytics

 

Another popular advertising trend is measuring and analytics. While certain social media channels, such as Facebook, Youtube and such do not tell the entire story, companies are starting to recognise the value in measuring their performance with purpose. And for many, the key data is customer retention, profit, satisfaction, and revenue. In fact, many advertising agencies are expected to be more like data scientists! They will be expected to monitor the useful data that can be leveraged from them.

 

Types of Advertising in Singapore

 

The many different trends in Singapore, are applied to multiple forms of advertising. And luckily, there are many options for you to choose from. Let’s take a look at a few.

 

  1. Digital Advertising

 

Perhaps the most popular forms of advertising are digital advertising. This idea is to leverage digital channels such as Google, Facebook, websites and more to connect with prospective customers. More specifically, businesses use methods like search engine optimisation to attract free traffic to their websites, content marketing to generate brand awareness and leads, inbound marketing to convert customers, and pay-per-click (PPC)to drive paid traffic to their website. 

 

  1. Print Advertising

 

Despite the tremendous slow down in print media, there are still companies advertising in printing platforms. Print advertisement is any advertisement that is printed on paper. It is typically split into three subcategories. One is periodical advertising in which ads are printed in magazines, newspapers or anything other publication that is released at regular intervals. The second subcategory is flyers, leaflets, brochures, and handouts in which ads are treated as separate entities. The last subcategory is direct mail advertising in which ad is mailed directly to consumers.

 

  1. Guerrilla Advertising

 

As the name stands, Guerrilla advertising is a form of advertisement that plays on the element of surprise. The campaign is usually very unconventional and is created with the purpose of catching people’s attention unexpectedly in the middle of their daily routines. For example, pop up stores, giveaways, publicity stunts, viral videos, stencil graffiti are all methods of guerrilla advertising

 

  1. TV Advertising

 

Television advertising can help you reach millions of viewers sitting in the comfort of their living rooms. This form of advertising typically involves the use of television. This was the most popular form of advertising in Singapore nd until recently Internet streaming took over by storm. Despite that, TV advertising is still seen as the most dominant and effective way to reach potential customers. 

 

  1. Mobile Advertising

 

This is another way to obtain the attention of a captive audience especially if you can find a list owner with well-profiled subscribers. It is possible to message millions of subscribers within hours or days with your promotional message on their mobile devices in Singapore. An example of this is SingTel Media which has (at last count in 2019) 4,100,000 subscribers for its mobile advertising service.

 

  1. Radio Advertising

 

Just like how you pay for the commercials you see on television, you can also choose to focus those marketing dollars on radio advertising. That is, buying commercials, frequently called spots in the radio industry, to promote your products or services. Advertisers pay commercial radio stations for airtime and, in exchange, the radio station broadcasts the advertiser’s commercial to its listening audience.

 

The Advertising Rules and Regulations in Singapore

 

Though you have the liberty to choose which forms of advertising you want to use to promote your business, this does not mean that you are left free on how you can use them. In fact, there are certain guidelines set in place when it comes to advertising. And these rules and regulations are considered to be best practices.

 

  1. Distinguish Contents Accordingly 

 

For instance, companies must make sponsored messages distinguishable from editorial content and personal opinions. And this requires their disclosing all of their commercial relationships. This is especially the case if they are endorsing certain sponsors, products, services or product names. All disclosures must be placed in prominent places so that consumers can clearly see them. Advertisers must also be transparent about the fees that they charge as well as the purchasing process.

 

  1. Avoid False Information At All Cost

 

When advertising on social media platforms, you must make sure that you are not giving false information about your products or establishments! Avoid falsely inflating their popularity. This includes purchasing illegal tools and services to increase likes and comments. It’s also advised that businesses refrain from encouraging people to like, share, or use their social plugins in order to make their posts seem more popular.

 

  1. No Pornographic, Racist, Sexual and Violent Displays

 

A most common rule, advertisers are expected to avoid promoting ads which contain pornographic, racist, sexist and violent comments! This is especially the case when it comes to advertising to children and young adults. Any content to stir any one of these is a big no-no! Not only that, but advertisers are also forbidden to distribute the personal information of children without consent from their guardians.

 

So, Which Advertising Platform You Should Opt For? 

 

The answer depends on the goals of your business and your target audience. For instance, if your business is interested in advertising in a cost-effective format to appeal to millennials, then it should invest a sizable portion of its budget into online advertising. However, if your company’s prime objective is to drive instant brand awareness and it has an unlimited budget, then they may consider investing more of their budget into traditional media like radio and television. However, avoid advertising on all platforms. Though making a brand presence is crucial, overdoing is a waste of effort and time.

 

Why Choose Mapleetree Media as Your Advertising Agency?

 

Though you can have an in-house team to take over your advertising projects, it best to work with a team that is already up and running in the league. Maple tree Media can ensure that your campaigns run as smoothly in most prominent ways. We started off as a print publisher back in 2006 and have created and distributed over 60 magazines and 7 coffee table books across Southeast Asia. In 2012, we crossed over to digital and have earned the name as the leading digital agency in Singapore. 

 

With the experience as publishers, we learned how to create content that sells to specific target audiences. This is the advantage we have over other digital agencies in Singapore. We understand customer psychology and how to grab their attention. Today, Mapletree Media offers the latest digital marketing and web development services. Our websites and campaigns help connect your brand to your customers. It is still “content that sells” – but magnified by the power of digital.

 

Apart from that, Mapleetree Media is one of the few digital marketing agencies in Singapore that is built on a foundation of SEO. Though these particular methods are considered to be time-consuming and resource-intensive, we genuinely want the best for our client and hence have hardwired SEO into our DNA. Inline to that, we also pride ourselves for our transparency. Using the latest tracking tools, our clients are treated to some of the best 24/7 real-time client reporting in the industry.