When it comes to culture, both the US and Singapore greatly vary. And many of these their differences play a significant role in how brands are perceived by consumers. This is why it’s important to keep these cultural differences in mind when implementing marketing strategies in Singapore.
Mainly, the US follows an individualistic culture where self-expression and self-determination are valued. On the other hand, Singapore is a collective culture where cooperation and harmony are valued. These ideologies play a significant role on how businesses are conducted in these two countries, which affect brand marketing.
In this article, let’s talk about the importance of Singapore’s cultural differences and how they play a part in brand marketing strategies.
Understanding Singapore’s Cultural Diversity
Image Credit: Britannica
Singapore has a diverse population, which stems from its generations of immigrants. While Chinese is the predominant population in the country (74%), it is also home to Malays (13.5%), Indians (9%), and other nationalities (3.5%). Interestingly, the country manages to thrive despite these three major, non-homogenous cultures.
Despite the different languages spoken by these cultures, each group has its own cultural practice and traditions to uphold, such as the Chinese New Year, Hari Raya Aidilfitri, and Deepavali. Not to mention, there are specific food choices that businesses have adhere to in compliance with the cultures they serve.
Because of these differences, marketers in Singapore need to consider these preferences when marketing products and ensuring they appeal to the right target audience.
#1: How the Importance of Family Affects Branding
Image Credit: The Drum
Anyone working in the marketing field in Singapore needs to be aware of the important cultural values. These include the following:
- Singaporeans put importance on family and community. Even though they practice kiasuism (fear of losing out), they ensure that their own families have the best products, services, and opportunities available too.
- Singapore consumers prioritise brands that cater to the family’s needs or the ones that promote family well-being.
- Word-of-mouth recommendations from a community strongly influence consumer choices.
Case Study: NTUC FairPrice’s Brand Positioning
Image Credit: NTUC FairPrice
One example of how culture plays a role in brand loyalty among Singaporeans can be seen on NTUC FairPrice. The supermarket chain is the largest one in Singapore, with over 100 stores. It banks on the idea of family, which is a major factor for brand loyalty among citizens.
In 2023, the brand released a series of videos on YouTube highlighting how it treats each member of its staff as part of its “Fairmily.” The videos include the following:
- Paul, Visual Merchandiser
- Faris, GLS Driver
- Sharlee & Melodee, Petrol Station Managers (Mother-Daughter Duo)
- Cai Hong, Unity Pharmacist
- Sok Ee, Geuk Eng, Eling, 3 Aunties
- Wei Jie, Food Court Manager
- Asri, FFDC Executive
- Ernest, Online Grocery Picker
- Meet Patrick, The SAF Executive Chef
- Mr Yeo, Fresh Expert
- Zhuang Shu, FairPrice Households Executive
- Uncle Huat, Kopi Uncle
Other than this series, the supermarket chain has used different strategies to highlight its role in supporting families. They have also offered discounts on essential household items, participated in community outreach programs, and promoted healthy eating for children.
Because of its brand positioning, NTUC FairPrice has been able to resonate with the Singaporean value of family and community support.
#2: How Festivities Influence Brands
Image Credit: Singapore Tourism Board
The diverse culture of Singapore greatly affects consumer behaviour, which contributes to how locals spend on festivals and culinary preferences. On certain holidays, there is a spike in consumer spending, which marketers use to their advantage. Some examples of these include festive periods like Hari Raya Diwali, Chinese New Year, and Christmas.
Case Study: McDonald’s Local Adaptation
Image Credit: McDonald’s Singapore
And it’s not just the homegrown brands that pay attention to localisation. Large global chains also go the extra mile to connect with their audience. One such example is McDonald’s, which introduced the Prosperity Burger to resonate with the Lunar New Year.
Although available only for a limited time period, it was able to generate excitement and pique the interest of locals. This shows a blend of local tradition and global fast food culture.
#3: How Religious Sensitivities Affect Branding
Image Credit: Zeemart
The Lion City banks on five shared values: Nation, Family, Community, Consensus, and Harmony. These five are officially upheld and supported by legislation to ensure the citizens remain at peace with each other.
While citizens are free to practice their preferred religion, the government introduced the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act (MHRA) in 1990 so that tolerance and moderation among various religious groups can be encouraged. This is also placed to guard against rising religiosity.
To further cement this, the Act was updated in 2019 to protect the country from foreign influence and how information is spread.
Anyone who plans to do business in Singapore is advised to understand and uphold the values that Singapore follows. In fact, a 2014 Pew Research Center report named Singapore as the most religiously diverse country in the world.
| Religion | Percentage |
| Buddhism | 26% |
| None | 22% |
| Muslim | 18% |
| Christianity | 17% |
| Hinduism | 8% |
| Taoism/Confucianism | 6% |
| Other religion | 4% |
Data from Pew Research Center
Today, religion continues to play a vital role in Singapore. Many of its cultural buildings are of religious heritage, such as temples, churches, and mosques.
Because of Singapore’s social cohesion, racial and religious harmony are maintained. One way this is honored is by understanding the dietary restrictions of certain religions and how it is presented by many brands.
Case Study: Halal-Certified Food Brands in Singapore
Image Credit: Channel News Asia
Around 15% of the population in Singapore identify as Muslim. Under Islamic law, these individuals are obliged to consume only Halal food. This is why there is an abundance of restaurants that cater to the dietary needs of these individuals.
The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) is responsible for certifying Halal food in the country. They have ensured that Muslim consumers can confidently purchase and consume Halal-certified products in the country.
Although the main market for Halal food are Muslims, a number of non-Muslims also purchase these due to the precautionary practices associated with the Halal certification process.
Some examples of restaurants in Singapore that are recognised for their Halal menu offerings include:
- Old Chang Kee: Halal curry puffs
- Delifrance: Halal bakes
- Captain Kim Korean BBQ & Hotpot: Halal Korean hotpot
- Central Thai: Halal Thai restaurant
- The Dim Sum Place: Halal dim sum
- Delibowl: Halal Sichuan restaurant
- The Coconut Club: Muslim-friendly restaurant
- El Fuego: Halal fine dining
- Hei Sushi: Halal sushi restaurant
Other notable international brands that have adapted a Halal-certified menu include Subway and McDonald’s. These two restaurants have created options for Muslim consumers while ensuring they meet Halal standards. Through this option, they have been able to build a loyal customer base and maintain their competitive position in the market.
6 Tips to Using Cultural Influences in Marketing Strategies in Singapore
Every year, thousands of visitors head to Singapore hoping to take advantage of the booming opportunities for a business. With a rich economy, there is an unending opportunity for hopefuls. But when it comes to starting a business in Singapore, you have to know how to use these cultural influences to your advantage.
Here are six tips on how you can make the most out of Singapore’s cultural influences for your new business:
Tip #1: Adapt to Local Flavours and Language
Global brands that want to tap into the Singaporean market need to be able to adapt their products with local tastes and preferences. Not only that, they need to find the right message to resonate with the people.
As McDonald’s and Subway have done, they adhered their flavours to fit across different cultural and racial diversities. If you are in the food and beverage industry, you need to customise your flavours to fit the clientele you will be serving (e.g. Halal-certified or Chinese food).
On the other hand, if you are not involved in the F&B sector, you will need to tailor your marketing to tap into the heartstrings of the locals with the use of local languages, slang, and using the right packaging for local living conditions.
Tip #2: Be Culturally Sensitive and Respectful
A study shows that most Singaporeans remain conservative on certain issues, but are becoming more liberal compared to 2002. Because of this, it is important to design your marketing campaigns with cultural sensitivity in mind.
You should also remember to celebrate local holidays and festivals across various ethnicities to foster inclusivity in your brand. By doing these, you’ll be able to use these cultural nuances to position your brand as thoughtful and respectful. Singaporean consumers will warm up to your brand, especially if it has a sincere brand positioning.
Tip #3: Send the Right Message
| Main Reasons for Using Social Media | |
| Keeping in touch with friends and family | 43.4% |
| Filling spare time | 35.5% |
| Reading news stories | 32.6% |
| Seeing what’s being talked about | 28.2% |
| Finding content (e.g. articles, videos) | 26.4% |
| Finding inspiration for things to do and buy | 24.0% |
| Watching live streams | 21.9% |
| Seeing content from your favourite brands | 21.1% |
| Avoiding missing out on things (FOMO) | 18.8% |
| Finding products to purchase | 17.8% |
Data from We Are Social
A study revealed that there are 5.13 million social media user identities in Singapore. This roughly makes up 85% of the total population. And when it comes to the most used social media platform, WhatsApp takes the top spot at 74.7% of Android users checking an average 978 sessions per month. This number proves that Singaporeans love to catch up with their family and friends using the messaging app.
As a marketer, you need to know how to make the most out of your target audience’s time on social media by crafting the right content and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) strategies for digital visibility. One way you can achieve this is by using locally relevant content that will fill the needs of your target consumers. You can also use local trends and events to gain brand visibility and improve engagement with your audience.
Tip #4: Keep Up-to-date With Strategic Partners
You can also bank on e-commerce solutions to engage with your target customers. To do this, you will need to be familiar with the popular platforms that locals use to shop in.
| Most Visited e-commerce Sites in Singapore | |
| Platform | Traffic Share |
| Shopee.sg | 18.46% |
| Carousell.sg | 11.57% |
| Amazon.sg | 5.78% |
| Lazada.sg | 5.29% |
| Amazon.com | 4.92% |
Data from Similar Web
Another strategy is to provide your consumers a seamless shopping experience from navigation to product selection, checkout, and payment. You can achieve this by setting a strategic partnership with some of the banking services and apps that locals use when shopping online.
Tip #5: Provide Exceptional Customer Service
One of the surefire ways to build brand loyalty and boost customer engagement among Singaporeans is to provide exceptional customer service. Using social media, do your best to give your target audience prompt and personalised communication. It would also be helpful to offer exclusive rewards to customers.
Here are other ways you can improve the customer service experience:
- Know the customer’s needs and provide it
- Immediately correct the problem instead of trying to prove the customer was wrong
- Express gratitude whenever a purchase is made
- Have warm, friendly interaction with the customer
- Reward loyalty to show appreciation
Tip #6: Uphold Consumer Privacy
Another key difference among US and Singapore consumers is how they use social media. We’ve previously pointed out that Singaporeans use social media to connect with their loved ones. This is why when brands use social media, they use it to provide customer service, share informative content, and answer questions.
Meanwhile, in the US, brands use social media to build relationships, connect with customers, and promote their products and services. The latter strategy does not work with Singaporeans since they are not interested in getting bombarded with sales pitches.
It’s also important to know that Singaporeans are more concerned with data privacy. Since the Singapore government has more regulation of the use of social media, brands need to be careful with how they collect and use customers’ personal data. Locals are protected by the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) of Singapore, which comes with a set of strict guidelines that companies need to comply with.
3 Examples of Cultural Missteps by Global Brands in the Singaporean Market
Throughout the years, global brands have tried their best to tap into the Singaporean market by using the above-mentioned strategies. But while there have been some that have succeeded, a few have made cultural missteps that have garnered them significant backlash due to their lack of cultural sensitivity. Some examples include:
Samsung’s “Listen to Your Heart” Campaign (2022)
Image Credit: ClickInsights.asia
Even though Singapore is a tech-savvy and modern society, it still practises conservatism as part of its culture. This was evidenced in a 2022 ad by Samsung, which was quickly pulled after immense backlash and got banned.
The ad, part of Samsung’s “Listen to Your Heart” campaign was intended to highlight the brand’s wearable tech. Unfortunately, it showed a Muslim mother showing support for her cross-dressing son.
The campaign faced immense backlash with a group saying that it was “an unfortunate attempt to push the LGBT ideology into a largely conservative Muslim community.”
Samsung responded to the backlash with an apology and said: “We acknowledge that we have fallen short in this instance.”
Abercrombie & Fitch’s “Abs” Campaign (2011)
Image Credit: Big3.sg
Another famous misstep was made by American fashion retail brand, Abercrombie & Fitch, when it made its debut in Singapore in 2011. Just before the store opened, the brand displayed a photo of a topless male model with low-hanging jeans being pulled further below the waistline.
Although this was a similar marketing campaign that A&F used in other countries, it failed to consider Singapore’s conservatism over such topics. Eventually, the advertisement got suspended for a “breach of the Singapore Code of Advertising Practice guidelines on decency.”
Circles.Life: “Do Your Own Thing” Campaign (2024)
Image Credit: Circles.Life
Circles.Life rolled out a 20-second spot that turned out to be quite controversial for Singaporeans. The ad featured a young guy watching some p*rn on his mobile phone when his mom walks in on him and he accidentally hits the screen mirroring feature on his device and it broadcasts into the family TV. Instead of going berserk, the mom hands her son a pair of headphones and reminds him not to stay up too late.
While this seemed like an innocent ad in other progressive countries, many called out the mobile network operator for airing an “inappropriate” ad on TV. Although the telco didn’t take down the ad, they apologised for it.
How Cultural Differences Shape Marketing Strategies In Singapore?
Apart from affecting a brand’s reputation, encountering a misstep can create long-term damage to your brand’s finances and customer trust. This is why it is important to work with a Singaporean brand that truly knows the market and cultural context; from social norms, religious practices, and local humour. Call us today so we can build your brand with a high regard for the multicultural uniqueness of the Singaporean market.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the different cultures in Singapore?
Singapore is made up of a diverse population with more than 5.47 million people of Chinese, Malays, Indians, Eurasians, and various Asian origins.
What is the culture of Singapore?
Singapore is home to a multitude of cultures and ethnic groups that have a peaceful coexistence. Because of this, the locals celebrate various holidays pertaining to the Chinese, Malay, Indian, and other ethnic communities.
What is the taboo of Singapore culture?
Singaporeans consider pointing at things or people with the foot rude. This is because they consider the foot unclean. It is also rude to touch a person’s head, especially a Malay girl’s, as this is the place of the soul.
What is illegal content in Singapore?
The possession of, or gaining access to, voyeuristic or intimate images or recordings of another person is considered an offence under the Penal Code section 377BD. This refers to images of an individual’s private parts whether bare or clothed. It also includes images of an individual performing a private act.
