You’re walking down Marina Bay, looking for a place to eat. Then, you see an electronic poster. It’s a sumptuous dish in motion by a restaurant nearby. Finally, you see yourself in that restaurant, enjoying the dish you saw in that ad. That’s the power of advertising.
If you are an entrepreneur, even though you have a quality product, you need to leverage advertising to expand the reach of your product and, eventually, improve your bottom line. In this piece, you will learn about everything you need to know on how to utilise advertising to your advantage:
- Overview of Advertising
- Advertising Trends in 2024
- Traditional vs Digital Advertising
- Advertising Laws and Regulations in Singapore
- Best Advertising Agencies in Singapore
An Overview of Advertising
What is advertising?
Advertising attracts consumers’ attention to products, services, or ideas through a paid or sponsored channel. It attempts to influence a customer’s buying behaviour through persuasive words, messages, or language.
People mistakenly refer to marketing and advertising as the same things. However, there are main distinctions between them. Advertising primarily utilises paid techniques, while marketing is an overarching term that refers to all promotional efforts, whether organic or paid, to reach and influence the target audience to sales conversion.
Advertising’s primary goal is to attract new customers by marking out a target audience and then trying to appeal to them with a compelling ad campaign. Effective advertising needs to be influential, memorable, and highly targeted. If done correctly, advertising can help your business in these ways:
- Raise your brand’s awareness
- Lead prospects to your brand
- Promote the sale of new and existing products/services
- Enhance the introduction of new products /services to a new market
- Help in differentiating your products from the competitor’s
- Improve your business’ bottom line
“As a percentage of company revenue, typical advertising budgets range between 5% to 15% in industries that rely heavily on advertising, such as consumer packaged goods and retail companies,” as reported by Spider AF. This data only shows that competitive companies seriously invest in advertising as they acknowledge its impact on their brand.
Here are some of the impactful and viral ads in Singapore:
“Will You Be His Next Victim?” by Resorts World Sentosa
Halloween Horror Nights is a yearly event of Universal Studios Singapore in which visitors can experience immersive haunted houses, scare zones, and other terrifying activities.
To promote the 9th iteration of the horror event, Resorts World Sentosa released this short film to give a glimpse into what the visitors will experience. It became effective because the film utilised graphic visuals and sound effects to incite fright.
As a result, the viewers expressed their excitement about going to the event. Below are some of their responses to the ad:
“What makes a family recipe special?” by FairPrice
In this era of online shopping, how can a supermarket giant like FairPrice make itself and its physical stores relevant? By making the experience memorable.
Part of their Worth the Trip campaign is the touching short film above. It is about a modern mom and an angsty teenager learning about life and cooking from their elderly through a memorable trip to the supermarket. The video was so compelling that it solicited tears and reminded the viewers that a simple errand can be a tender moment.
Here is how the netizens responded to the video:
Advertising Trends in 2024
People are changing the way they consume information. Statista states, “Singapore’s TV & Video market is experiencing significant growth and development. Customer preferences are shifting towards online streaming and on-demand video services, leading to a decline in traditional television viewership.”
With this switch in preferred consumption channels, brands must adapt and go where the market is. Along with this change, two main prevailing trends in advertising are the shift to digital and the enduring role of OOH or traditional media.
Shift to Digital Advertising
Digital advertising involves using online ads delivered via digital platforms such as search engines, social media, websites, and mobile apps. Marketers use various techniques to connect with their audience through digital advertising. Here are some of the rising digital advertising trends in Singapore in 2024:
AI and Automation
Marketers mainly use AI to create content, target ads, and analyse data. As many brands are vying for their consumers’ short attention spans, they use Artificial Intelligence to target their market’s preferences precisely. They also use automation to cope with quick trends and consumers’ evolving tastes.
Amazon is an excellent example of using AI to personalise a consumer’s experience. The e-commerce giant uses AI to look at a consumer’s purchase history to show particular ads for products aligned with the consumer’s preferences on the website, in emails, and on other websites.
Social Media Growth
TikTok is fast rising in Singapore. DataReportal reported that by 2024, there will be 3.38 million TikTok users, more than half the entire country’s population.
WhatsApp is another channel that marketers must pay attention to. DataReportal also found that this messaging app is the most used social media app in the country, with 74.7% of internet users using it.
Image source: DataReportal
These staggering figures make TikTok and WhatsApp attractive media advertisers.
Video Content
Video consumption is continuously on the rise, particularly the short format. Legacy social networking apps like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube also compete in the short-form market, as initiated by TikTok. Facebook and Instagram have reels, and YouTube has #shorts.
While others are engaging in the short-form market, TikTok, on the other hand, is implementing its long-form option. Users can now upload videos up to 30 minutes, competing with YouTube’s original format.
Advertisers use the app’s virality algorithm on TikTok by riding on trends and challenges. One of the successful TikTok campaigns is McDonald’s “My First McGriddles.”
The campaign encouraged consumers to share their first experiences of trying McGriddles. The fast-food chain mammoth used a branded hashtag and collaborated with local influencers to further the campaign’s reach.
As a result, people camped outside McDonald’s stores for the McGriddle merchandise, and the campaign garnered thousands of video views.
Data-driven Marketing
Using data to track performance and make decisions is crucial. Understanding what works best helps improve marketing strategies.
Spotify is known to be good at data-driven marketing. It uses its collected user data, such as listening habits and song and genre preferences, to create personalised playlists and ads. This approach increases engagement and the likelihood of users discovering new content they enjoy.
Another Spotify impactful update is the implementation of its AI DJ. Also, with the user’s data, the DJ can recommend songs, as if you have a personalised radio jockey.
Image source: Thred
Mobile Advertising
Smartphone usage is highly prevalent in Singapore, and mobile ads are also growing. These ads are interactive, location-based, and personalised based on user data.
An example of successful mobile advertising is Grab’s Reward Program Campaign. The ride-hailing service utilised in-app ads and push notifications to promote exclusive deals and reward points as users continued to patronise Grab’s services.
Another case in point is Shopee’s 11.11 Big Sale. The e-commerce platform aggressively utilised mobile video ads, interactive banners, and in-app notifications to encourage app engagement. It also included app discount promos. As a result, the event led to record-breaking sales.
Image source: Shopee Facebook Page
E-commerce in Social Media
Social media platforms are now integrating e-commerce features in-app and within the site. Facebook Marketplace has been on the scene for a long time, but the current addition to this trend is TikTok Shop, where video viewers can directly buy from the TikTok account or creator. This strategy streamlines the shopping experience and boosts conversions directly from social media ads.
Image source: TikTok Newsroom
Traditional Advertising is Still Alive
While digital advertising is on the rise, traditional and Out-of-Home (OOH) ads still endure and continue to expand brands’ reach. Statista states, “Ad spending in the Traditional TV Advertising market in Singapore is forecasted to reach US$160.10m by 2024.” This only means that brands still invest in traditional channels because there is still a market for them.
To keep traditional advertising effective, brands often combine it with digital advertising. Using these two strategies, brands can expand their physical and digital reach across all ages and social statuses.
Here are some of the traditional advertising that still exists in Singapore:
Print Advertising
Print advertising is any advertisement on paper. It has three subcategories. One is periodic advertising, in which ads are in magazines, newspapers, or any other regularly released publication. The second subcategory is flyers, leaflets, brochures, and handouts, in which ads are separate entities. The last subcategory is direct mail advertising, mailed directly to consumers.
Outdoor Advertising
Outdoor advertising is also called out-of-home ads. The most popular outdoor advertising methods include bus benches, billboards, the exteriors and interiors of buses, business vehicles, taxis, and signage posted on the exterior of brick-and-mortar locations. These ads are usually in high-traffic locations.
Below is a sample outdoor ad for a high-traffic (foot or vehicle) site like Fullerton Road.
Image source: JcDecaux
Guerrilla Advertising
Guerrilla advertising is a form of advertising that plays on the element of surprise. The campaign is usually very unconventional, catching people’s attention unexpectedly during daily routines. Outdoor advertising and art installations are also some guerilla advertising formats.
Brands that opt to use this kind of advertising need courage and creativity. The ad must be eye-catching and thought-provoking to be successful and the talk of the town.
An excellent example of this is the ad for BBC’s Dracula Documentary. It is a creative billboard slash art installation depicting a vampire’s transformation. As the hours go by, the image on the billboard gets more spooky.
Cable TV Advertising
Cable TV advertising reaches millions of viewers sitting in the comfort of their living rooms. This form of advertising typically involves the use of television and a setup box/decoder device. Until recently, before the advent of Internet streaming, this was seen as the most dominant and effective way to reach potential customers. This form of advertising can reach millions of people at once.
Advertising Standards, Rules and Regulations
Though Singapore business owners and marketers have their choice of advertising forms to promote their businesses, they must adhere to specific guidelines, rules, and regulations.
For instance, companies must distinguish sponsored messages from editorial content and personal opinions. They must disclose their commercial relationships, especially when endorsing certain sponsors, products, or services. All disclosures must be placed in prominent places so consumers can see them.
Advertisers must also be transparent about their fees and purchasing process.
Advertisers should avoid falsely inflating their popularity when advertising on social media platforms. It includes purchasing tools and services that would increase their likes and comments. Businesses should also refrain from encouraging people to like, share, or use their social plugins to make their posts seem more popular.
Advertisers must avoid promoting ads which contain pornographic, racist, sexist and violent comments, especially when it comes to advertising to children. Not only that but marketers are forbidden to distribute children’s personal information without consent from their guardians.
Professional Governing Body
While these rules and regulations may not be considered official laws, they are widely known best practices. An organisation known as the Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore, or ASAS, is responsible for following these guidelines.
It is responsible for promoting ethical advertising in Singapore. When advertisers have concerns or doubts about the acceptability of their advertisements, this organisation offers advice and guidance before publication. It can help ensure that ads are in full compliance with all regulations.
ASAS also handles complaints. Their most common complaint concerns misleading information depicting a different or false message about the product or service. If an advertisement breaks the rules or goes against the guidelines, ASAS may withhold advertising time or space from the business and withdraw its trading privileges. In some cases, ASAS may even publish the details of this investigation and name the offending company.
Most Prominent Advertising Agencies in Singapore
The growth that has taken place in Singapore over the last decade has led many companies to focus more of their attention on developing their digital marketing strategies.
While you could hire an in-house team to take over this project, you could also work with an already up-and-running team. For example, digital marketing agencies can ensure that your campaigns run as smoothly as possible. Below are a few of the most prominent.
|
Advertising Agency |
MediaOne |
| About | MediaOne is an award-winning Digital Marketing and advertising company in Singapore. The company blends the power of ideas and modern advertising technology to craft compelling ad campaigns for its clients. MediaOne creates, designs, and manages optimised campaigns to transform businesses. |
| Services |
|
| Address | 1 Neil Road #03-02 Singapore 088804 |
| Telephones | (65) 69657008 |
| contact@mediaone.co | |
| Website | https://mediaonemarketing.com.sg/ |
| Clients |
|
|
Ads Agency |
BBDO |
| About | BBDO is a highly recognised creative advertising agency in Singapore and the APAC region. The firm provides compelling ad content for its clients in over 12 countries. BBDO has been awarded numerous accolades for its creativity and prowess in the advertising industry. |
| Services |
|
| Address | 3 Anson Road, #31-02/03, Springleaf Tower, Singapore 079909 |
| Telephones | (65) 6533 2200 |
| jean-paul.burge@bbdoasia.com | |
| Website | http://www.bbdoasia.com/ |
| Clients |
|
|
Ads Agency |
Brew Interactive |
| About | Since 2009, Brew Interactive has been helping business manage their digital advertising campaigns in Singapore. The firm has evolved to incorporate the strengths of a big box outfit and the flexibility of a small ad agency. brew Interactive works with custom advertising plans and not size-fits-all-all solutions |
| Services |
|
| Address | 111 North Bridge Road, #08-19, Singapore 179098 |
| Telephones | (65) 6814 2952 |
| info@brewinteractive.com | |
| Website | https://brewinteractive.com/ |
|
Ads Agency |
Ogilvy Singapore |
| About | Ogilvy Singapore provides a range of advertising options for local and international businesses in Singapore. The firm is renowned for its competitive advertising packages that help businesses get noticed locally and globally. Ogilvy is a full-service advertising agency with a global appeal. |
| Services |
|
| Address | 35 Robinson Road #03-01 The Ogilvy Centre Singapore, 68876 Singapore |
| Telephones | (65) 6213 7899 |
| contact@ogilvy.com | |
| Website | https://ogilvy.sg/ |
| Clients |
|
|
Ads Agency |
DISENO |
| About | Diseno Advertising is a Singapore-based Advertising and Design outfit. It helps companies to create and run impacting design and advertising campaigns. Diseno draws its capacity from many years of advertising prowess. The firm strives to help businesses maximise their ad |
| Services |
|
| Address | 19 Tanglin Road, #06-53 Tanglin Shopping Centre, Singapore 247909 |
| Telephones | (65) 6836 5168 |
| sales@diseno.com.sg | |
| Website | https://www.diseno.com.sg/ |
| Clients |
|
| Ads Agency |
Dreambox |
| About | Dreambox is a revolutionary advertising agency that helps businesses to exploit digital advertising. Dreambox blends its media production and digital marketing capacity to provide impacting ad solutions. |
| Services |
|
| Address | 3 Upper Bukit Timah View, Singapore 588133 |
| Telephones | (65) 9862 7987 |
| info@dreamboxstudio.com.sg | |
| Website | https://www.dreamboxstudio.com.sg/ |
| Ads Agency |
Billboarders |
| About | Billboarders is a unique advertising agency that pioneers the concept of Human Billboards in Singapore. The company is a professional agency that rolls out thought-provoking ads that resonate with its client’s target audience.
Billboarders presents innovative media solutions that guarantee immediate audience reaction and attention. |
| Services |
|
| Address | 1002 Toa Payoh Industrial Park,(Industrial Estate), #05-1445 S(319074) |
| Telephones | (65) 9778 7774 |
| info@billboarders.co | |
|
Website |
www.billboarders.co |
| Ads Agency |
Edelman |
| About | Edelman is a globally established communications and advertising firm with offices in Singapore. The firm helps companies to transform and promote their brands through strategic communication and advertising. Edelman leverages compelling stories to help clients achieve their marketing goals. |
| Services |
|
| Address | 15 Beach Road Beach Centre, #04-01 SINGAPORE 189677 |
| Telephones | (65) 6733 1110 |
| globalmarketingsocial@edelman.com | |
| Website | https://www.edelman.com |
| Ads Agency |
Simple Creative |
| About | Simple Creative is a top creative advertising agency in Singapore. The company takes a global approach when offering integrated branding, digital, and graphic design options. The firm employs storytelling tactics to make adverts appealing and audience-centric. |
| Services |
|
| Address | 38 Ang Mo Kio, Industrial Park 2 #02-272, Singapore 569511 |
| Telephones | (65) 6909 1442 |
| https://simplecreative.com.sg/ | |
| Website | https://simplecreative.com.sg/ |
| Clients |
|
| Ads Agency |
Saatchi & Saatchi |
| About | Though active in Singapore, Saatchi and Saatchi has their origins overseas. It’s affiliated with the 3rd rated communication giant in the world. Saatchi offers fully integrated communications and advertising solutions that get prospects falling in love with a client’s products |
| Services |
|
| Address | 16 Collyer Quay Income at the Raffles, #03-00 Singapore 049318 Singapore |
| Telephones | (65) 6206 6260 |
| enquiries@saatchi.com.sg
lara.tay@saatchi.com.sg |
|
| Website | http://saatchi.com/en-sg |
| Clients |
|
| Ads Agency |
Splash Productions |
| About | Splash strives to deliver effective advertising and brand communication solutions to transform Singaporean businesses.
Since 12005, Splash has been helping local companies to leverage new technology and social media to amplify the brand. Splash has successfully managed integrated advertising campaigns for hundreds of brands and organisations. |
| Services |
|
| Address | 211 Henderson Road, #12-04 Singapore 159552 |
| Telephones9 | (65) 6396 8438 |
| splashus@splash.sg | |
| Website | https://www.splash.sg/ |
|
Clients |
|
| Ads Agency |
ENCE |
| About | ENCE employs a range of marketing and advertising tactics to help businesses achieve their ROI goals. As a performance-based outfit, ENCE employs its proprietary Measurable Marketing Matrices and the Marketing for Return blueprints to help businesses capitalise on their advertising budgets. |
| Services |
|
| Address | 20 Cecil Street #26-02 PLUS Building Singapore 049705 |
| Telephones | (65) 3163 4653 |
| acquaintanceencemarketing.com | |
| Website | https://encemarke@ting.com/ |
| Clients |
|
|
Ads Agency |
Enthof |
| About | Enthof helps Singaporean businesses consolidate their brand appeal through compelling ads. The firm takes a custom approach to enhance your advertising expectations. Enthof is conversant with online and offline advertising. |
| Services |
|
| Address | 101 Cecil Street, #14-06 Tong Eng Building, Singapore 069533 |
| Telephones | (65) 3159 3919 |
| singapore@enthof.com |
|
Ad Agency |
McCann |
| About | McCann is a globally acclaimed advertising giant with offices in Singapore. The firm is known for its prowess in creating iconic ad campaigns for its global clients. McCann leverages its integrated capacities to empower its clients in over 100 countries. |
| Services |
|
| Address | 40A Orchard Road, 09-01, The MacDonald House. Singapore 238838 |
| Telephones | (65) 6737 9911 |
| Samantha.Strauss@mccannwg.com | |
| Website | http://www.mccannworldgroup.com |
| Clients |
|
|
Google Ads Agencies |
PurpleClick |
| About | PurpleClick is one of Singapore’s most highly regarded digital marketing and advertising agencies. With over six prestigious marketing and advertising awards, PurpleClick has been helping businesses and government agencies capitalise on advertising for excellent results. The firm is conversant with Out-of-Home Marketing, advertising, SEM, and programmatic marketing. |
| Services |
|
| Address | 51 Goldhill Plaza #14-01Singapore |
| Telephones | (65) 6533 8655 |
| enquiries@purpleclick.com | |
| Website | http://www.purpleclick.com |
| Google Ads Agencies |
First Page Digital |
| About | First Page Digital empowers Singaporean businesses with digital marketing and advertising solutions. The firm excels in PPC, SEO, and social media marketing.
Since 2011, First Page Digital has helped companies exploit various innovations in the advertising and marketing sphere. |
| Services |
|
| Address | 120 Robinson Road, #05-01, Singapore 068913 |
| Telephones | (65) 6270 2193 |
| info@firstpagedigital.sg | |
| Website | https://www.firstpagedigital.sg/ |
| Google Ads Agencies |
Impossible Marketing |
| About | Impossible Marketing is an advertising and digital marketing agency in Singapore. As a Google-certified partner, the firm helps local businesses leverage ads to generate the right leads. IM creates ad strategies to help clients maximise their targeted traffic. |
| Services |
|
| Address | 14A Yan Kit Road (Level 2 & 3), Singapore 088266 |
| Telephones | (65) 9374 0111 |
| enquiry@impossible.sg | |
| Website | https://www.impossible.sg/ |
| Clients |
|
Which Is the More Effective? Digital or Traditional Advertising?
According to a study published by Econsultancy, businesses must match their ad spend to where consumers spend their time. Instead, they are basing their budgets on the historical performance of each form of advertising.
When researchers examined the total ad spend across digital and traditional channels, they found that TV ads dominate most companies’ budget allocations. Fifty-60% of executives said they plan to keep their TV advertising commitments the same for the upcoming year. However, many traditional media channels are experiencing a decline in investment.
So, if the most effective form of advertising is one on which consumers spend most of their time, then which is the most effective?
It’s digital. Studies show that over 3.2 million Singaporeans use their mobile devices to access social media platforms. Almost 96% of Singapore’s internet users have at least one social media account on which they spend an average of 2.5 hours daily.
Also, the APAC Consumer Barometer has found that over half of the country’s internet users watch videos daily. 42% of Singaporeans depend on the Internet when researching products and comparing different options before purchasing.
Singapore is a digital society, so small and large companies are shifting their focus towards digital marketing. Singapore Business Review found that businesses in Singapore are starting to aggressively employ digital marketing strategies, such as SEO, Facebook ads, and paid search, to reach a wider audience.
Traditional advertising is still adequate to some extent. The trust in the more conventional advertising is still considered very strong. According to a Neilsen report, television, newspaper, and magazine advertisements are still among the most trusted forms of advertising for consumers who reside in Southeast Asia. 65% of Singaporeans said they were trustful of television ads, which is well above the global average of around 62%.
Despite the decline in trust in newspaper and magazine advertising, 62% of Singaporeans said they trusted magazine advertising, and 66% said they trusted newspaper advertising.
So, which should you choose? The answer depends on the business’s goals and target audience.
For instance, if the company is interested in a cost-effective advertising format that appeals to millennials, it should invest a sizeable portion of its budget into digital marketing, especially for small businesses.
However, if the company’s prime objective is to drive instant brand awareness and has an unlimited budget, it may consider investing more of its budget into traditional marketing.
It’s evident that all can work together and that a digital marketing presence is crucial to today’s brands.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the leading advertising channels in Singapore?
- Digital media – includes social media, search engines, and online ads.
- Traditional media – includes TV, radio, print, OOH, and direct mail.
What rules govern advertising in Singapore?
- The Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore (ASAS) oversees the Singapore Code of Advertising Practice (SCAP), ensuring that advertisements are legal, decent, honest, and truthful.
- The Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) regulates the collection, use, and disclosure of personal data in advertising.
- The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) regulates broadcast and digital media content, ensuring adherence to decency and appropriateness standards.
What are the current trends in advertising in Singapore?
- Video Advertising: Short-form videos on platforms like TikTok and Instagram are gaining popularity.
- Programmatic Advertising: Automated buying and selling of digital ads using AI and data analytics
- Personalisation: Brands create tailored ad experiences based on user data and preferences or artificial intelligence.
How do I choose the right advertising agency in Singapore?
- Experience and Expertise: Look for agencies with a proven track record in your industry.
- Range of Services: Ensure they offer a comprehensive range of services, including creative development, media planning, and digital marketing.
- Client Reviews and Case Studies: Check for testimonials and case studies to gauge their effectiveness.
- Budget Alignment: Ensure their pricing fits your budget while delivering the desired results.
