Singapore’s market landscape is a vibrant mix of traditional and modern strategies, reflecting its status as a global business hub. With a high internet penetration rate of 96% and the government’s digital infrastructure initiatives, Singaporeans have become tech-savvy. Hence, consumer standards have increased, and digital marketing has surged, making it essential for businesses to stay ahead of the trends.
To help your brand grow in the digital space, you, as a digital marketer or a brand owner, will learn about the following:
- Understanding the Singaporean Consumer
- Top 5 Effective Marketing Strategies and Avenues
- Government-backed initiatives such as PSG and EDG
- Top Marketing Agencies You Can Partner With
- Expanding Your Reach through Trade Shows and Other Marketing Events
- How to Upskill for Success (Certifications and Courses)
Understanding the Singaporean Consumer
Singapore is a multicultural society. Its primary ethnic groups are Chinese, Malay, and Indian.
The country is also the home of Eurasian expats and workers. Because of this, Singapore is a melting pot of different languages and cultures, shaping consumer behaviour and influencing preferences from food to fashion to technology and entertainment. Understanding these cultural nuances is essential for businesses to connect effectively with the segments of the population.
Key Consumer Behaviours and Preferences
Here are some of Singaporeans’ notable consumer behaviours and preferences. Afterwards, there is a general consumer persona to help you picture a typical Singaporean consumer.
- The World Population Review reported that Singaporeans are highly educated, with a 97% literacy rate. Statista also states that they are tech-savvy.
- They are brand-conscious but are also brand-loyal, according to Viettonkin.
- Michael Page also reported that as Singaporean consumers rise in affluence, they value quality and are willing to pay a premium for quality brands. They also value convenience and innovation.
- Singaporeans are fond of brands that blend traditional values and modern functionality.
- They value health and wellness, as stated by KPMG.
- The Straits Times reported that the younger generation of consumers is leading the growing interest in brands that advocate sustainability and social responsibility.
Considering the macro trends mentioned above, here’s what a typical Singaporean consumer looks like:
The Influence of Digital Transformation on Consumer Expectations
Because of digital transformation, consumer expectations shifted in Singapore. Consumers now have higher standards and are expecting excellence from brands. Here are some of the notable changes in Singaporean consumer expectations:
- The extremely high internet penetration caused the expectation of seamless online experiences, from digital payments to convenient online shopping.
- Singaporeans also want omnichannel experiences – from mobile devices to offline interactions.
- They are also expecting personalised interactions and efficient service.
Consumer Segmentation and Targeting
Knowing your customers can lead you to a successful marketing campaign. When you understand your target market, you can tailor your marketing strategies accordingly. Hence, you can segment your Singaporean consumers based on the following factors:
| Demographic | Psychographic | Behavioural |
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Here is an example of how to segment your consumers and which marketing strategies can be effective for that segment:
Image source: Thirdman from Pexels
Target Market: Young Professionals
Characteristics:
- Demographics: 25 – 40 years old, working in CBD, living in trendy neighbourhoods
- Psychographics: They are career-focused, tech-savvy, engaged in social media, and participate in social activities like parties and community outreaches. They value convenience, quality, and innovation.
- Behaviour: They love online shopping and food delivery. They also often use ride-hailing apps. They are okay with spending on premium products and services that can make their lives easier and increase their social status.
Marketing Strategies:
- Targeted Digital Campaigns: Brands must use social media platforms like Instagram and LinkedIn, where these young professionals often flock.
- Personalisation: Brands must recommend products and services based on the user’s preferences, browsing history, and purchasing habits.
- Lifestyle Branding: Brands should align their messaging with the values of these young professionals. They must lean toward core messages like work-life balance, income generation, fitness, travel, and mental health.
Now that you have learned how to understand Singaporean consumers and how to do consumer segmentation, let’s explore effective marketing strategies that can connect well with them.
Top 5 Effective Marketing Strategies and Avenues in Singapore
Each of these marketing strategies and avenues addresses specific needs and characteristics of the Singaporean market. Whether through the cutting-edge reach of DOOH, the personalisation of social media, the authority-building potential of content marketing, the visibility provided by SEO, or the support offered by government grants, businesses in Singapore have a wide array of tools to engage their target audiences effectively.
1. Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) Advertising
More foot traffic means more eyeballs your brand can attract—a principle DOOH adheres to. DOOH advertising involves digital screens in high-traffic locations like shopping malls, transportation hubs, and business districts. This type of advertising allows brands to deliver dynamic and real-time content that the brand tailors to specific audiences based on location and time of day.
Why it Works in Singapore
The country has a busy population and an advanced digital infrastructure. Because of this, DOOH effectively captures the attention of busy commuters, workers, and shoppers. DOOH’s main feature is delivering dynamic and real-time content, which allows brands to quickly adapt and update their ads depending on what is trending and what appeals to consumers.
Case Study
Image source: Ads of the World
McDonald’s effectively used DOOH advertising to promote its “McDelivery” service. By leveraging interactive and dynamic content on digital billboards, McDonald’s displayed real-time weather updates to encourage consumers to order food delivery during bad or hot weather. The campaign successfully increased McDelivery orders by aligning the service with consumer needs.
2. Social Media Marketing
Singaporeans are chronically online and heavy social media users. DataReportal reported that in 2024, WhatsApp overtook Facebook as Singapore’s most popular social media platform. Moreover, there has been a noticeable rise in the usage of TikTok, especially among the younger generations. As observed, brands love to use the short-form video app’s hashtag and challenge features to run branded campaigns.
Why it Works in Singapore
Social media has become the prime avenue for brand engagement and customer interaction because Singaporeans are highly active on social media platforms. With advanced targeting, social media effectively reaches the brand’s target market with specific demographics and interests.
Ultimately, the key to social media marketing is knowing your consumers, narrowing them down to segments, and targeting them with relevant content so that your brand can produce the desired outcomes.
Case Study
Image source: Yahoo News
Circles.Life, a Singaporean telecom provider, gained significant traction through a viral social media campaign. They used witty, relatable content and memes on platforms like Facebook and Instagram to engage younger audiences. Their #3DollarBaller campaign humorously addressed hidden telco charges, resonated with consumers and boosted brand awareness and customer acquisition.
3. Content Marketing
Content marketing involves creating and distributing valuable and relevant content to engage your target audience. You can produce content in formats of blogs, videos, infographics, and eBooks to solve your audience’s pain points.
Why it Works in Singapore
Singaporeans are well-informed and research-driven. Before they purchase, they often read multiple reviews to learn more about the brand and its offerings. The Straits Times reported that “more than 50 per cent of consumers in Singapore conduct some online research and look at other consumers’ reviews before making a purchase.”
Because of this consumer behaviour, your brand must invest in creating high-quality content that provides helpful information and can build trust and authority among consumers.
Case Study
Image source: Honeycombers
The Honeycombers, a lifestyle platform, successfully used content marketing to become a go-to resource for expatriates and locals in Singapore. They attracted a large, loyal readership by producing high-quality, engaging content on dining, travel, and events. Their content-driven approach helped them build strong relationships with advertisers, leveraging their influence for commercial partnerships.
4. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
SEO optimises a website to rank higher on search engine results pages (SERPs). In addition to achieving a high SERP rank, SEO aims to drive organic traffic to the website. Many steps are involved in SEO. Keyword research, on-page optimisation, content creation, and building backlinks are some practices to increase your website’s visibility, discoverability, and credibility.
Why it Works in Singapore
SEO matters in Singapore. With the country’s competitive landscape, many brands are vying for consumers’ attention. Therefore, brands must take extra steps to stand out in the search results. Brands must know what consumers are searching for and how they are searching for it relative to the brand’s offerings. A strong SEO strategy can boost a brand’s online presence and attract high-intent customers.
5. Government-backed Initiatives (PSG and EDG)
The Singapore government ensures that the country is a global business hub. Therefore, they launched several digital initiatives to help businesses, especially SMEs or small to medium enterprises.
The Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG) and Enterprise Development Grant (EDG) are government projects that provide financial support to businesses that adopt digital solutions, such as marketing tools and services.
Why it Works in Singapore
These grants help businesses to invest in modern marketing technologies and strategies. By leveraging PSG and EDG, business can improve their digital capabilities, implement effective marketing campaigns, and scale their operations without the financial burden.
Do you want to know more about PSG and EDG and how these initiatives can help your brand? The following section will guide you through this.
Government-Backed Initiatives: PSG and EDG
What is PSG or Productivity Solutions Grant?
According to Enterprise Singapore, PSG supports local SMEs adopting IT solutions and equipment to encourage automation and improve productivity and efficiency. The grant covers up to 50% of the eligible cost and provides up to SGD 30,000 for pre-approved solutions like digital marketing services.
What is EDG or Enterprise Development Grant?
Enterprise Development Grant or EDG supports projects that help businesses grow and transform. Companies must submit project proposals according to the three pillars of Core Capabilities, Innovation and Productivity, and Market Access. This grant can cover 50 to 70% of costs, such as consultancy fees, software, equipment, and internal workforce.
Who is Eligible?
To qualify for the said grants, your business must pass these criteria:
| PSG Eligibility | EDG Eligibility |
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How to Apply for PSG
- Identify relevant solutions.
- Get direct quotations from vendors.
- Submit your application using the Business Grants Portal.
Documents to Prepare
- Contact details
- Main contact person
- Letter of Offer addressee
- Proposal
- Vendor name and details of equipment
- Vendor’s quotation and other supporting documents
- Deployment location/Tenancy agreement
- Cost
- Detailed costing of the project
- Business Impact
- Write a detailed description of the overall impact and its productivity gains.
How to Apply for EDG
- Identify the project and the category you want to apply for.
- If you wish to apply for consultancy support, ensure the Singapore Accreditation Council accredits the consultant.
- Apply on the Business Grants Portal. Ensure that your project is new, has not started, and has yet to generate income.
Documents to Prepare
The following are the mandatory documents:
- Latest ACRA search
- Audited financial statements for the last financial year
- Consolidated financial statements for the previous financial year
- Project Proposal
- Proof of cost quotation of your project
Singaporean businesses leverage these grants to fund various digital marketing solutions such as website development and optimisation, SEO, digital advertising, and social media marketing. To help you market your business further, you may partner with these top Singaporean marketing agencies that partner with PSG.
Partnering with Top Marketing Agencies in SG
Here are the top five Singaporean marketing agencies that are partners with the Productivity Solutions Grant:
| Marketing Agency | Expertise | Contact Information |
| MediaOne |
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1 Neil Road, Singapore
6965 7008 contact@mediaone.co |
| Impossible Marketing |
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14A Yan Kit Road, Singapore
6208 8111 hello@impossible.sg |
| Corsiva Lab |
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82 Playfair Road, D’lithium, Singapore
contact@corsivalab.com |
| OOm |
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1 Grange Road, Orchard Building, Singapore
6391 0930 enquiry.agency@oom.com.sg |
| Next Level Singapore |
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7500A Beach Rd, #05-320, The Plaza Singapore
info@nextlevel.sg |
MediaOne
MediaOne is a leading digital marketing agency in Singapore that specialises in SEO, PPC, content marketing, and social media management. It has already worked for thousands of businesses, from startups to Fortune 500 like Canon, NUS, Singtel, and SingHealth. MediaOne is PSG-accredited and has a proven track record of delivering significant growth in client traffic, reach, and engagement.
You may learn more about partnering with MediaOne using the PSG here.
Impossible Marketing
Impossible is a marketing agency known for its SEO and lead generation expertise. It is known for its successful campaigns and support for local businesses using the PSG.
Corsiva Lab
Corsiva Lab offers comprehensive digital solutions, including web development and digital marketing. It is also PSG-accredited and has helped hundreds of clients improve their digital strategies.
OOm
OOm is one of the longest-serving PSG pre-approved digital marketing agencies. They specialise in SEO and online marketing.
Next Level Singapore
Next Level is another PSG-accredited digital marketing agency. Its expertise is SEO, SEM, and social media marketing.
Expanding Your Reach: Trade Shows and Marketing Events
Trade shows are vital in the Singaporean marketing landscape. These marketing events help businesses showcase their offerings to more audiences and enterprises of other industries. These trade shows and conferences gather thought leaders and excellent companies, making these a good opportunity to network and learn trends.
Moreover, by attending, brand owners can discover the best practices that other brands are using. Here are some of the prominent trade shows in Singapore that your brand can participate in:
| Trade Show | Description | Industry Focus | Schedule |
| The Business Show Asia | Focuses on helping small businesses grow and develop | Business Development | August |
| Franchising and Licensing Asia | Asia’s trade show for franchising and licensing opportunities | Franchising and Licensing | September |
| Cyber Security World Asia | Connects cyber security professionals with experts | Cybersecurity | October |
| E-commerce Expo Asia | Networking and solutions for achieving E-Commerce goals in the Asia Pacific | E-Commerce | October |
| Singapore Retail and E-Commerce Innovation Summit | Helps retailers thrive in the retail sector | Retail and E-Commerce | December |
| Asia TV Forum and Market (ATF) | Media and entertainment industry events showcasing the latest content trends | Media and Entertainment | December |
| Aviation Festival Asia | Trade show and conference for the aviation industry focusing on innovation | Aviation | February |
| Seamless Asia | Focuses on banking, payments, E-commerce, and retail | Banking, Payments, Retail | February |
| Geo Connect Asia | Solutions for geospatial and location intelligence markets | Geospatial and Location Intelligence | March |
How Trade Shows Complement Digital Marketing Efforts
Your brand can benefit from participating in trade shows by learning and networking. On top of that, since the participants of the trade shows are niche and targeted audiences, your brand can gather high-quality leads that you can funnel to your marketing goals. Here’s how your brand can benefit from the trade shows:
- Pre-event: You can use digital marketing tools to build anticipation, such as promoting your booth through social media, email campaigns, and dedicated landing pages.
- Event Proper: You can use digital tools like QR codes to capture valuable data during the trade show and social media engagement to enhance the visitor experience.
- Post-Event: After the event, you can use digital marketing tools for follow-ups, nurturing leads through targeted content and personalised communication.
Trade shows and digital marketing efforts are the perfect combination to maximise your brand’s reach and ensure that participation has an impact beyond the event.
Upskilling for Marketing Success: Courses and Certifications
By prioritising marketing education and upskilling, your brand and team can be equipped with knowledge and skills to drive long-term success in an increasingly competitive Singaporean market. Here are some ways and programs that can assist you in upskilling in marketing:
SkillsFuture
SkillsFuture is a national movement in Singapore that encourages lifelong learning and upskilling among the workforce. The program offers subsidies and credits to Singaporeans who pursue upskilling courses like marketing. It also provides access to various industry-relevant courses that allow professionals to stay competitive and be experts in their chosen fields.
Other Key Programs
Aside from SkillsFuture, organisations like the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA) and the Marketing Institute of Singapore (MIS) provide specialised certifications and workshops to help professionals be at par with the rapidly evolving business landscape in the country.
How to Choose the Right Course for You and Your Team
Identify Your Business Objectives
If you have limited resources, you want to learn that course that may solve your business’s needs. Therefore, you must align the course with your business’s marketing objectives.
For example, your problem is that your website needs to drive organic traffic, and you need to be on the first few pages of the search results page. Hence, you may enrol in an SEO or digital marketing course to increase your brand’s online visibility. If you need help in content marketing, then a course in content strategy would be fitting.
Assess Skill Gaps
Before choosing a course to enrol in, conduct a skills assessment to identify gaps within your marketing team. This effort can help you determine which areas need upskilling, ensuring that the lessons can address the team’s needs directly.
Evaluate the Quality and Relevance of the Course
Now that you have identified the course that matches your business’s needs, then it is time to evaluate its quality and relevance. You may consider these factors:
Accreditation and Recognition
Ensure that recognised institutions or professional bodies accredit the courses. The curriculum must also meet industry standards.
Instructor Expertise
Evaluate the credentials of the instructors. You must choose courses led by industry experts and professionals with practical experience and industry knowledge so that you and your team can acquire deeper insights and learn from real-life applications.
Content and Delivery
Check the syllabus to see if it covers relevant topics you and your team need. Also, consider the mode of delivery, whether in-person, online, or hybrid, that will not disrupt your business’s operations.
Why You Need to Engage in Continuous Learning
The primary goal in upskilling and learning further is to future-proof your marketing efforts and business. But aside from that, here are the reasons that you and your team must engage in continuous learning:
- Adapting to Industry Changes: The Singaporean marketing landscape is constantly changing and is becoming more competitive as the years go by. Because of this, you and your team must always be aware of the latest technologies, platforms, and strategies. Through continuous learning, your marketing team can stay ahead of these changes and remain effective and competitive.
- Building a Culture of Innovation: A well-trained team is likelier to experiment with new ideas and technologies, leading to more creative and effective marketing campaigns.
- Enhancing Employee Retention: Most employees crave growth, and continuous education can help here. When employees see that their employer invests in their professional development, they are likelier to stay engaged and committed to the company.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the key consumer behaviours in Singapore?
Singaporean consumers are brand-conscious, value quality, and increasingly prefer sustainable products. They expect seamless omnichannel experiences and personalised services.
How can businesses effectively segment the Singaporean market?
Effective segmentation involves demographic (age, income, ethnicity), psychographic (lifestyle, values), and behavioural (purchase behaviour, brand loyalty) methods to tailor marketing strategies.
What is the Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG)?
The PSG supports local SMEs in adopting IT solutions to enhance productivity, covering up to 50% of costs for pre-approved digital marketing services like SEO, SEM, and social media marketing.
How can businesses benefit from the Enterprise Development Grant (EDG)?
The EDG funds up to 50% of qualifying costs for projects that help businesses grow and transform, focusing on Core Capabilities, Innovation & Productivity, and Market Access.
Which are the top PSG-accredited marketing agencies in Singapore?
Top PSG-accredited agencies include MediaOne, Impossible Marketing, Corsiva Lab, OOm, and Next Level Singapore, which specialise in various digital marketing services to help businesses grow.
