Overview
Massive diversion seen within industry; product success revolving around ideas and experiences
The design and branding sector in Singapore finds itself moving towards change. Utilizing the ability to connect audiences with products and convincing them to be confident in purchases being made has remodeled branding narratives on a large scale. Working through branding strategies best suited for companies, the design and branding industry has vastly improved in Singapore.
By 2022, 4.11 million consumers in Singapore are expected to switch to e-commerce solutions. As per Statista, in 2018, the average revenue per user amounted to USD 1,296. The branding and design sector involves engagement, education, research, evaluation and justification. Design and branding companies have constantly worked towards paving a branding funnel that ultimately assists with capturing the appropriate market for relevant companies.
Sustainability utilized to engage customers; companies opt for more personalized approach by incorporating values and ethics into branding
The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in consumers looking towards brands that leveraged sustainability and eco-friendly solutions. Statistics show that in 2018, 83% of consumers supported companies that based their branding and design around products being less harmful to the environment. In 2019, statistics showed that 33% of consumers stated that brand consistency played a large role with regards to brand presentation and attraction.
Consumer requirements for transparency also rose to 66% in 2018, which resulted in companies shifting their focus towards the ethics involved in material and product sourcing, and sharing their motives behind increased profit with consumers. As a result, companies are now utilizing designs to connect emotionally with customers, enabling them to develop more research-based brand strategies.
A vast number of companies steered towards recyclable materials and packaging materials free from allergens and toxins due to customer requirements. Businesses that create awareness and show corporate, environmental and social responsibility have become an essential part of the current design and branding initiative in 2022.
Hygiene has also become a priority among consumers due to the pandemic, while the promotion of safety measures and precautions is a vital part of the design and branding of an entity. Progressive movements and government initiatives have also been given increased importance as a part of the development of the branding and design sector in Singapore.
Key Trends
Prioritized digital touch points; consumers and brand interaction development by branding agencies in the midst of COVID-19
As a means of connecting brands with consumers post-pandemic, branding agencies in Singapore focused on products, interactions, settings and messages. Companies capitalized on understanding how customers utilize websites, social media and discussion boards in order to develop and generate conversations revolving around the design and branding industry.
With the aim of supporting the industry, the government provided grants to encourage companies to move to a digital platform. In 2020, a sum of SGD 59.9 billion was provided by the government to support businesses and industries along with an initiative referred to as Good Design Research, which allowed design practitioners to stay resilient to external shocks arising from the pandemic.
The government issued several grants, one of which was the Enterprise Development Grant, which assisted entities in their attempts to upgrade their capabilities and handle more technically advanced ventures. Additionally, the Enterprise Development Grant provides 90% of the qualifying project costs, as per the Supplementary Budget 2020.
Redirecting focus towards branded activation based on a digital brand experience allowed the design and branding sector to assist consumers with connecting to products. Adept communication skills and re-routing strategies served as a means of creating reassurance for consumers by improving content quality and maintaining consistency.
In 2018, 64% of consumers were shown to make purchases after they viewed branded videos on social media. This resulted in companies shifting their focus towards consistent digital brand presentations across all platforms, which improved revenues by upto 23%. Video content marketing increased, with brands capitalizing on social media videos in order to demonstrate short yet concise details to consumers. Year 2018 marked a 122% increase in direct mailing, with the use of strategic email marketing techniques that avoided detailed text yet included campaigns that were able to capture consumer markets, and share design and branding details.
Authenticity and accountability take over; drive towards digital branding evolving into meaningful content
In 2021, 71% of consumers opted for branding that aligned with values they believed in. Additionally, 91% of consumer markets looked for authenticity as a way of connecting with a brand, which has caused a paradigm shift within the sector. Customer experiences became a necessary target by branding entities due to 73% of the market being more open to better experiences with regards to influencing product preferences in 2021.
The pandemic resulted in the internet being a sole means of global connections and communications, which saw unprecedented levels of information being shared via digital platforms. This dynamic shift created a community that was culturally and socially alert or more aware of the impacts on cultural, environmental and social instances.
At present, branding and design companies that rely heavily on social media need to steer clear of scrutinized sectors in the digital world and on social media platforms in order to develop genuine marketing campaigns. Furthermore, consumers from the Gen Z and Millennial demography show an interest in design and branding that is focused on connections and displays transparency behind the message and values of companies.
But this does not mean that the pandemic was the sole reason for the change; it merely accelerated it. Excessive reliance on artificial intelligence and data analytics due to the intermittent lockdowns and social distancing resulted in the advancement of certain segments within the industry on virtual platforms. The changes bring forth a more revolutionary side to branding and design that could assist with Singapore’s development and progression in the creative field.
Key Statistics
- E-commerce platforms in Singapore experienced 23% growth in total web visits (desktop & mobile web) throughout the first half of 2020.
- Some 50% of Singaporeans between ages 18 and 24 chose brands that would communicate through advertisements that cropped up on social media platforms, whereas 36% preferred online video content.
- As of 2020, 99% of Singaporeans used social media on their phones, while 58% of Singaporeans increased the amount of time they spend watching online videos.
- In 2019, each user had an email opening rate of 11.89% and a click-through rate of 2.10%.
- As of 2020, 78% of consumers preferred homegrown brands.
Top Singapore MNCs in Creative Design & Branding Sector
FREEMAN PTE. LTD.
Headquartered in the USA, Freeman is a global provider of brand experiences, which aids in designing, organizing, and delivering immersive experiences for its clients. Freeman’s comprehensive solutions include brand strategy, creative design, digital solutions, event technology, and more. Freeman is the parent firm of Freeman Pte. Ltd. which was incorporated in 2006 in Singapore, integrating several of Freeman’s creative services across APAC. The Singapore office worked in collaboration with Changi Airport Group to deliver an immersive brand experience and positioning Changi as the world’s best airport. Freeman’s agency division, FreemanXP, Won three Marketing Event Awards for Excellence in Brand Experience in 2018.
FOOLPROOF (SG) PTE. LTD.
Foolproof Ltd. is a UK-based experience design company and a part of the international tech firm Zensar. The firm designs, engineers and launches digital products and services. In 2009, Foolproof (SG) Pte. Ltd. was incorporated in Singapore, to extend the services of its parent firm Foolproof Ltd., across the Asia-Pacific region and worldwide. Foolproof (SG) specializes in end-to-end business-to-business and business-to-consumer product and service design for global brands. Together with Shell and several partners from different regions, the firm designed and deployed a Fleet Management portal, Shell Fleet Hub.
DESIGN BRIDGE ASIA PTE. LTD.
Incorporated in 2003, Design Bridge Asia Pte. Ltd. is a Singapore-based studio of the global design agency Design Bridge, which is headquartered in the UK. Design Bridge Asia offered its services when approached by its client, Bundaberg. The firm designed a new logo and colour scheme saturated with Australian landscape hues—an image to welcome Australians back to the Bundaberg way of life from across the region or worldwide. Singapore’s Funan Digitalife Mall is also on the list of clients of Design Bridge Asia. The company offered an array of services to Funan Digitalife Mall, including brand and creative strategy, brand identity, packaging design, and environment branding.
ELMWOOD BRAND CONSULTING PTE. LTD.
Headquartered in the United Kingdom, Elmwood is a global design consultancy and the parent firm of Elmwood Design Consultancy Pte. Ltd., which was incorporated in 2010 in Singapore. The firm operates in a wide range of fields, which includes graphic packaging design, corporate communications, web design, brand strategy, brand architecture, marketing, brand identity, corporate identity, brand activation, brand experience, communications design, brand positioning, marketing innovation, digital marketing, digital design, and more. Elmwood Design Consultancy is adept in several sectors, including retail, government, sport, media, FMCG, B2B, and others.
LANDOR ASSOCIATES DESIGNERS & CONSULTANTS PTE LTD
Headquartered in the United Kingdom, Landor & Fitch is a brand and design group. Landor Associates Designers & Consultants Pte. Ltd., which was established in 1982, is the Singapore-based subsidiary of Landor & Fitch. Singtel, one of the leading telecom providers in Asia, tasked Landor Associates Designers & Consultants with rebranding its physical service points, including the mobile stores. The firm designed a cutting-edge retail experience. Highlights included the internationally acclaimed Comcentre, Singapore's first 5G-powered autonomous mobile store, and UNBOXED and UNBOXED LITE - a 21st-century recreation of the traditional phone box.
SUPERUNION BRAND CONSULTING PTE. LTD.
Superunion Brand Consulting Pte. Ltd. was incorporated in 1994 in Singapore, as a subsidiary of the creative company Superunion. Headquartered in the UK, Superunion is a multi-award-winning agency renowned for its expertise in brand design and brand management work for clients such as NASA, Intel, and the BBC. In Singapore, the telecommunication service provider MyRepublic introduced a new brand identity as it marked its ninth anniversary. This was created by Superunion Brand Consulting. The revised brand identity of MyRepublic had been promoted in an integrated campaign that was launched in March 2021, and appeared on MRT stations and digital platforms.
PICO ART INTERNATIONAL PTE. LTD.
Repeated as per client.
FIRST PTE. LTD.
Headquartered in the USA, FIRST is a global brand experience agency and the parent firm of Singapore-based FIRST Pte. Ltd. Established in 2013, the firm brings together brands with its audiences through creative, connected experiences. To better serve clients who demand a full brand experience, FIRST has extended its service offering to focus on content, technology, and data and analytics. This allows FIRST to continue to be a creatively led organization. The firm assists its clients to engage in live, virtual, and hybrid brand experiences.
CHIC MAISON PTE. LTD.
Headquartered in France, the Chic Agency is a global design firm that creates luxury brands. Chic had chosen to expand internationally in four locations to cultivate a greater understanding of cultures and hone its expertise, leading to the incorporation of Chic Maison Pte. Ltd. in Singapore in 2012. Chic Maison focuses on meeting the needs of its clients in the region and globally by offering services in a variety of fields, including art direction, advertising, graphic design, branding, print, packaging, and web design. The firm's expertise covers everything about visual communication for luxury brands.
BULLETPROOF DESIGN PTE. LTD.
Headquartered in the United Kingdom, Bulletproof Design is a design agency that provides a wide array of services, including brand strategy, brand management, creation of brand identity, graphic design, and more. As brand stewards, the firm collaborated with Soapsmith on all strategic and creative facets of its business. For sustained brand coherence, Bulletproof Design influences limited edition packaging and campaigns, photography, and visual material, as well as social media planning and activation. In 2017, Bulletproof Design established a subsidiary in Singapore, Bulletproof Design Pte Ltd., to represent the agency in the Asia-Pacific region.
Top Singapore Large Local Enterprises in Creative Design & Branding Sector
VERZTEC CONSULTING PTE. LTD.
Headquartered in Singapore, Verztec Consulting Pte. Ltd. was founded in 2000 - a third of Fortune 500 companies worldwide, from a number of industry sectors, receive support from the company for their international communication requirements. Verztec assists multinational companies wishing to expand the reach of their brands, with its creative design capabilities, and technological and multilingual experience. The target market's cultural identity is considered for every design and conceptualization project the firm undertakes. In November 2017, Verztec received recognition as Champions of Good. Additionally, Common Sense Advisory recognized the company as one of the Top 50 Language Service Providers Worldwide in 2016.
Top Singapore SMEs in Creative Design & Branding Sector
BREWORKS DESIGN & COMMUNICATIONS PTE. LTD.
Breworks Design & Communications (BDC), which was established in 2003, is a Singapore-based Digital Marketing & Creative Design Agency. It specializes in website design and development, Google Adwords services, and graphic design services that include creating a logo and brand identity design, offering marketing collateral designs, and more. The company was appointed by Algordanza Singapore as its PR and Creative Agency for its launch event in 2010. Another of BDC’s successes is its work as web designer and Chinese New Year marketing collateral designer of Mouth Restaurant. BDC also serves Youcan as a branding and design consultant, maintaining the company’s website and designing its annual reports.
FOREIGN POLICY DESIGN GROUP PTE. LTD.
Incorporated in 2006, Foreign Policy Design Group Pte. Ltd. is a design and innovation consultancy, which is headquartered in Singapore. The firm offers a wide array of services that include brand identity, brand strategy, book and product design, interior design, wayfinding, website design and development, digital marketing, and more. Recently, Foreign Policy Design developed a brand identity for The Grateful Pet. The pet nutrition company appointed the firm to assist them with the launch of a wider range of premium food for both cats and dogs. In 2018, Roger&Sons also approached Foreign Policy Design, to rebrand its woodwork business.
&LARRY PTE. LTD.
Headquartered in Singapore, &Larry Pte. Ltd. was founded in 2005. The firm was the brand consultant for GIC, Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund. Together with SCA Designs, &Larry strategized the overall concept, spatial layout, and design direction to provide both GIC staff and visitors with an uplifting and all-encompassing experience. &Larry was also approached by Atome for rebranding in 2020. As Atome's team proceeded to develop the brand, &Larry offered guidance and advice. The two teams jointly created a revised content strategy that looked at additional ways to make aspirations, access, and advice more accessible and bite-sized for target categories across numerous touchpoints.
CREATIVEANS PTE. LTD.
Established in 2012, Creativeans Pte. Ltd. is a Singapore-based brand agency. As brand builders, Creativeans merges strategic and creative thinking to provide an integrated and comprehensive approach to raising brand value. The firm supports brand positioning, brand identity expression, brand auditing, and ultimately, brand contact point execution. Creativeans works with companies to help them create their brands. In collaboration with Enterprise Singapore and DesignSingapore Council, Creativeans supports smaller and early-stage enterprises with brand building and product design development by lowering cash costs or placing a royalty/equity. In 2022, the firm was recognized as a Top Branding Agency in Singapore by Clutch.co.
BRAVO CREATIVE PTE. LTD.
Founded in 2017, Bravo Creative Pte. Ltd. is an Enterprise Singapore-certified consultant, specializing in branding and design. Bravo Creative was approached by Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore, to develop a food and beverage concept for the hotel lobby. This resulted in a brand identity that is referencing a bygone period. Visitors will find a bar, a lounge, a boutique, and a restaurant in the lobby for which the company developed an umbrella of brand identities. EDL, a laminate company, hired Bravo to rebrand its business. Services offered included designing EDL's brand collaterals, and creating a platform for creative collaborations with designers, architects, and more.
FABLE STUDIO PTE. LTD.
Headquartered in Singapore, Fable Studio Pte. Ltd. is a design firm that was incorporated in 2014. The firm has a strong focus on a strategy that creates typography, creative campaigns, brand identities, and more. Fable Studio engages in experiments and collaborations in its lab, in addition to working on commercial projects for corporations in Singapore and globally. Additionally, the company distributes retail fonts and creates unique typefaces for brands. Fable Studio has won awards at prominent international design competitions such as the Tokyo Type Directors Club, the Art Directors Club, and the British Design & Art Direction Awards.
DECADENCE DESIGN PTE. LTD.
Decadence Design Pte. Ltd. is a graphic design firm headquartered in Singapore. It is the design arm of ENCE Marketing Group and was incorporated in 2014. Decadence Design is specialized in creating brand identities through logo design, designing visual communication marketing collaterals, website development, social media post design, helping clients establish their corporate identity, brochure design, and more. With its main focus on the F&B industry, Decadence Design assisted in the rebranding project of Changi Beach Seafood Paradise. The firm also helped Canopy HortPark restart its media PR campaign.
TILT PTE. LTD.
Established in 2009, TILT Pte. Ltd. is a creative agency which is headquartered in Singapore. In honour of Downtown East's $200 million renovation and its 30th anniversary in 2018, TILT developed a collection of key graphics and adapted them for use in-person, such as lift stickers and pillar wraps, and Out-of-Home Advertising such as 6-sheet posters and bus wraps. TILT’s client, Habitat for Humanity, tasked the firm with offeringing services such as logo design, creating marketing collaterals, and more, for Bare Your Sole - an annual event which is organized to raise funds for the less fortunate in Singapore.
JAB DESIGN PTE. LTD.
Established in 2009, JAB Design Pte. Ltd. is a creative design and branding agency, which is headquartered in Singapore. JAB Design specializes in identity and branding that includes logo design, graphic design, interactive and environmental design, and more. The company collaborates closely with clients to help them comprehend how a new perspective on their brand and identity may help their company stay on message. JAB Design is bizSAFE Level 3 certified. The Singapore Enterprise Medal of Honour was presented to JAB Design in 2016, in the Top 100 Elite and Trustworthy SMEs category.
GSK CREATIVE PTE. LTD.
Headquartered in Singapore, GSK Creative Pte. Ltd. is a creative design agency that has been offering design and branding since 2005. The firm has worked on several projects including the NTUC Health project, where the firm moved all its existing brands into one, assisting clients to recognize the full suite of services that NTUC Health offers through its marketing collateral. For Shangri-La Hotel, a hotel chain that unveiled its first integrated development project in Colombo, the agency created brochures, a website, and various print ad runs. GSK Creative was hired by Leading Marine Services for its corporate rebranding project.
Top Singapore Fastest-Growing Companies in Creative Design & Branding Sector
BULLETPROOF DESIGN PTE. LTD.
Headquartered in the United Kingdom, Bulletproof Design is a design agency that provides a wide array of services, including brand strategy, brand management, creation of brand identity, graphic design, and more. As brand stewards, the firm collaborated with Soapsmith on all strategic and creative facets of its business. For sustained brand coherence, Bulletproof Design influences limited edition packaging and campaigns, photography, and visual material, as well as social media planning and activation. In 2017, Bulletproof Design established a subsidiary in Singapore, Bulletproof Design Pte Ltd., to represent the agency in the Asia-Pacific region.
ANTHOLOGY PTE. LTD.
Established in 2013 and headquartered in Singapore, Anthology Pte. Ltd. assists its clients in developing brand experiences. The Online-Offline-Online cycle is the foundation of Anthology’s concepts, which is a smooth experience to aid brands in establishing connections with consumers. As a client, Google Singapore launched The Developers Space recently. This launch was meant to allow business owners, developers, and community organizations to collaborate, learn from one another, expand their knowledge, and build meaningful relationships and connections to achieve shared objectives. The space gained popularity through Anthology's monthly showcases, which brought attention to creative designs and the people behind them.
OOM PTE. LTD.
Headquartered in Singapore, OOm Pte. Ltd. was founded in 2006. It is a firm that assists companies of all sizes with their digital marketing efforts. Additionally, OOm is the official partner for both Facebook (Meta) and Google, assisting its clients in achieving their objectives in the digital space. The firm has made its presence known in several countries in the region, including the Philippines, Hong Kong, and China. For both digital marketing and e-commerce solutions, IMDA has pre-approved OOm as a PSG (Productivity Solutions Grant) provider. OOm is among the top 3 percent of Google’s Partners in Singapore.
DSTNCT PTE. LTD.
Incorporated in 2010, Singapore-based DSTNCT Pte. Ltd. is a creative agency that connects brands and audiences. As the integrated marketing company for SHINE Festival for the National Youth Council, DSTNCT offers a range of marketing services, including developing a comprehensive content strategy and brand positioning. The Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre has awarded DSTNCT two different retainer accounts to manage its integrated marketing, public relations, and social media, as well as the design and administration of its website. As the designated Social Agency of Record for AIA Singapore, DSTNCT is entrusted with updating AIA Singapore's online presence and producing engaging content.
THIS IS TOMMY PTE. LTD.
Headquartered in the UK, This Is Tommy Ltd, is a creative and production studio. It is the parent firm of This Is Tommy Pte. Ltd., which was incorporated in Singapore in 2017. The firm collaborates with a variety of clients, including agencies, brands, businesses, and people. It is committed to creating customer acquisition and growth strategies that are supported by technically excellent, rich, and meaningful digital experiences. The following are its key areas of expertise: digital marketing strategy, creative, design, production, advertising, and social media interaction, including blogger outreach, community management, P2P discussions, and online PR.
ELMWOOD BRAND CONSULTING PTE. LTD.
Headquartered in the United Kingdom, Elmwood is a global design consultancy and the parent firm of Elmwood Design Consultancy Pte. Ltd., which was incorporated in 2010 in Singapore. The firm operates in a wide range of fields, which includes graphic packaging design, corporate communications, web design, brand strategy, brand architecture, marketing, brand identity, corporate identity, brand activation, brand experience, communications design, brand positioning, marketing innovation, digital marketing, digital design, and more. Elmwood Design Consultancy is adept in several sectors, including retail, government, sport, media, FMCG, B2B, and others.
VERZTEC CONSULTING PTE. LTD.
Headquartered in Singapore, Verztec Consulting Pte. Ltd. was founded in 2000 - a third of Fortune 500 companies worldwide, from a number of industry sectors, receive support from the company for their international communication requirements. Verztec assists multinational companies wishing to expand the reach of their brands, with its creative design capabilities, and technological and multilingual experience. The target market's cultural identity is considered for every design and conceptualization project the firm undertakes. In November 2017, Verztec received recognition as Champions of Good. Additionally, Common Sense Advisory recognized the company as one of the Top 50 Language Service Providers Worldwide in 2016.
SEDGWICK RICHARDSON (SEA) PTE LIMITED
Sedgwick Richardson is a Hong-Kong based firm with a specialization in building digital brand systems. It is the parent firm of Sedgwick Richardson (SEA) Pte. Ltd., which was incorporated in Singapore in 2000. SATS assigned Sedgwick Richardson (SEA) to develop English and multilingual (English and Chinese) brand identities for a new ready-to-eat B2B4C product line that is convenient and healthful, and to then adapt the identities to convenience store packaging formats. Additionally, SATS' Food division tasked Sedgwick Richardson (SEA) with creating a sustainable packaging strategy for Blu, a bottled water brand it provides to its airline and other institutional and commercial clients.
WORDSEARCH PTE. LTD.
Headquartered in the United Kingdom, Wordsearch creates branding and marketing campaigns in the real estate and architecture sectors. To draw attention to their clients’ projects, the firm creates property marketing campaigns that combine identity, design, digital, film, renderings, and more. It is the parent firm of Wordsearch Pte. Ltd., which was established in 2013 in Singapore. To effectively communicate the potential of DUO Tower in Singapore, an integrated suite of marketing materials, including a brochure, a film, and interactive presentations, were commissioned from Wordsearch.
WHY? BRAND DESIGN PTE. LTD.
Established in 2010 in Singapore, Why? Brand Design Pte. Ltd. offers consumer branding and packaging design to assist global companies in navigating and creating strong brands in Asia. As the global brand design agency for Lux, Unilever challenged Why? Brand Design with a project to develop an e-commerce personal care brand. The firm looked into Korean beauty trends and arrived on Jeju Island. Following this, the firm built the brand Kju, which is a word mashup of ‘Korea’ and ‘Jeju’, and developed the brand personality and identity. Kju’s success helped expand the market into Singapore, Malaysia, and Taiwan.