Sentosa Development Corporation's marketing director steps down after 5 years

Sentosa Development Corporation's (SDC) divisional director of marketing and guest experiences, Mira Bharin, has stepped down from the role after five years, according to a LinkedIn post by Bharin.

"What an epic five-year ride," Bharin wrote. "The time has come to say goodbye to an amazing journey in Sentosa and Sentosa Development Corporation. These years have been filled with wonderful memories, invaluable lessons and countless friendships."

Bharin went on to thank her "supportive leaders" and "priceless teams" as well as her "awesome peers". 

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"We have accomplished so much together and I can’t wait to see all the future plans come to fruition," she said.

"As I embark into the next chapter of my career, the mix of emotions is real. Sadness to leave behind what’s familiar and my work family, but also excitement for the adventures that await me on the other side," she added. 

Bharin joined SDC in 2018 as its brand, marketing and communications director. She held the role for just under three years before moving on to divisional director of marketing and guest experiences. She again held that role for just under three years. 

Prior to her stint in SDC, Bharin spent just under two years at cosmetics company L'Oréal. There, she helmed the roles of general manager of designer brand fragrances as well as general manager of luxury makeup with Yves Saint Laurent Beauté and Shu Uemura falling under her purview.

Prior to that, Bharin worked at firms such as NTUC as its senior vice president of brand and marketng and Procter & Gamble where she helmed multiple roles over the almost 12 years that she was there. Bharin left Procter & Gamble in 2014 as its global brand manager of Vidal Sassoon Hair Care.

News of Bharin's departure comes shortly after Sentosa announced in February that it would officially be moving away from the “State of Fun” - a branding it has had since 2014  - to a new tagline, “Where discovery never ends”.

In addition to the tagline, Sentosa’s logo was redesigned to bring out the promise of creating fulfilling moments on the island. According to a statement sent to the press, Sentosa, along with its creative agencies said that logo’s tranquil sunrise reflects the array of emotions from the experiences on the island from sunup to sundown.

In a conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE at the time, Bharin, shared that the rebranding came about due to the disruptions by the pandemic.

“It gave us time to step back and recalibrate to better understand the needs of our guests through research,” Bharin said.

“We then discovered that while fun experiences were still important, our guests are becoming more discerning with the type of leisure experiences that they are looking for. They wanted offerings which are authentic and experiences which allows for a sense of introspection,” she explained.

Bharin also leaves shortly after SCD revealed that it is on the hunt for an agency to support its creative and digital needs, according to GeBIZ documents seen by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE. The appointment will be valid for a period of two years with the option to extend for another three years. 

It noted that it is looking for a creative and digital agency that has a strong digital-first approach, covering functions such as providing strategic counsel and advice on brand strategy, creative and digital strategy. This includes China in its scope of works.

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