STB seeks digital agency to amplify 'Passion Made Possible' brand in Americas

Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is on the lookout for digital and social media consultancy services for STB Americas. According to Gebiz, the appointment period will be for a one year, with an option to extend up to another two years from 17 April 2020 to 16 April 2023.

An RFP briefing will be conducted on 22 February 2020, Saturday at 1 am (Singapore time) / 21 February 2020, Friday at 12 pm (New York time) via conference call. While not mandatory, all tenderers are encouraged to join the session as information on the RFP will be shared and questions that the agencies may have will be addressed.

In a tender document seen by Marketing, STB Americas aims to engage a digital agency to:

• Increase awareness of Singapore as a destination among Americans through digital channels, which includes creating hyperlocal content for the market in order to educate on basic destination knowledge;
• Identify relevant content that resonates well with STB Americas’ target audience, for example placing emphasis on authentic experiences, cuisine, and other content;
• Allow STB to be flexible and speed-to-market to capitalise on in-market trends and happenings; and
• Be heavily involved in the sustenance of a destination marketing campaign.

The digital agency will be tasked to distill and hone in on an established brand voice for STB Americas on social and digital channels. It will also be  amplifying STB’s "Passion Made Possible" brand voice for the STB American audience within the digital space. This will be in addition to strengthening STB Americas’ marketing outreach, manage influencer/ key opinion leader programmes, among others. The digital agency is expected to work with the core creative and PR agency teams to critically evaluate how STB Americas can further amplify its messaging for sustenance campaigns.  The overall budget of the RFP for a total period of 36 months.

STB Americas’ market coverage encompasses the entire Americas region with a primary focus on the US and Canada. According to the documents, the work of STB Americas can be broadly categorised as leisure and business travel to drive visitor arrivals and spend as well as increase length of stay in Singapore. STB also hopes to anchor Singapore as a choice MICE destination by increasing the number of MICE events held in Singapore.

Currently, TBWA\\ Singapore supports STB HQ’s digital and social needs which have a global focus. STB Americas’ in-market digital agency will work with the agency to develop sharper market-specific plans. On some projects it will be expected to jointly develop and execute the marketing and communications initiatives that corresponds with STB’s overall marketing approach.

According to STB, the US consistently ranks in the top ten source markets, and that visitor arrivals from the US to Singapore grew +13% year-on-year in 2019 to reach 729,000. Continued growth of visitor arrivals to Singapore is expected with favourable exchange rates, increased outbound travel and the launch of non-stop flights from US gateways between 2016-2019. In the last three years, STB Americas has recorded an almost four-fold increase in primary KPI of reach from 2017 to 2019 and average organic reach has increased by more than 160%.