The time of the year has arrived once again for us to sing, sometimes with tears in our eyes, that this is home, truly, where I know I must be. Every National Day, we celebrate what it means to be Singaporean — but this is hardly a static concept as societal norms shift and models of life and work evolve.
The world has become more hyper-connected than ever and we’re inevitably influenced by different cultures and ideas. This has led to a new generation of Singaporeans having different hopes, dreams and aspirations. Meanwhile, the recent Forward Singapore exercise called for a refreshed “social compact”. This means what Singaporeans are expecting from the government, businesses, employers, and themselves are evolving like never before.
Our new Prime Minister Lawrence Wong is championing the message that the incoming 4G leadership is “prepared to relook everything” and “re-examine all [their] assumptions”. This includes what young people are looking for in life. Singaporeans are feeling more empowered to chart their own paths and see beyond traditional achievements of high grades and material success.
We see this perspective shift clearly in the recent brief we received from the Ministry of Digital Development and Information, with whom we produced an anthology of four films that showcase a desire to help Singaporeans better navigate the uncertainties in today’s world and attain their aspirations in providing multiple pathways to success.
During earlier and safer days, I remember my parents literally sitting behind me when I was making my post-secondary school choices to make sure that I was choosing a junior college (JC). The one path to success was clear: do well in school, ace the A-levels, get into university, choose a well-regarded career track like medicine, law or engineering, buy a house, settle down, and live happily ever after. When I was in school, many of my peers aspired for a FIRE lifestyle — financial independence, retire early.
But today, we’re seeing so many diverse pathways. From an executive leaving their job to take over a hawker stall, to an author getting a six-book deal for stories based in Singapore, to some of my peers opening their media publishing company straight out of school, more Singaporeans are pursuing their passions and making a living out of it — convention be damned. We’re hearing of more people choosing to enter polytechnics, not just because they could not get into a JC, or doing apprenticeships because they already know what they want to do.
Singaporeans are also settling everywhere around the world and embracing being a global citizen, with more Singaporeans heading to more unusual locations for study and work. But this also means that the Singaporean identity has to evolve, from one where being Singaporean means living in Toa Payoh and eating chicken rice, to one where we look to stay Singaporean by holding a common set of values such as meritocracy, opportunity and multiracial harmony, regardless of where we are in the world.
And what does all this mean for the marketing and advertising industry?
As an advertiser, we must keep our finger on the pulse of what makes Singaporeans tick. Our recent insights and work tell us that the ideas of happiness and success are ever evolving in our local landscape, and the younger generations are transforming previously established ideals and institutions.
For example, a study MullenLowe Singapore conducted among 1,280 Gen Zs showed that 60% of those surveyed are more likely to choose passion, learning opportunities and development, though many held the perception that all Gen Z desired was a good salary and quick progression. It was also surprising to find that Gen Z valued learning opportunities (ranked 2nd, 18.9%) over features like being their own boss (5th, 10.3%) or pursuing their passion (6th, 7.8%).
As advertisers and purveyors of culture, the work we produce helps to shape social narratives. There is an opportunity for us to help our young Singaporeans feel represented, validated, comforted and supported in their quest for greater purpose and meaning. We need to steer away from old scripts and rewrite new ones, so that we can not only resonate with Singaporeans but also help encourage them to lead their lives on their own terms.
We should also interrogate our own notions and stereotypes of status, equality and progress — and the people who represent these ideals. If we choose to portray people in stereotypical roles, such as the older Chinese hawker, or the Malay makcik taking care of her kids, we end up reinforcing these stereotypes. But by presenting people in situations they could aspire to be — like the ITE student working in aerospace, or an older worker upskilling — we show Singaporeans a multitude of different futures. We dare them to dream bigger and aim higher, and in doing so we help to influence the Singapore of tomorrow.
At the end of the day, advertising is about daring to dream differently — so we’re absolutely here for these recent evolutions in the Singaporean psyche, and we look forward to a more vibrant, fun and inclusive culture.
This thought leadership is written by Kevin Koh, Senior Growth Manager at MullenLowe Singapore
