Tag: Sentosa Development Corporation

Building strong, lasting relationships with customers is at the heart of every successful brand. Think about it: people are more likely to stick with and recommend a brand that feels like a trusted friend rather than just another company. 

These connections go beyond transactions—they’re about creating experiences, showing genuine care, and adding value to their lives. When brands invest in fostering these bonds, customers don’t just buy once; they come back, they advocate, and they build a sense of loyalty that’s hard to break.

When it comes to building brand loyalty, Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) strives to deliver exceptional customer experiences while fostering meaningful, lasting connections with its island guests to meet their ever-evolving needs.

To bring this vision to life, SDC launched a robust suite of CRM capabilities powered by Salesforce’s Sales, Service, and Marketing Cloud platforms. Leveraging the solution’s ability to provide a comprehensive 360-degree view of customers and enable personalized interactions at scale, SDC’s CRM implementation was recognized as the Country Winner at IDC’s Enterprise Intelligence Awards. Additionally, it earned a Silver Award at the recently concluded Marketing Technology Awards 2024.

We recently spoke with Ivan Teo, director, digital marketing, Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC), to gain insights into the execution of SDC’s CRM project. He shared details about SDC’s plans to enhance customer relationships and gain a deeper understanding of guest behaviour, which will play a pivotal role in shaping the organization’s future strategies.

Revolutionising data for enhanced guest experiences

SDC’s launch of its CRM program aims to transform the way SDC delivers exceptional guest experiences and foster deeper relationships with its visitors, through the enhancement of backend platforms, operation processes and guest engagement.

“These insights underscored the need for an integrated system to unify data and drive strategic, data-driven decisions. The CRM initiative was designed to align with the ‘One Sentosa Service Experience’ by enhancing data analytics, streamlining operations, and personalising interactions, ensuring SDC meets the evolving needs of its guests,” he stated.

Ivan highlighted that the CRM project presents a valuable opportunity for SDC to future-proof its operations through digital transformation. This initiative is particularly significant as it allows Sentosa to address evolving needs and expectations of its guests. By implementing this solution, SDC is positioning itself to better understand and respond to changing visitor preferences, ensuring that it remains relevant and competitive in the years ahead.

“With the tourism landscape constantly evolving, the initiative was positioned as a vital investment to ensure Sentosa remained a leader in guest satisfaction and loyalty. The project’s focus on scalability, such as extensible APIs and integration capabilities, enables SDC to adapt quickly to new opportunities and maintain its competitive edge,” he added.

Consolidating guest profiles in a unified platform

SDC’s 360-Degree Customer View unites guest data from diverse sources like loyalty programs and admission systems, which transforms scattered insights into a clear, actionable plan. 

“By integrating disparate data sources, such as admission systems and loyalty programs, the CRM provides a holistic understanding of each guest. This enables SDC to deliver tailored experiences, such as personalised offers, relevant content, and timely service responses,” Ivan said.

In their real-life application of the solution, SDC’s loyalty marketing team leveraged this comprehensive view of their guest data to increase member activity rates through targeted engagement strategies, while its digital marketing team used it to enhance website journey personalisation, resulting in better click-through rates and engagement.

This deeper understanding of guest behaviours also helps SDC anticipate future needs, ensuring it stays proactive rather than reactive.

“For example, by analysing engagement patterns, SDC can better design promotions and services to delight guests and improve guest satisfaction. This data-driven approach aims to foster meaningful relationships with visitors, making their experience on Sentosa memorable and distinctive,” he said.

Automation is key to independently-designed customer journeys

Another significant reason why SDC’s 360-Degree Customer View is integral to its operations is how its marketing automation feature allowed its teams to independently design customer journeys and campaigns, reducing costs and reliance on external vendors. 

Moreover, automation features also helped streamline case management, where guest inquiries via web forms are now converted directly into cases, saving valuable staff time.

“This allowed teams to focus on enhancing guest interactions rather than administrative tasks. Additionally, automated insights into customer segments and campaign performance helped optimise engagement strategies, ensuring timely, relevant, and impactful communication,” Ivan noted.

As a result, various teams had experience significant efficiency gains. For instance, its guest insights and experience (GIE) Team saved significant hours annually through automated workflows and case resolutions.

“This operational improvement allows staff to concentrate on higher-value activities, such as refining customer journeys and creating innovative engagement strategies, further enhancing the overall guest experience,” he added. 

What makes SDC’s customer journey, omnichannel tools effective?

In terms of improving SDC’s customer journey, Ivan highlighted that its CRM tool is able to aid in the planning of guest interactions across their journey, from planning a visit to post-visit follow-ups. 

For example, integrating with real-time data, like island visit data and purchase patterns, Sentosa was able to design targeted campaigns to increase loyalty and drive purchases. 

“Being able to identify potential pain points and engagement metrics in the guest journey will allow Sentosa to continuously shape experiences that will be meaningful for visitors,” he said.

“By addressing these proactively, SDC hopes to create a more seamless and enjoyable experience for all visitors. This capability not only boosts immediate satisfaction but also strengthens long-term loyalty,” he added.

While the omnichannel experience is a work in progress, Ivan is looking forward to leveraging the CRM solution to unlock consistency in guest experiences across multiple touchpoints, be it web, mobile apps, or in-person interactions. His team is now looking at how to scale up personalised notifications as well as geolocation interactions to further enhance relevance and engagement.

“These initiatives not only improve the overall guest experience but also strengthen brand loyalty by ensuring the interaction with the brand is intentional and meaningful,” he said.

“We hope that by continuously improving our guest experiences, SDC can strengthen its reputation and position as the world’s best-loved leisure and lifestyle resort destination,” he adds.

****

The 360-Degree Customer View from SDC is more than just a tool—it’s a game-changing strategy for creating deeply personalised and impactful guest experiences. By turning data into actionable insights, marketers can engage audiences with precision, anticipate their needs, and build lasting connections that drive loyalty and satisfaction. It’s the key to staying ahead in a competitive landscape like tourism while delivering customer experiences that truly stand out in the longer run.

The travel and tourism industry is changing fast, and it’s not just about offering stunning destinations or top-notch service anymore. Today’s travellers expect a seamless experience at every step—whether they’re booking online, scrolling through recommendations, or checking in at a hotel. If brands want to stay competitive, they need to deliver more than just great physical experiences; they also need to wow their guests digitally.

In this latest case study, we take a look at how Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) embarked on its CRM journey with Salesforce in order to improve its guest experiences through a unified platform for data-driven decision-making.

The Challenge

SDC is dedicated to the development, management and promotion of Sentosa island, and one of its goals is to provide exceptional customer experience and create meaningful, lasting relationships with its island guests to meet their evolving needs. Continual efforts are also undertaken by SDC in providing world class experiences, and engaging effectively with guests, island partners, and broader ecosystem partners.

The Objective

The strategic imperative was to implement an enterprise CRM solution aimed at advancing data analytics and digitalisation to deliver a personalised and seamless guest experience, fully aligned with the One Sentosa Service Experience initiative. The key business objectives included achieving a comprehensive Customer 360° view, consolidating data for more informed decision-making, and enabling personalised customer interactions at scale. 

On the technology front, the goals focused on integrating disparate data sources into a unified platform, utilising a common data model, and deploying extensible APIs to enhance speed-to-market while ensuring scalability for marketing automation.

Moreover, the overarching goal was to elevate guest service standards and unlock deeper insights across various business units, including guest insights and experience, brand experience & marketing, loyalty marketing, and digital marketing teams.

The project also aimed to transform SDC’s interactions with guests and streamline operations by focusing on key goals:

  • 360-Degree Guest View: Consolidate guest profiles, including visit frequency, spending habits, and preferences, for personalised engagement and better service.
  • Marketing Automation: Bring marketing automation in-house, enabling teams to design campaigns independently and reduce costs while automating case management for guest inquiries.
  • Analytics and Insights: Centralize data from various systems to generate actionable insights, improve customer segmentation, track marketing performance, and monitor membership trends.

The Solution

SDC took a major step in its transformation journey by rolling out an advanced set of CRM capabilities built on Salesforce’s Sales, Service, and Marketing Cloud platforms. This initiative was designed to redefine how SDC harnesses data insights to deliver more personalised and efficient guest experiences. 

By integrating Salesforce with core systems—encompassing B2C profiles, guest transactions, and service histories—SDC established a unified platform that empowers data-driven decision-making across the organisation.

The project was executed through a structured process, ensuring seamless integration across departments:

  • Implementation Process:
    • Conducted discovery workshops to identify business and technical needs.
    • Ran user-driven sprints dedicated to each module as well as planning a detailed mapping of existing data fields for both migrated and streaming data made for a smooth transition.
    • Performed robust data validation through system integration and user acceptance testing (UAT).
    • Deployed the CRM system with a well-coordinated Go-Live plan, followed by ongoing maintenance and enhancements.
  • Cross-Department Collaboration:
    • Strong alignment among department heads, coupled with a consistent messaging of the project’s strategic importance to working teams, ensured effective change management.
    • Teams actively participated in reviews, testing, and data validation, even during weekends, with notable contributions from the Loyalty, Digital Marketing, Brand Marketing and Guest Insights & Experience teams.
    • Integrated multiple data sources, such as ticketing, product information, and admission systems, into a unified platform for a comprehensive guest view.
  • Overcoming Challenges:
    • Addressed data fragmentation and operational silos by creating a centralised system with unified data fields.
    • Improved data accuracy and monitoring through automated alerts for sync failures and weekly vendor support reviews.
    • Integrated diverse admission systems (e.g., Gantry IU, Sentosa Express QR code) to capture guest behaviour comprehensively.

The Result

The CRM project brought tangible benefits across various teams, driving greater efficiency, accuracy, and personalised engagement. The Guest Insights & Experience team saved over 1,000 hours annually through streamlined processes, while the Loyalty team leveraged integrated data to gain richer insights into guest behaviour. The Digital Marketing team also saw improved click-through rates by delivering personalised content. These improvements not only enhanced operations and customer engagement but also supported SDC’s overall business growth.

Singapore – The Sentosa Development Corporation has launched a sensorial wallscape to stimulate the appetites of MRT commuters at the Dhoby Ghaut NEL and Bugis DTL stations.

Sentosa collaborated with GOVT Singapore, Starcom Worldwide, and Moove Media for the activation.

The wallscape allows viewers to immerse in the sight, scent, and sound of barbeque, inviting them to visit Sentosa GrillFest 2024.

The scent of smoky barbeque was made in collaboration with Oo La Lab while the ambient audio was created in collaboration with Massive Music. The activation aimed to recreate the feeling of dining beside a beach.

Sentosa GrillFest 2024 is the seventh edition of the beachfront grill festival where visitors can try local and international cuisine. Besides dining by the beach, visitors can also indulge in an exclusive tepee dining experience, which offers a three-course dinner.

Running from Nov. 14 to Dec. 8, the grill festival will be held at the Siloso Beach.

“With this year’s GrillFest returning with exclusive dishes and new experiences, we wanted to showcase the uniqueness through a campaign that is equally novel and distinctive. We hope the activation will surprise and interest commuters to join us for the tasty grills on Siloso Beach,” Chris Pok, divisional director of marketing and guest experience at Sentosa Development Corporation, said.

Alvina Seah, group managing director at GOVT Singapore, commented, “We saw an opportunity to create a sensorial experience that would give commuters a proper taste of all the thrills, grill, and beachside chill that they can discover at Sentosa GrillFest.”

After more than two years since the mandate was first awarded to them, GOVT Singapore has recently announced that Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) has extended its existing creative and digital mandate with them for three more years. In this extended mandate, part of the agency strategy for the brand as well is working with WE Red Bridge for social and communications consultancy covering the China market.

For our latest Top Story feature, we spoke with Timothy Chan, executive creative director and partner at GOVT Singapore to learn more about this extended mandate, reflections on their past works with SDC, and what this three-year extension means for them as an agency.

Reflecting on past work and the future ahead

One of the key works GOVT Singapore had with Sentosa was its brand refresh, done within a span of six months. In said work, the agency endeavoured to change the tagline from ‘State of Fun’ which has been in use since 2014, to ‘Where discovery never ends’. For GOVT back then, the new brand identity draws inspiration from the island’s many unexpected sights, sounds, and experiences at every turn.

“When we refreshed the Sentosa brand to go from “fun” to “discovery”, it was a pivotal moment. We had one chance to hit the nail on the head, and we’re pretty proud of the end product. More importantly, the brand positioning of ‘Where discovery never ends’ was also a result of intense collaboration between all the agencies and the clients. So it was satisfying to see it come to life,” Chan stated.

Another campaign GOVT Singapore did with Sentosa was ‘SentosaLand’, a fantastical version of the island in the metaverse on Roblox, a popular sandbox game. The experience, launched in part of the brand refresh effort, takes existing elements from its counterpart’s physical attractions and gives them a more fantastical twist.

“One where virtual discoveries led to rewards on the island. Niche as it may seem, we still got 87 million impressions and 5,000 hours of playtime,” he remarked.

When asked why as part of their extended mandate, focus on the Chinese market was taken into consideration, Chan stated, “To be a world-class brand, brand Sentosa needs to be famous globally. So yes, to that end, giving international visitors great experiences is crucial. And of course, this includes visitors from China.”

He further added. “Plus, the time is right to ramp up our efforts too. In February of this year alone, more than 327,000 visitors arrived in Singapore from China. Which is about 96% of pre-COVID levels in 2019. So while other parts of the world are still waiting for Chinese travelers to return, Singapore is well-positioned to capture them. 

On learning curves and demands

For Chan, given that SDC’s status as a world-class destination for visitors globally, marketing a destination brand proved to challenging from the get-go–and that there are three over-compassing learning curves and demands that GOVT Singapore has learned: radical collaboration, stakeholder management, and the work being the proof of a successful agency mandate partnership.

“We’ve always practiced this with all our clients, so SDC is no different. And it’s a formula that works. We spend an unreasonable amount of time building relationships with the entire marketing team, and beyond. It helps us prepare sharper briefs and as a result, better work. Like any organisation, SDC has stakeholders from different backgrounds and demands. Helping our clients manage them is another important ingredient to our partnership. It’s how we can feel like an extension of SDC’s marketing team, instead of just a vendor,” Chan explained.

He added, “When we look back, I’d say that the work has been good, but it can be even better. Especially with the foundations we’ve laid. Single-mindedly, that’s what we’re aiming to do.”

Chan also notes that this renewed mandate must give the agency a rejuvenated vigour to be even better for Sentosa.

“The pitch win was important mentally for the agency. It helped us prove to everyone (and even more so, ourselves) that we’re the right long-term partners for the brand. It was a crucial test for us to pass. But it’s definitely not business as usual now. We’re working on ways to strengthen the relationship, refresh the team, plug the gaps and ultimately, make the work even better. A world-class brand like Sentosa deserves world-class work,” he concluded.

Singapore – Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) has retained GOVT Singapore as its creative and digital agency partner following a pitch process managed by R3. Under the new appointment, WE Red Bridge will also be working with GOVT Singapore as a social and communications consultant covering the China market.

Under the appointment, GOVT Singapore will be tasked to bring to the brand 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 work.

The appointment will be valid for a period of two years with the option to extend for another three years. GOVT Singapore has been its creative agency since 2021.

The agency also has to be able to plan execution, manage client servicing, provide market intelligence, and other value-added services such as new opportunities evaluation, strategic partnerships and tie-ups with non or existing agency clients.

Over the past years, GOVT Singapore has developed campaigns for the brand as it continues to upgrade its attractions and offerings. This includes the metaverse-driven SentosaLand, the launch of its 50th anniversary celebrations, revamping SDC’s membership programme Sentosa Islander and most recently, a campaign that launched the island’s latest attraction, Sentosa Sensoryscape.

Alvina Seah, group managing director of GOVT Singapore said, “We’ve spent almost three years working with SDC hand-in-hand, in a pursuit to build a world-class brand and destination. This win affirms that we’re on the right track, but we’re also hungry to do even more for the brand, building on the momentum of Sentosa’s brand promise ‘where discovery never ends’.”

Singapore – Singapore’s statutory board Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) has extended its media remit with UM, the full-service media and marketing solutions agency within Mediabrands.

SDC is responsible for overseeing the development, management, and promotion of the country’s island resort getaway, Sentosa Island.

The extension comes after a competitive pitch review in April this year, where UM showcased its strategic and creative media activation ideas and in-depth understanding of Sentosa’s business.

During UM’s first term as Sentosa’s media agency of record, they have launched the ‘Make Time’ campaign in 2019, which continues to evolve to this day, and SEA’s first-ever ‘Pokémon GO Safari Zone’ in April 2019, which won an award for Best Use of Digital at the Singapore Media Awards.

As part of its second term as SDC’s media partner, UM will continue developing and managing Sentosa’s overall media business.

UM Singapore’s Client Partner Lishan Lim commented that they are extremely excited and also feel very privileged that Sentosa has made the decision to reappoint UM.

“Winning new business in such a competitive landscape is always challenging, and retaining such a desirable and nationally significant client in Singapore even more so. It bears testament to the strong partnership we have in place, one which we treasure and will continue to grow,” said Lim.