$400,000 was wasted on a branding exercise
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The new name for Marina Bay is ... Marina Bay
After $400,000 branding exercise, experts decide familiarity's best
Friday • July 22, 2005
Lee U-Wen
u-wen@newstoday.com.sg
IT took months of discussion with masses of people, including branding experts. Finding the right name for the Marina Bay area, said National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan, was a process akin to that of parents deciding on the name for their child.
There had to be a sense of identity, a strong personality and a feeling of pride, said Mr Mah.
So the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) met with developers, retailers, restaurateurs and other stakeholders. Together with global branding expert Interbrand, over 400 potential names were considered.
But in the end, they found themselves where they had started.
The best name for Marina Bay is Marina Bay.
"We started off with (the name) Marina Bay and after looking at everything, the name that really tugged at the heartstrings was in front of us. The name itself is not new, but what has been used informally so far has endeared itself to all parties," said Mr Mah.
In all, $400,000 was spent on a branding exercise that involved, among other things, conducting market tests both locally and overseas, focus group discussions and engaging developers and the community at large.
The URA is promoting Marina Bay overseas using the brand name, together with a new tagline: Explore, Exchange and Entertain.
At the world's largest real estate conference held in Cannes in February, a URA team was on hand to promote the key components of Marina Bay, such as its Business and Financial Centre and the upcoming Integrated Resort.
Mr Mah's vision is to achieve a "total package" for Marina Bay that combines individual elements such as an efficient transport system and a clean environment in a vibrant setting.
Meanwhile, Mr Mah also said that it would take time for the residential property market to adjust itself, following Tuesday's announcement in Parliament that the Government would ease restrictions on property financing and foreign home ownership.
He remarked that the Government would only intervene if prices rose "excessively". It had intervened in 1996 to cool the overheated market at that time.
"There's plenty of supply out there and I think buyers are discerning. The new rules allow them choice in terms of loan packages and downpayment, but at the end of the day, it's up to each individual to decide what he or she is able to afford," Mr Mah said. -
then was A*star then the zoo now its marina bay how much more taxpayers money are they going to waste ??
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It takes 400K worth of Elites to decide to Name a place the same name after all the networking and get together for High-tea stuff.
Of coz they gave many people Jobs in the process of all the preparations and the use of expensive facilities which were built for such purposes. -
Well done.
Can I have 400K to name myself after my own name then?
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Too much money. don't know how to spend. so call all expert to spend the money. Party !!! then same name ok.
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what's new!!
the govt are throwing money since it is not their money in the first place -
my grandma could do a better job, she decided on the name marina bay long ago... at NO COST!
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Why am I not surprise?
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How much money was spent when WTC was renamed Harbourfront?
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The government keeps forgetting that sometimes, the original name of a place which has been around for a long, long time is in itself valuable. You cannot replace nostalgia and sentimental value with some bombastic word arising from a brainstorming exercise.
Can anyone remember the time when Changi Airport was almost renamed 'Airtropolis'?
Yucks.
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I think the thinking behind the spending for those at the top is Marina Bay
is going to become the focal point of the city involving billions of investment,
$400K is peanuts.
Imo, what a waste! Cut waste panel has no bite.
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Mapletree Investment fork out that $$ one...Originally posted by iveco:How much money was spent when WTC was renamed Harbourfront? -
How much do you pay the cut waste panel? another peanut?
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they are good....
good at spending $$$.... huge amount of $$$ and come out with nothing -
imagine next time sg zoo spend 1 million dollars to rename Ah Meng knn
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i think they will come out Ah Ming this time round..... some changes...Originally posted by crazy monkey:imagine next time sg zoo spend 1 million dollars to rename Ah Meng knn 
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in the end the same circle of people benefit from the business that goes around. the rich gets richer.....
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i wonder how a $ 400 000 budget got approve in the first place. why the need to hire a global branding co ? get the opinion of the man on the street. stop wasting public money.
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take it easy, man.Originally posted by crazy monkey:i wonder how a $ 400 000 budget got approve in the first place. why the need to hire a global branding co ? get the opinion of the man on the street. stop wasting public money. -
to them peanuts only wat.
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Singapore is a global city. Thats why they hire a global branding co to come out with suitable names. $400,000 is actually not a lot in coming out with names. Anderson conulting spent millions and come out with Accenture as a name. PWC consulting before it was bought by IBM came out with Monday as a name. So we must count ourselves lucky that Marina bay wasn't renamed as Wednesday or Friday.Originally posted by crazy monkey:i wonder how a $ 400 000 budget got approve in the first place. why the need to hire a global branding co ? get the opinion of the man on the street. stop wasting public money.
Anyway, guess who are in the top of most of these gov initiatives? Your super A level scholars and army colonels.
Is that another reason to migrate? -
they should have adopted the name 'keeppooratbay'.Originally posted by Cindyfeh:Singapore is a global city. Thats why they hire a global branding co to come out with suitable names. $400,000 is actually not a lot in coming out with names. Anderson conulting spent millions and come out with Accenture as a name. PWC consulting before it was bought by IBM came out with Monday as a name. So we must count ourselves lucky that Marina bay wasn't renamed as Wednesday or Friday.
Anyway, guess who are in the top of most of these gov initiatives? Your super A level scholars and army colonels.
Is that another reason to migrate? -
Tell MBT to screw himself. And again, he proves to be the worst spender of taxpayers' money. After what he had done in FAS, this wasteful spending just takes another cake.Originally posted by crazy monkey:The new name for Marina Bay is ... Marina Bay
After $400,000 branding exercise, experts decide familiarity's best
Friday • July 22, 2005
Lee U-Wen
u-wen@newstoday.com.sg
IT took months of discussion with masses of people, including branding experts. Finding the right name for the Marina Bay area, said National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan, was a process akin to that of parents deciding on the name for their child.
There had to be a sense of identity, a strong personality and a feeling of pride, said Mr Mah.
So the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) met with developers, retailers, restaurateurs and other stakeholders. Together with global branding expert Interbrand, over 400 potential names were considered.
But in the end, they found themselves where they had started.
The best name for Marina Bay is Marina Bay.
"We started off with (the name) Marina Bay and after looking at everything, the name that really tugged at the heartstrings was in front of us. The name itself is not new, but what has been used informally so far has endeared itself to all parties," said Mr Mah.
In all, $400,000 was spent on a branding exercise that involved, among other things, conducting market tests both locally and overseas, focus group discussions and engaging developers and the community at large.
The URA is promoting Marina Bay overseas using the brand name, together with a new tagline: Explore, Exchange and Entertain.
At the world's largest real estate conference held in Cannes in February, a URA team was on hand to promote the key components of Marina Bay, such as its Business and Financial Centre and the upcoming Integrated Resort.
Mr Mah's vision is to achieve a "total package" for Marina Bay that combines individual elements such as an efficient transport system and a clean environment in a vibrant setting.
Meanwhile, Mr Mah also said that it would take time for the residential property market to adjust itself, following Tuesday's announcement in Parliament that the Government would ease restrictions on property financing and foreign home ownership.
He remarked that the Government would only intervene if prices rose "excessively". It had intervened in 1996 to cool the overheated market at that time.
"There's plenty of supply out there and I think buyers are discerning. The new rules allow them choice in terms of loan packages and downpayment, but at the end of the day, it's up to each individual to decide what he or she is able to afford," Mr Mah said. -
Wow, just wow...
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Gentlemen, there is no need to be upset over all these...
$400,000 is peanuts when you put it in the context of the billions that the government manages every year.
Correction to last statement: It is less than a peanut, since 1 peanut = $600,000.