LETTER
AN EXPENSIVE NAMING GAME
(25 Jul 05, Today)
I AM truly surprised that the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) had to spend $400,000 to figure out that the best name for Marina Bay is indeed Marina Bay.
Also, the new logo for Marina Bay leaves much to be desired — it could easily be mistaken for a new brand of DVD player.
What has been, and is, uniquely a symbol for the Singapore waterfront is the Merlion. We should have given it prominence in the branding.
The URA should seriously consider placing a larger Merlion spouting water on a manmade island in the middle of the bay.
This could be a focal point for fireworks displays and will certainly be featured in events like the annual powerboat race.
Letter from Ramchand Ramesh
PUBLISHED REPLY
MARINA BAY BRAND IS MORE THAN JUST A NAME
(27 Jul 05, Today)
I REFER to the letter by Mr Ramchand Ramesh, "An expensive naming game" (July 25).
Marina Bay is a new area; it is the future downtown of Singapore. It will provide Singapore with the opportunity for further urban transformation and attract new investments, visitors and talent, besides becoming a new destination for the local community.
In the face of increasing competition among cities, place branding can help differentiate Singapore from other competitors.
A strong positioning of Marina Bay can lead to a powerful and distinctive competitive advantage for Singapore.
Branding goes beyond a name, logo and tagline. It is about identifying a vision and a set of value propositions we want people to associate a place with.
A key part of the Marina Bay branding exercise involved extensive research and consultation with various key stakeholders — developers, retailers, restaurant owners, entertainment companies, tourism interests, both locally and internationally.
Our stakeholders validated the Marina Bay brand. The brand will drive the planning and design, activities and events to be held at the Bay. It is also a common platform for the various stakeholders to join hands in promoting and marketing the area.
Marina Bay is attracting interest internationally.
Investors have signalled their confidence in Marina Bay as can be seen in the significant tender interest in the recent Business and Financial Centre — a multi- billion-dollar project.
Our future downtown at Marina Bay is an exciting and important project for Singapore. The amount we invested in branding Marina Bay will reap long-term economic benefits for Singapore.
MICHAEL KOH
Director, Urban Planning & Design
Urban Redevelopment Authority |
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