LASALLE x NHB : Promoting Heritage Businesses

Objective presented by National Heritage Board (NHB): 

• Produce creative content (social media campaign/ podcast) that fosters greater public awareness and appreciation for local heritage businesses and trades.

Challenge Statements given by NHB: 

• How do we encourage more Singaporeans, especially youths, to (i) be more aware of and appreciate; (ii) engage with the diverse range of local heritage businesses and trades?
• How can youths present a perspective on heritage businesses and trades, in ways which showcases their contemporary relevance?

Context of heritage businesses: 
The current promotion strategies implemented by the heritage businesses mainly involve Word-of-mouth with sporadic coverage through the NHB or affiliated social media accounts e.g. Chinatown’s official Instagram. 

Because the arts project was a concept development for the campaign idea, as a small team of three, the main work of research, conceptualising, and design were handled by all three members. Specific role breakdown as follows: 

Ashley Hikari Song

• Main editor for EduProfile documentation
• Responsible for researching heritage businesses in Singapore (Roots.sg)

Han Ji Won (Ashley)

• Main liaison between National Heritage Board (NHB)
• Responsible for researching pre-existing social media campaigns and features related to heritage and/or heritage businesses in Singapore

Nur Liyana Binte Leman

• Primary resource/material supplier and main external stakeholder liaison (the couple and Rina of SUFYAA)
• Responsible for researching social media platforms and habits 
   

The objective set by the team:

• To garner greater awareness and appreciation for local heritage businesses through a social media campaign, targeted at youths, aged 18-35 years old, with a focus on the fashion sector and through the lens of wedding outfits.

Challenge Statement by Team:

• How do we hook our target audience into being interested and talking about local heritage businesses on social media. 

Phase 1: Group assembly to first pitch
27 January - 20 February 

1. Appointment of group assignment [20 Jan]

2. Preliminary Research [27 Jan - 1 Feb]

• The preexisting social media platforms and campaigns involving heritage and heritage businesses
• Classification of heritage businesses on Roots website
• The social media platforms and habits of our target audience

3. 1st Meeting with NHB [7 Feb]

• Clarification on NHB's brief and questions posed by the team

4. Desk Research & Brainstorming [7 Feb]

• Set Malay weddings as the campaign's entry point

5. Market/Consumer Research [12 - 18 Feb]

• Conducted a focus group and survey of our target audience

6. Pitch #1 to NHB [20 Feb]

• Pitched a three-part social media campaign centering around the ecosystem of the fashion heritage businesses in Singapore

Phase 2: Post-first pitch to final (second) pitch
21 February - 10 April 

7. Second Meeting with NHB [2 March]

• Had a follow-up meeting with NHB post pitch #1 on recommendations and considerations to be explored -  looked into heritage businesses outside of Arab Street, looked from businesses' perspectives, and possible restrictions in exploring the ecosystem. 

8. Desk Research [ 2 March]

• Found out alternate locations of textile/ fashion heritage businesses outside of Arab Street 

9. Site Recce to Geylang-Joo Chiat Precinct [7 & 10 March] 

• Explored the Geylang-Joo Chiat precinct and the heritage businesses located in the area. Insights into the perspective of businesses were gained through interviews conducted. 

10. Pitch #2 [21 - 25 March]

• Delivered the second pitch to NHB and refined it for the final concept

11. Creating content & trail Prototype [27 March - 7 April]

• Development of sample visuals for social media campaign

12. Official Final Pitch #2 [10 April]

• Final pitch presentation to NHB

Research & Development 

Phase 1: Market Research & Concept Testing

Preliminary Desk Research

Objective: To understand the scope of the project, to assist and justify the team’s brainstorming and decision-making process. 

• Researching pre-existing social media platforms and campaigns involving heritage and heritage businesses
• Understanding classifications of heritage businesses on Roots website
• To explore potential social media platforms and understand target audience’s social media habits 

Focus Group

Conducted with five Malay classmates within the target age range. 

Objective: To gain insight into their perception of their culture and attitudes related to traditional Malay wedding clothing. 

Limitations: Results could possibly be biased as responses collected were from arts management students.

Survey

Objective: To understand target audience’s perception and interest levels in heritage and heritage related questions such as: 

• Trends on traditional wedding clothing and its acquisition
• Their level of engagement with fashion heritage businesses in Singapore, 
• Social media behaviour.

[Conducted over ten days, with 18-questions. 74 responses were collated.]

Limitations: Results could be possibly biassed as majority of responses were collected from Arts management students

Phase 2: Development of Concept

Desk Research

Based on NHB’s feedback in Pitch #1 To look beyond Arab street, team conducted desk research on under-recognised locations of Malay fashion heritage businesses. 

Site Recce 

Objective: To grasp the businesses’ perspective of their daily operations, stories, and impressions on being a Malay fashion heritage businesses in the Geylang-Joo Chiat precinct. 

Brainstorming sessions

Session #1: Potential sector of heritage businesses to focus on.

Session #2: Breaking down relevant findings from previous methodologies to contextualise into campaign topics. 

Post Pitch #1 – Brainstorming session was key in the refining and revamping of the original concept to devise Pitch #2. 

Meetings with NHB

Meetings with NHB were beneficial in understanding the partner’s requirement and clarifying any relevant questions and feedback.

Phase 1: Market Research and Concept Testing

The team recognised a need to increase exposure and awareness of fashion heritage businesses.

Survey results reveal:

• 60.8% were unaware of fashion Heritage Businesses in Singapore 
• 86.5% have never engaged with a fashion Heritage Business in Singapore 

In exploring fashion heritage businesses, Malay wedding outfits was selected to be the entry point into the social media campaign. 

The rationale:

• The rarity of a campaign focused on wedding outfits, leading to distinct differentiation of the campaign. 
• The relevance and appeal of weddings to the young target audience, where people are beginning to think about marriage. 
• Wedding outfits being a suitable and resonating entry point to bridge contemporary modern interests to culture and heritage.

Survey and focus group results also indicates: 

• 93.2% believes that safeguarding of heritage is important 
• 63.3% would consider wearing traditional clothing for their wedding ceremony
• 100% of respondents were interested in the topic of Malay weddings 

Phase 2: Development of Campaign Concept

Based on feedback from NHB after the preliminary pitch in week 7, the team targeted the campaign in the Geylang-Joo Chiat precinct and identified two heritage businesses within the precinct – Adelea by Yate & SUFYAA – as focal subjects.

Interviews conducted with the businesses revealed the significance of the precinct within the Malay community. Additionally, many businesses provided other Malay wedding supplies at Joo Chiat Complex. 

How these two businesses fit the criteria for the campaign:

• Both business owners were women and experienced being the receiving end of knowledge and clothes-making skills from their mothers or grandmother. 
• Both businesses were located in the same precinct and were contributing to the Malay Wedding community.
• The two businesses had different specialisation for Bridal wear designs – which gave the team more topics to explore with.

Through the social media campaign, the team aims to generate awareness of the selected fashion heritage businesses amongst the young adult demographic. 

In the times of the rapidly growing fast-fashion market, the team will be exploring ways to garner young adults interest through social media storytelling. Storytelling is a fitting content strategy for heritage businesses where the businesses and the audiences would be able to form an authentic connection through the brand’s story, exclusivity, and transparency. 

The team will be using Instagram to convey social media storytelling, as it was the most used social media platform during the survey. 

The storytelling narrative will feature three main topics encompassing the two fashion heritage businesses (selected from the previous project research insights). 

1. The Geylang-Joo Chiat precinct
2. The Female ownership of the heritage businesses 
3. The active transmission of skills and knowledge being practiced by the heritage businesses 

Through topic targeting the campaign, it enables the campaign to maintain contextual relevance while specifying the target demographic interest points. 

Expected outcomes: 

Although there are no KPIs implemented for this social media campaign, the overall target of the campaign is to gain high engagement rates consistently – as an evident marker that the audiences are keeping track of the storytelling campaign throughout the whole duration set (13 weeks).

Concept of campaign - Fabric He(arts)

• Following a scripted documentary-reality show style concept, revolving around a couple’s journey in preparing for their upcoming wedding.  
• Malay weddings were used as an entry point to promote the selected Malay fashion heritage businesses to gain awareness and interest amongst the target audience. 
• Although Fabric He(arts) uses Malay weddings as its entry point, the concept and format can be reused in the context of other cultures too. 

Narrative of Fabric He(arts)

Fabric He(arts) would cover three topics that were previously explored. 

Fabric He(arts) begins with an introduction to an engaged couple, Sofea and Ashraf. In their search of finding the perfect wedding outfit for the Nikah and Sanding, they are led to the Geylang-Joo Chiat precinct. Through the exploration of the precinct, they naturally learn more about what the area offers before delving into the two heritage businesses – Adelea by Yate & SUFYAA. They will then explore the two businesses to acquire their Nikah and Sanding outfits.  Through the journey of buying their wedding outfits, it would naturally enable the campaign to go into the perspective of businesses and bring forth key stories.

Key stories of Adelea:

• People working from homes to convey the businesses’ behind the scenes operations 
• How the owner was influenced from young as she initially started working alongside her mother’s fashion business. 

Key stories of SUFYAA:

• Owner Rina’s journey and accomplishments of starting her business from being a draftsman.
• The transmission of skills and knowledge shared amongst her intergenerational-run business.
• Sofea’s special request to SUFYAA on remaking her mother’s Sanding bridal outfit. 

The finale of Fabric He(arts) would reveal the couple’s wedding outfits that were acquired from heritage businesses.