Local businesses honoured at Singapore Prestige Brand Award

TWENTY-NINE local businesses ranging from heritage names to regional players were recognised at the 21st Singapore Prestige Brand Award (SPBA) ceremony on Wednesday (Oct 25) evening.

In the Promising Brands category, for example, healthcare provider StarMed Specialist Centre was named the overall winner. The category is for businesses that have been established for between three and eight years.

There were eight other winners in the category, including construction company Craftwork and co-living operator Coliwoo.

Speaking at the awards ceremony held at the Ritz-Carlton hotel, Minister for Trade and Industry and guest of honour Gan Kim Yong noted that businesses and consumers now have a wider range of options in the growing digital economy.

Companies must therefore maintain and strengthen their brands – go beyond branding and marketing initiatives and improve the products and services underpinning the brand, he said.

“In particular, (the government) will work with companies to leverage emerging trends, such as digitalisation and generative artificial intelligence, to enhance their business proposition,” he added.

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Jointly organised by the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (Asme) and Lianhe Zaobao, SPBA recognises businesses that have distinguished themselves in the competitive business landscape through their branding.

Since the award’s inception in 2002, more than 500 businesses have been feted for their accomplishments in this area.

In the Established Brands category for brands that have been in business more than five years, self-storage company Work+Store took home the overall award.

Four Star Mattress, which was established 55 years ago, bagged the top honours in the Heritage Brands category. This category is for brands that have been on the scene for more than 25 years.

The Regional Brands category was won by skincare company DR’s Secret. This category is for brands that have been established for at least three years, and have had a presence in at least three foreign markets.

The by-invitation-only Special Merit award, which honours public agencies and not-for-profit organisations for their branding efforts, was presented to suicide-prevention agency, Samaritans of Singapore.

Asme president Kurt Wee said: “This year, we are heartened to see brands going beyond traditional branding paradigms by embracing experiential branding, forging immersive connections with their audience.”

Despite the high-inflation business landscape, it is encouraging that local businesses see the importance of branding in a digital era, said Lianhe Zaobao executive editor Han Yong May.

“We trust that the winners will serve as inspiration, motivating fellow homegrown enterprises to invest further in their branding strategies,” she added.