Mumbai: The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) in partnership with MX Player’s content arm, MX Studios is set to unveil the interactive film on an Indian OTT platform. Titled ‘Lost and Found in Singapore’, this innovative film introduces a choose-your-own path approach that invites viewers to actively shape the unfolding narrative against the backdrop of Singapore.

A first-of-its-kind initiative by an NTO in India, this film captures and blends the elements that define Singapore’s character, creating an immersive exploration. Seamlessly integrating triggers for engagement, the interactive component promises a captivating experience. This collaboration caters to evolving preferences, especially among young Indian travelers. As audiences seek innovative ways to engage with travel content, ‘Lost and Found in Singapore’ offers fresh, firsthand inspiration.

STB has also previously collaborated with  Singapore Airlines, Mandai Wildlife Reserve, etc. Even during COVID, it was the only NTO that gave Chhota Bheem in Singapore cartoon series as a gift of smiles to the children who were at home because of COVID.

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Indiantelevision.com on the sidelines of the trailer launch caught up with Singapore Tourism Board regional director, India, Middle East, South Asia & Africa, GB Srithar to chat further on their collaborations, offerings, and much more.

Edited Excerpts:

On STB’s collaboration with MX Player and the thought behind it

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First of all, we have been very focused and continuously looking for very bold and creative projects. And this is not one of the first in fact, we have done quite, various projects over the last couple of years. Even during COVID, we had some virtual events going on. But post-COVID, we have done a couple of things. We have done a web series in English, focusing on young women traveller’s, and that was done just earlier this year. We have also collaborated with Street Art India Foundation, to offer Singapore in a very different light to the Indian audiences. So there have been always very agile, bold, creative, and effective content marketing partnerships, and technical partnerships, along that lines. We have always been on the lookout for such collaborations.

MX Player came up with this idea and we were where looking at how do we engage the young Indian audiences. I mean, you’ve got a very young Indian population 67 per cent under the age of 35. Presenting Singapore as a cool lifestyle events destination to the Indian audience was very important to us. So then we said, okay, let’s try out something new and we didnt want to do a typical run-of-the-mill series. So this idea of an interactive OTT, where you are choosing as the story develops. So you come to a juncture, and you choose your own ending kind of plot and we liked that idea. Then we collaborated with MX Player and we are happy that it has turned out quite well. So this ‘Lost and Found in Singapore’ project is our way of saying, getting yourself lost in the vibrant and exciting offerings of Singapore and finding yourself and living up your passions in Singapore. So I think that this concept worked, the idea and the story plot was very interesting for us. We have been consistently engaging the consumers in very different ways, and this is one of our initiatives in that journey.

On the ROI that STB is looking at during these collaborations, tie-ups, web series, etc

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We are in a very unique situation. Singapore is well known by Indian audiences and also not so well known to them. What do I mean by that? So what happens is, that we have been here for more than two and a half decades, and Singapore has been portrayed in movies in very good light in the socio-political, economic, environment, and journalism. So Singapore is a destination that Indians know, either by themselves or through friends, or through movies.

We are now coming to an interesting confluence of things. One on the India outbound set-aside. The Indian traveller is getting a lot more discerning. He wants experiences, he wants to immerse himself, he wants to know the local cultures, he wants to go and walk the neighborhoods. We have been doing this for the last few years and we are now able to offer this even more. So this kind of partnership helps us bring Singapore, even closer to the hearts and minds of Indian audiences, because it is like you being able to have a destination that you will visit, revisit and revisit again. So for us, this kind of collaboration is to reach out to different types of audiences. It is no longer a push message. So this particular MX Player venture/collaboration will allow us to talk to the audiences of that platform, that community that consumes this kind of content, and let them know that in a very nice storytelling fashion, hey, while you’re enjoying the story, and these two characters moving around, and, seeing themselves and finding themselves, you also see Singapore. So our purpose for these kinds of projects is where Singapore is integral to the plot and the story. We say yes, let’s do it, and in that way, we get into the communities that are consuming this content, letting them know Singapore has got so many other things to offer.

On the cities you get the maximum Indian footfalls to Singapore

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So, we have got today direct connections from 17 cities across India. Probably Singapore is among the most well-connected destinations for Indian audiences. The four metros – Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, and Bangalore give us the maximum number of tourists and travelers. Then there are cities like Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Trichy, and Hyderabad, all these give us good numbers as well. Then you have the other cities like Bhubaneswar, Amritsar, Vizag, and Madurai which are the latest to start a direct connection to Singapore.

On the packages that STB is giving a traveler who’s coming into Singapore today to see things that are not advertised or not spoken about

STB’s role in content partnerships is to highlight upper-funnel marketing—showcasing Singapore broadly and presenting diverse activities available, effectively capturing attention. Furthermore, we collaborate with key stakeholders such as Sentosa, Singapore Zoo, Gardens by the Bay, hotels, and others. They actively promote their offerings in India through road shows held in major cities, including Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, and Chennai. Recently, we organized a successful roadshow in Jaipur, Pune, and Coimbatore for stakeholders from Singapore, facilitating interactions with the Indian travel trade. Alongside these efforts, we partner closely with Indian travel agents, collectively emphasising the wide array of experiences available during a six to seven-day stay in Singapore. Our collaborative work with the travel trade significantly amplifies the reach of these unique offerings.

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On STB’s upcoming plan for the next two years

Pre-COVID India was our third largest source market after China and Indonesia and we welcomed 1.41 million visitors. Today as we speak, mid-August now, we are about two-thirds of the number of 1.41. So, what we are hoping is that we will be able to capture the pre-COVID numbers. We want more travellers from India to Singapore. Number two, I think the diverse audiences we are targeting. Families continue to be very important and they should come to Singapore to enjoy all the family-friendly attractions and experiences. Young Indians coming to Singapore to see the lifestyle, events, entertainment, and offerings are very important. Cruise, the Indian cruise traveller is a very important traveller for us as a cruise hub. Meetings and inceptions is another important segment and finally weddings. We are now positioning Singapore as a destination wedding. Alright, so for those 50 to 250 intimate Indian weddings in Singapore is another area we are looking at. So my hope is that in the next couple of years, you will see India seeing Singapore as that destination to go to for many reasons on many occasions in many parts of your lifetime.

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