Co-creating a more sustainable future together
NTUC Fairprice Co-operative Ltd was founded by the labour movement in 1973, with a social mission to moderate the cost of living in Singapore. From one supermarket, it has grown to become a leading retailer in Singapore serving more than half a million shoppers daily through a network of over 370 outlets, comprising FairPrice supermarket, FairPrice Shop, FairPrice Finest, FairPrice Xtra, Unity Pharmacy, FairPrice Xpress and Cheers convenience stores. Its e-commerce portal, FairPrice online, draws over 700,000 visitors monthly. FairPrice also owns a Fresh Food Distribution Centre and a centralised warehousing and distribution company.
In 2019, FairPrice Group was established through the formation of four entities comprising NTUC FairPrice, NTUC Foodfare, Kopitiam, and NTUC Link, with the purpose of making life better for all and to fulfil a vision of being a leader in everything food. FairPrice Group looks to optimise the resources of all four social enterprises and leverage their respective strengths to put customers first, provide better value for all and to make everything about food easy.
With an extensive network of close to 570 touchpoints, FairPrice Group seeks to provide an integrated array of products and services, from groceries, ready-to-cook, and ready-to-eat offerings, to on-premise meals, food take-aways, and a rewards programme that delivers personalised and delightful experiences.
The Challenge
Sustainability has been high on the agenda for many organisations over the years. With the onslaught of COVID-19, some organisations may have their plans derailed but as the largest food and grocery provider in Singapore, we must ensure we continue to uphold our sustainability framework.
Particularly concerning would be plastic waste where Singapore only recycles 4% of total waste produced. Food waste sees the country recycling 19% and both these categories add up to a staggering 1.6 million tonnes of waste produced of which 1.3 million tonnes have to be disposed. That is equivalent to the weight of some 90,000 double decker buses.
The Solution
A robust communications plan was put together to highlight three key initiatives by FairPrice, namely No Plastic Bags, FairPrice Plant for Good and Food For Good Community Fridge programmes. These saw the use of not just media relations but also earned influencer engagement (non-paid) to inform, engage and encourage participation.
Public Relations: To reach out to the target audience and relevant stakeholders, FairPrice engaged all mainstream media titles in Singapore to share more about these three initiatives with the consumers over two media events. To further reiterate FairPrice’s framework and strategy, onsite and post event interviews were conducted.
Influencer Engagement: Recognising that beyond media, consumers are increasingly consuming content via social media, FairPrice also sought to engage with key influencers to help spread the word of such initiatives. An interesting plant your own vegetable kit was put together and shared with key influencers who were part of FairPrice’s ongoing cultivation initiatives.
Social Media Content: With the large number of followers on FairPrice’s social media channels (>330k fans on Facebook), all initiatives were also shared on the channels to ensure wider reach.
Key Results
- More than 60 pieces of coverage across:
- Tier 1 Mainstream Titles:
The Straits Times, The Business Times, Shin Min Daily News, Lianhe Zaobao, Berita Harian, Tamil Murasu, The New Paper, as well as lifestyle publications such as Must Share News and SuperAdrianMe - Tier 2 Broadcast titles:
Channel NewsAsia, Channel 8, Channel U, 958 Capital FM, Suria Berita, Vasantham
- Tier 1 Mainstream Titles:
- Total Reach: over 4,000,000
- Key Message Pull-through: 100%
- Positive Tonality: 100%