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The Singapore girl

 Who and What is the Singapore Girl?

According to the UK's Chartered Institute of Marketing's Glossary, a brand is defined as:

"The set of physical attributes of a product or service, together with the beliefs and expectations surrounding it - a unique combination which the name or logo of the product or service should evoke in the mind of the audience."

And according to About.com's Marketing Terms and Definitions, a brand is:

"A name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers. The legal term for brand is trademark. A brand may identify one item, a family of items, or all items of that seller."

And according to Dictionary.com defination, brand is:

"A trademark or distinctive name identifying a product or a manufacturer."

To put simply, the Singapore Girl is a brand, a brand icon and personilfies SIA's brand

How it begin

On October 1 1972, the Singapore and Malaysian government jointly owned Malaysia-Singapore Airlines (MSA) was split into Malaysian Airlines and Singapore Airlines. Within a year, SIA had caught up with other major international airlines in all functional aspects. They had proficient and experienced pilots and engineers, the world's most modern aircraft...and was now in search of a product/service differentiation strategy that would distinguish it from its competitors (Chan, 2000). The decision was made to focus on differentiating its in-flight services and the Singapore Girl, a symbol of its attentive Asian hospitality, has come to be synonymous with SIA.

No other airline has had as a strong a brand image, immortalized in wax and displayed in 1994 at Madame Tussaud’s Museum in London. This is not surprising given SIA’s annual advertising expenditure is over 80 million Singapore dollars, or US$48 million. According to a ex-Singapore girl, who has served SIA for 25 years beginning as a steward, “the Singapore Girl is the image that makes or breaks us”, and passengers love it. The Singapore Girl is the brainchild of Ian Batey of Batey Ads, Singapore’s largest advertising agency. Batey took a risk when he proposed that advertising should focus on service at a time when other airlines were selling their tickets on the theme of safety, but service was the only way an airline could go beyond function to differentiate themselves from others. Specifically, Batey meant luxurious and attentive in-flight service offered by beautiful young women, to please male business travelers (Shenon, 1992).

training

The chosen potential Singapore Girls undergo four months of training, the longest of any airline in the industry. For the sake of comparison, U. S. carriers train their flight attendants for two weeks for commuter airlines to eight weeks. In SIA, three weeks are devoted to safety instruction which includes mock crashes, fire fighting and life saving. Most of the time is spent on teaching service: poise, deportment, wine connoisseurship, hair cutting to match their faces, smiling at any passenger of any temperament, what make-up matches their skin tones, how to sit, walk and climb stairs.

Here is a taste of what they do in training (Clark, 2002):

Deportment “Stand straight; maintain eye contact; never point; and smile, smile, smile.”
English "verbal gymnastics" Reciting with happy intonation, “One wan weary white woman wearily weeping”.
Wine appreciation course How to handle a discontent first-class passenger. “Q: If he has refused three bottles, do you open a fourth? A: Offer him something else, but if he wants another opened, do it.”
Serving Hand-delivering trays and never loading off from a cart; when serving wine, keeping the wine bottle’s label facing the passenger. “Q: If a passenger doesn't want a drink, should you still offer him peanuts? Yes. Never assume. Assumption is very dangerous.”
Grooming Complexion is scrutinized by a specialist; lips are always red to ensure a “beacon of color in a dimly lit cabin”. Hair cannot be lighter than dark brown and if it goes below the collar is worn up in a chignon or a French twist (no visible pins). Finger and toe nails are glossy red.
Safety Drills In their sarongs, sliding out of a Boeing 747 mock-up crash; jumping into an indoor wave pool from an abandoned Airbus 340-300

Selection

A recruitment advertisement lists the requirements for applying to be a member of the Singapore Airlines (SIA) cabin crew, the Singapore Girl (Arnold, 1992, pp. V3):

• Female
• Asian
• aged below 25
• university graduate
• minimum height of 158 centimeters (5 feet 2 inches)
• Fluent in spoken English
• Good vision
• “slim and attractive with a good complexion and warm personality”

 

It is no surprise that many enthusiastic candidates come in person to apply for the job. The first screening is usually a height and weight check, to ensure proper fitting into the figure-hugging sarong kebaya uniform. They go through four interviews including a swim test in which they must prove they have no scars and blemishes that the sarongs do not hide (Arnold, 1999). Yet only a small percentage pass the tests.

According to Glory Henriette, SIA’s public relations manager, the Singapore Girl epitomizes Asian hospitality and Singapore Airlines' tradition of friendly service,” and she adds that therefore the Singapore Girl must have a certain look. They cannot do anything that will downgrade the Singapore Girl image (Mariani, 2005).

Stewardesses work under renewable five-year contracts and must retire after 15 years, even after they have reached the highest rank of In-flight Supervisor. It is the custom to work for 5-10 years and then settle down elsewhere in a more stable occupation. They may be married while employed but once pregnant, they must leave.

There are also a small portion of stewardess from China, India, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Indonesia, many of whom are recruited for their language skills to tailor for international passengers (Mariani, 2005). In order not to neglect a single passenger, SIA provides more flight attendants than aviation regulations require, the highest ratio in the world at 1 flight attendant per 22 passengers (Chan, 2000)

The uniform

The uniform was designed by French couturier Pierre Balmain (www.balmain.com) in 1972, and is an inspiration from the traditional Malay evening gown. The trademark uniform is a long batik skirt and traditional kebaya (blouse), together called a sarong kebaya, which we will always see the stewardess in any SIA advertisement. Each uniform is custom-tailored for each stewardess and has said to be the airline’s way of making sure the girls stay slim, which they do by exercising. Their weight is regularly monitored to avoid weight gain.

Flight stewardess	Leading Stewardess	Chief Stewardess

Singapore Girl in commercial ads

Filename	Description	Example
Video1	This TV commercial was released in 1994, and through the eyes and guidance of the Singapore Girl, the viewer is treated to soaring, flowing 360-degree views of natural landscapes from all over the world. She traverses on her soft, unintruding footsteps through snowy mountains, glaciers, houses atop mountains, the desert and its animals, cliffs over looking the vast ocean, thundering waterfalls, gentle streams and endless rivers, and the images are blended in with the figure and face of the mystical Singapore Girl. In rhythm and harmony with the music, she walks gently and acceptingly across the cliffs, and viewers see a silhouette of her twirling around with outstretched arms, doing what a child would do to imitate the flying motion of an airplane. The viewers follows her footsteps (=the airlines movements) in experiencing the relaxed smoothness of her "soaring" all over the world, and through this can anticipate the experience the commercial suggests they can enjoy. The last words echoed airily are "Singapore Air"--full of broad vowels and sung in such a tone that matches the smooth transitions of scenery showed during the earlier one minute of the commercial. The Singapore Girl's last smile on the screen again "persuades" the viewer that this is an experience, not transport.
Video2	This TV commercial was also released in 1994, and like the first one again through the experience of the Singapore Girl guides the viewer from the exciting, colourful bright neon sign boards of a Chinese city very soon into the world of traditional, ordinary, simple but culturally rich lives led by villagers. The music starts out on a fast beat to match with the pace of urban lifestyles, then switches to a slower tempo as images of ancient sculptures and jewelry sold by an old village lady emerge. The Singapore Girl bows her head in respect when interacting with the old village lady, as she would to a flight passenger, and these simple moments are enveloped by images of children striking bells and exciting, colourful theatrical village dances. The colours and rhythm of the city are rivalled by the colours and vivacity of the village people, and again, the Singapore Girl's traversing of these two worlds signifies her symbolic representation of the airline that brings together geographically and culturally distant points of the world and of a region together. The singing by a male voice in the end is not too clear but it repeats her name, "Singapore Girl" twice, sounding out everyone's adoration of her warm, sincere and attentive personality.
Video3	In this 1993 commercial, we are taken once again through soaring, flowing views of the New York City sky scrapers, the Statue of Liberty, roads filled with cars that form part of city life, and the shimmering ocean, all basking in the golden rays of the setting sun. The camera eventually comes to rest on a smiling Singapore Girl standing in front of the fantastic panorama capturing the city at dusk, during which she raises her distinctly Asian parasol to her shoulder which makes her stand out against the Western landscape. Parts of the music played in this 1993 commercial promoting the new and world's fastest flight from Singapore to New York uses the melody used at the end of the second commercial in a Chinese setting. The setting for this commercial, however, is New York City, and the consistency of the Asian-style music across both Chinese and American settings, as well as the consistent appearance of the enduring, familiar sarong kebaya-clad Singapore Girl, indicates that SIA is proud of its deep Asian roots. Despite exposure to different cultures, the airline and its stewardess retains the culture's (and naturally the company's) core values whilst learning from diversity and providing access to distant worlds.
Video4	This last commercial's release date is unknown, but the article (Phan, n.d.) suggests that it was released after the September 11 incident. The travel industry was hit hard all over the world, suffering greatly in business revenue and profits. SIA's brand was shaken and ignored, as were the brands built by other carriers. Moreover, the South East Asia has been burdened with economic and political troubles, with stock markets showing continued weakness, poor consumer demand, weak corporate spending, increasing corporate insolvencies and individual bankruptcies, and regional troubles, and terrorist activity in the region. Instead of shrinking operations, SIA like other airlines such as Malaysia Airlines and Cathay Pacific advertised and promoted aggressively to restore the strength of their brands. While Malaysia Airlines and Cathay Pacific rejuvenated their branding, SIA continued using its tried and tested imagery of the Singapore Girl, which can be seen in the TV commercial promoting the Krisworld in-flight entertainment system. SIA's philosophy was sound because since many still identify with the Singapore Girl, it breeds familiarity and comfort. Here, the stewardess from modern times quells the anger of a rampaging gorilla, which brings to mind the King Kong, the 1933 film of a prehistoric gorilla and other old films based on similar themes, such as Godzilla. The juxtaposition of old and new--of classic films and the sophistication and advancing of technology--arouses feelings of nostalgia balanced by feelings of security for the future and present based on the reminder that technology advances but also preserves and has the ability to revive old memories and history with much graphic realism. Its overall message is that of assurance, perhaps commenting on the precarious state of the contemporary world that can still be salvaged with history and tradition. But history and tradition can also be preserved with advances in technology, hence the commercial portrays a happy marriage of the two. The familar, comforting, and enduring image of the elegant Singapore Girl that calms the gorilla is what provides the sense of assurance. If our dear Singapore Girl can appeal to our emotions to assure us that our past is secure, and our future is promising, what more could we ask for? Besides selling the feelings of assurance, the commercial is promoting a journey through nostalgia and classic excitement of the past, in other words, an emotional, sensory experience. The dear Singapore Girl assures you that on board the SIA fleet, you be able to relive the past realistically through the countless film and other media selections offered along with the quality Dolby sound system.

 

 

Singapore girl in Printed ads

The Singapore Girl has extremely high visibility. She is identified directly with the company, and this identification developed out of repeated presentations of the Girl's face right next to the company logo or name. Note how in the following illustrations, she may take up just a corner box, but the fact that the box is the same size or has similar dimensions as the adjacent box in which the company logo is placed, impresses on the viewer a visual equation: Singapore Airlines = Singapore Girl (Figures (1)-(4)). They are not literally, physically equated, but the constant bombardment of the two side by side have led to the automatic association between the youth, beauty, serenity, grace and vigilance captured in the image of the Singapore Girl and the airline itself. What constitutes the Singapore Girl's image formulates Singapore Airlines' brand personality, and the Singapore Girl gives concrete and graphic form to the personality.

The size and ubiquity of the boxed images of her in Figures (1)-(4), and its appearance with the company logo and/or name makes her part of the Singapore Airlines logo itself, except that the exact person who is presented as the Singapore Girl varies across different advertisements and sites. That is actually a refreshing concept--to pair a slightly varying image to the constant name and logo keeps the audience interested. The ubiquity coupled with small size suggest that they are amongst many cabin staff working hard behind the glamorous experiences presented in the advertising. It is a beckoning, "This way sir/madam, please. Welcome aboard."

What helps immensely also is that there is little cluttering of imagery. The Singapore Girl is the only real human face of Singapore Airlines presented to the customer. Because of that, her image is the only one that remains in people's minds and that makes it even easier for people to associate the the Girl and the airline, since all the customer can remember of the airline is the Girl.

 

Singapore Airline

Achievement

In just over the last two decades, the US$ 5.7 billlion carrier Singapore Airlines has grown from a regional carrier to an international one with a route network spanning over 90 cities in nearly 40 countries. It has one of the youngest and most modern fleet and continues to set the standards for inflight services.

Singapore Airlines has consistently ranked tops in the United States' Fortune Magazine's list of Global Most Admired Companies (GMAC), and it did not fail in the latest 2004 survey either. It ranked 32nd in Top 50 of the 2004 All Stars Listing, and ranked 2nd in the airline category (Our Achievements, n.d.), making it both a world and industry leader--for a country that hardly makes a dent in the world.

In 2002, it was at 50th position, the highest ranked Singapore representative, and is one of only two Singapore companies to have made the list. Outside of Japan, SIA is the top ranked Asian company in that list, according to the sources. Criteria for evaluation include quality of management, quality of products and services, innovation, long-term investment value, financial soundness, responsibility to the community and the environment, wise use of corporate assets, global business men, and the ability to attract, develop and retain talent (Nepal news, n.d.).

In the Conde Nast Traveler Magazine Reader's Travel Awards 2004, Singapore Airlines was ranked second in popularity (89.91%) after Air New Zealand (90.08%) for the Leisure Travel--Long Haul category. British Airways (87.90%), Virgin Atlantic (87.46%), Emirates (87.40%) came after amongst the top five. As for the Business Travel category, Singapore Airlines is the business traveller's favourite, with scores above 80 for all criteria, and above 90 for lounge/pre- & post-flight facilities and in-flight entertainment. It scores 88.50%, ahead of British Airways (88.40%), Emirates (87.75%), Cathay Pacific (86.65%) and Air New Zealand (86.47%).

A full list of awards and accolades that Singapore Airlines has won can be found here: Singapore Airlines (2001-2004). Our achievements: Singapore Airlines presents our awards and accolades. Retrieved on May 2, 2005 from: http://www.singaporeair.com/saa/app/saa?dynamic=OurAchievements/ourachievements.html

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