Singapore’s National Co-operative Federation has launched a social media brand awareness campaign to showcase co-operatives’ social impact.
The Co-op of the Day campaign, a celebration the centenary of Singapore’s co-op movement, features a series of short-form, vertical videos produced in collaboration with media production company It’s Like Depth.
“We embarked on this project with the aim of showcasing the meaningful work of our co-operatives through ways that resonates with today’s youths – capturing the essence of their work in a concise, engaging and relatable manner,” said Verene Cheong, SNCF’s head of marketin, communications and strategy.
Each film in the campaign focuses on a specific co-op, whose story is told by a member, beneficiary or employee.
In the first episode, retired police officer Jason Chin shared his story as a member of at Polwel Co-operative Society. Another episode features Xavier, a young adult with autism, who has made new friends since joining Runninghour, an inclusive sports co-op for persons with special needs.
Singapore’s largest co-operative retailer NTUC FairPrice features in an episode, with sustainability expert Lisar Soh explaining how her team refurbished the co-op’s most sustainable store at City Square Mall, and how it educates customers on the organisation’s sustainability practices. Co-ops like TCC Credit Co-operative and GP+ Co-operative also feature.
The most recent episode focuses on three of Singapore’s oldest co-ops: Singapore Government Staff Credit Co-operative, Singapore Statutory Boards’ Employees Credit Co-operative, and Citiport Credit Co-operative.
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“We have always been trying to connect with the younger audiences on social media,” said Cheong. “We knew keeping the videos short and sweet was key. We also recognised that working with youths was essential to ensure the campaign resonated with them and aligned with their perspectives, language, and values.”
The videos are targeting young people, featuring personal stories they can relate to, rather than explaining what a co-operative is.
“The beauty of curating this campaign is that it’s human-centric, and the focus is on the social impact each co-operative has made on both society and its members,” added Cheong.
“The message naturally emerges through each profile, showcasing what his or her co-operative stands for,” said Veron Teng, 29, one of the co-founders of It’s Like Depth. “More often than not, everything falls into place seamlessly.”
Like Depth’s other co-founder, Alvin Lim, 31, added: “What’s special about co-operatives is the sense of shared responsibility across all levels and departments. From the different co-operatives we filmed, we saw a strong sense of ownership – not as isolated teams, but as one cohesive unit working together to achieve success.”
