• Forty-eight brands have been chosen as part of the first wave of the Made With Passion initiative 
• The initiative hopes to help these brands tell their Singapore stories both locally and overseas
• Brands will have a Made With Passion mark on their packaging
• There will also be meet-and-greet sessions with company founders for the public to get to know the people behind the brands
   

SINGAPORE — When Ms Yvon Bock took her brand Hegen to overseas trade shows, some customers and potential partners would ask her where Singapore is located. 

“I was very surprised… I took it for granted (that Singapore would be known),” said Ms Bock, who started the breastfeeding product line in 2015. 

Many of her customers, both local and overseas, are also unaware that the brand originates from Singapore.

Hegen is one of the 48 brands chosen as part of the first wave of the Made With Passion initiative, which was launched on Friday (Nov 20) by the Singapore Brand Office (SGBO), Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Enterprise Singapore.

Other brands chosen include wellness brand Kinohimitsu, Gryphon Tea Company, gin maker Brass Lion Distillery and aromatherapy company Hysses. 

STB and SGBO said that the brands were chosen to reflect a range of well established heritage brands as well as new brands.

The chosen brands will have a Made With Passion brand mark on their packaging, in their stores and on online platforms.

There will also be meet-and-greet sessions with the owners of these brands for the public to hear their stories first-hand.

Online shopping platform Shopee and supermarket chain FairPrice will help to showcase some of these brands. 

Details on when more brands will be added will be shared at a later date.

Ms Lynette Pang, advisor to the SGBO and assistant chief executive of marketing at STB, said the initiative hopes to help these brands tell their Singapore stories both locally and overseas. 

“There is so much depth and breadth and diversity in our local brands, each with a unique story to tell and a unique and quality experience for the consumer. 

"We want to support our local brands by showcasing their craft and their products through meaningful and engaging storytelling, so as to instil pride and appreciation for their brands through their stories. We will also be able to show you just how much passion goes behind building each and every one of these brands,” she said.

The initiative is an extension of the Passion Made Possible brand established in 2017 to celebrate the exceptional Singapore spirit. It will also complement the ongoing SingapoRediscovers campaign, which encourages locals to rediscover stories and places through Singapoliday experiences, said STB.

Ms Pang said that given how the Covid-19 pandemic has adversely affected retailers, the hope is that the initiative will promote awareness and support for local brands domestically, as well as inspire other new brand owners. 

"We hope to catalyse partnerships between local brands to drive new product innovation," she added. 

Ms Bock said she welcomed the initiative as the collective effort of local brands helps everyone to build a stronger identity. 

“I believe that in Singapore, even though we are a small country, we have many prominent brands and a lot of talents, creators, innovators and inventors. So we are very, very proudly Singaporean and so thankful for this Made With Passion initiative to allow all of us to have a chance to showcase our story, to showcase our passion and to speak to the world together,” she said.