March 2025 Issue: Co-operator Newsletter Quarterly March 2025
SCM Insider: New Brand Awareness Campaign by SNCF Spotlights 8 Co-ops Across 6 Social Media Episodes
The Singapore National Co-operative Federation (SNCF) has launched a social media campaign, titled “Co-op of the Day” or #COTD, to raise awareness of co-operatives in Singapore.
What is Co-op of the Day?
This campaign came at a time when the Singapore Co-operative Movement approaches its 100th anniversary in 2025. The first co-operative was formed in 1925.
#COTD highlights the purposeful work and inspiring journeys of the many individuals within the Singapore Co-operative Movement. First kicked off in mid-December 2024 on Instagram and Facebook, the four month-long campaign features a series of short-form, vertical videos to engage and educate audiences. The campaign is slated to run till March 2025.
“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,” says Verene Cheong, SNCF’s Head of Marketing Communications and Strategy.
Working alongside a local production house It’s Like Depth, each of the first five episodes will feature one co-operative and a corresponding representative. The representative could be a member, a beneficiary or even a staff from the co-operative.
The last episode is a special showcase, taking the form of a seven-minute talk show and will feature representatives from three of Singapore’s oldest co-operatives: Singapore Government Staff Credit Co-operative, Singapore Statutory Boards’ Employees Credit Co-operative, and Citiport Credit Co-operative.
How did SNCF do it?
For the layperson, co-operatives can be difficult to comprehend. Globally, co-operatives struggle to share about the alternative business model and the value capture they have. Youths, for instance, may not be aware of its existence.
“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.”
SNCF chose to partner It’s Like Depth for the Federation’s first video-only social media campaign.
“Youths don’t have much patience for videos that go on and on about ‘organisational values’ or ‘brand beliefs’ — no matter how meaningful they may be,” says Veron Teng, 29, one of the co-founders of It’s Like Depth.
“What captures their attention are personal stories they can relate to or feel emotionally connected with,” adds It’s Like Depth’s other co-founder Alvin Lim, 31.
Since co-operatives prioritise their members' well-being and uphold strong social missions, real, personal stories of how members have benefitted from their respective co-operatives became the core of what the campaign is about.
“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,” says Cheong.
Interestingly, Teng admits that she seldom needs to explicitly define what a co-operative is. “The message naturally emerges through each profile, showcasing what his or her co-operative stands for,” she says. “More often than not, everything falls into place seamlessly.”
Lim adds: “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.”
Who got featured?
In the first episode, retired police officer Jason Chin shares how he continues living out his dream of upkeeping the security standards of Singapore at POLWEL Co-operative Society Limited (POLWEL). POLWEL supports members of the Singapore Police Force and other Home Team departments with diverse services like supporting the career transitions for retired officers, loans, savings, professional development and other welfare services.
Another features Xavier, a young adult with autism, who has found both the motivation to get fit and has made new friends since joining Runninghour, an inclusive sports co-operative that promotes the integration of persons with special needs. Volunteer guides pair up with persons with special needs to assist and motivate them throughout the activity.
The third video features a sustainability representative Singapore’s largest co-operative retailer NTUC FairPrice: Lisar Soh of FairPrice Group. Here, she shares a little more on how she and her team refurbish the most sustainable FairPrice store at City Square Mall, and how the retailer educates customers on the sustainability practices in the organisation.
Other co-operatives involved include TCC Credit Co-operative and GP+ Co-operative.
Stories like these underscore the importance and relevance of the Singapore Co-operative Movement as part of the social fabric of the nation.