SMRT Campaign featured in Europe

Many of our commuters would remember that we launched the ‘We’re Working On It’ campaign two years ago. Conceptualised in 2015, the campaign sought to inform the public of our rail transformation efforts. We featured our colleagues who were working tirelessly round the clock to provide better and more comfortable rides for our commuters.

Two years later, many inside and outside the organisation remember the slogan, and agree that it was a memorable campaign – one that went on to bag local and international awards. The campaign was recently highlighted in a publication by Union Internationale des Transports Publics (UITP), or the International Association of Public Transport. UITP is a non-profit international association, recognised for its work in advancing the development of sustainable mobility. It is the only worldwide network to bring together the whole public transport sector and all sustainable transport modes.

In a publication released this month, UITP sought to raise awareness and acknowledge the link between the attractiveness of public transport companies as mobility service providers for customers and the attractiveness of public transport companies as employers of choice for existing staff and potential candidates. It said that companies like SMRT had to pay close attention to its own branding, as well as the general perception of the industry, in order to attract the best talent.

While this was initially a commuter-targeted initiative, it noted that SMRT obtained improved recruitment results, as well as improved customer satisfaction. It was also observed that complaint rate dropped significantly despite more intensive track renewal work being carried out. The article highlighting the “We’re Working on It” campaign was subsequently carried in The Guardian, a newspaper in the United Kingdom.

“Employees can also be public transport’s finest champions as well as providing fuel for its greatest critics. A campaign by Singaporean operator SMRT shows how employees can be great brand ambassadors. The ‘We’re Working on It’campaign humanises SMRT by using employees to front its advertising, presenting staff as part of the community, so commuters can relate to them as a mother, father, brother or sister. It also expressed SMRT management’s recognition of employees’ hard work.”