IT took months of discussion with masses of people, including branding experts. Finding the right name for the Marina Bay area, said National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan, was a process akin to that of parents deciding on the name for their child.
.
There had to be a sense of identity, a strong personality and a feeling of pride, said Mr Mah.
.
So the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) met with developers, retailers, restaurateurs and other stakeholders. Together with global branding expert Interbrand, over 400 potential names were considered.
.
But in the end, they found themselves where they had started.
.
The best name for Marina Bay is Marina Bay.
.
"We started off with (the name) Marina Bay and after looking at everything, the name that really tugged at the heartstrings was in front of us. The name itself is not new, but what has been used informally so far has endeared itself to all parties," said Mr Mah.
.
In all, $400,000 was spent on a branding exercise that involved, among other things, conducting market tests both locally and overseas, focus group discussions and engaging developers and the community at large.
