Come, let's eat!

Abstract

This report presents “Come, Let’s Eat!”, a communication campaign by four undergraduates from Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information that aims to use food to introduce young Singaporeans to foreign cultures.

The disconnect between a globalised Singapore and an unyielding definition of what it means to be multicultural has led to increased societal tensions. However, at the same time, if perspectives can expand beyond such a rigid definition of multiculturalism and embrace differences as enrichment, these tensions can be eased.

As a major part of Singaporean life, food holds the potential to bridge this divide between cultures in Singapore by creating opportunities to bring people together. “Come, Let’s Eat!” aimed to help young Singaporeans connect to foreign cultures and people through food, increase their cultural knowledge and develop positive attitudes towards intercultural interaction.

The campaign organised a series of events such as dinners and cooking classes, supported by online and social media content, to create platforms where over 150 young Singaporeans learned and experienced foreign food and cultures as well as interacted with foreigners.

This report details the literature review and primary research on culture and food that led to the conception of this campaign, and the theoretical frameworks that guided the campaign’s strategies and tactics. The execution of the campaign is presented, along with the various methods used to assess the success and efficacy of the campaign in achieving its objectives. Various limitations and recommendations for the campaign will also be discussed.