Ana realised that Tong Heng could benefit from an updated branding when she observed that their customers at the time were almost exclusively from the older demographic. Although business was decent, Ana realised that Tong Heng’s legacy would fade if they were unable to capture a younger audience. Guided by Tong Heng’s traditional principles, she spent eight months on the search before finally landing a creative team that could reinvigorate their brand while remaining true to their historic roots. The result of this effort is on proud display at Tong Heng – patterns on the sleek wall mirror feature Tong Heng’s pastries in an elegant “shan shui” artwork (山水, literally “mountain water”, a style of traditional Chinese landscape art), and the designs adorning their pastry tins showcase their products in creative scenery. In a true nod to their heritage, the shop’s front columns are emblazoned with “精製傳統 中式餅食” (exquisite traditional Chinese pastries), in the original calligraphy of Rebecca Fong, Ana’s aunt and one of her two bosses. Tong Heng also continues to incorporate their old logo selectively in their branding as a respectful homage to the work of their elders. By melding the old with the new, Tong Heng remains familiar to their regular, long-time customers, while also staying in vogue with the younger generation.

Ana credits the rebranding with bringing new opportunities to Tong Heng. Both the brand and their products have been highlighted by the Singapore Tourism Board and Enterprise Singapore during major events such as National Day and Singapore HeritageFest. The media has also featured both Tong Heng and Ana in several articles over the last few years. Although the journey of rejuvenation was challenging at times, Ana believes that it was ultimately worthwhile.

Tong Heng is always innovating in order to grow. For instance, Ana observed the popularity of cafe-hopping among millennials, who would spend ten dollars or more for a coffee at these establishments. Wanting to establish a presence in that market, Tong Heng started a collaboration with nearby Maxi Coffee Bar to offer their pastries in a cafe setting, while also displaying the cafe’s beautifully-bottled coffee beans on their own countertop. Another creative product introduced by Tong Heng is their new range of striking grab-and-go dessert beverages. Made with traditional ingredients like peach gum and attap chee (mangrove palm fruit) layered in colourful gradients of hues, these drinkable desserts would look right at home on Instagram. Not only do these ventures draw interest from the younger crowd and encourage them to give Tong Heng products a try, they also help Tong Heng attract and hire younger staff. These employees, in turn, make it easier for Tong Heng to implement tech-oriented business solutions, and keep a finger on the pulse of the latest trends among the youth. This feat is particularly remarkable among heritage businesses, which often face manpower difficulties, particularly in recruiting from the younger generation.

Tong Heng’s willingness to experiment has also seen them dip their toes in waters outside the culinary sphere. They recently starred in a cross-promotional Lunar New Year campaign with the unlikeliest of partners – teaming up with American developer Riot Games to promote their mobile game, “League of Legends: Wild Rift”. This campaign featured popular League of Legends character Teemo visiting various cities around the world to sample popular confections, and Tong Heng’s pineapple tarts were featured prominently, with Teemo posing animatedly in front of Tong Heng shopfront. By branching out into new ventures, Tong Heng has been able to reach new audiences, and grow their traditional business with the times.

Ana attributes Tong Heng’s resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic to their digital infrastructure. When the government announced a partial lockdown in early 2020, the F&B industry was hit particularly hard. Undeterred, Ana swiftly put together a plan to help Tong Heng weather the storm. Pivoting towards online sales and digital payment was a viable option for Tong Heng because the necessary systems had already been put in place prior to the outbreak. Tong Heng had also been laying the groundwork and building a social media following for several years prior, and so they enjoyed robust channels of communication with their customers that remained open during the lockdown.

The last piece of the puzzle for Tong Heng was expanding the delivery network for their products. Ana searched for a logistics partner who could handle their fragile pastries, and eventually decided to work with one of their long-time drivers. Although he did not have the logistical reach of the bigger delivery services, Ana could trust him to ensure that Tong Heng’s products would reach their customers in good shape. Thanks to their foresight and Ana’s leadership, Tong Heng responded nimbly to the lockdown – indeed, demand for their delivered pastries proved so great that they had trouble keeping up by the third week.