How Zig is reshaping ComfortDelGro’s brand beyond taxis

A rebrand can change how a company looks. Changing what consumers think the brand stands for is a different challenge.

That is the challenge facing Zig by ComfortDelGro as it moves beyond its longstanding association with taxis and positions itself as a broader mobility platform.

In February, ComfortDelGro brought its point-to-point mobility services under the refreshed Zig brand, spanning taxi, private-hire rental, ride-hailing platform services, payments, corporate mobility, and autonomous and driverless services. The move marked a shift from a taxi-led business towards a broader mobility proposition.

The proposition has since continued to take shape. In June, Zig began offering public rides on its driverless shuttle service in Punggol, while in August it announced an investment of more than SG$10 million in electric and hybrid private-hire vehicles as it expands its fleet and platform.

For Joshua Kwah, head of marketing at Zig by ComfortDelGro, that evolution means the rebrand is about more than giving the business a new identity. It is about creating a brand that can accommodate where the business is heading.

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From taxi brand to mobility platform

According to Kwah, the decision to bring ComfortDelGro's point-to-point services under Zig was driven by changing mobility habits, with consumers moving between different options depending on their needs.

“As ComfortDelGro's point-to-point mobility business continues to evolve, we recognise the need to create a clearer, more consistent mobility brand in Singapore,” he said.

The refreshed identity brings together a portfolio that now spans ride-hailing, taxi rental, private-hire rental, autonomous and driverless services, corporate mobility and payments.

At its centre is what Zig calls “thoughtful mobility empowerment”, reflecting the idea that consumers and drivers should have greater choice over how they move.

Kwah said that could mean using different services at different points in the day, rather than committing to a single mode of transport.

“So, this move is about responding to that shift,” he said. “Instead of offering disconnected services, we're bringing everything together under ‘Zig by ComfortDelGro’.”

It’s less about adding more, and more about helping people move better.

The proposition is also increasingly visible in the services under the brand. Zig's driverless shuttle service in Punggol can now be booked through the Zig app, while the latest investment in electric and hybrid private-hire vehicles expands the fleet available to drivers.

That gives the refreshed brand a wider remit than the taxi business it is historically associated with, while also making the positioning increasingly tangible through new mobility services.

Reframing the Zig brand

Moving away from a taxi-led identity does not mean abandoning the equity built around ComfortDelGro.

For Zig, that means retaining the association with reliability while bringing greater emphasis to choice, technology and convenience.

“Zig’s identity is deeply rooted in the trust people already have in ComfortDelGro,” Kwah said. “Its strong track record of operational excellence and reliability has created a legacy that is core to our brand.”

The challenge is therefore less about replacing that legacy than extending it into a broader mobility proposition.

“Today’s commuters value having autonomy over how they move and autonomy often means more ride options across the week, features that accommodate their life’s needs, and better understanding in what they’re paying for,” he said.

“When we say Zig makes reliability easier to access, we’re looking to reduce uncertainty with more options and less guesswork,” he added.

That thinking extends into the brand identity itself. “Zig” is intended to represent the freedom to choose how to move, while the Chinese character 劲 (“strength”) is intended to connect that freedom with the consistency associated with ComfortDelGro's legacy.

The visual identity was designed to work across moving vehicles, city signage and mobile screens, while “Time to Zig” serves as a cue for consumers to move on their own terms.

That said, the company is not relying on the new identity alone to shift perceptions.

“We're letting people experience it rather than overexplaining it,” said Kwah. 

“We are working to make it felt in our app(s), in how we respond to drivers and riders, and in the professionalism of our service. Over time, people understand Zig through how it consistently shows up,” he added.

A rebrand that moves with the business

The changing business also affects how Zig looks at the impact of the rebrand.

Rather than focusing solely on awareness, Kwah said the company is watching whether riders and drivers continue to choose the platform.

“What we value the most is whether people continue choosing us. That means riders choosing us again and drivers staying active on the platform. These metrics tell us if we're actually becoming useful in their day-to-day," he said. 

The company is taking a phased, multi-year approach as the refreshed identity is rolled out across communication and customer experience touchpoints.

As Zig continues expanding into autonomous mobility and a larger electric and hybrid private-hire fleet, the brand is being asked to stretch across an increasingly diverse set of services.

With new services continuing to come under the Zig name, ComfortDelGro is gradually giving consumers more reasons to associate the brand with something beyond the taxi it started with.

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