SECRET LIVES OF SINGAPOREANS
Issue #26 – Week commencing 20 March 2023
Authored with pride by Madeline Tan and Andrew Lim
Secret Lives of Singaporeans is an ongoing collection of marketer-friendly briefs on the fascinating people of the little red dot, by planners and PR consultants from the big red agency. It’s not “thought leadership”, it’s “inspiration to DO”.
Each issue comprises
• One thing people in Singapore are talking about
• One thing people in Singapore are searching for
• One thing that’s in the news in Singapore Image Credits:
2
TodayOnline, Reuters, Sqkii
One thing people in Singapore are talking about :
SLAMMED CHARLES & KEITH TIKTOKER NOW FACE OF AIR ASIA CONTENT
Image Credits: Republic Asia Media
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TikTok user Zoe Gabriel (@zohtaco), or ‘bag girl’, rose to fame a few months ago after labelling a Charles & Keith bag a “luxury” item and sparking debate. Recently, she was seen in a number of TikTok videos promoting Air Asia and its amenities, such as its food options. In somevideos, she wears an AirAsia cabin attendant uniform and dances to popular songs both alone and with members of the flight crew.
The videos have since gained millions of views with one surpassing 1.1 million.
This was a timely opportunity for AirAsia to partner with Zoe Gabriel as her image aligns with the airline's brand purpose of making travel accessible to everybody.As such, the collaboration also did not seem out of the place or unauthentic.
Yet, for micro-influencers like Gabriel, who are still new to this space, there remains much potential for brands to explore. This is compared to bigger influencers who often bring controversy/receive differing opinions from people due to the image that they've already built up.
Instead of only riding upon the publicity an individual might gain, future brands can consider the following:
• To explore more in-depth content that would resonate with consumers of similar backgrounds?
• Consider a longer-term objective in mind for this engagement? How do we ensure continuity in our communication efforts?
Sources: Yahoo News Singapore, MARKETING-INTERACTIVE
OGILVY 4
WHAT SO WHAT
One thing people in Singapore are searching for :
PANDAMART #HUNTTHEMOUSE: SINGAPORE’S NATIONWIDE,
IN-PERSON, $100,000 CASH HUNT
Image Credits: pandamart #HuntTheMouse
OGILVY 6
After a three-year hiatus due to COVID-19, gamification company Sqkii has reintroduced its viral cash hunt, in which one $50,000 gold coin and one hundred $500 silver coins are hidden throughout Singapore for people to find and exchange for cash.
This year’s iteration is supported by title sponsor foodpanda. Players can get hints through Sqkii's social media, real-time map data on the game website, or by obtaining crystals to exchange for clues when they purchase items from participating brands like Domino's Pizza, Milksha, or pandamart.
The nationwide cash hunt has proven popular with the general public, with some TikTok videos showing groups of people looking for the coins in the same location. In previous iterations from 2017 to 2019, the cash hunt attracted over 500,000 players.
With COVID-19 having somewhat abated and restrictions eased, brands have regained the freedom to explore outdoor campaigns instead of being conducted digitally.
To take it up a notch, marketers can consider applying gamification in real-life campaigns to make it more immersive and boost engagement among consumers.
Three things to consider when partaking in an activity as a brand partner
1) Are there brand synergies amongst participating brands in an event like this?
2) What are the brand's end goal / continuity plans in partaking in such campaigns?
3) To ensure that gamification mechanics are paired effectively with OOH infrastructure to gain better participation.
Sources: Google Trends, Tik Tok, Sqkii
OGILVY 7
SO WHAT
WHAT
One thing in the news in Singapore:
TIKTOK LETS USERS RESET 'FOR YOU' FEEDS TO FRESHEN RECOMMENDATIONS
Image Credits: Reuters
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Viral video-sharing app TikTok is introducing a new feature that allows users to reset their "For You" feeds, giving people the opportunity to get a fresh slate of recommendations if they have grown tired of seeing the same types of content.
When the refresh feature is enabled, the app will surfacecontent on the “For You” feed as if you had just joined TikTok.
This is a welcome addition for people whose tastes have evolved over time or who believe the algorithm no longer "gets" them.
As part of the rollout plan, TikTok is also doing content moderation to minimise videos with “themes of sadness, extreme exercise or dieting, or that’s sexually suggestive”.
In an age of multiple content sources and engagement options, marketers are facing an ongoing challenge to grab consumer attention. Yet, things have only gotten harder. Marketers must now ask themselves more questions to produce content that will compel people to pause and listen.
To keep up with the shifting tides of user interest in this highly competitive landscape, consider the following:
1) What are some unique and novel content formats we can explore on each platform? Is this offering consumers something new that others don't?
2) What are some strong imagery that we can use? Does this grab users' attention in the first three seconds?
3) What are people discussing these days? Are there any trends to capitalise on?
OGILVY 9 WHAT SO WHAT
Sources: The Straits Times, TechCrunch, Unsplash
Hungry for more? Talk to us at secretlivessg@ogilvy.com
