Secret Lives of Singaporeans issue #41: Mental health, quirky quiz, and another win in Singapore's b

SECRET LIVES OF SINGAPOREANS:

MENTAL HEALTH, QUIRKY QUIZ, AND ANOTHER WIN IN SINGAPORE’S BAG Issue #41 – Week commencing 16 October 2023 Authored by Natalie Goh and Madeline Tan

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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: Pexels, TODAY, AFP

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One thing people in Singapore are searching for:

MENTAL HEALTH

Image Credits: Pexels

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WHAT

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On October 10th, the global observance of World Mental Health Day prompted numerous discussions about mental wellbeing.

In Singapore, greater awareness of mental health and the accessibility of information online has given rise to a trend known as “therapy speak”. This trends involves youths incorporating language and terms related to mental health in everyday conversations. While this signifies a positive cultural shift where mental health is no longer a taboo topic, it also carries the risk of self-misdiagnosis. Market research firm Ipsos also shared concerning findings about the mental state of Singaporeans, revealing that it is a more prominent healthcare concern than cancer.

Mental health is a tricky topic that is subject to a variety of perspectives. This provides brands with the opportunity to approach this growing and prevalent subject in a myriad of ways.

The upside of a growing awareness of this topic presents opportunities for brands to own topics of mental wellbeing, whether through product solutions or CSR initiatives.

Don’t wellbeing-wash However, brands need to be cautious of falling into “wellbeing washing”, where a company appears to be focused on wellbeing more for their external PR profile while ignoring how employees and customers are actually feeling. Ultimately, everything they do in this sensitive space has to be for real and not for show.

SO WHAT Source: TODAY, CNA, Yahoo! News Singapore

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One thing people in Singapore are talking about:

PERSONALITY QUIZ

Image Credits: Taiwan Design Expo 2023

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WHAT A viral online personality quiz created by the Taiwan Design Expo has taken the internet by storm, gaining immense popularity on Singaporean social media platforms in recent weeks.

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What caught people’s eye were the "choose your own adventure" narrative style and its delightful, whimsical graphic design…paired with the interesting and insightful personality assessments.

Some did find that their results were not entirely relatable, but many were pleasantly surprised by the quiz's accuracy, despite its weird and seemingly unrelated questions.

Personality quizzes are not new and have been around since even before the world wide web was invented.

However, it is an interesting turn of events when such a quiz becomes viral amongst Singaporeans.

Old tricks, new uses It serves as a nice reminder (to you and your clients) that even what seems like the oldest, been-there-done-that, cheesiest thing ever published can be successful. Not only that, but it would’ve also been a great opportunity for the brand to gather valuable zero-party-data, perception about the brand, or any feedback about products and services.

Remember, the next piece of content you put out could just use a fancy, shiny, creative packaging over it to become viral.

SO WHAT Source: Taiwan Design Expo 2023

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One thing that’s in the news in Singapore:

SHANTI PEREIRA WINS HISTORIC 200M ASIAN GAMES GOLD

Image Credit: CNA

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WHAT

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Shanti Pereira made history at the recent Asian Games with her extraordinary victory in the 200m sprint. Her gold medal win marked a historic moment for Singapore, as she became the first athletics medal-winner in almost 50 years and the first to ever clinch the top spot in this event.

Her remarkable achievement showcased her exceptional talent, dedication, and hard work. This not only got her name into the history books of Singapore, but also served as a testament to the nation's growing prowess on the international athletics stage.

It was a moment of celebration and a source of immense pride for Singaporeans.

Not every brand can sponsor an Asian Games champion or claim credit by association. #supportlocal But Shanti’s once-in-50-years achievement has heightened public interest in sports, and brands can build relevance with Singaporeans by appointing local ambassadors and helping local talents along their journey. They just need to ensure their support is for the long haul, not just a once-off trendjacking stunt.

SO WHAT Source: CNA

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Hungry for more?

Talk to us at secretlivessg@ogilvy.com