ADV: Selfies | Singlish | Branded Content

Hi Trend-Setters!

It's been a while ;)

Presenting to you the
Top 3 Advertising Trends in May:

1. Selfies

What's Up:

Ever since Ellen DeGeneres's Oscar selfie go viral and became the most tweeted picture of-all-time, a selfie phenomenon was born. The introduction of front facing camera, selfie-editing apps and selfie-on-a-stick make selfies of everyday people easier. The wide popularity even termed selfie the 2013 word of the year by Oxford English Dictionary. 

Authenticity:

Selfies:
1. are personal, and it helps when customers rank authenticity as a top trait of a company.
2. refer to real people, which connect more emotionally to others.
3. provide transparency. Prospects buy from whom they know, like and trust.
4. serve as social proof or recommendation. Customers do not pose with products they do not like.

Opportunities:

Research: FREE mobile app, Pay Your Selfie, pays cash for your selfies engaging in routine activities. These selfies contain insights on consumer behavior that ad agencies and companies like F&B and consumer goods are eager to benefit from. Unlike focus groups, selfies emphasize on what actually people do than what people think they do. 

Contest: Marketers are incorporating the selfie trend in their social media marketing such as UGC contests, playing on the creative side of consumers and rewarding them something FREE in return for the product selfies. Such social interaction raises brand awareness and increase their online presence.

Trial: Selfies are especially important for boosting sales to online brands that improve aesthetic appearance. One of them is Warby Parker, an online eye-wear brand that sells vintage-inspired prescription eyeglasses. It let customers to superimpose pictures of themselves in different spectacle frames, try out a selection of frames send to their home, and share a selfie wearing the different glasses on social networks with the hashtag #warbyhometryon to seek opinions. 

Photo Booths: The wide appeal of selfies also lead to popping up of photo booths everywhere. Charity events like Luminato Festival have photo booths where one can pose for a shot, upload, and share on social media, spreading word about the cause. Clubs like Soho House also allow guests to snap and share pictures at photo booths, marketing its brand to their friends. Fashion and Lifestyle stores are now leveraging on photo booths for their loyalty programs.

Selfies encourage idea that shopping can be entertainment and that it's a social phenomenon.

2. Singlish

What's Up?

Singlish is a national identity, that has incorporated into the mainstream and pop culture in Singapore. The common use among Singaporeans has also resulted Singlish words and phrases to be included into Oxford English Dictionary!

Localisation:

Singlish is a uniquely household / street language - not known, understood and used globally. It is a legitimate patois that ordinary Singaporeans use in everyday conversations - with family, friends and acquaintances.

Opportunities:

Advertising: Thanks to social media, Singlish has evolve from only a spoken language to written form with spelling that reflects how the words are pronounced. For example; instead of the initial popular monikers, #ShareACoke campaign feature Singlish phrases such as Relak Lah, Chiong Ah on coke cans and bottles to inspire locals to share a coke with those around them. 

Today, marketers are starting to use Singlish advertisements to gain consumers' attention and break through advertising clutter. Singlish ads are more original, fresh, imaginative and relatable than English ads. Check out StarHub unofficial version which writes, speaks and sings it loud, in Singlish, for Singapore National Day.

Politicking: Speaking Singlish builds instant rapport. Politician leaders use Singlish in election campaigns to better connect to local audience. 

Comedic Relief: Phua Chu Kang, the 90s Singaporean sitcom, was immensely popular due to its characters' use of Singlish in everyday conversations. It spawned off famous catchphrase - Don't Play Play, pronounced as Pray Pray. Not to forget comedy film Ah Boys to Men - Recruit Anthem rapping about Singlish, as well as Unbelievable, a-proudly-made-in-Singapore MV, that goes viral and create Stunned like Vegetable a common Singlish vocabulary.

Singlish is a linguistic heritage adopted by movie trailers and advertising campaigns to target the Singapore market.

3. Branded Content

What's Up?

What exactly constitutes an ad these days? If you think 30-seconds television commercials, then you are outdated. Many digital ads are re-purposing from TV to online platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Snapchat. Unfortunately, the invasion of ads in social media has led to the rise of ad blocking and ad aversion. Many are turning to branded content - ads that look more like things people actually want to read or watch. 

Entertainment:

There is a big change in how people consume media and how advertisers are allocating their money. People don't like being sold to - marketers had to invest in providing entertainment value and consumer-driven content. People buy things for emotional reasons, and ads have to be something people resonate emotionally, especially those that pull on the heartstrings! Branded content are brand-centric that start stories around people to reinforce the brand story.

Opportunities:

Relationship-Building: There is a list of emotions that brands can utilize and combine in order to provide that entertainment value. From humor, happiness, nostalgia to sadness, awe or shock, brands connect their brand philosophy to the hearts and minds of audience. Check out case studies featuring Dove, Volvo and Metro Trains that achieved a highly-successful branded content marketing; as well as other examples including SK II's #ChangeDestiny - which depicts feeling of empowerment through research and storytelling.from a first-person narrative.

R.O.I: The success of branded content marketing can be measured in terms of 1) YouTube views, 2) No. of video shares, 3) Conversation created, 4) Debate sparked, 5) Media publications / Editorial mentions, 6) Merchandises produced e.g. limited edition posters in regards to extent of awareness and audience engagement.

Hope the above sparks a cord!

See you next time! :)