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The Futurist: In search of the viral unicorn

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As societies become more affluent, the lyrics of a popular track by one of my favourite bands, Muse captures the zeitgeist perfectly, “Time is Running Out.”  People are looking to faster ways of learning, understanding and reacting. As such, the trusted mobile phone has become an invaluable resource in the fast-paced world that we live in. Our smartphones have become an integral part of our lives. Closer than a potential spouse or partner, it knows our wants, needs, inner most desires and what’s more powerful, the capability to transact and attain them.In a recent study by local media agency We Are Social released in November 2015, digital connectivity in Southeast Asia has leapt over the past few months, with much of this growth attributable to more widespread access to internet-enabled mobile devices. In Asia, We Are Social states that the number of connections has grown by 11% since 2014 and the number of people accessing social media from devices has also jumped by 32%. Without a doubt, this number will continue to grow.According to We Are Social’s report, Facebook is still the region’s most popular social platform, but other choices – notably chat apps – are capturing a significant share of people’s time and activities. Facebook now has more than 230 million active users around Southeast Asia, and almost 200 million of these logged in via mobile devices.Though this presents opportunities, this also indicates the amount of information providers and brands battling for attention in the digital space. With this, consumers want to be entertained rather than presented with the hard-sell and therefore it is only natural that the true potential of video be leveraged.Video is cementing its position in the digital landscape as an effective means of content marketing which is gradually surpassing that of traditional media. According to the Interactive Advertising Bureau, 61% of respondents could recall a general idea about an online video compared with 46% of respondents who said the same about TV ads on broadcast and cable.Companies are starting to see the benefits and Cisco states that by 2017, video will account for 69% of all consumer internet traffic. I am confident that this percentage will be reached sooner than we think.Is video really the answer?But not all content engages and video may not necessarily be the answer all the time. The solution may be deeply rooted in the consumer’s wants, needs, understanding what constitutes the bulk of their time and how to capture their attention. In effect, what brands should capitalise on is that consumers do not want to be marketed to but entertained.I Want My MTV! The rise and early beginnings of MTV fascinate me as it was an era where reknown film directors of today then made their mark, from the likes of David Fincher, Anton Corbijn, Tarsem and Mark Romanek.  Music videos were traditionally two to three minutes long but more importantly, what the early MTV model infers is the need for compelling storytelling combined with arresting visuals. Storytelling via the music video medium may not necessarily be sequential or logical but highly stylised visuals were employed to keep viewers engaged.In a way, the MTV ethos has gone full circle with the advent of Instagram. With the capability of videos being introduced in mid 2013, videos ads jumped from 9.54% in September to 22.52% in December 2015. Naturally, Brand Networks saw an increase in Instagram spend for the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), Fashion and Retail verticals three times more in Q4 2015 as well. Given the emphasis on the stunning videos, Brand Networks also expects the Fashion and Retail sector to continue their dominance in the Instagram market in 2016. They also predict a rise in video-centric advertising from Health & Fitness as well as Travel-focused brands as well. However, not every brand has a product like Chanel No 5 that would prompt a Baz Luhrmann helmed, Gisele Bundchen fronted opus.However, we do see brands looking towards more experimental forms of visuals be it Cinemagraphs, GIFs or motion graphics. The pressing need to arrest their viewers and prompt them to spend time with the brand is apparent, especially if time spent equates to engagement. Brands are also turning to animation, memes and for Disney, Coke, Dove and Domino’s even emojis were used to buck the visual trend so as to capture those all-important eyeballs. The Queensland Police Service recently capitalised on the “This is Bill” phenomenon and provided its own cheeky take and twist. Brands are starting to get clued in to what interests its targeted audience and the way they communicate. Likewise, what interests the audience is potentially low-hanging fruit which will ultimately reap its rewards as a hook to engaging current and potential customers.Keeping It RealThe need for authenticity is important and this is seen in popular culture. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings recently shared in a letter to shareholders two things: how his business hit 75 million subscribers and his very hot content, a 10-part documentary series entitled “Making a Murderer” which took America by storm.“Making a Murderer” also drew comparisons to a 2014 buzz-worthy podcast “Serial” which also drew on crime. This year’s Oscar contender “Spotlight” also featured an expose by an investigative journalism team at the Boston Globe. This is indicative of the era that we live in and the search for truth as seen in documentary-style storytelling. Brands need not necessarily feature crime as a storyline but what this trend indicates is the growing need for authenticity and the perception of it. Authentic content are likely to keep audiences engaged, regardless of medium. The popularity of a podcast shows us that.Closer to home, we at OCBC recently tied up with Pornsak Prajakwit, the popular TV host and media personality for a special Chinese New Year (CNY) branch activation. With the use of hidden cameras, we captured the reactions of unsuspecting customers in the queue who thought they were watching a brand video featuring Pornsak only to have him later surprise them with red packets and vouchers. We were incredibly heartened by the connections forged with our customers through the genuine delight and surprise in their reactions when we posed this question: “What would you do if a television programme before you came alive?” This allowed our customers to interact with us and be a part of our CNY story.Recently, Kevin Sullivan, an executive producer at NPR said that “people feel connected to what’s happening to people in the stories, and they end up caring about an issue they didn’t even realise was important.” The ability to make consumers care is important because as we all know, caring is sharing which is gold for your brand.Caring is Sharing   Tapping on the emotions of consumers is not new as we have seen in popular Thai ads. Paradoxically, advertisers from the land of smiles have been able to make us care about the plight of the downtrodden and underdogs of the world so as to drive awareness of local Thai insurance and security brands. However, sometimes, brands underestimate the power of animals which recently Singapore Tourism Board leveraged in recent video. The video which featured Singapore and its neighbourhoods as viewed through the eyes of cats gleaned over 5200 shares.Don Anderson, previously from from We Are Social commented that more than 2 million cat videos posted on YouTube accounted for 26 billion views. This does not mean that animals are a quick fix to the viral dilemma. However, Anderson maintains that any conversation that brands are seeking to have in a social space should be about the consumer and their interests. “Sadly, too many brands are still focusing on themselves.”Parting thoughtsWhat these success stories point to is that the digital world is still pretty much an enigma. Using data and case studies, we can try to make sense of it but great, viral content involves taking a calculated risk to stand out from the crowd – be it in visual treatment, content, the use of humour or worse still, the introduction of inexplicable, random elements. However, this has been done before – case in point, Old Spice. Naturally such an endeavour would require the support of management as well as financial buy-in so as ensure amplification such content otherwise it just disappears into the abyss of cyberspace.However, more importantly, the unicorn may not be the video itself but the understanding of what is topical to the audience themselves. Once we have solved that mystery and translated that into an engaging piece of content which could be used to strike up those social conversations, a pot of viral gold might just be waiting for us at the end of the rainbow.Aldrina Thirunagaran, digital marketing, global consumer financial services, OCBC BankThis article was first published in Marketing Magazine Singapore’s Jan-Feb 2016 print edition. To read more views from senior marketers click here.

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