Why size doesn’t matter

 This post is sponsored by Mediacorp.

You’ve heard the saying, “size doesn’t matter”. For the team at Bloomr.SG, Mediacorp’s creator network, they probably couldn’t agree more when it relates to the size of the social reach of an influencer, which may seem contrary to what some key sponsors and advertisers are looking for. To them, the influencer’s reach is just as important as the quality of the content produced.

As Singapore’s leading media company, Mediacorp has been making creative content in the fields of image, audio and video for a very long time. The storytelling, as well as how the content is shot, is also a very important part of it, but many companies today are willing to have a different type of image and creativity associated with their brand. Hence, the creators that Bloomr.SG bring on board have to be specialised in content that carries the client’s and the brand’s message without alienating their organic audience.

Growth

Bloomr.SG believes in empowering content creators to do what they love and love what they do. By providing a conducive environment, extensive network support and mentorship, it fosters and nurtures the creators by giving them the platform and resources to thrive, empowering them to collaborate with other like-minded folks, create and optimise their content and brand, build their own community and sustain their passion for content creation.

This is no mean feat. In just under a year, Bloomr.SG signed on 18 creators. One of the creators, Titan Tyra’s YouTube subscribers grew from 148,000 in July 2017 to 250,000 in July 2018, a 67% increase. Another creator MiniMoochi’s YouTube and Facebook subscribers grew from 10,000 in October 2017 to 50,000 in July 2018, a 400% increase.

Another notable duo Trevmonki have achieved more than $100,000 in production financing since joining the network last July, creating a new IP “Your Singaporean Kakis”# season one under the mentorship of the network, and are now marketing season two to potential clients.

Beyond focusing on the growth of the creators, the network also fosters like-minded creativity through workshops. Last November, together with IMDA, Bloomr.SG co-organised the inaugural Singapore Media Festival Ignite! workshop where more than 40 participants took part in a three-day workshop that included industry professionals giving talks and sharing insights on transmedia storytelling, content marketing, audience development as well as augmented reality.

Bloomr.SG will continue to work with strategic partners to unearth new talent and equipping them with industry know-how and bridging them to potential brands for future sustenance.

Future outlook

Bringing Bloomr.SG and the idea of liberalising content creation to students has been one of the coolest things to come out of the Mediacorp’s creators network in the past year. One such collaboration is mentoring the new generation of media and film students (future content creators/YouTubers) from Singapore Polytechnic.

Bloomr.SG content creators (Celine Leong, Elizabeth Boon, Trevor Tham, Norbin Ngoh and Gregory Gung) have given access to students and offered industry feedback on content creation in a real-world context. Such sessions provide opportunities for channel growth, new talent discovery and future collaborations between students and creators.

The next step forward for Bloomr.SG is to ramp up commercial possibilities through a better-defined client and campaign framework, while upscaling the reach and market interest of the network.

Likewise, we’re always looking to grow the network by bringing in new creators that amplify the reach of the brand as well as give different creative opportunities for Mediacorp’s future content necessities.

By tapping into this new form of content creators and influencers, Mediacorp’s creators network future-proofs itself from the ever-changing content consumption habits of the modern and ever-shifting digital audience.

# New Comedy Series “Your Singaporean Kakis” by Trevmonki

New IP creation

Trevmonki started their brand new comedy series “Your Singaporean Kakis” on 7 April 2018. The series revolves around the main characters of Chee Wai, Rila, Bang Sai and Xiao Lin, highlighting the bitter-sweet life of Millennials in Singapore.

Setting the stage, easing in the characters and engaging the audience

The characters in the new series started featuring in their usual sketches since the start of the year, usually as standalone skits – the idea was to get the audience familiarised with the characters, then gradually ease them into the new series. As such, when Chee Wai, Rila, Bang Sai and Xiao Lin finally made their debuts in the series, they were by no means strangers to the audience, who started relating to and engaging with the creators from the get-go.

Fluidity in storytelling and brand integration

The nature of the content and the way the episodes are shot (both in dialogue, topics and locations) allows the content creators flexibility in integrating brand messages and product placements seamlessly into each episode, while retaining the authenticity and essence of the series.

Adaptability and efficiency in production

While a broad stroke storyline has been conceptualised, the content creators are able to adapt their episodes based on current topics such that they remain relevant and relatable to audiences.

Collaboration

Season one will feature Trevmonki as well as familiar faces on the Bloomr.SG network – Celine Leong from MiniMoochi and Elizabeth Boon. Their collaboration was borne out of frequent meet-ups at the EGG and it was a natural progression that they were roped in to front the series – their chemistry shows. This is the collaborative spirit that we seek to foster among our content creators as we believe this is the future of content creation for Singapore.

Monetisation and sponsorship opportunities

There will be 16 episodes in season one. Plans for season two are underway and we are looking to work with brands to come on board the new series.