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ethical AI in marketing

What’s ethical AI in marketing? Which side are you on?

Shawn Mak

Interest in AI is at fever pitch. This is all thanks to ChatGPT, Dall-E 2, Google AI, Meta AI and Bing AI, among others. Promises are plenty, stumbles are frequent, yet anticipation for where it will all land remains high. For an industry that fetishises speed, scale, efficiency and automation, what’s not to like about(more)

NFTs: Not Fully Terrible?

Lim En Ning

At this point, almost everyone has probably heard the term NFT floating around somewhere. However, the accompanying hype does not come without repercussions. NFTs have been touted as harmful to the environment, creating many problems such as emitting large amounts of carbon dioxide, being so energy-intensive that minting one NFT is comparable to the amount(more)

Image representing Artifical Intelligence In Marketing that encompasses predictive analytics, chatbots, AI-powered customer segmentation, personalised product reccomendations

Artificial intelligence in marketing: a brief introduction

Zhi Yan Teo

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing the face of the marketing industry. It provides clearer insights into audiences while simultaneously offering the ability for users to identify online trends and conversations swiftly. Therefore, brands that covet better returns on investments would do well to invest in AI-powered marketing tools. In this introductory article, we will(more)

MarTech Trends to Look Out for in 2023

Lim En Ning

When you think of marketing technology (MarTech), the average joe would probably think it has something to do with sending out newsletters and personalised product recommendations. True, but MarTech has come a long way from the mere collection and usage of customer data. Recently, the MarTech Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) was projected at 14.3%,(more)

Gen Zs

8 Tips for Marketing to Gen Zs

Shueh Yee Tai

“Ok boomer”. When you hear this phrase, it just screams ‘generational gap!’ Alas, we’re welcoming a new group of consumers to the playing field – the Gen Zs. They already account for 40% of global consumers and have a spending power of over $360 billion globally.   With their own quirks and peculiarities, this ‘TikTok(more)

Influencers: Engagement and management

Jasmine Tan

Among the myriad marketing means and platforms, influencer engagement is quite the beast of its own. It can be dynamic, raw, highly interactive and engaging, and even to a certain degree unpredictable. Unlike one-way broadcast whether print or digital, or traditional celebrity endorsement, influencer engagement is inherently social. That means it often takes place on(more)

Play the Branding Game Like Cristiano Ronaldo

Evon Lim

Football fanatic or not, you probably would’ve heard the name Cristiano Ronaldo at one point or another. With partnerships with brands like Nike, DAZN and UFL under his name, Ronaldo has graced countless billboards, Instagram feeds and marketing campaigns. Despite his success on the field, most of his earnings comes not from his football career,(more)

Avatars: Coming to a real and virtual space near you

Shawn Mak

Avatars are coming to a screen near you, and I’m not talking about blue-skinned aliens at your local cineplex. With the encroaching web3, the rising popularity of the metaverse, the widespread adoption of NFTs and the accelerated maturing of technology, avatars are getting not only more omnipresent but also more sophisticated in use, function and(more)

An evolution in advertisement

Joy Lee

The ever-changing world of advertising Evolution doesn’t just apply to the animal kingdom; it doesn’t even just apply to physical objects. Our ideologies and expectations evolve over time to fit our environment, as well as our lifestyle. With that, the advertising world isn’t that much different. We’ve come a long way, from when tokens/models and(more)

Filling social gaps of ESG

Jasmine Tan

It’s been fifty-odd years since economist and Nobel Prize winner Milton Friedman posited the wildly controversial shareholder theory. The shareholder theory holds the view that the sole responsibility and function of a corporation is to maximise profits. If the business executive acts in ways that does not maximise returns for shareholders, they do so at(more)

In-app mobile game advertising tips and tricks

Zhi Yan Teo

What is in-app mobile game advertising? Advertising on mobile games usually manifests in the form of In-game advertising. This variation of advertising is currently popular among game developers as a monetisation strategy to increase profits and revenue. Game developers often receive financial incentives and payments from business partners when they agree to display advertisements on(more)

Life cycle thinking: Make change with design

Kit Thongchim

How can design change the world? How do we design something sustainable for our planet or society? As a creative who has been working closely with sustainable brands and projects, these questions are very critical to me. Recently, I have come across the thinking approach called, “Life cycle thinking”. I have to admit that, there(more)

social media web3

How web3 will change social media and how to win(g) it

Shawn Mak

Web3 must be the social butterfly’s worst nightmare. And undoubtedly also the marketer’s. For many years now, brands have struggled to keep their head in the social media marketing game. The better and more successful ones have kept themselves ahead of trends, controversies and legislations, driving content, conversations and conventions. The rest of the world(more)

Being a Project Manager and a Mother – a 2-in-1 role

Joy Lee

The line is truly blurred sometimes; we inadvertently let our personal lives enter our workplace, despite trying to keep them separate. But in the world of advertising, this can sometimes be a good thing, especially in the area of project management. And as a mother, this becomes even more so. With the increase in daily(more)

NFTs in marketing: Nifty or nasty?

Vincent Tutay

NFTs exploded into world stage in 2021, birthing hypes that catapulted artists like Beeple to command a $69 million dollar price tag at Christie’s. NFTs as well as the metaverse, have been the buzzwords in marketing trends for 2021 and 2022. Since then a whole slew of artists and brands, hopped onto the band wagon(more)

Marketing by personality – MBTI’s 16 personalities

Winnie Pua

We have often segmented our target audience by demographics, psychographics. We have also mapped out various customer journeys predicting thoughts, emotions and responses. But wouldn’t it be logical to assume consumer’s personality play a huge role in our shopping attitudes and behaviour? Can we market by personality? Using the well-known MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator), as(more)

Web3 technology

Is Web3 just another marketing buzzword?

Shueh Yee Tai

When Elon Musk tweeted about Web3 being just another ‘marketing buzzword’, what exactly did he mean?     First of all, we need to understand what Web3 is… Web3 is essentially a decentralized and more democratic version of our current internet. It represents the next evolutionary phase of the web where we’re witnessing a shift(more)

Sustainability partnership

Sustainability partnerships: Your how-to guide for success

Shawn Mak

Green consumerism is reaching fever pitch. According to Wunderman Thompson, 86% of consumers today expect businesses to play their part in solving challenges like climate change and social justice. It’s no wonder brands are now frantically racing each other, the clock and the climate, to do good, and look good. But unless you’re a Fortune(more)

antics Metaverse

Brands putting the “Me” in Metaverse

Vincent Tutay

One of the biggest buzz words in the late 2021 and early 2022 is of course the metaverse. With Facebook loudly proclaiming their name change to Meta, the world was abuzz with the possibilities. Combined with the sudden interest in NFTs, the metaverse has been predicted as one of the marketing trends for 2022. But(more)

Inclusivity diversity branding

Does your brand have a diversity and inclusion problem?

Shawn Mak

Ask any brand marketer what is their ESG strategy, and chances are they’ll tell you they have one in place or about to embark on one. But ask them what is their DEI strategy, and chances are they’ll stare at you blankly: D-E-Wha..? An acronym for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, DEI impacts not just business(more)

Sustainable Design: Why it matters to your brand

Kit Thongchim

Let’s talk about sustainable designs. Why consumers demand it and how your brand can adopt it. First, meet the eco consumer We all know that #Sustainability is more than just a passing trend today. The rise of e-commerce marketing has made it easier for consumers to shop and research the brand they’re buying from. With(more)

Sustainability branding and what you need to know about it

Alston Chee

The term “sustainability” is everywhere. In recent years, MNCs, international non-profits and even micro-influencers are jumping onto the bandwagon. Besides being a statement or a feel-good video, sustainability branding is greater than the sum of its parts. From environmental impact to inclusivity and diversity, this is where we talk about all-things sustainability branding. So what(more)

7 Marketing trends to watch out for in 2022

Vincent Tutay

The lockdowns in 2020 saw marketers pivot their marketing strategies by adapting new technologies to survive. 2021 expanded on these technologies through creative application to stand out online. What then does 2022 bring in terms of marketing trends? What should we as marketers leverage and build upon in this next normal? In no order of(more)

Sustainability and branding: Should action or narrative come first?

Alston Chee

We gravitate to people who share the same views as us. So it’s no surprise that social media has become a powerful tool, bringing like-minded people together. Naturally,  brands too, are riding in on this by standing up for their beliefs with sustainability branding. In recent years, sustainability has grown as a major purchasing decision(more)

Augmented reality, your brand and the consumer experience

Vincent Tutay

While the world slowly picks itself up from lockdowns and slow economies, digital experiences are moving faster than ever. QR codes have experienced a renaissance due to its use in contact tracing and vaccination certificates. After shuttering physical stores, more brands have now moved online and strengthened their e-commerce presence. App and online based delivery(more)

Nostalgia marketing and why it works

Shawn Mak

If you look at the branding and advertising landscape today, you may be forgiven for thinking that you live in the 1990s. Or 1980s. Perhaps the 1970s. Maybe even the ’20s. We live in a time when buzzwords like recycling and repurposing pepper our speech and action. But beyond environmentalism and sustainability, those buzzwords have(more)

TikTok: Why your brand should be on it

Kit Thongchim

If you’re thinking to utilise TikTok for your brand, now it’s time to get on board. With 2.6 billion downloads, it’s no surprise that Tiktok is becoming more popular among content producers and brands wanting to expand their audience, and reach millions of people. However, for some users, it may be a scary social media(more)

How the hospitality industry uses data to drive brand storytelling

Shueh Yee Tai

‘80% of brands who used these 3 tips experienced increased sales.’ Did that statement convince you to read on? Well, if it did, it’s probably because it made use of statistics to capture your attention. This is testament to the persuasive power of data and facts. Data is powerful, and when combined with storytelling it(more)

Top 10 highly effective types of content marketing

Michelle Goana

There’s no better way to get your website discovered by search engines and engage your target audience with subjects they care about than content marketing. Content marketing has become one of the most powerful digital marketing strategies that can be applied in all businesses across every industry. The internet is constantly challenging us to adapt(more)

When automobile brands trend toward advertising sameness

Shawn Mak

Another year, another Fast and Furious threatens to dominate pop culture and make us fantasise about pimping our rides and tricking our drives. As (pop) culturally watershed as the franchise has been, it has consistently failed to reflect real world automobile and automobile brand trends. The franchise trades in fantasy, yes. But so do auto(more)

5 interactive content trends your brand can explore

Kit Thongchim

Today, the rise of online customers’ expectations toward brands to produce thumb-stopping content and capture their attention has been challenging brands to improve their content marketing. People are demanding more meaningful experiences and more engaging content. Besides helping brands stand out and create brand recall, interactive content can help draw in some potential business partnerships(more)

Shopstreaming ecommerce

Shopstreaming: Why your ecommerce strategy needs it

Shawn Mak

The pandemic has brought about significant disruption, that much we know. But some disruptions have proven positive, like accelerating innovations and moving certain industries forward. IBM reported that COVID-19 has shifted the ecommerce scene by 5 years. And that supports what we’ve witnessed as marketers and consumers too. Brands that have been slow to get(more)

Podcast marketing: Transforming voice into brand loyalty

Alston Chee

Picture yourself in the future. On a global level, a handful of countries now run on renewable, green energy. Closer to home, familiar brands make appearances on the face of your IoT-enabled home appliances—bridging the gap between consumers and brands. Grocery shopping or finding the best place to have dinner is as simple as saying(more)

The renaissance of the QR code

Vincent Tutay

Ahh the QR code. Love it or love to hate it? Despite having a lukewarm response when it first launched, you’re bound to see and interact with one everywhere. The pandemic has shifted people’s mindset in that they are now more accustomed to this technology. Gone are the days where people ignore this ubiquitous black(more)

brainstorming marketing plans

Marketing plans & trends for 2021

Winnie Pua

We are rounding off one of the last few client brainstorming workshops for the year.  As such, it timely to summarise some key areas that surfaced during these sessions. Off the back of a rough 2020, clients will certainly wonder what to put forth in 2021 marketing plans? Do we stick to tried-and-tested marketing techniques?(more)

Character Animator

Add Character Animator to level up brand storytelling

Kit Thongchim

Character animation has always been revolving around us. Whether it’s old-school, frame-by-frame drawing animation, to new-school, oddly-satisfying 3D illustration by Dimension. Or simple 2D brand character animations. These magical feats of graphical prowess create long-lasting impact for brands and marketing campaigns. Especially now in our multi-platform, device-addict society.   Dumb Ways to Die  You are(more)

Customer persona: How to profile your target audience effectively

Alston Chee

What comes to mind when you think of “target audience”? A mix of stats or an actual person? With the proliferation of research technology from data trackers to advanced algorithms, it’s easy to get carried away with how accessible data is. Sometimes, researching your customers is just a Google search away. But we are complex(more)

Project management

4 tips on improving client satisfaction in creative projects

Aglaia Sam

I recently attended a course on project management for creative projects. Here are some key takeaways on improving client satisfaction.   Practising empathy Creative projects involve some extra stress. You should always make sure that your client knows that you care about their project. It might be just a small job to you, but to(more)

Design Ops and why it matters for efficiency and effectiveness

Ops, not oops: What is Design Ops and why you need it

Shawn Mak

Increasingly, companies like Airbnb and Dropbox are championing a new term: DesOps. AKA Design Ops. And yes, it can get as tactical as that can possibly sound; but no, it doesn’t involve just moving troops from point A to point B. Rather, Design Ops serves a larger strategic intent. It can impact your organisation’s performance(more)

Post-COVID advertising. Darwinism at its finest.

Ricca Ocampo

The advertising industry is one of the key industries that had to evolve swiftly and in multiple times over the last decade. And it is continuously doing so as largely led by digital developments. From agency structures, tools, offerings, focus, strategies, and talent – the changes have happened so fast and those who couldn’t adapt(more)

Social Impact

Marketing for social impact

Vincent Tutay

We live in an age where increasingly “woke” consumers are tuning in more and more to brands that resonate with their social beliefs. With the rise of social activism, be it BLM, LGBTQIA+, Gender and/or Race Equality or Climate Change, brands can no longer remain silent. As brand custodians, marketers and creatives, we should realise(more)

header banner

Developing new creative muscles post COVID

Winnie Pua

Many feel the stress and constraints brought forth by this recession. To this, I argue that COVID creates new marketing paradigms that should stimulate new creative muscles. You may be a strategic planner, a project manager or a creative. There are now new problems to be identified, new customer behaviours and emotions to learn and(more)

Creatives! Rise above the noise like Michael Jordan.

Creatives! Be like Mike: 5 lessons from The Last Dance

Dinie Musa

If you haven’t watched the ESPN and Netflix documentary, The Last Dance, have you really been in social isolation? No, really – have you? Sure, you’d have whisked your coffee into a Dalgona, grunted your way through your last rep of sit-ups, or even changed the background of your Zoom chats to inject an element(more)

Empathy in Customer Experience

Why empathy is important in customer experience: 3 tips to getting there

Vincent Tutay

Design thinking, user experience, customer experience, what do all these buzzwords have in common? If you say, human centricity, you’re actually only half right. While it’s true that human / user centric thinking influences these things, the skill we’d need to hone in order to practise, say for example design thinking, is empathy.   What(more)

global pandemic creativity

How to forge creative resilience during a global pandemic

Shawn Mak

2020 has brought a few unsavoury “c” words into our lexicon: Coronavirus, COVID-19, circuit breaker, to name a few. While everyone and their isolated neighbours brandish these words with whispered sighs and audible frustration, we should be wary about letting that other “c” word go down the proverbial toilet in 2020: Creativity. Just because the(more)

User Journey

Using user experience for your conversion funnel

Kai Min Ong

User Experience or UX is defined as any interaction a user makes with a product or service. The UX design takes into consideration every element involved that helps in shaping the experience. The goal of UX design is to build an easy, efficient, relevant and pleasing journey for the user. Many developers or planners have(more)

How brands can remain relevant through a global crisis

Kit Thongchim

No one was prepared for what 2020 had to bring. The emergence and spread of COVID-19 disrupted businesses globally, and yes, including many brands. The economy is hit hard, the death toll is rising, customer confidence is shaky, and brands promoting even a whiff of consumerism can be seen as being in poor taste. In(more)

antics' moodboard created during the 3rd design sprint

Design thinking: How it helps to create better solutions

Matthew Leu

Design thinking is one of the hottest things in the creative industry right now. Its popularity has been stewing away for the past few years, and recently came to a boil. Seemingly on the lips of everyone in the industry itching to get a piece of the integrated marketing pie, love it or hate it,(more)

Top 3 reasons why Christmas campaigns lack excitement

Wang Yu Qing

How many times have you seen that strapline shouting “30% off this Christmas”? Or a warm and fuzzy video? An advertisement filled with Santa Claus and festive decorations? You’re probably tired of seeing these, especially when many Christmas campaigns look so similar. Holiday season is a great way to make an impact. Yet it’s becoming(more)

Instagram thought they outsmarted influencers, will it backfire?

Sejal Bagaria

The world has had their say on one of the most rapidly growing careers of the millennial generation ­– influencers. As we know, there has been an ongoing debate on whether posing for photos is deserving of a 5-figure cheque. Having worked with these hardworking souls myself, it’s without a doubt a 24×7 job. Across(more)

What can we learn from Nintendo’s brand Switch up?

Tan Keng Hwee

Branding your product is as much an art form as it is a marketing tool. It is more than just giving it a name, logo or specific colour palettes. It is about giving your products and services an identity of its own. Done correctly, your brand would intrinsically embody and communicate your company’s values and(more)

Coke and Brand Storytelling

Why brand storytelling is essential to your marketing strategy

Shawn Mak

Storytelling is innate in all of us. Stories tell us our histories and of the world we live in. From early cave paintings to the oral and written traditions underpinning much of human civilisations and world religions. From Gilgamesh to Gutenberg, Shakespeare to Spielberg, stories are how we understand where we come from and figure(more)

3D mock-up of antics branded beer can against a purple ombre background

Add Dimension to your brand’s design and storytelling

Vincent Tutay

One of the hottest design trends predicted for 2019 is 3D design. As 3D design software becomes more accessible and acceptance and demand for augmented reality increases, 3D design looks to be more than yet another trend.   What 3D design means for your marketing efforts Adobe Dimension gives creative agencies, marketers and businesses, another(more)

Thank you for this first 10 years

Winnie Pua

It has been a decade since antics@play started shop. Unbelievable! Am I that old already? antics@play is made up of its people; staff, clients, partners. So to those who were a part of, or who worked with antics@play at any time, a big thank you. As I sit down with my wine to write this(more)

Millennials: There’s more to them than you think

Iris Gu

Have you ever argued with your friends while travelling together? Picture this: you’re excited and totally ready for your trip with a fully-packed itinerary for each day – to soak up the most of a new country and explore as many landmarks as possible. However, your friend is a free soul who enjoys wandering off(more)

Bake vs design

Min Nguyen

Are you a full-time designer, part-time baker like me? Do you also spend 10 hours every weekend in the kitchen trying to bake and decorate the perfect cake in the design you envisioned? If yes, you are not alone!

Marketing with a CNY flair

Megan Simpson

Technology in the workplace is a double-edged sword. On one hand, people can work from anywhere, have immediate email access and easily facilitate calls from across the world. One would assume that with more flexibility, stress levels would have reduced and make achieving work-life balance more attainable. However, a study by advisory company Willis Towers(more)

Whatever happened to Nokia?

Tamira Lee

Whatever happened to the chunky and sturdy mobile phone that flaunted a monochromatic screen and green backlight? I remembered seeing my parents proudly wearing the fashionable gear around their waist with the unmistakable black belt clip, while I use it to play the game of “snake” occasionally. With the eventual acquisition of its mobile phone(more)

3 video marketing tips for your brand

Mabel Lee

Were you able to steer your attention away when you came across Apple’s iPhone X video commercial? I couldn’t. I was completely hooked by the synchronisation of the visual, sound and text elements, bringing the phone to life in a way that a static banner can never match up to. GIF Credit: Magzine With the(more)

Micro or macro-influencers: Does it matter?

Annabel Toh

The term ‘influencers’ is not something new in a technology-driven world today. Before I start, who or what do influencers mean? To put it simply, influencers are individuals who have a huge number of followers across different social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter. Due to their ability to reach out to an(more)

5 steps to productive daydreaming

Vincent Tutay

Zoning out. Flights of fancy. Admit it, you’re guilty of daydreaming at work at one point or another. With tight deadlines always looming, daydreaming implies procrastination, and procrastination means inefficiency. Hence the guilt because inefficiency = bad. But what if I tell you that not all daydreaming is bad? What if you can hack into(more)

5 things every brand should know about Generation Z

Celine Mok

Move over millennials, Generation Z are the new influencers. We all know millennials and how they’ve taken over the marketplace, but what about Gen Z? Known to be true digital natives born between 1998 to 2008, this group of consumers make up 26% of our population. With access to $USD 44 billion in purchasing power,(more)

Apple vs Braun

Principles of good design: 10 ways to improve your design thinking

Vincent Tutay

Ask anyone and chances are they have not heard of Dieter Rams. But as one of the most influential designers of the modern age, everyone at some point has owned or, at the very least, used a product he had inspired or designed. In fact, it is quite likely that the device you’re using right(more)

More Star than Bucks: Behind the doors of the new Shanghai Starbucks Reserve Roastery

John Tan

Disney has Disneyland, Willy Wonka has his chocolate factory and Starbucks has its Reserve Roastery. Over the Christmas period, I had the opportunity to visit the newly opened Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Shanghai for a much needed coffee break.   Coffee wonderland Proclaimed as a “coffee wonderland”, the Shanghai Roastery is the world’s largest Starbucks(more)

3 reasons why viral marketing doesn’t work anymore

Deborah Chew

What is viral marketing? Viral marketing is a a technique that uses social networks to increase brand awareness and engagement. Ever since Hotmail achieved success with viral marketing in 1996, many others have jumped on the bandwagon. However, is viral marketing working right now? Maybe not. Viral marketing can sabotage your company in the upcoming(more)

What are brand archetypes?

Mary Anne Ho

Your organisation has a personality. It’s present in your culture, values, and processes. A brand archetype can consolidate your organisation’s personality into a character that is recognisable in collective imagination. When Apple launched the iPhone 4 in 2010, the ads read, “This changes everything. Again.” This bold and memorable slogan channelled the Innovator archetype. Think Thomas(more)

Let it go: Brand lessons from Disney’s Frozen

John Tan

Four years on and the movie Frozen still remains a firm favourite in the hearts of many. Apart from its catchy songs, heartwarming tales and vibrant display of colours, Frozen can teach us many important lessons such as the importance of family, staying true to yourself and dreaming big. Little did you know that there’s(more)

Our brave new world

Danielle Loh

Log on to Facebook, or try to watch an innocent video on YouTube. Chances are—if you haven’t installed some sort of ad blocker—that you’ll happen upon an online advertisement. Ads are flooding the online space, vying for a prime piece of real estate where people’s attentions are focused now: their screens. With such online ads(more)

3 questions to ask before you decide on co-branding

Deborah Chew

The power of co-branding is clear – it expands your customer base, helps build reputation and boosts visibility. However, this depends on whether the partnership is an effective one. When is co-branding suitable and how do you know whether to jump in or back off? Before deciding on a partnership, here are 3 questions you(more)

How to have a productive day at work

Min Nguyen

In today’s workplace, we faced many challenges and one of it is the struggle to keep up with the many tasks we have to do within a day. But surely we can do something to prevent chaos and squeeze the most out of the 9 hours we have in the office. Below are some techniques(more)

Grants for branding & digitisation: What SMEs need to know

Christina Tarigan

CDG, MRA, PIC, Go Digital, and the list goes on. When it comes to branding and digitisation, the Singapore government offers many grants to SMEs like yours to finance strategic projects that you may lack the resources to carry out. Before you pen that proposal, read this guide to know what to expect and ascertain(more)

Designer world vs your world

Denis Wong

Behind every innovative packaging, arresting book cover, memorable logo or even that cool mobile phone you’re holding is a designer who has worked his or her ass off to let these see the light of day. Where every little design detail has been considered, analysed and filtered through countless cups of coffee – preferably black,(more)

Celebrating your customer’s birthday? Here’s how

Min Nguyen

Every June, I receive countless birthday emails from brands of all sorts, from Innisfree to Airbnb, Starbucks to Zalora. Despite growing accustomed to receiving them yearly and knowing that these wishes are part of their marketing ploys, I still fall for them. Admit it, everyone gets excited about their birthdays, no matter their age. Birthdays(more)

A guide to developing an online content marketing strategy

Matthew Ong

No longer just a buzzword that marketers use to pitch to their boss, it has become a marketing must-have that many B2B (business-to-business) and B2C (business-to-consumer) brands employ to increase leads, heighten brand affinity, and so on. A well thought-out content marketing strategy is needed for you to rise above the noise, resonate with your(more)

Becoming Instagram famous

Lynn Koh

There are a lot of Instagram influencers nowadays. If you pick up a stone right now, and chucked it with your eyes closed you’ll probably hit one of them. That aside, I have received questions on how exactly do people become ‘Instagram famous’ in order to earn some kah-ching and freebies. You can stop scratching(more)

Look out for these in your brand partners

Matthew Ong

With swipes of your thumb (swipe left for no, right for yes), Left, Left, Right. Left, Left, Left, Right. Match! Voila! You might have found the Prince Charming or Tinderella of your dreams! Finding your other half on the dating platform, Tinder, can be that effortless. In the world of marketing, however, it calls for(more)

What do digital trends mean for the modern-day creative?

Shawn Mak

It’s no surprise that 2017 pitches us marketers and designers further deeper into the digital conundrum, or as I like to call it, the digital black hole. Cuz you never know how far it goes. And just when you think you’ve got it pinned, a new wormhole opens to make you feel like Alice. But this much(more)

3 psychological biases that may be holding back your creativity

Shaun Ang

Most of us like to think of ourselves as rational people. We go about our daily lives making reasonable decisions, based on good sound judgment. Right? Well, we’re certainly capable of such clear-headed reasoning. But over the years, psychological research has cast doubt on how often we actually think so rationally. Psychologists have uncovered many human(more)

3 digital trends to watch in 2017

Matthew Ong

Love it or hate it, digital marketing landscape is ever evolving. For some of us, the constant change presents new ways of reaching out to the mass. For others, it means an endless chase. Whichever case it is, at the speed marketing trends are unfolding, it will come as no surprise that a great deal(more)

Connecting with consumers through influencers’ social media platforms

Lynn Koh

Riding the tide of social media, influencers now offer a new avenue for brands to connect with their consumer bases. You’ve probably encountered influencers waxing lyrical about a certain restaurant on their blog, or posing with a specific brand’s lipstick or clothes on their social media pages. Whatever the platform, these influencers have carved a(more)

What not to do when rebranding: An insider’s guide

Shawn Mak

So you’ve decided to rebrand. Terrific! Where do you begin? Let us give you an insider’s guide to help you along. There are enough articles out there that tell you what you must do. We thought we’d take a different track by pointing out pitfalls that can potentially derail your project. Ready? Great, let’s go!(more)

The anatomy of a brand logo design

Rachel Yap

In a world inundated with so many products and services, it can sometimes be difficult to distinguish one brand from another. This is where a good logo comes in handy. The most basic graphic representation of a company is a logo. It can come in many forms such as a logo mark, logo type or(more)

Building and maintaining a media list

Lynn Koh

It is important to nail that message when you are sending out a media release, but sending it out to the right people is equally important. Knowing which media publications and the right recipient for your story is paramount to getting your story published. Make sure that your release lands in the right inboxes by(more)

What’s in a brand name?

Christina Tarigan

“Hi, my name is Christina.” That’s how I typically introduce myself. If I were to tell you I’m “Smiling-Woman-Christina”, you’d probably look at me strangely (at best) or think I’m insulting you (duh, you mean I can’t tell with my own eyes that you are a woman smiling at me?). Which is why I struggle(more)

Supercharge your company’s creativity with this 1 simple activity

Shawn Mak

Whether you manage creativity in-house or through an agency, or if you manage any form of creativity at all – from product design to branding to PR to events or marketing – you simply need to be more creative. We are living in a creative economy and people are paying for game-changing ideas that disrupt, disprove and(more)

Understanding cultural differences when extending your brand to new market

Lim Khai Hong

Introducing your brand to a new market, a new audience, is always daunting. How will they receive it? While geographic boundaries seem diminished with internet, cultural nuances are still significant. This is especially true for Asia, viewed as the next frontier with limitless potential, made up of different cultures, history and people. The success of Taobao(more)

The beauty of creativity vs the power of predictability

Shawn Mak

I attended a sobering session several weeks ago by futurist Amy Webb about the future of design. In no uncertain terms, she said that I will be out of a job soon. In a few years, there will be no need for Creative Directors, or Art Directors and Designers. With increasing feats of automation and data intelligence(more)

7 qualities every designer must have before joining a brand agency

Shawn Mak

In my line of work, I meet creative talents from all walks of life and disciplines of choice. From fresh grads to seasoned vets, spanning print and digital to experience and product… Meet enough of them and patterns start to emerge. You can intuit who’s in it for the money, and who’s in it for(more)

10 veteran shopping malls worth visiting

Denis Wong

Singapore is well known for its unwavering dedication to mall culture. There’s a constant sprouting of new shopping malls and the revamping of old ones. Just a week ago, I was shopping, yes I admit I am shopaholic, at Plaza Singapura and realised that the interior landscape has changed quite a bit. They had a(more)

Digital world of retail: What we can learn from Sephora

Rachel Yap

The retail environment has evolved into a complex marketplace. With digital technology, the retail space has over the past decade transcended beyond a brick-and-mortar store into an online shop or even (a store within) a mobile app. And this digital shift has brought along numerous customer marketing touchpoints: Websites, mobile apps, social media and emails are all(more)

15 top features on my favourite e-commerce sites

Winnie Pua

How much online shopping do I do? Let’s just say everyone in my family, down to my 2-year old daughter, knows how to sign off a delivery on my behalf. As a busy working mother, my most frequent online purchases are for fashion, technology and household items. What makes us return to the same site(more)

5 things to remember about marketing in a downturn

Christina Tarigan

So we’ve heard it, a downturn is coming. People lose their jobs and are more wary about spending. Traffic to retail stores are dropping and businesses stress about ways to increase retail sales. While we may not technically be in a recession right now, we hear of layoffs and restructuring and there is plenty of uncertainty in(more)

3 ways small retail stores can market themselves digitally

Amelia Teo

Singapore’s retail sector has been slowing down in the past two years. We hear of brands like British fashion store New Look and French menswear chain Celio exiting Singapore amid a weak retail scene. As a small business retail owner, it can be easy to hit a slump and feel demoralized following these high-profile closures(more)

3 social media savvy brands

Lynn Koh

There is a recent posting about marrying social media and fashion and how to make things work between those two fickle entities (I wrote it, go read it). Going back to that marriage, I want to bring to attention how a number of fashion brands have wielded the social media platforms that have been made available(more)

3 important branding lessons you can learn from watching Star Wars

Shawn Mak

By now the Tattoine dust has settled and in case you’ve been living under a rock in Dagobah but somehow reading this, yes, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens is a mammoth success. Defying all conventions that you can’t wait too long for a sequel to work (sorry, Zoolander 2), Star Wars is a(more)

Tapping on market research for branding

Lim Khai Hong

Some time ago I met a client requesting our help to brand his decade old business, let’s call him Spock. After understanding Spock’s objectives and expectations, we recommended a desk research and customer survey as part of the branding exercise. As with many clients, “But I already know my industry well” are among the common(more)

3 ways brands earned crazy word-of-mouth

Lynn Koh

With the rise of the millennials, everything is about the experience. Why do they (or you, if you’re a millennial) go on a jaunt overseas at the drop of a hat? To learn something and take in new sights. What would be the reason to go to a Gudetama themed restaurant? To be grossed out by seeing(more)

The marriage of 2 fickle entities

Lynn Koh

The fashion world is a fickle place. Things go in and out of style with split-second notice. Hairstyles that were mandatory for Nazis soldiers in the 40s are back in style for the time being. ‘Emo’ might make a comeback in the next five years. I would like to interject here that I hope mullets(more)

The lost art of circus branding

Shawn Mak

Circuses are the tofu of branding and advertising. It takes on the personality of whatever you marinate it in. So iconic, yet so flexible. It is little surprise that everyone from Britney Spears to Rob Zombie have co-opted the circus theme to hawk their own brand of showmanship, from wholesome pop to fearsome goth rock.(more)

What brands can learn from holiday advertising

Amelia Teo

Christmas is drawing near and as it does, our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kinship. The excitement of Christmas is not exclusive to those who still believe in Santa Claus and perhaps, we all eagerly anticipate the holidays because once a year, we all get to become children again. Along with(more)

Can brand love be built on fear?

Winnie Pua

A day to Halloween, we are staring at shopping malls decorated with screeching skeletons, howling werewolves and vampire blood.  That thrill of accidentally touching a fake spider seems to heighten retail experiences during Halloween. Beyond festivities, we wonder, can brands inject fear and thrill into their brand experiences to better connect with customers? Logically, the scare(more)

Creative authenticity and the art of advertising deception

Shawn Mak

Last month I ran what’s called the Boy Scout Tree Trail. Located in Northern California’s Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, this is a magnificent sprawl of ancient redwood forests sprouting out of plush carpets offerns, which a few miles in, give way to huckleberry bushes. This undulating trail is a breathtaking showcase of the world’s best redwood scenery.(more)

What I know about the creative process I learned from Robert Altman

Shawn Mak

I recently watched the documentary Altman, which chronicles the works of maverick American filmmaker Robert Altman. From a hired director of industrial films in the 50s to recipient of an Academy Honorary Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2006, the film cycles through his oft-celebrated filmography, pausing to reflect on watershed masterpieces like McCabe & Mrs(more)

What’s your brand and creative Everest?

Shawn Mak

I recently visited with my friend Renee who stays in Moorpark, California. But who works in Thousand Oaks. Geographically, the city is about an hour’s drive north of Los Angeles. Moorpark and Thousand Oaks are connected by either Freeway 23, a leisurely 8-mile cruise down those wide-open California highwaysyou see in a Katy Perry music(more)

No love for creativity by creatives?

Shawn Mak

I love LEGO. And I love movies. Which is why when they announced they were going to make a feature film out of LEGOs, I was in geek nirvana. And then when The LEGO Movie actually rolled into the cinemas, I was at the front of the line. Delightfully, the film did not disappoint. Everything(more)

Campaign: Mums vs. Maids

Winnie Pua

Over-thinking is trademark of a brand strategist. A recent campaign had me thinking ‘What went wrong?’. It advises mothers to give their domestic helpers their days off and spend more time knowing their own children instead. This recent Mums vs. Maids campaign, commissioned by The Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) set tongues wagging. Some mothers(more)

Don’t work on your brand, play with it

Shawn Mak

In our line of work, we trade in creativity and innovation every day. Any agency worth its salt will have its own streams of nurturing and discovering creativity and innovation to enrich a client’s work. Ours is founded on play. In theory, play fosters exploration and expression. It’s nature’s tool for developing neural networks, creating(more)

Teamwork should never feel like work

Winnie Pua

Why do companies place so much importance on teamwork? To some, it’s the best excuse for social loafing. But to others, teamwork ensures synergy, where the sum can be greater than its parts. Good teamwork is often touted as a success multiplier. To foster teamwork, companies invest in team building activities. In most cases, employees(more)

You jump, I jump

Shawn Mak

One of my favourite things to do when I was a young whippersnapper was to climb to the top of a jungle gym and leap from it. I absolutely loved it. I thought that’s just what kids do: You eat McDonald’s, you stay up way past your bedtime, and find places to jump off of.(more)