Why Leaders Must Continue To Step Up The Employee Experience

My husband and I work together. He is the CEO of Mutant, and I am the Strategic Director – and including our time working alongside each other as journalists back in New Zealand, we have worked in the same office for about 12 years. When I tell people this, the reaction is usually, “Oh god, I could never do that”. 

Truth is, we didn’t know if we could either, but we always had one thing that worked well for us. At the office, it was all business (so much so that many employees didn’t realise for a long time that we are married), but at home, work talk was largely off the table. In order for our professional relationship (and marriage) to survive, we had to identify boundaries and put the work talk away while eating dinner or hanging with the kids. 

But guess what? COVID-19 had other plans, and throughout lockdown and beyond, we were thrust into the same house together 24/7. Boundaries be damned! 

Like all other households around the world, we have had to readjust our expectations, boundaries and ways of working to accommodate this so-called “new normal” (it’s just “normal” now, right? Can we put this phrase to bed already?). When home and work collide as they do right now, there’s very little distinction between the two. How can you have “work-life balance” when everything is one and the same? Your office space is your breakfast bar and your meeting room is whichever room the kids aren’t playing in. Sure, now we have a home office set up, but it doesn’t change the fact that there has been a fundamental shift in the employee experience. 

As employers, thanks to working from home or hybrid models, we are probably more involved in the lives of our staff than ever. We’ve met partners and pets on Zoom calls, heard or told stories about struggling to work and teach kids at home, and helped people through loss and tragedy. We’ve had staff take more mental health days, be open about their personal struggles, and share what’s working for them (and what’s not). 

Interestingly, the research seems to support the premise that supporting employees more in their personal lives leads to higher happiness levels and more productivity. A Gartner 2020 study found organisations that focus on employees’ life experience as a whole see 23% more staff reporting better mental health. Interestingly, it found a 17% increase in the number of employees reporting better physical health, too. On the business side, there was also a 21% increase in the number of high performers identified, compared to companies that didn’t offer the same level of “life” support to staff. 

I find this fascinating. On one hand, I’m sure most employees don’t want their bosses more involved in their lives – but then again, in order to find a dynamic that works for both the wellness of each individual staff member and the business, you’ve got to be able to communicate with each other. And that means getting somewhat involved. 

I’m not talking about invasive questions and inserting yourself into personal matters where you’re not wanted, but rather leading from the front to create change in your organisation that provides staff with a feeling of security. Leaders always say things like, “we’re like a family here” – and it’s probably always been a bit of a lie. But now? More true than ever. 

As a business or a leader, I think there’s a few things that can be done to provide a better overall experience for staff as we move ahead into 2021: 

Support for mental health:

Without a doubt, this is the main one. But beyond official programs or access to therapy, it’s about ensuring a culture where employees feel comfortable asking their bosses for time away to deal with their mental health. It also means employers need to lead by example – taking their annual leave (and staying away from work!) and announcing they’re logging off early some days, if necessary. 

Taking a stand:

Whether it’s on political, cultural or societal issues, employees highly value a company that takes a position on various topics and debates. Doing this humanises the organisation and truly showcases how it values its people – as people. In fact, one study found 87% of employees worldwide want companies to take a public position on societal issues relevant to the business. And 74% said the company should take a stand even if the issues aren’t directly relevant to the business. 

Focus on gender equality:

This pandemic has been shown to exacerbate the gender wage gap, as more women are either let go or choose to leave jobs out of necessity. In fact, McKinsey’s Women in the Workplace study found women’s jobs are 1.8 times more vulnerable during this pandemic than men’s jobs, and that women make up 39% of global employment – but account for 54% of overall job losses. 

A Gartner study also found that managers tend to have a bias towards those who work in the office, believing them to be higher performers. Although this might be changing during the pandemic, it’s easy to see how men – more likely to work from the office as women take on the share of household duties – will be more highly rewarded for doing so. If you want to provide the best life experience, do your research here and recognise the disproportionate impact this pandemic is having on women all over the world. 

Flexibility is less about geography or location, but rather time:

I know that personally, as a working mother, this is something I need. The autonomy to choose working hours is a huge part of happiness and engagement for staff. Some of my best work is done at 8pm after my children are in bed, which means I might be offline for a couple of hours when they get home from school. At the end of the day, we should be concerned with output and productivity, rather than policing that all employees have their butt in their home office desk chair from 9am.  

Managing staff in 2021 might be the hardest it has ever been for leaders. Bringing heightened levels of empathy and vulnerability to the way you lead will be new territory for many (but hopefully not too many), but making sure your staff are well supported and loved – yes, loved – during these weird, weird times is key. 

And the only way to do this, is to focus on their experience as a whole – not just when they log on that day.

Itching to continue the conversation? Chat with us at hello@mutant.com.sg

How COVID-19 Has Changed Public Relations

It’s no secret that COVID-19 has transformed the state of our world, and the business community is no exception. Big shifts are underway in almost every industry and with advertising budgets being slashed down, brands are relying on earned media more than ever before to get their messages across to the public.

There is nothing more important than reputation, particularly in such uncertain times, and businesses who want to thrive in the new normal must continue to invest in protecting and managing theirs. 

For agencies, this signals a time to pull up their socks if they haven’t already. Things are moving fast within the consumer landscape and we must be prepared to keep up with the changes. When situations like these arise, brands have a duty to respond both quickly and sensitively, and it’s on us – their trusted PR partners – to make sure we help them deliver.

Expressing empathy

Arguably the most important thing for a business right now is to connect with its audiences.People all over the world are struggling to combat the pandemic’s  various challenges and in a lot of ways, businesses are actually supporting them at this time.

This has created an opportunity for brands to drive home a message of purpose instead of profit – playing into the PR principle of delivering the right message at the right time. For example, Disney won hearts when it allowed open access to it’s Indian streaming service Hotstar during Singapore’s circuit breaker period – a welcome source of entertainment to migrant workers who couldn’t leave their dormitories as part of virus containment measures.

Years of protecting brand and corporate reputation could come undone in just a few months if a brand fails to step up and do its part at such a time. 

Authenticity is key

The PR industry was already battling the rise of misinformation, but the pandemic has only aggravated this complex problem. Social media and messaging apps are rampant with conspiracy theories, fake news and outlandish rumours that are eroding public trust at a time when they need facts and information the most.

As such, it’s natural for consumers to gravitate towards brands that speak to them authentically and offer real value. But it is even more imperative that any messages that we push out now should focus on sharing crucial information or extending support to help people feel more comfortable in the new normal. 

For the industry, this means an additional layer of checks and balances. There’s a lot of public anxiety surrounding health, family and job security right now and consequently, businesses need to make sure that they’re not over-selling or sending tone-deaf messages that could result in backlash. 

New ways of working

Our clients have pivoted their ways of working – mostly by doubling down on their digital strategy – and the PR industry has responded by coming up with equally innovative ways of engaging stakeholders remotely. 

One example is the shift from physical events and conferences to virtual media briefings. At Mutant, we recently helped Vivo organise their first ever virtual press conference for the launch of their X50 Pro Smart phone – and it was a resounding success. 

Internally, things have changed too. Most agencies in the region have adapted to some sort of flexible working arrangement – and that’s just scratching the surface of what needs to be done. A recent study found that PR pros across the world are dealing with increased stress levels amidst the pandemic and leaders are stepping up to ensure that culture and morale are not compromised. 

Although most of the world is now starting to get back on its feet – albeit into very different circumstances – fear and uncertainty continues to prevail, making PR a powerful tool that brands can leverage to navigate the noise and form authentic connections with their audiences.

Need assistance with navigating a changing PR landscape? Talk to us at hello@mutant.com.sg.

How To Create A Content Strategy That Grows Your Business

No matter the field you’re in or the size of your business, you need content. But the real question is this: what kind of content do you need?
This is where the differences between content strategies abound. For example, a law firm will  likely need a completely different type of content strategy as compared  to a tech startup, just like  a retail store would as compared to  a non–profit organisation. But even for businesses in the same field, content strategies can still differ.

This is because there is no one-size-fits-all content strategy solution. What businesses really need is a tailored content strategy plan that can help them achieve their individual goals. To do this,  brands should first consider their organisation’s goals, upcoming campaigns, and target audience to determine what sort of content will work to bring in the right business results. Beyond this, it’s also important to consider where the content should appear — this could be a company’s social media page, blogs, or op-eds that are pitched to publications, articles that are published on an executive’s LinkedIn page, or gated content on a dedicated microsite. 

To illustrate this, let’s take a look at some of the clients we’ve worked with to create a content mix that works:

RGF

Goals: brand awareness, lead generation, capturing media attention and establishing market leadership.
Audience: HR leaders across Asia Pacific

Recruitment agency RGF wanted to grow its business across the region, capture media attention and establish itself as an expert in HR and recruitment. We worked with them to develop a series of long-form reports based on a survey of both HR executives and job candidates.

We worked with RGF to dive deep into the survey results,  identify trends and develop insights. From there, we wroe and designed the reports, which were published on an RGF landing page and gated to help the company generate qualified leads. In addition, we helped  pitch the reports  to relevant publications across the media landscape and worked with RGF to interpret key findings as infographics and blog posts that were posted on social media and their website.

Results: In 2019, RGF received 50 pieces of media coverage in three languages across four countries, resulting in a reach of over 13 million people.

Kimberly-Clark

Goals:  Amplifying Kimberly-Clark’s mission, vision and corporate reputation and strengthening the personal brand of its senior executives.
Audience: C-suite business leaders, consumers

Kimberly-Clark’s executive team understood the importance of regular LinkedIn posts for personal branding, but they did not have the time required to execute the content they wanted to post. We worked with them to first understand the goals of both the company and individual  executives, which we then used to  curate a content library of long-form thought leadership pieces and company news that would perform successfully on  LinkedIn. We  also worked with Kimberly-Clark to produce regional content that was shared on its global corporate social media pages.

Results: In 2019, the average number of views per LinkedIn post increased by 74% and the average engagement rate saw a 3.6X increase, resulting in  significantly higher follower growth for Kimberly-Clark.

Trouble Brewing

Goals: brand awareness, increased online sales
Audience: consumers

Though we’ve worked with Trouble Brewing on its social media campaigns since it launched, in 2020 the craft beer company had to quickly pivot from B2B operations to B2C due to the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on Singapore’s F&B market. With the shift in audience, Trouble Brewing wanted to reach consumers and let them know that they could directly order from the brand online and receive fast delivery. We worked with them to  craft the copy and produce creative assets for their paid digital ad campaigns,rolling out a new digital strategy in just 48 hours.

Results: Trouble Brewing earned a 20.3X return on ad spend, sold 200 cases of beer in 48 hours, and had an opinion piece about its success published in The Business Times.

As demonstrated here, these three businesses used different content strategies to grow brand awareness, market themselves as leaders in their fields and capture media attention. By considering not only your goals, but who your audience is and the type of content that will work best to reach your audience, you can also craft a content strategy that will translate into real results for your business.

Know your objectives but need help finding the right content strategy?  We can help. Drop us a line anytime at hello@mutant.com.sg to have a chat.

Hello C-Suite: How To Catch And Hold The Attention Of Senior Stakeholders

Looking to connect with  senior business leaders and government stakeholders? Well, you’re not the only one. But while brands continue to compete for the attention of senior executives, the good news is that you don’t need huge marketing budgets to make this happen. In our experience, strategic public relations and targeted content are often the only tools you will ever need to get your foot in the door and keep it there.  With this in mind, here are three simple steps to get you started on connecting and engaging with the C-suite. 

As busy leaders who have their plates full, senior stakeholders are laser focused on information and opportunities that give them tangible utility and business value. 

Speak to their interests 

As busy leaders who have their plates full, senior stakeholders are laser focused on information and opportunities that give them tangible utility and business value. 
Your best bet to get their attention then, is to provide them with insights that matter to their business, clientele or audience. . For example, a data-driven whitepaper or survey that contains useful information about their industry or community would be hyper-relevant. Recently, a Mutant-driven whitepaper saw such success where it caught the attention of a government body in Singapore, leading to deeper network building for our client. 

To do this, you need to be on the pulse and understand what keeps executives  up at night. Don’t be afraid to proactively share your commentaries on these topics and discuss the opportunities amidst the challenges, particularly on the media platforms they read.

Senior executives have  brands selling to them every day, which is an instant turn off. So instead of talking about your brand or product, focus on strategic thought-leadership and newsjacking timely issues.’

Tap on their passion points

Senior executives are still people, and people naturally gravitate toward topics and interest areas they’re passionate about. It’s also relatively easy to find out if a senior executive is a board member or advocate for a particular cause. 

Once you’ve identified this, map your larger corporate goals and efforts to see if there is a genuine overlap between both. You can then use this information to create a long-term and sustainable campaign that will resonate with and naturally attract the attention of the senior stakeholder in mind. This will allow you to create a long-term, sustainable campaign that  resonates with senior stakeholder. 

Mutant recently led a COVID-19 social impact project that helped over 16,000 families in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia through a diaper package giveaway. Our client simply wanted to do their part to help during troubled times and in return, were pleasantly rewarded with attention on a ministerial level. The engagement subsequently evolved into a federal initiative, with the Deputy Federal Territories Minister being present to publicly accept the final donation.

Start a conversation

The third step is to spark a direct conversation that truly engages senior stakeholders. Follow them on LinkedIn to see what they’re sharing, and share your comments on any insights they post. 

Don’t forget to create original content and or share useful industry news as well. The LinkedIn People Insights’ tool is a good way to zoom into what matters to a C-suite audience across a variety of industries. Gain insights into content topics, skills, groups and influencers they commonly follow. 

This is an easy cheat sheet to focus on creating content that matters to them. 

Needless to say, your LinkedIn profile needs to be optimised as well to give you more credibility. Check out our blog on getting your profile in shape. 

Another form of engagement  is to formally invite a C-suite or government official as a guest of honour to your own events. This could include inviting them to inaugurate a new launch, or to participate as a guest in a panel session. We find that closed-door roundtable discussions help drive a no-holds barred conversation, where fellow industry leaders chime in to discuss challenges and opportunities openly. 

Stay genuine and stick to your strategy as there is no overnight PR switch you can turn on to magically capture the attention of C-suite executives. Consistent and targeted communication is the way to go. 

Drop us a note at hello@mutant.com.sg if you need help getting started.

How Today’s “Woke” And “Cancel” Culture Affects Brands

You may have heard of the terms “woke” and “cancel culture” being thrown around in conversations. But do you know what they mean, and how they relate to your brand? 

Being “woke” refers to a perceived awareness of social issues like injustice, inequality, and prejudice. While “cancel culture” or the act of “cancelling” a public figure, for example, is essentially ostracising or shaming them for saying something that is deemed to be racist, sexist, bigoted or otherwise offensive. Those offended would then publically withdraw support from the person by calling them out on social media and demanding for boycotts.

Several high-profile people have been called out as part of this recent movement.  Author J.K. Rowling found herself in the middle of controversy when she made exclusionary comments on transgender people.

In the current social media era,  information is being shared and consumed almost instantaneously, making it impossible to sweep issues under the rug. Voices that were once overlooked are now able to rise above the noise, and it is now easier than ever to educate yourself on ‘sensitive’ topics that were previously missing from public discourse.

You may wonder how this matters to your business – well, more people are showing interest in social causes, and are supporting brands who align with their values. Consumers, especially Gen Zs and Millennials, use their wallets to support brands they believe in and will not hesitate to bring down brands who offend them. 

In order to keep up with today’s fast-moving world, brands need to be “woke” about what the younger generation is passionate about. A good place to start would be social and environmental movements such as #metoo, #blacklivesmatter, and #timesup, which brands can voice their stance on or add meaningfully to the existing conversation. 

Here are 3 tips on how to intelligently express your brand voice without appearing tone-deaf:

Listen to what your target audience is saying

As a brand, it is important to stay on top of current issues, social sentiments and emerging trends. Keep an ear to the ground by listening to what your consumers are saying on social media — find out what they care about and what they are posting about. Analytic tools like Meltwater and Google Analytics can also come in handy when examining audience sentiments and popular media articles surrounding a particular subject. 

Be genuine

If you want a customer to stay loyal to your brand, you have to embody the messaging and brand values you represent. The leaders and employees of a company can no longer separate themselves from the brand- they are one in the same. You can’t fake being “woke”, and it is important that the correct tone and message comes through in all your communication channels. Just look at the infamous Pepsi ad featuring supermodel Kendall Jenner, where Pepsi ended up appearing tone-deaf by appropriating and trivialising crucial aspects of a global racial movement. It pays to be genuine. 

Make meaningful change

Young people resonate strongly with “woke” brands, but cute social media filters or themed merchandise are not enough to win them over. Consumers are looking for brands who want to make a meaningful change, and who can talk the talk as well as walk the walk. This could include  raising funds to contribute to non-profit groups, assisting marginalized communities, or altering their policies and products to benefit the environment. 

Brands who wish to embrace a cause must be consistent in their efforts to create impact. For instance, if you are a brand that advocates for fair trade, make sure that all workers along the production line are being paid fairly and that there’s no unethical labour practises. There’s nothing worse than being exposed as a fraud!


Need help crafting your brand’s messaging? Talk to us at hello@mutant.com.sg.

Personal Branding On LinkedIn – Tips To Engage With Others and Expand Your Network

This is the third and final article in our “Personal Branding on LinkedIn” series. If you just dropped in, check out the earlier articles about best practices for LinkedIn profile optimisation and tips to curate and create compelling content on LinkedIn.

What comes to mind when you think of personal branding? Many people would say personal branding is how you express your identity and portray yourself to others. That’s not wrong – but it’s also not the full story.

One long-term goal of branding is to build  loyalty, and for businesses,  it typically begins with gaining a  solid understanding of customer needs and identifying the best way to communicate with them. Likewise for personal branding on LinkedIn, setting up a polished profile and sharing content regularly is just a start. 

In addition to the one-way push of information from publishing posts and articles, you can further elevate your personal brand by engaging with people  and continually expanding your network. The building of mutually beneficial relationships will open doors to more professional opportunities, such as landing your dream job, booking a speaking engagement or securing a profitable business partnership.

Why you should engage with others

With organisations around the globe implementing flexible working and remote working measures to limit the spread of COVID-19, LinkedIn stands out as an ideal platform to maintain interactions with your colleagues and other professional contacts. If you usually scroll through your LinkedIn news feed like a silent lurker, now is the time to engage with connections by liking, sharing and commenting on their online activity.

Oftentimes on LinkedIn, people’s updates are centred around professional milestones such as a new job, work anniversary, promotion or farewell. Take a moment to respond to these posts with a heartfelt congratulations or kind, uplifting remark. Connections who are appreciative of your encouragement are likely to reciprocate when you have a next professional milestone to celebrate!

When you come across content in your LinkedIn news feed that  resonates with you, don’t be afraid to engage  by sharing your perspective or relevant personal experience. This exchange of ideas could lead to a deeper discussion while strengthening your presence on the platform.

If you offer advice to others, remember to do so tactfully and remain open to alternative viewpoints. The beauty of social media lies in the wealth of collective knowledge and shared experiences, as well as the conversations that can be had  despite the limitations of geographical distance. 

In addition to interacting with your current followers, it’s a good idea to be on the (continual) lookout for opportunities to build your network. Check LinkedIn’s suggestions under “My Network” to connect with friends, classmates, colleagues, industry leaders, clients, vendors and other professionals you may know. 

The importance of expanding your network

A simple method to extend your reach to the wider LinkedIn community and potential new contacts is by searching for trending hashtags that are relevant to your work experience and interests, and then commenting on some of the resulting posts. For example, if you’re a human resources director, a quick search for #RemoteWork or #WFH will lead you to  discover timely conversations you can contribute tips and insights to. Leaving a thoughtful comment on the post of someone you’re keen to know helps break the ice and increases the chances of them accepting your invitation to connect.

Be part of the conversation! Source: LinkedIn

When connecting with someone new, customise your request by visiting their profile and clicking “Connect”. This gives you the option to include a personal note rather than sending a generic request. If you’re getting in touch with this person for the first time, use the note to explain why you’re interested in making their acquaintance and how you could be of help in the course of their work.

Once someone accepts your invitation to connect, a quick way to build rapport is by endorsing their skills on LinkedIn, especially if you have a prior or existing working relationship with them. If the person is a fresh contact, start developing a professional relationship by sending them a direct message after connecting. For example, you could send a quick hello along with an  interesting article relevant to their field of work, and continue the conversation by offering to introduce them to someone you know for a further work-related opportunity.

It’s important to remember that personal branding matters at every stage of your career. So no matter where you are in your career trajectory, take the time to maximise your presence on LinkedIn by optimising your profile, creating and curating compelling content, and engaging with others.

Need some inspiration on what to post on LinkedIn? Drop us a line at hello@mutant.com.sg anytime – we’re more than happy to help.

Pitch-ing About Stuff

Over the past 12 years in advertising and PR, it’s fair to say i’ve been in my fair share of client meetings. Big, small (and most recently without face-to-face interaction) I’ve seen and sat in all types. 

And the king of client meetings is undoubtedly the pitch. Like a first date – this is the make or break of whether you’ve got a dud catch-up that goes nowhere, or the blossoming of a beautiful relationship. 

The nature of these meetings is one of secrecy. Everyone is keeping their cards close to their chest, no one wants to give away too much to a stranger. 

Well, in Mutant’s spirit of transparency – I’m here to lift the agency veil on some of the most common questions that clients might have during the process, and what the agency is thinking. 

The agency has asked me for my budget before they start working on the pitch – but if i give it to them, then won’t they just use it all?

Well, that’s kind of the point of a budget.  

I mean, I get it – the idea is that if you don’t tell the agency a budget, then you get a true sense of what the work is worth. Not just something that matches your number.

Take it from me – sharing the budget you’re willing to spend up front is the single best way you can get to a great solution in a good timeframe. It gives a guardrail for the agency to operate within, and it means the ideas presented are actually viable. Not ridiculous stuff that could never actually be made. 

If you want to save some money from your marketing budget, then take that discount into account before you give the agency the budget. Better yet, give a ballpark range of budget. It gives you the flexibility to not commit to the exact dollar amounts, and a good agency will see this as a way of showing how their core ideas can extend, if the client appetite is there. 

OK so I’m in the pitch process. And a load of agencies are lined up to present to me. Aside from answering the brief, how should I judge the agency?

Think of the pitch process like interviewing a new employee. Sure, a slick presentation is an indicator in pride of work and a great ability to communicate ideas and strategies. 

Every agency should be able to do their pitch presentation well, as a base level of competence.

But like that unqualified friend you know somehow got that dream job against all logic – agencies will also talk about themselves and project themselves in a favourable light. Of course they will. They want your business. They’re not going to say anything bad. 

So just like vetting that prospective employee, the best way to judge if they’re suitable for the future is to look at their past. Review what results they’ve done in the past (case studies with hard objective metrics), get referrals from other clients that they have worked with, and do your research on their  previous creative ideas  to get a flavour of their ambition. 

How can I know the team working on my brand? 

I’ve been in countless pitches in previous agencies where the senior people will be in there just for the meeting itself. They’re experienced, they’ve been in a load of pitches, so they’re gonna impress you with their delivery. I’ve had Creative Directors fly in for just the meeting to impress the client. 

My only advice is to ask this one question – ‘who will actually work day-to-day on my account’. If there is a team member that isn’t in the room, why aren’t they there? And if someone is in the meeting, whilst not being on the team, why are they there? You’ll quickly discover whether the agency is just trying to impress you in the room, or looking to set up an authentic relationship up front. 

The agency’s initial ideas – they’re not quite right

This is one of the most common issues agencies have to combat in the first meeting. 

The simple answer is of course the ideas aren’t 100% right. The agency is operating off a written brief, google searches and scanning your website. They’ve got no clue on your internal discussions, and the brand’s history among other things.

Most of the great ongoing client relationships I’ve had in my career were won on pitch ideas that never got made. 

The execution of an idea can be changed easily, but the rationale, and the decisions behind it are what you want to judge the agency on. 

Sh*t – the quote is expensive! Can they bring the cost down?

Short answer – yes. But there’s only three realistic ways they can do it:

  • Reduce the seniority of staff on the account – having less senior team members means the head hour rate comes down.
  • Reduce it and ‘take a hit’ – because they want to work with you. 
  • Change the deliverables – reducing some, increasing others, to fit within your budget. 

If your agency does reduce the cost for the first reason, it should raise a red flag. Sure, your budget is now met – but your work is going to suffer eventually. Any agency can throw interns at a problem to reduce the cost of head hours. The good agencies will stick to their guns and give you the right resource for the job. 

The second reason? Well, this is even worse. If an agency can reduce it without giving you a credible explanation – then it means that they were either overcharging or they are willing to commit business suicide for the sake  of getting a client. Both are not great – because every cost they give in the future will create doubt. 

The best way to get to your budget is obviously option three. It figures out a middle ground of deliverables that get the maximum use out of your budget, whilst not killing the agency. Over time, once the agency shows it’s worth, the budget usually opens up to drive even more results. 

If the agency manages to get the budget down, then I would encourage you to ask them how they did it – and judge accordingly.  

What else should I know?

The one thing to know about pitches is that for the agency, it is a time of complete and utter stress. It is effectively an unpaid project, that is piled onto existing employees workloads,  which may go nowhere. 

I’ve had pitches in previous agencies that have totalled over $300,000 in internal fees. I’ve also had pitches where we worked for months, only to be asked to send the document over a procurement platform and be informed that we didn’t win via automated message. No context, no chance to present, nothing. Months of effort and stress down the drain via a single sentence in an automated email. 

It’s part of the game, but just know that if something isn’t perfect, or you’re not going to proceed with a certain agency, then it’s good to be a little understanding. Because behind that shiny document lies a lot of late nights, stress, and effort, with the faint glimmer of hope of a new client relationship.  

Appreciate our honesty? Chat with us at hello@mutant.com.sg

3 Ways To Boost Your E-Commerce Marketing Strategy

E-commerce has taken the spotlight in recent months as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted traditional distribution channels and businesses scrambled to identify new methods of achieving their sales goals. 

With rising technological adoption among consumers and a surge in online transactions, it’s obvious e-commerce isn’t going anywhere. Whether you’re an Internet start-up or brick-and-mortar retailer, there are creative ways you can use an e-commerce marketing strategy in varying levels to reach more customers and increase sales. 

Read on to find out how you can maximise digital opportunities, build your online presence, and ultimately set your company up for success with a strong e-commerce marketing strategy.

Understand online opportunities

There are many benefits to bringing your business online – consumers can learn more about your products and services, engage with your brand through interactive media formats, offer feedback, or make purchases via convenient online transactions.

Online metrics from platforms such as Google Analytics, Facebook Insights or your preferred email marketing software can also provide valuable insights into both your current and prospective customers. For example, which geographical region your customers are from, what kinds of content they interact with, and which of your products or services they find more appealing. With this knowledge in hand, you can develop holistic customer personas to ensure your digital marketing initiatives are targeted at the right audiences.

Expand your digital presence

Taking your business online opens the door to a myriad of opportunities, but with so many means to reach out to consumers, it is easy to lose focus. Keeping specific business goals and target audiences in mind, it is crucial for e-commerce companies to create a user-friendly website that introduces a seamless shopping experience and is optimised for purchase-based conversions, before carefully selecting the channels that would be most effective in driving customers to the company’s online home.

Some common methods of online promotion and engagement include:

  • Search engine optimisation (SEO) – on the marketing side of SEO, incorporate target keywords and have purposeful content on your website that aligns with target audiences’ search intent to improve your website’s unpaid ranking on search engine results pages.
  • Search engine marketing (SEM) – bid for keywords relevant to your brand through a platform such as Google Ads, in order to advertise to people typing in specific keywords on search engines.
  • Display advertising – use a display ad network to show advertisements on third-party websites, raising brand awareness or retargeting customers who have visited your website previously to nudge them toward making a purchase.
  • Organic social media – keep your brand top-of-mind, foster engagement, and cultivate a loyal community through strategic and regular posts on social media.
  • Paid social media – invest in paid boosts to maximise the impact of organic posts and set up structured social media advertising campaigns with clear calls-to-action for sales or lead generation.
  • Influencer marketing – collaborate with key opinion leaders who resonate with your target audiences to generate online buzz around your business.
  • Email marketing – run email marketing campaigns to your customer database to promote special offers, announce noteworthy events and nurture customer relationships.
  • Messenger marketing – from launching a Facebook Messenger chatbot to creating a dedicated Telegram channel, messaging applications can be used to automate customer support, share content and build customer loyalty.

Align marketing touchpoints to the customer journey

E-commerce businesses (or any other type of organisation for that matter) often adopt a combination of digital marketing tactics to connect with consumers across multiple touchpoints. The key to identifying the right mix of online touchpoints to focus your marketing efforts on is by understanding the customer experience. When it comes to e-commerce, consumers are likely to engage in distinct stages throughout the online shopping journey. Using an e-commerce marketing funnel or a similar principle such as the “See, Think, Do, Care” framework, map out the customer journey and align your marketing touchpoints to connect with customers where they are.

Once your touchpoints are active, remember to keep communication relatable and engaging, providing consistent value every step of the way. Evaluate your customer journey map and touchpoints on a regular basis, too, to check that they still resonate with target audiences. This strategic approach ensures your brand maintains top-of-mind awareness, creates ongoing positive perceptions among consumers, and spurs people toward making a buy (or more!)

Case study: Through a strategic combination of PR, organic and paid social media campaigns, we helped Greek restaurant BAKALAKI double their daily order volume online.

Digital marketing is a crucial component of any e-commerce growth strategy. Apart from e-tailers, businesses of all kinds can also adapt the foundations of a strong e-commerce marketing framework – leveraging online opportunities, expanding your digital presence and aligning marketing touchpoints with your customers’ purchase journey – to navigate the digital world and set the company up for success.

Need help with your e-commerce strategy? Write to us at hello@mutant.com.sg

Good Design Is Invisible

Here’s a story you might be able to relate to:

You’re heading to the supermarket, telling yourself that you’re there to cross things off your shopping list and get out ASAP.

In the first five minutes, you’ve got what you came for. Bread, butter, milk? Check, check, check. Time to go. 

And then, it caught your attention. You stopped right in the middle of the aisle and made it hard for other shoppers to get around you, but it didn’t matter to you. 

This thing that stopped you dead in your tracks gave you a warm fuzzy feeling, and you loved it.

Before you knew it, you grabbed it and added it to your trolley, happy to spend the money on this thing you had no intention of buying. 

What could it be that held so much power over your decision-making process? 

The answer is good design. Allow us to explain.

Every step of your journey to the supermarket was designed. The concept of shopping in itself was a relatively new invention that rose to prominence as the middle-class emerged. Today, we shop without giving it any second thought. Shopping is like looking at our phones to unlock it, expensive dinners on Valentine’s Day, and buying a particular brand of milk even when all brands taste the same.

If you had known about this before, you would be able to stop yourself from such temptation, right? Inevitably a magician’s trick becomes its downfall when performed a second time.

Smart brands and their agencies know this. That is why they carefully craft their packaging to work in the shadows, hidden behind walls of short-term campaigns, paid and organic media, and new iterations of their products based on consumer data.

In other words, good design is invisible. It works best when you don’t even know why it works. But the same invisibility is also why businesses only realise its absence when sales are dropping or, “something just doesn’t feel right”. 

So, back to your intuitive purchase (not impulsive, we don’t like that word). What can you learn from this experience to apply it to your business? Let’s use the shopping experience as an analogy:

The Presentation Is The Message.

Looks do matter. As long as the product works as expected, most consumers will buy whatever looks best. A well-designed logo and packaging will help you sell far more than a DIY logo set in Comic Sans (yuck!). A competent agency will tell you what should go on your precious paid ads, and what shouldn’t. Many brands make the mistake of bombarding their consumers with facts that they can’t relate to, but smart brands? They say little, and the little they say is what prompts you to pull your wallet out.

Branding Is Selling

“Branding” is a term often used but rarely understood. It’s not about your fancy business cards or a sum of impressions – it’s your reputation and the gut feeling your consumers have at the mention of your brand’s name. Branding includes all of the aesthetic adjustments needed to appeal to them and an evaluation of your value proposition and why your current customers care. It’s not a cheap exercise, but if a $100,000 solution can solve your $10 million problem, wouldn’t you do it?

Positioning, Positioning, Positioning.

Source : Pexels

Positioning is the invisible force that turns your well-designed brand into a memorable one. That’s why smart companies like Nestle, Google, and Apple spend generously to craft earworm jingles, put their products on eye-level on supermarket shelves, and rent the biggest billboards right in the middle of New York City. The same companies also allocate vast chunks of their budget to tweak their communication materials every year to keep up with consumer trends. You win the game when you occupy mental and physical spaces.

So the next time you get that warm, fuzzy feeling when you look at a product, just remember that the invisible force tugging on your credit card is called “good design”. The entire experience is planned, and you can employ the same strategy with your business as well because, if you can’t win them, join them, right?

Want to make some “good design?” Talk to us at hello@mutant.com.sg

Presenting Remotely: 5 Pro Tips To Keep Your Webinar Audience Engaged

(Hint: It’s got (almost) nothing to do with making sure the technology works properly)

In our new, virtual work environment webinars, Zoom conferences and meetings have become the new constants. But keeping your audience engaged (especially when they aren’t in the same room) is the probably the toughest part of any live webinar. I mean, how often have you tuned out of the virtual meetings you’ve been in? 

Mastering the art of hosting engaging online sessions while being an impactful communicator isn’t easy – especially when people can simply switch off the cameras and disengage at any time. Fortunately, being in the business of communications, we’ve got a few tips to help you nail that next virtual session like a pro.  

Think about your audience

Always start your preparation by understanding the profile of your attendees. Why should they give up an hour (or more) of their day to join yet another virtual session? While webinars are a great tool to promote a new product or idea, or to drive potential leads, focusing too much on selling vs. engaging may run the risk of attendees dropping off or tuning out too soon. 

Content is key

Nobody likes the idea of sitting through long, boring sessions, filled with slides full of texts to read. So, don’t just wing the webinar – deliver informative, snappy and sharp content that resonates with the audience. Keep people engaged in your webinar by sharing information creatively and clearly. Using different content formats (GIFs, Video, Infographics) is also a great way to keep your attendees hooked to the screen. 

Extempore…is not a good idea

If you’re planning to conduct the webinar by reading off the slides you’ve prepared, please don’t. People will turn off quicker if you simply do what they can do themselves. Writing a clear narrative helps you structure your key points while also ensures you’re delivering the message in a tone that speaks to your audience in an easy to follow and engaging way. Don’t be afraid to chat and improvise in line with the points you’ve listed – trust us, it will result in a much more engaging talk.

Don’t just present, tell a story

People listen and react to stories. In a live presentation, your body language and facial expressions are key to keep your audiences engaged – and if they can’t see you, you need to put even more thought into your tone of voice! Share personal anecdotes, relevant data and case studies or ideas to enliven the session. Remember, timing is everything!

Make it fun and interactive

With our days filled by Zoom meetings, it is not a bad idea to experiment and switch things up a bit. Perhaps start the webinar with an icebreaker question. You could also conduct polls or a short quiz at the beginning of the session. Always pause after a couple minutes to ask questions. This is a great practice to ensure attendees are still on the same page.  

Lastly, stick to the basics so the key elements are in place. Check your camera and audio and always test the full set up a few minutes ahead of the webinar. Ensure you use the right technology and platform to fully engage your audience. 

Need help with your upcoming Zoom conference? You can count on us : hello@mutant.com.sg

5 Design Tips To Make You Seem Like A Pro

Have you ever wondered if there’s a design cheat sheet somewhere to guide you on conveying your digital marketing materials effectively, and making things look prettier?

While there’s no magic answer to becoming a design whizz, there are quick tips and tricks to help you better design for online consumption (even if you’ve never been to art school). Luckily for you, us Mutants know a thing (or five) about designing great content: 

Have a purpose

Before we play dress-up, the ultimate goal is to tailor the form of your design to its purpose. Beyond defining your target audience and content strategy, be laser-focused in determining a clear CTA (call-to-action) for a successful acquisition – after all, a pretty design means nothing if it doesn’t connect to the action intended. It’s akin to completing a jigsaw puzzle when that last piece satisfyingly clicks into place. Remember, good design decisions are the result when your project goals are objectively met.

Maximise your layout

Always start with the relevant dimension to ensure your visual content is pixel-perfect. With the ever-changing social media landscape, knowing the right sizes is imperative to uphold your reputation. Depending on how much space you have, be mindful of information overload to ensure high visual prominence. Remember that the average person is not going to sit and focus on your content all day – it’s only a matter of seconds before they move on.

Command with hierarchy

Never underestimate the power of a well-structured visual hierarchy. By laying out information strategically, we are influencing users’ perceptions with various visual cues to help inform, impress and persuade. The most important elements on the page should be the largest.

Experiment with typography

If tone and manner captures the spirit of your voice, then typography works as the face of your character. But too much of a good thing can be bad – especially if you’re using a variety of display fonts to be ‘creative’. While it isn’t necessary to stick to one font, a trick that tends to be overlooked is mixing font variants (e.g. Helvetica Regular, and Helvetica Bold). Even though these fonts are in different weights, they appear consistent when used together because they’re from the same family.

Contrast with colour schemes

From monochromatic to eclectic colour combinations, determine the visual message of your piece and then stick to a colour palette to evoke your desired emotional response. Colour schemes are handy in defining the tone of your brand voice – be it harmonious or contrasting palettes, treat colours as an accent in your work to give emphasis and enhance aesthetics.

Still with us? Congratulations, you’re now a bona fide designer! Well, maybe not quite. While these considerations serve as a solid foundation for good design principles, sometimes you still need an eye for design to create compelling content using the power of visuals. 

Talk to us about your digital marketing plans at hello@mutant.com.sg – we’ll breathe life into it.

How to Organically Build A Solid Brand Presence On Instagram

With an average of one billion monthly users, Instagram has become one of the most popular social media platforms since it exploded onto the scene in 2010. Understandably, as Instagram’s visual content tends to drive higher engagement than any other social media network, brands have also rapidly jumped onto the platform. While it may be easy to establish an account for your business, the real challenge is to build an Instagram presence that stands out from the millions of other brands on the platform. 

Here are some steps to keep in mind if you want to create a strong and sustainable following for your brand. 

Step 1: Find your aesthetic and stick to it

Instagram is all about the aesthetic. Even before you post your first image, take time to plan how you want your brand to be represented visually as creating a harmonious and unique visual brand experience is key to establishing your online brand identity. Ideally, your artistic vision will align with your brand values as well as resonate with the lifestyles of your target audience.

Additionally, the overall look and feel of the images you post should stay consistent throughout your feed so that it tells a compelling story and makes it easy for people to  associate your aesthetic with your brand. 

Step 2: Share the right mix of content 

One of the top reasons people follow brands on social media is to learn about new products and services. However, others follow to be entertained, educated, inspired and to connect with people similar to themselves. Therefore, it is important that businesses balance the type of content that is published online to cater to these different expectations. So mix it up!

Share a combination of  promotional posts (product and company news), conversational posts (contests, giveaways and polls that drive engagement) and sharing posts (industry news and collaborations with influencers, audience, other companies etc) in order to reach the different segments of your audience. By doing this, it will help your brand avoid being overly promotional by ensuring you deliver content that keeps all types of followers coming back for more. 

Step 3: Diversify your content with Instagram’s full range of features

Instagram has introduced new tools for users over the past few years, such as Instagram Live, a live-streaming option, and Instagram Stories. By using these features, you can find new ways to communicate your brand story and personality and engage with those who follow you. In fact, these features can often inject fun and authenticity in ways that highly stylized and curated posts on Instagram feed are unable to, helping to deepen the connection with your followers.

Such content can include a behind-the-scenes look at events, a peek into the office culture, or tutorials for your products. Content that customers tag your brand in can also be shared and used as conversation starters. Don’t be afraid to get creative and take advantage of all the features Instagram has to offer. 

Step 4: Dive deep into the analytics 

An Instagram business profile not only helps separate your account from personal accounts, it also provides your brand access to page analytics. Paying attention to these numbers can help you understand how your account is performing, how you can improve your strategy and grow your following. While it is important to post consistently to hold audience interest, Instagram’s analytics will provide insight into when the most optimal time to post to catch your followers attention is, as well as how frequently you should post to drive the highest possible engagement.

Additionally, with such insights, you’ll learn about the types of posts your audience prefers and if your page is attracting your ideal demographic. If you review the valuable data provided by Instagram regularly, you can make the necessary tweaks to your social media strategy and optimise it for better results. 

Step 5: Use #hashtags appropriately 

Choosing the right hashtags for your Instagram posts can determine if your content appears as a top post or if it becomes a needle in a haystack. There are two ways to use hashtags – leveraging ones that already exist and creating your own branded hashtags. For the former, you want to incorporate a mix of trending and industry-specific hashtags to connect with your targeted followers.

Make sure you conduct sufficient research for each one by analysing the number of likes on its top-performing posts and if the type of content aligns with yours. But do remember to be wary of using too many hashtags with millions of follows, as your post is likely to get lost in the noise. As for the latter, a branded hashtag should be concise, memorable and include some semblance of your brand name. The number of hashtags you include on a post is also essential. While the allowed maximum is 30, try to avoid spamming hashtags below your caption and risk looking both untargeted and unprofessional.

The above steps are just a few guidelines, but they will help give you a good foundation to begin building a solid brand presence on Instagram. Continue to explore the many other tips and tricks out there and find the ones that work best for you!

Want to build a solid online presence? Talk to us at hello@mutant.com.sg!