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2023 has gotten off to a rocky start for many corporate businesses. A global recession is looming, the cost of living is up, and businesses are working to mitigate these macroeconomic challenges by preserving as much of their budget as they can. When facing a challenging environment, it may seem like the answer is to slash marketing and advertising spending. Brands are torn between choosing splashy, short-term trend-based marketing tactics or activations, and longer-term brand identity building, such as a consistent content marketing strategy.

Though it may seem like the right move is to pick what can lead to the quickest pay-off, the fact is that the role of content has never been more important. Content marketing is one of the best ways to connect, engage, and convert customers. That’s why you see so much of it everywhere – from whitepapers to newsletters to podcasts.

Done right, great content can give a brand a real competitive edge by building dedicated audiences, brand loyalty, and advocacy. To help illustrate what we mean, here are five themes that brands can use in 2023 to make the most of their content marketing strategy.

More method, less madness

Today’s changing media consumption landscape means that brands have had to transform at lightning speed to reflect the world’s digital presence. Within this context, clients often tell us they’re torn between which platforms to create content on with the limited in-house resources they have.

Deciding which channels to invest in will impact your budget and overall content marketing success. But broadly speaking, social media content (both paid and organic) continues to pack a punch in attracting audiences in Singapore and the region – as do SEO-led blogs and newsletters.

Tap into authenticity

Audiences today can spot inauthenticity, and they aren’t afraid to say it. There’s a reason why user-generated content (UGC), live streaming, and influencer marketing are on the rise; people want content to be as authentic as possible, and they appreciate opportunities to engage in dialogue with the real humans behind it.

Profiling – whether for executives or employees – has risen in popularity (and effectiveness) for this reason.

Creating content that sparks engagement goes a long way. With so many channels and formats available, brands have a huge opportunity to break away from being faceless digital entities and generate trust by focusing on the people behind the brand.

Bring data to life through storytelling

These days, simply presenting data is not enough. Rather, it has to be presented in a way that is clear, organised, and tailored to your intended audience. In short, your corporate data needs to tell a story.

Whether your story takes the form of a blog, byline or research report, it should focus on a conflict between opposing forces while following a plot structure.

As you continue your story, remember to constantly ask yourself, “What makes this important? Why should my audience care? How does it position my brand’s identity?” If the data says that 9 in 10 people in the country use their smartphone to access the internet, it’s your job to explain why that’s important and why your audience should care.

Inclusivity matters

Regardless of whether you’re based in  Singapore or elsewhere, all brands have a specific audience they’re looking to reach. Corporations have built their identity and marketing efforts around reaching that particular audience.

Everything from visual assets to website copy, ad campaigns, and social media content is likely anchored in what is believed to make target audiences stop and pay attention. To become more inclusive, brands need to expand their target audiences and brand identities.

This might sound like a complicated decision – but it’s actually quite easy. The quickest way to make the change and become more inclusive is to shift your brand’s mindset from appealing, for example, to mothers to appealing to parents. From there, consider who parents are these days – their age range, sexual orientations, genders, and ethnicities are absolutely core considerations. Ultimately, parents include heterosexual couples, working parents, single moms, same-sex couples, and stay-at-home dads – the list goes on and on.

Once you’ve made this switch, you’ll be on the path to reflecting the world today in your content and marketing strategies.

Optimise results (and costs) by planning ahead 

Content planning and delivery cycles aren’t what they used to be. For instance, the increasing use of social media has pushed content marketers to think more short-term if they want to stay topical. For many brands, this has resulted in a more ad hoc use of the content for very specific campaigns that could potentially drive results – and because of this, they are missing out on the big-picture gains.

While it is important to stay nimble, planning ahead is still critical to effective content marketing – especially if you’re looking to deliver a strategic and high-quality content mix that is still cost-effective and timely.

Being strategic allows brands to be smarter with their budget and resource allocation. It also promotes effective goal setting and measurement by providing clear indications of what works for your audience and what doesn’t over a significant period of time. The insights gained can then inform both short-term pivots and continual planning for the long term. 

By continuing to invest in content marketing, brands can not only remain top-of-mind with their audience, but drive leads, boost engagement, and gain actionable insights into what works best. Ultimately, content is worth the investment – it not only helps brands get through challenging times but can help them develop their identity and grow their online presence. And that is truly valuable.

For more tips for 2023, check out our handy playbook. If you’d like to learn more about how content can help your brand, drop us a line at hello@mutant.com.sg. Let our award-winning content marketing agency provide you with the quality strategies and services you deserve.

Happy April Fool’s Day!

Just kidding, we still have a few weeks to go, but it’s time for you to kick off campaign preparations for the cheekiest day of the year. Humour has long been a powerful tool in the world of advertising and marketing, and it’s no different in Southeast Asia. 

However, using humour to connect with target audiences can backfire spectacularly, if it’s not done well. So if you’re still unsure of your plans this year – we recommend following our approach:

• Understand your audience – Using humour effectively can be challenging, especially in Southeast Asia, where cultural differences make it tricky to adopt a humorous tone of voice and messaging that is also culturally appropriate. Conducting in-depth research on your target audience’s interests, values, and cultural norms is key to being appropriate and effective. Avoid jokes or references that may be offensive or inappropriate in the local context. 
  
  In 2020, Singapore Airlines launched a campaign called “No Detail Is Too Small,” which was meant to highlight the company’s attention to detail and customer service. Unfortunately, the campaign was met with criticism and backlash from customers and the media, who found the videos to be tone-deaf and out-of-touch with the current economic climate. The campaign serves as a reminder that humour can be a risky strategy in marketing and companies need to be prepared to pivot or adjust their messaging if they receive negative feedback.
  
  
• Highlight your brand’s USPs – Using humour to highlight your brand’s unique selling points is an effective way to stand out. By using humour to showcase your brand, you can make your brand more memorable. However, do not attempt to force humorous campaigns for the sake of it, especially if it does not align with your brand or message. Humour should come naturally and feel authentic to your target audience. If you are not comfortable using humour, it might be better to stick with a more straightforward approach.
  
  
• Keep it light and relatable – Most importantly, frame your humorous content positively! Dark humour or humour that is too edgy has the potential to alienate your audience and harm your brand. Instead, tap on humour that is uplifting, positive, and in good taste. Humour can be a double-edged sword, and it’s important for brands to avoid anything that could be deemed offensive or insensitive. Brands should always do their due diligence to ensure that their campaigns are inclusive and respectful.

In 2022, Mutant launched the Rendang 2022 LTO and planned and executed an April Fools’ Day collaboration with Zermatt Neo. Mutant manufactured a viral trendjacking moment where Zermatt challenged Subway to deliver a yard-long sub for him through lively banter on social media. Subway first posted an ad teasing the launch of a yard-long sandwich on its Facebook and Instagram on 31 March, as part of an April Fool’s prank. 

When the prank was eventually revealed, Zermatt commented on Subway’s Instagram post saying that if the brand did create a yard-long sandwich, he “would eat it solo”. Subway accepted the challenge. The next day, he was invited over to the Subway outlet at Junction 8 where he got to customise his rendang-flavoured, yard-long sandwich. The entire experience was filmed and produced as long-form video content. The campaign saw a total of 271,124 impressions and 11,768 engagements. 

From this example it’s clear that humour can create a strong emotional connection with customers and help companies stand out in a saturated marketplace. However, it’s important to remember that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach, and what works in one campaign may not work in another. Whatever the approach, it’s important to ensure that the use of humour in public relations campaigns aligns with the brand values and messaging. The key to success lies in being creative and original, while remaining inclusive and respectful. 

Need help with executing witty PR and social media campaigns? Talk to us at hello@mutant.com.sg!

“The communications industry is undergoing a digital revolution of its own. Enter ChatGPT, a powerful tool using natural language processing to generate human-like responses in real-time. And in a world that calls for rapid, succinct communication, ChatGPT is a valuable addition to any marketer’s arsenal.”

This was an introduction inspired by ChatGPT based on the following prompt: “From the perspective of a public relations agency leader in Asia, write a 30-second introduction about how ChatGPT is going up against communicators.” 

To say that ChatGPT has taken the communications industry by storm is an understatement. The AI’s ability to generate vast swaths of content in a matter of seconds — has generated both admiration and alarm, from professionals across all sectors and verticals. It’s equal parts impressive and terrifying to see how this technology can easily mimic human communication, as long as the prompts are detailed enough. 

Some industries have been quick to welcome ChatGPT with open arms. In Singapore, civil servants will soon be able to use the tool to churn out research, draft reports, and speeches, thanks to a locally-developed ChatGPT integration with Microsoft Word. In another part of the world, Chinese tech billionaires have been watching its relentless advancement into society like a hawk — and launching rival solutions in response.  

On the other hand, cybersecurity professionals have been pushing for regulatory frameworks and defences against potential AI-powered cybercrime. Some educational institutions have even banned the use of the tool completely, after it was found to be “smart” enough to pass esteemed US law and business exams. 

How brands and agencies can cultivate a healthy relationship with ChatGPT

As far as our industry is concerned, I believe that brands should embrace ChatGPT’s emergence, rather than fight it, and work with the technology to become faster, better, and smarter communicators. At a recent webinar organised by PRCA APAC,  I spoke about how exactly comms professionals can leverage ChatGPT to get the best outcomes. Here’s how we stand to gain from ChatGPT: 

• Automation: Using its natural language processing capabilities, ChatGPT can generate automated responses to customer inquiries, help with content creation, and analyse customer interactions to provide insights for improving communications strategies. As a result, brands can streamline their marketing efforts, and focus on other high-value tasks. 

• Engagement: By leveraging its natural language processing and deep learning algorithms, ChatGPT can help marketers and PR agencies craft conversational experiences based on customer preferences. Doing so can help boost customer engagement and satisfaction, which in turn translates into higher conversion rates and loyalty.

• Scale: Marketers can rely on ChatGPT’s ability to transform complex data into easily digestible stories that resonate with customers, helping them build trust and credibility. 

Once again, to illustrate ChatGPT’s resourcefulness, I fed the solution detailed prompts that would generate at least fifty words worth of text corresponding to each benefit. Each time, ChatGPT produced responses that offered a good starting point for me to further refine and repurpose. While its responses do sound a tad bit contrived after a certain point, ChatGPT undoubtedly offers a valuable launch pad for brands and communicators who may be stuck in a creative rut, or just need some direction. 

The perils and pitfalls of ChatGPT

While the benefits of ChatGPT are undeniable, we can never have too much of a good thing. 

Sam Altman, the co-found of Open AI famously declared that ChatGPT creates a “misleading impression of greatness”, with the potential to erode critical thinking if constantly used as a crutch. While the technology may be sophisticated enough to pass exams, it’s always best to fact-check whatever information the AI solution provides us. Additionally, there is also the danger of plagiarism — after all, ChatGPT is simply repackaging existing content without necessarily crediting the original authors involved. 

Why human marketers and professionals still matter 

Since its November 2022 launch, ChatGPT has emerged into one of the most fiercely divisive developments of our generation. As newer models of ChatGPT and other similar large language models are released, with each variation promising to outdo its predecessors by way of speed and accuracy, their cultural impact on society remains to be seen.

Ultimately, human communicators bring to the table a certain level of nuance, context, and skill that no artificial intelligence will ever be able to replicate. Here’s what sets us apart from our AI counterparts:

• Originality: The human capacity for innovation, novelty, and curiosity is what has kept our species going for millennia. When given the right resources and support, humans have the incredible ability to forge new ways of thinking, in a way that no AI tool can replicate. 

• Critical thinking: The ability to engage with an idea, deconstruct it entirely, and proactively search for perspectives that challenge our existing assumptions and thought patterns is behaviour only found in the human species. ChatGPT may have some of the answers for us, but comes up short as far as any form of critical thinking is concerned. 

• Nuance: Marketing strategies are built on a foundation of context and nuance, as far as target audience and demographics are concerned. ChatGTP often overlooks these details when creating content.

One thing is certain — the roles of humans, and human input continues to be undeniable. ChatGPT is meant to serve as a tool that enhances what publishers and marketers do, rather than replace them completely. At the end of the day, ChatGPT is simply an impressive aggregator of information — it provides a great launching pad for marketers who may be new to the world of social media, or brands trying to figure out their tone of voice and identity in the digital universe. 

Keen to continue the conversation about ChatGPT, or need an agency who can help with your content marketing needs? Talk to us at hello@mutant.com.sg

Every brand in Singapore wants to have a viral post or video.

While we have all witnessed the power of brands, products or services booming overnight thanks to social media platforms, it turns out that translating online trends into tangible business results isn’t easy. 
Reaching millions of customers via social media requires strategic content planning, agile communications, and audience insights for the creation of a successful strategy.

If you’re looking to elevate your social media game, try these three tips first:

1. Create content, not sales pitches

Say you want to promote an inventive, never-seen-before product or service, so you come up with a high-production, high-cost video. To your disappointment, the video reach is low, and there’s barely any engagement.

Well, here’s why: one of the most common social media mistakes is focusing on what you want to say, instead of what your audience wants to hear. Yes, your job is to sell your product or service, but it has to be done for your target audience. 

Always remember the importance of social listening; track and analyse social media platforms for conversations related to your brand to find out the hot topics and sentiments surrounding your target audience. Then, integrate your messaging into a content plan your audience wants to see.

H3 Case Study: Metro Trains Melbourne’s Dumb Ways to Die Campaign

Remember Dumb Ways to Die, the catchy song about rail safety that became the world’s most shared public service announcement (PSA) on social media? Within three months of its release, rail-related accidents dropped by 20%. First heard almost a decade ago, the song continues to live in our minds, with users creating parodies even till this day in 2022.

Their secret to success? Engaging, memorable content. Instead of a regular PSA, Metro Trains Melbourne featured adorably illustrated characters dying in morbid yet hilarious ways, piquing audience interest before ending with a call-to-action to be safe around trains.

Connect with your audience

Now that you’ve drawn your audience in with solid content, you need to build a relationship with them to keep them on your social media pages.

Just like any connection in real life, communication is key. One of the easiest ways to communicate with your audience is to utilise in-app interactive elements. Not only do polls, quizzes and question stickers quickly connect you to your audience, but interactive content is proven to grab attention and help differentiate your brand from competitors.

Case Study: Duolingo

Another way to build a relationship with your audience, both old and new, is through community management and interactions using comments. Language learning app Duolingo actively responds to comments on TikTok, often referencing pop culture and online trends that feed into their quirky (or some may call it unhinged) brand personality. 

Besides commenting on their own posts, Duolingo drops comments on other page’s posts to increase their visibility outside of their existing followers. Piecing this together with trendy content and a distinct brand voice, Duolingo has successfully accumulated 4.2 million social media followers, with an astounding 19% engagement rate as of late 2021.

Mutant Example: Singapore Sports Hub

To befriend your audience, you also need to build brand loyalty. One of the best ways to do so is to encourage user-generated content. In April 2022, we launched a campaign for Singapore Sports Hub on Instagram and Facebook, encouraging people to share their own photos or videos alongside a caption on why they love the Hub. 

For this campaign, we reached out to local photographers and reshared organic user content to encourage further participation. Over the six-week campaign period, Singapore Sports Hub saw over 300 user submissions. Many of the people who contributed have continued participating in the organisation’s subsequent marketing campaigns.

Evidently, focusing on the “social” in social media is the right way to go.

Venture into short-form vertical videos

We all know that TikTok has taken the social media world by storm. But that doesn’t mean you must be on the platform. While it may help you reach a wider, possibly younger (and especially Gen Z) audience, being on TikTok is not as important as adopting the TikTok formula — short-form vertical video. 

Meta has announced that all new video posts on Instagram will now be shared as Reels, encouraging businesses to post content about their brand, product and services as mobile-friendly vertical videos on Facebook. Even YouTube joined the bandwagon with the creation of YouTube Shorts for optimised short-form vertical content. 

With mobile video consumption doubling every year and only 30% of users turning their devices sideways to watch a video ad, it’s no wonder social media platforms are pushing for this strategic and fast-growing format as the main mode of communication.

Refresh Your Content Marketing to Reach Audiences in Singapore and Beyond

If there’s only one thing to take away from this article, it’s this: listen to your audience. Then, understand what they want and try your hand at creating short-form vertical video content that caters to their interests.

The ultimate goal? Get people so amped up about what you have to say that they organically become the ones spreading the word on your amazing creation or service. Think big and who knows, your brand might be Singapore’s next viral sensation. 

Want to win at social media marketing but not sure how to start? You’ve come to the right place: hello@mutant.com.sg

Everything in life is designed – and that’s not an overstatement. From the image you clicked on that led you here to the device you’re reading this from – they were all deliberately designed. Creatives are the visual architects of our world; wherever we look, we are surrounded by the vision and craft of designers, and that has made our lives infinitely better. It’s clear that graphic design is a valuable asset – so why does it have a low perceived value?

It can be difficult to process the amount of time that goes on behind-the-scenes for any creative work, yet we benefit tremendously when design functions as it’s meant to. The best designs are quiet, allowing you to focus on the experience. And when you do notice design, it’s often because bad design sticks out like a sore thumb.

With technology expanding our horizons, we have become more design-savvy than we once were. The general public has now joined in rebranding discussions – once populated by designers only – which means visual literacy is improving. Yet, brand identity agencies are still struggling because design is often treated as an afterthought in business processes. Why?

The problem isn’t awareness. Perhaps it’s got something to do with the commoditisation of design, how creatives present themselves, and an under-investment in brand identity.

1. There’s a template for everything

For every trending aesthetic (think Corporate Memphis), there are countless templated illustrations you can easily adapt to your own liking. With an ever-changing digital landscape and trend-focused social media platforms where we are conditioned to react immediately and then move on, it’s vital for brands to get up to speed on all things aesthetic to receive both visibility and engagement. And templates do come in handy for meeting these tricky, we-needed-it-yesterday deadlines. 

Unfortunately, an over-reliance on pre-made designs has led to a saturation of creative assets in the market, thus contributing to the undervaluation of design. It only takes two brands to stumble upon the same resource to result in a number of damaging consequences to the visual identity and reputation. However, utilising templates in a creative manner not only avoids repetition, but also functions as a great starting point to save on time building from scratch. Consider adopting multiple resources to mix and match, then finish off by customising the design with your brand’s style guide. This way, you’re able to quickly put together a design that’s still unique to your brand with only templates.

2. Don’t just be a pixel pusher

Most regard graphic design as a service that is readily available, and they’re not wrong. For a field that is becoming increasingly commoditised, it will be a challenge to move the needle from brand identity agencies relegated as service providers, to having a seat at the table. It’s up to creatives to steer the conversation into a direct engagement with the client; identify, or create opportunities by approaching design as a method to solve business problems.

3. Lack of foresight 

A limited understanding of the role and value of corporate identity agencies in business development, coupled with the general perception of design as an expendable service, is another nail in the coffin for design. Rather than considering design last, brands should think of design as a content strategy. Underinvestment in design can impact a business’s potential for growth, severely weakening brand reputation, and eventually leading to a breakdown of communication with your target audience. Foster a deeper understanding of design beyond its cosmetic aspect: begin by incorporating design thinking into your decision-making processes, and measure your return-on-investment with A/B tests that provide actionable insights.

Websites with a poor conversion rate can benefit from conducting a simple A/B testing as it allows designers and developers to optimise the build with data-driven decisions, rather than relying on intuitions. For example, build off your landing page experiment with visitor behaviour analytics such as heatmaps to visualise your user’s journey between two variants. Depending on the result, you can then make informed decisions to minimise purchase friction, and lower drop-off rate.

Design is transformative, and it’s up to businesses to leverage the power of visual language to help boost their growth. Poor aesthetics can hinder a great product, but a carefully thought-out, objective design can make all the difference for an average product. How your brand positions itself to stand above the noise depends on the value you place in driving your business’s success; consider your perspective on creative marketing work – is it a cost, or an investment?

Looking for a brand identity agency that can get the job done? Drop us a note at hello@mutant.com.sg

When Meghan Trainor, the ‘Queen of Bops’ released her song “No” back in 2016, it very quickly became my jam – not just because of how catchy it is, but because I often find myself struggling to say that powerful little word.

There was something incredibly freeing about walking around in public with my earphones in, blasting that song, and mentally picturing how great it would feel if I could just translate this liberating feeling into my everyday life, both personally and professionally.

On the professional front, this is particularly important for me since I work at a PR agency and deal with last-minute requests and urgent deadlines on a regular basis. It’s also key when it comes to offering clients counsel and pushing back when you know that something they’re set on might not work the way they think it will. 

So to my fellow PR practitioners: if you’re a fellow people pleaser who struggles to say the word “no,” then here are some quick tips that I’ve learnt from mentors and my own experiences along the way.

Practise the pause 

Oftentimes, the biggest struggle for people like us is the fact that we tend to panic and say YES to every single request even before we’ve had time to think it through and decide if it’s actually feasible. But once we’ve finally slowed down, thought it through, and realised it can’t actually be done, it’s nearly impossible  for us to backtrack because we’ve already committed.

One of the best ways to overcome this is to practise The Pause – literally pausing before responding to someone. It sounds pretty simple, but is much harder to put into practice. The next time you’re in a meeting and someone asks if you can do something, instead of immediately saying yes, PAUSE first. Think about what the task will entail, timelines and if it makes sense, and then respond accordingly. And it’s completely okay to say that you need more time to think it through or to discuss it with the rest of your team, and you’ll get back to them soon.

Saying no right off the bat might be hard – so maybe just start with not saying yes.

STOP Saying Sorry

I mean it… STOP. 

I’m not saying don’t take accountability for your actions when you actually mess up. But you’ve got to stop saying sorry for every little thing when there’s nothing for you to be sorry about. I’ve been there – when you’re trying to push back on something and you want to be firm or when you’re following up with something for the fourth time and  trying to be nice about it, you sprinkle in your “sorry, but…” before every sentence. 

If no one has told you before, then this is your sign to cut it out of your vocabulary when it’s unnecessary. All this does is make you seem like you aren’t confident in your actions and undermines all the good work that you do. 

Check your motivations

One of the best pieces of advice I’ve received is to always check my motivations for doing something. It’s easy to say yes to things so you seem like an easy and accommodating person to work with or because you want people to like you. 

While it’s nice to be liked, it’s not completely beneficial for you as a PR professional – you actually don’t want a reputation as a ‘yes’ person. Our jobs require us to play devil’s advocate sometimes, to counsel our clients on the strategies we know from experience will work and provide results that support their goals, and to think of all the possible outcomes for their betterment. So the next time you feel compelled to say yes solely because you want people to like you, check your motivations and think about whether this is helping you give your clients, or even your team, your best. 

Learning how to change a lifetime of habits isn’t easy. It’s going to be quite a bit of hard work, and in truth, it’s a constant effort. But  if you’re self-aware enough to know you need to change and are taking the little steps to get there, you’re on the right track! 

PR agency professionals, does this resonate with you? Tell us more at hello@mutant.com.sg

It’s that time of the year again: when love is in the air and brands pull out all the stops to capture the hearts of consumers for Valentine’s Day. And though most of the messaging is centred on lovey-dovey sentiments, like Toblerone’s ‘Love Insurance’ scheme, sometimes brands go in the opposite direction. For example, if people pay a grand sum of $10, the San Antonio Zoo will name a cockroach after their not-so-special someone and feed it to an animal (I do hope the amphibians enjoy my donation of 10 cockroaches). 

If your Valentine’s Day campaign plans are still up in the air and you are looking to spread the brand love, here are some ways you can get started: 

Newsjacking

Share any Valentine’s Day-themed stories that can highlight your brand’s key messages or any relevant, ongoing campaigns with local and regional media. For consumer brands, this can be a great opportunity to put together a creative and easily shareable gift guide highlighting products or services that are perfect for Valentine’s Day. It’s a great way to showcase your offerings and inspire customers to shop.

To raise awareness about Logitech’s wide range of products, Mutant put together a curated gift guide that featured the best Logitech products suitable for everyone from gamer girls to software coders. With the guide, Logitech successfully showcased its products, designed to fit every need, as well as build stronger media relations by providing the option of product reviews for media.

Content creation

A quick and easy way to punch up your brand voice and engage your audience this Valentine’s Day is by hopping on social media trends. Take to TikTok or Instagram to post something relatable and even cheeky to cut through the noise and interact with your followers.

Working with creators

As part of a broader campaign strategy leading up to a holiday, it’s always a good idea to create themed content that integrates various campaign elements and key messages across all social media platforms. Working with key opinion leaders (KOLs) can help brands create deeper connections and build credibility with their audiences, leading to better business results. To drive greater awareness for campaigns, brands can also opt to implement social media challenges, kicked-off by lifestyle KOLs in an effort to start a viral trend on TikTok or Reels. This can be a great way to generate valuable content and create emotional bonds with target audiences.

Media drops

Media drops are an excellent way for brands to build closer relationships with KOLs who have strong brand affinity and resonate with your company values. On top of this, media drops help attract the attention of your brand’s target audience and generate hype, providing brands with a platform to showcase the USPs of their campaign.

To help challenge Singaporean singles to take charge of their dating journey and date on their own terms this Bumble released a new campaign for Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day: Bumble Love Letters. To raise awareness about the campaign and build stronger relationships with key local media, Mutant planned and executed a media drop, gifting KOLs and media contacts a box Bumble Love Letters by Kele Confectionery and two jars of honey. The love letter is synonymous with both Chinese New Year festivities and Valentines’ Day, and we wanted to spotlight the campaign and excite the media through this media drop.

Partnerships

When gearing up for a big campaign season, like Valentine’s Day, it’s always a good idea to identify potential partners that your brand might be able to work with. Are there any companies that your brand can collaborate with in order to produce a new product line, event or stunt? Alternatively, you could partner with a local business to offer a special deal or package for couples on Valentine’s Day. This can be a great way to drive traffic to your business and build relationships with other brands in your community.

Consumers today are smarter, savvier and better informed than ever before. Traditional Valentine’s Day campaigns are falling by the wayside as brands need to devise more creative and engaging campaigns or experiences to capture the attention of their target audiences. 

Need help with executing epic PR and social media campaigns? Talk to us at hello@mutant.com.sg

Design trends are everywhere you look – whether they’re tried-and-true, retro, or brand new, the challenge is learning how to identify the one that will benefit a client. 

This can be incredibly tricky – sometimes clients themselves even request that design trends be incorporated into their content, be it a seasonal campaign, social media posts, or an annual report. But from a designer’s perspective, brands don’t really need to jump on every trend if they already have a strong presence.

There are three things to consider when deciding whether to hitch your wagon to a trending design. 

• Who is your target audience and how will they interact with this particular design? Will they appreciate it, be offended, or completely indifferent to it?
• As a brand, what are you trying to communicate when incorporating this design?
•  How will the design reinforce the message you are trying to communicate to your audience? 

Let’s take a look at three current design trends and what we think of them!  

Colour gradients 

Logo – Tinder

Social media template – Canva

Skincare Packaging – Ahlens Aroma

Over the past few years, the popularity of gradients has surged. Be it in logos, social posts, or packaging, the aesthetically pleasing colour grades are getting a lot of love – because who doesn’t enjoy a pop of colour once in a while?

Though a gradient is admittedly eye-catching, if no thought is put behind it, it becomes too abstract and fails to reflect or strengthen a brand in any way. Regardless of how pretty it is, we do think the internet is oversaturated with gradient content – and that makes it very hard for brands to stand out.

But if a gradient is a must for a client, then it’s important to find ways to make it unique to the brand. An easy way to do this is by ensuring that the colours used are part of a brand’s identity. As long as they don’t stray too far away from existing guidelines, it will fit seamlessly into the rest of the brand’s content or campaign and tick that design trend box.

Expressive lettering that doesn’t sacrifice legibility

“Flow” by Rafael Serra on Behance

“The Discourse” by Sam Eves

Manifesto by Bráulio Amado

Expressive and experimental lettering is a funky trend that can bring mixed reactions. But playing around with this trend as a brand can create a very inviting and playful atmosphere, ushering in  a refreshing take on a new campaign. Think of all the fun kinetic typography that could be produced! 

That said, expressive lettering is a tricky one to execute without messing up the whole direction of a campaign. Balancing expression and functionality isn’t as easy as it seems, and it often becomes more of a challenge when creating for an audience that isn’t specifically into the artsy side of things. The risk with this trend is losing the message and overall legibility if the design is too experimental or expressive. But so long as the design expresses the context of the message and is legible, it can add dimension to the overall look. Should a brand jump on it? It’s definitely worth a try! 

Analog vibes across digital media

Artwork for Big Write Hook magazine by Ryan the Designer

Tim Saunders

Nike – Makers of the Game

Let’s talk about the grunge revival. Grunge often gives off a very DIY/punk look, and  is widely used for digital zines and album covers today. It’s very analog and out of all the other design trends, this one has the most physical presence. This can feel both nostalgic and refreshing, especially considering we’ve all been stuck at home and online for the past couple of years. Amongst the myriad clean and minimal digital designs on the internet, grunge artwork will definitely draw some attention. There’s something about the juxtaposition of something so textured in digital form that scratches our brains just right. 

The downside of this trend is that the textures can sometimes make the artwork look “dirty”, which is not what most brands strive for. But if a brand wants to try this look out, we think  it’s worth getting a design  to try their hand at executing it. 

Though it is very tempting to jump on every aesthetically pleasing design, it’s important to remember that brands don’t have to follow all of them to stay relevant. But if it fits into a campaign or the social content strategy and will convey the message a brand is looking to tell, then playing with trends can pay off – just be sure to really consider it holistically and have a sit down with the designers so that everyone can figure it out together. 

Need help figuring out an art direction? We can help: hello@mutant.com.sg

Picture this: you’ve always been interested in the creative industry. Keen to know more, you decided to approach your colleagues in the design department, and  succeeded in striking a conversation with them.

But then the designers started to throw around industry design terms that you don’t understand. Leading? Orphan? River? All you can do is awkwardly nod and smile along while wondering, ‘What is that supposed to mean?’

Don’t worry, we’re here to help! Here are the five basic design terms you need to know.

Layout and composition

You might hear designers use the term “layout” or “composition” during a meeting or discussion. Layout is the arrangement of the elements of a design, such as the images and texts on a magazine page. Layout and composition make up the foundation of design, from newspaper, brochure, social media posts to even web design. A good layout should not only grab the reader’s attention, but also communicate information in an aesthetically pleasing manner.

Margins

Margins are the spaces between the edge of a page and the content within it. Margins appear around all four sides of the content; left, right, top, and bottom. You can have different margin sizes for each side to suit your design needs. A suitable margin helps to achieve a well balanced design, improve readability, and make the visual neater by introducing more breathing space.

Widows and Orphans

You might wonder what a woman who has lost her spouse or a child who has lost their parents has to do with design. In the design industry, “widow” is a term for when the last line of a paragraph is not able to fit at the bottom of a page or column and instead, sits at the top of the next page. Meanwhile, an “orphan” is when the first line of a paragraph sits at the bottom of a page by itself. In design we try to avoid orphans and widows as much as possible since it is visually distracting and interrupts the reading flow.

Alignment is the placement of text or graphics in a layout. whether left, right, centred or justified. While you probably won’t notice when the elements are properly aligned, you will almost certainly notice when they aren’t. When a design is poorly aligned it looks messy and incomplete. Aligning the elements on the page will help your design be more readable and clean.

Alignment

Alignment is the placement of text or graphics in a layout. whether left, right, centred or justified. While you probably won’t notice when the elements are properly aligned, you will almost certainly notice when they aren’t. When a design is poorly aligned it looks messy and incomplete. Aligning the elements on the page will help your design be more readable and clean.

River

When you set your body text into justified alignment, you might see a noticeable crack or line formed by the gaps in the sentence that run through the paragraph of text. We call it a “river”. To fix a river, a light touch of spacing adjustments should do it. Text with rivers typically has poor readability, and it should be avoided, if possible.

Well, there you have it, the five basic design terms you’ll likely encounter when talking to a designer. These are only some of the common terms in the design industry, so keep an open mind and learn along the way! Keep in mind that there’s no shame in asking others to help clarify anything that you’re unsure of.

Need a brand identity agency to help with your design-related needs? Chat with us at hello@mutant.com.sg

Influencers, content creators,  key opinion leaders. Call them whatever you want, but I call them opportunity. In the midst of a recessionary environment and shrinking marketing budgets, the creator economy represents a huge opportunity for brands. 

According to research by Nielsen, brand recall for influencer content is four times that of traditional digital content. Further, 80% of social media users in Asia who follow influencers are more likely to buy products when they are recommended by those influencers. And this isn’t just true for influencers with millions of followers – audiences are more aligned with creators, especially micro influencers (loosely defined as creators with 5,000 to 30,000 followers), because they feel more personally relevant to the average person.

Meltwater’s Creator Economy Report reinforced this when it found that 91% of all sponsored post engagements in 2021 were created by micro-influencers. This cohort of creators are brands’ top collaborators because smaller, focused audiences make for high engagement and the best ROI for brands. Notably, rates for micro-influencer posts are considerably lower than famous influencers, charging an average US$200 per Instagram post in APAC. In this regard, the adage that less is more, certainly holds true. 

Do more with less

Considering this, partnering with creators can be an incredibly lucrative move for brands looking to not only reach their audience, but make a lasting impact. By co-creating posts and campaigns with creators in APAC whose audiences and values align with your brand, marketing teams can gain a leg up in brand awareness, consideration, and ROI, all without blowing budgets.

Here are three types of niche influencer groups to that are gaining popularity and that you should consider for the year ahead. 

Virtual Influencers

Meet Rae, a virtual Singaporean influencer, our local answer to Brazilian-American hyper-realistic virtual influencer, Lil Miquela. Rae, forever 25 years old, is effortlessly cool, straddling the realms of virtual and reality. Rae may be 24/7 plugged in, but she also “lives” in the real world: she’s had her hair done by Kim Robinson, been spotted at the F1 Grand Prix, and walked the runway for fashion festival Front Row. Rae is also the face of Shiseido and Hugo Boss and is emblematic of the fashion industry’s current love of virtual influencers. Virtual influencers have played a role at Milan and Paris Fashion week and are used by ambassadors by luxury brands. 

While many have proclaimed virtual influencers as a novelty, they have been gaining traction with digital natives. In fact, fashion house Hugo Boss stated they engaged Rae as part of their rebranding strategy to appeal to the youth demographic in Singapore. 

Granfluencers

In Asia, where markets including Singapore, Japan and South Korea have an ageing population, the silver economy is lined with gold. We’re starting to see the rise of the “granfluencers” in Asia – senior influencers who are pulling in millions of followers.

For example, Chinese Douyin influencer, @tlaolao, has racked up more than 36 million followers and generates an average of more than $300k in media impact value per post. Ong Bee Yan, grandmother of two, is also a rising granfluencer from Singapore. She has worked with Young Hungry Free, an edgy online fashion brand, as well as Estée Lauder, promoting their skincare products. These young-at-heart influencers appeal to a wide audience.

These influencers resonate with Millennials and Gen Z because they are seen as more authentic, confident, and honest while still relating closely with their own demographics. Granfluencers have carved a niche for themselves in the digital world and is one group to take note of.

Petfluencers 

Who doesn’t love a cute animal? It is precisely this appeal that has drawn in dollars and deals for pet influencers – well, for their owners. Petfluencers are often crowd favourites with massive appeal, and do not lose out to their human counterparts when it comes to engagement. According to media auditor SpearRJ, “Kim Kardashian’s Instagram offers an engagement rate of 1.68%. In comparison, the famous wolfdog @Loki, has an engagement rate of 2.51% and gathers more than 50,000 likes for each post.” 

Singapore’s top dogs include Sasha and Piper (@lomodoggies), a pair of fluffy white terriers with 25,000 followers. The duo has endorsement deals with brands such as Dyson, Hush Puppies, and Cloversoft, and  according to a past Straits Times interview by their owner, each marketing deal earned them about SG$500. Though four-legged and furry, these are an example of micro-influencers that brands can collaborate with creatively.

Need help with social media content services? Chat with us at hello@mutant.com.sg 

One of the most commonly asked questions from my colleagues outside of the design department goes along the lines of, “I’m not a designer. How do you evaluate whether a piece of design is good or bad, and why can’t I do that?” 

Although broadly everyone can tell when something looks good or not – it’s much more of a challenge when there are multiple stakeholders on the client side. 

As much as I enjoy possessing “hidden powers”  that enable me to see what others can’t – anyone can develop a relatively competent level of design appreciation. It starts with a simple shift in how you approach design: treat design as a language.

This realisation came to me when I was reflecting on my journey as a graphic designer, the languages I’ve learned since young, and the languages I’m learning as an adult (a story for another day). Has it occurred to you that all of us learned our native languages as children and continued to refine it into adulthood? Sure, we learned grammar and new vocabulary formally in school, but the bulk of our learning was outside of the classroom. In other words, we acquired our native languages before we learned new aspects to it.

Dr. Stephen Krashen, a PhD in linguistics who speaks 8 languages, is a huge proponent of acquiring new languages rather than purely learning them. I’m here to suggest that we can acquire an eye for design in the same way based on Dr Krashen’s second-language acquisition hypotheses.

Start with comprehensible input and progressive overload

The first of Dr Krashen’s hypotheses states that learners progress in their knowledge of the language when they understand something said in a slightly more advanced language than their current level. This is a crucial step in language acquisition; using just any input is not sufficient; the input received must be comprehensible.

A great place to start would be to look up some of the best and worst designs ever created and hear what has been said about them. What did designers and consumers say about the Nike logo? What were the criticisms of the latest macOS UI? Start with reviews and videos made for  casual consumers, and then the ones made for other designers. As you receive more exposure to these articles and videos, you will begin to remember key phrases and how they were used.

Immersion and deliberate practice are necessary for continued progression

Language immersion camps are lucrative businesses in the world of second-language learning because they work. Students are only allowed to speak their target languages throughout the duration of their course and by the end of the camp, most of them would be competent in the languages that they’re learning because of the acquisition that takes place alongside the formal lessons. Fortunately, we don’t have to go so far, because  we are surrounded by design — both good and bad — everyday and everywhere.

Spend at least 5 minutes a day to speak or write about the design of items around you. What do you like about it? What makes it look good? And if you’re a fast learner, how would you sell it strictly based on its design? Use as many words that you’ve picked up from your comprehensible input as you can and discuss them with a designer. The more you attempt to talk about design with a designer, the better.

Make the process fun with free voluntary reading 

Learning any language for long periods of time can be tiring, which is why it’s important to take active breaks from your target language without completely detracting from it. With the Free Voluntary Reading method,  students are allowed to simply read what they like in the target language. This method encourages students to read more on their own, which increases exposure to the target language and helps with pattern recognition.

I believe the same method when applied to design can be even more engaging and visually-stimulating. Think about the design of something you’re passionate about. Maybe you’re an avid book collector, or a fan of branded goods. Can you list the top 3 book covers or logos that you like the most? What do you like about their design? Could you describe them in your own words? Observe how bloggers and “prosumers” review these things that you like. How do they evaluate them, and do you understand what they’re saying? Once you have a good grasp of what they say or write, move on to professional reviewers and see if you understand what they say as well.

Take your time and experiment in safe environments

While this last point is not necessarily a technique, it’s important to remember that an eye for design, just as with any other languages, is a lifelong skill to develop. As a designer, it took me close to 10 years before I could confidently say that I can reliably evaluate design, regardless of the topic or media. You may not want to make a blunder in a business presentation, so don’t be afraid to practice this new language during scrum meetings or internal design reviews with your colleagues. Through persistent deliberate practice, empathetic correction from designers and exposure to design appreciation, you will be able to hold your own in a design conversation. 

Looking for a meaningful conversation about design? Reach out to a brand identity agency today: hello@mutant.com.sg

Ten years by any entrepreneur’s reckoning is a lifetime – and the first decade of Mutant has been scattered with struggles and triumphs. So to see the agency get to where it is today fills me with gratitude towards the friends, colleagues, and clients who have shared this journey with us.

Last week, the team sat me down to ask a few questions about what the past 10 years have been like. In typical style I completely overshared, and in typical Mutant style, they pulled out the good bits to make me sound somewhat professional. I hope you enjoy reading.

Tell us about the beginnings of Mutant. What made you want to launch an agency, and what was the initial goal of the business?

A decade ago, I was a twentysomething with zero PR, management or finance experience. With all the gusto and confidence that comes with youth, I decided to launch a PR and content marketing agency. But while my knowledge of the sector was limited, I had some experience to back it up. 

Prior to setting up Mutant, I had worked with PR agencies on a couple of different projects. The first agency I used was a big multinational who charged a small fortune for mediocre content.The second agency I used was an eager little boutique shop that couldn’t deliver on quality. 

Clearly, there was a gap – and I threw myself into launching an agency. But, I didn’t have any money, so it was tough. During the early days of the business, I worked over 90 hours a week, and didn’t take a salary. You’d find me eating chicken porridge twice a day to save money. It wasn’t easy, but it paid off. In our first year, we picked up clients like BBC, PayPal, the Singapore Yacht Show, and the rest was history. 

What are some of the biggest highlights/takeaways from this decade-long journey?

About five years ago, I started examining Mutant’s leadership structures, and realised that it needed a drastic do-over. I was increasingly stretched, the company was evolving, and it became more difficult to implement the processes required and work hands on with each team, while also working on growing the business.

Lina Marican, an ambitious Account Director at the time, identified this and pitched to become Managing Director. It turned out to be one of the best business decisions I have ever made. We challenge each other in an uplifting way that leads to better outcomes. 

Stress has been a constant bedfellow and learning to manage it without being paralysed has been important. Poor cash flow or market outlooks no longer leads to the same sleepless nights it once did. 

Another key learning is how and when to apply your competitive mindset. The saying, ‘comparison is the thief of joy’ is often true, but is not always bad — this is true both personally and professionally. A number of small agencies launched at the same time as Mutant, and I regularly fixated on benchmarking ourselves against them. Since then, many have closed down, some have hardly grown, and a couple of others are similar in size, or even larger.

Wanting to be the biggest or best agency can be a great motivator. But it can also be all-consuming, and not in a helpful way. Not all business models are like ours, not all have the same focus on quality, staffing, culture and business outcomes, which makes it difficult to truly compare. 

I’ve also come to appreciate how no matter how good, easy, or successful someone may appear, it’s rarely a painless journey. The older I’ve gotten, the more I’ve understood that everyone has struggles. Life is hard.

Is there anything throughout Mutant’s ten years that you wish you did differently? And if so, how would you change your approach?

I don’t have a lot of regrets. I just think if I was to do it again, I’d be able to build it faster. I would have outsourced the stuff better suited for other people, like finance. I would have hired more senior people earlier, but this is easier said than done when you’re cash-strapped.

Where do you see Mutant in a decade’s time?

Our goal to become one of the largest independent agencies in Southeast Asia still remains. I’d like to think we are well on our way to achieving that over the next few years. In 2023, we hope to open in the Philippines, followed by Thailand and Vietnam over the next couple of years. Beyond SEA it’s hard to make a call, but Australia, New Zealand and India probably make sense from a strategic point of view.

My focus is on sustainable growth, and maintaining our culture and quality of service. I’m not in a rush to pin flags on a map. As long as we consistently move forward, do kick-ass work, and look out for our team, I’m happy. 

Who and what has kept you going throughout these years?

Early on it was youthful motivation, but discipline and drive helped me sustain my vision. No one can be highly motivated 100% of the time — especially for over a decade. 

My family has also been a constant pillar of strength. When I started Mutant, my wife Rebecca Lewis (then girlfriend) supported me both emotionally and financially. Not only did she encourage me to follow my dreams, but she also paid the rent while I did it. We have weathered many storms together, and she was unwavering in her support. 

Domestic life has been key in keeping me grounded, refreshed, and ready for anything business or life throws my way.