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When people think of PR events, they often think of big-bang launch events with the sole purpose of announcing the company’s latest achievements or milestones. However, PR events are much more than just an avenue to break news. They’re also a place to meet and foster relationships with different stakeholders, from journalists to potential customers.  

Understandably, physical events were few and far between during the pandemic. PR folks had to pivot to virtual briefings and interviews for media engagements, which then changed the media relationship dynamics. Now that people have adjusted to virtual platforms, they are often used as just another digital tool for getting companies’ messages across rather than for mingling and building relationships.

Today, things are slowly taking a different turn as restrictions lift and people venture out of their homes,  learning to coexist with the pandemic. As PR events ramp back up, and here are some reminders of what needs to be done to plan and host a successful event:

Phase 1: Planning a kick-ass event

As part of your planning, the venue will be one of the first things that needs to be locked down. The right venue will help you create the vibe or convey the ambiance needed to support your event and fit the theme. For instance, if you’re launching a new camera, you will need a venue with strong natural sunlight or lighting that is able to give your guests the right experience when testing out the camera. That is why a site recce is important  – you should never book a venue without personally viewing the place and asking questions. 

Once you have the right venue, you then need to start working on the media materials that need to be prepared ahead of time – everything from invites to briefing documents. A workback timeline is extremely important to keep your team on track and aligned. The last thing you need when planning for a PR event is forgetting to do certain things and only remembering it on the event day itself.

Phase 2: D-Day

How smoothly the event day goes is all dependent on how much preparation you put in ahead of time. It is crucial to brief the working team on their respective roles and responsibilities a day before the event to ensure that it is still fresh in everyone’s mind. If time permits, a dry run or rehearsal is advisable to ensure not only the working team knows exactly what to do, but that the client and spokesperson understand their roles, too. 

However, not everything always goes according to plan. When things go awry, this is when working teams need to stay calm, think on their feet and be resourceful. Always bring along an emergency bag of necessities that includes stationery and simple tools like safety pins (which have proven to be quite a lifesaver at the most unexpected times!). The key here is to anticipate for things to go sideways and be prepared for it. Like Doraemon, just imagine you have a magical pouch filled with all the things you need to make sure an event runs smoothly! 

Phase 3: The End. Now what?

Many people think that after an event wraps, they can finally close the chapter and be done with it. However, this is usually not the case. Though the main event is over, it is still important to keep the conversation going and be in touch with the journalists and guests who attended the event. For instance, it is a good habit to send individual thank you notes to people for their time. While it may seem as a small gesture, these are the little things that make a great impression and help people remember your brand. Eventually,a journalist might ask for a quote or commentary because they remember you. After all, it is easier to reach out to someone they already know than searching for someone new.

Organising PR events is not something new. Many of us have done it before. But sometimes, it’s the extra steps that count. Thinking ahead and anticipating what’s next is the key to ensure a seamless and successful event. 

Need help putting together a PR event? You’ve come to the right place: hello@mutant.com.sg.

Diversity and inclusion have increasingly become integral pillars for businesses, especially within the past few years. We’re seeing more companies devoting resources to programmes that help drive this cause, with a study expecting the global market for diversity and inclusion to reach US$15.4 billion in size by 2026. This is a fantastic and much-needed trend that would benefit many employees.

Amid this push for more inclusivity and diversity, can companies not only recognise introverts in the workplace but also advocate for them, too?  

The World of Work

Workplace cultures tend to favour active, highly sociable, go-getter attitudes, and people who are eager to voice their opinions, interact and network. These are attributes often associated with “extroverts”, an all-too-familiar term that describes a person who derives their energy from their external surroundings (conversely, “introverts” derive their energy internally; for example, by reflecting on or thinking about ideas and memories). 

Long before the pandemic struck, it seemed that virtually every workplace had an open-office plan, which effectively killed the notion of privacy or “your own quiet space in the office”. Ultimately, the modern office was the ideal environment for more sociable workers to thrive and to get ahead of their peers. It enabled a competitive corporate culture that greatly suited extroverted qualities. What we see online would corroborate this, with research finding that highly extroverted people have a 25% chance of being in a higher-earning job.

But what about our introverted colleagues? These are the co-workers who might be described (whether accurately or not) as your “quiet” deliverers, the team members who may not be as sociable, active or loud, or who prefer to limit their interactions with others. How did they cope in an office environment that was not conducive to their natural inclination for quiet, calm and privacy?

Well, they did what they had to—they adapted so that they could survive in a corporate world that wasn’t created for them. 

But then COVID-19 swept the world and turned all of our ideas about work on its head.

The Great Disruptor

With the pandemic forcing everyone to stay home, remote work became the default. Face-to-face meetings—where the more vocal you are, the more you get to assert your presence—vanished. Office social gatherings were curtailed or prohibited, and completing your tasks alone became the centrepiece of your workday. 

The world of work became an introvert’s dream, with articles and opinion pieces declaring how it was time for introverts to shine. It seems that this sudden paradigm shift shook the world of extroverts to the core, while those who didn’t necessarily seek active socialisation at work (like me) thrived or were hardly bothered by it. If the pandemic has shown anything, it’s that the constant need to be “always on” at the office isn’t necessary to succeed at one’s job. 

Finding the right balance 

With the world opening up again as we enter a post-COVID reality, there needs to be a balance where both extroverted or introverted employees can be allowed to contribute in their own ways.

While I personally am relieved at the work-from-home revolution, being a self-proclaimed introvert myself, I can also recognise that always working from home may not be suitable or sustainable for all employees. Ultimately, my preferred way of working is as much of an imbalance in workplace culture as requiring everyone to work full-time in an open office environment is. Any focus on one biased environment over another is damaging as it benefits only one group of people rather than considering the varying, nuanced needs of your extroverts and introverts, and those in between.  

As more companies slowly make the shift back to the office, we’ve seen a rise in flexible or hybrid work arrangements, which is encouraging and could be the happy medium for all employees. What’s more, studies have shown that flexible work arrangements boost productivity, work-life balance and employee engagement.

This is why it’s important to find a middle ground, and companies and their employees can each play a part in moulding a workplace culture that is diverse and inclusive. 

Recognise that introversion =/= weak

So what else can businesses and organisations do? For starters, much like how they need to recognise and celebrate the value of having employees from different backgrounds, companies also need to acknowledge and recognise the value that employees with introverted qualities can bring. The common misconception about introverted people is that they’re shy or meek or hesitant to voice their opinions. This is far from true, and leads to the strange notion that they need to be brought out of their shell with intensely social activities like ice breakers or networking.  

Rather, business and team leaders should strive to make the most of their introverted team members’ innate capabilities and understand how those qualities can complement a team or business. Researchers and experts believe that empathy, good listening skills and deep thinking are the hallmarks of introversion. 

So providing appropriate time and space for reflection before approaching a problem is key to an introvert’s ability to contribute and communicate effectively. With this in mind, companies should strive to create a work environment where introverts don’t feel the constant pressure to say something if they have nothing of value to add at that moment. In the same vein, providing a physical space where an employee can sit and think in private can be incredibly beneficial, especially in today’s modern offices where there’s constant activity and disruptions. 

Introverts, rise up!

At the same time, employees who consider themselves introverted can play a part, too. How? By tapping into their own unique strengths and finding avenues that allow them to be heard. For example, if the thought of big group meetings is not your cup of tea, make an effort to do 1-on-1 meet-ups with people instead.

If you didn’t get the chance to contribute in a meeting or brainstorming session, follow up with an email or a private message to share your thoughts and ideas. Arrange for quick chats with your manager just to update them on your tasks and progress, as this helps establish rapport in your own way and in a space where you don’t have to compete for attention or shout to be heard.

These are small steps that can make a difference. Crucially, introverts should remember that they deserve to be recognised and to work in an environment where their qualities are not seen as weaknesses but as assets.

All in all, businesses and organisations need to widen their perception of what makes an ideal employee. By leveraging each other’s differences, we can create a work environment that provides ample space for different people to feel included, respected and valued. 

CTA: Have any thoughts about workplace culture that you’re eager to share? Let it all out at hello@mutant.com.sg 

One of the most memorable quotes from the 2010 film The Social Network, is when Justin Timberlake’s Sean Parker says: “We lived on farms and then we lived in cities – and now we are going to live on the internet.” Twelve years later, this line is much more true than it was then, as people now use the internet to congregate and form digital tribes on these platforms, and engage one another in myriad ways, including messages sent to friends, family, and brands, voice chats on Clubhouse and Twitter Spaces, and videos in the form of short-form entertainment, streaming, and business calls.

As the world transforms digitally, the communities we interact within have changed, too. This also means that brands are fighting much harder than before for our attention in the digital space.

Brands have been integrating social media as part of their communications strategy for years now, working to reach the billions of people who visit Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn daily. With every brand out there looking to engage consumers through these platforms, they are increasingly becoming more bloated and saturated with branded content – ranging from the obvious sponsored adverts to ‘subtle’ product placements. 

But because of this influx of content, people often feel brand fatigue. As advertisers compete with each other for consumers’ attention, brands now need to rethink their social media strategy. More than ever, brands need to focus on engaging their target audience and the wider community in meaningful ways, which is key to increasing brand loyalty and affinity.

Here are a few social media platforms that brands can leverage on to build and engage their communities:

Discord

Discord is a VoIP (Voice-over-IP), instant messaging and digital distribution platform. Users communicate with voice calls, video calls, text messaging, media and files in private chats or as part of communities through different servers. The platform first gained popularity within gaming communities, and was a hit with users with its easy-to-use interface and low barriers to entry, making it one of the most used community platforms within the younger age groups.

One of the key challenges brands consistently face is the ability to build and nurture communities, and to engage their own user base meaningfully. Discord bridges the gap through its community-centric approach, which encourages users to set up their own channels and provides the ability to engage in voice-chat seamlessly. The fact that it’s popular among the younger age groups will also help brands trying to target this particular demographic. 

Community channels can also be created for like-minded individuals to connect, for example, over their common love for certain brand’s products. This creates organic community engagement and allows for conversations  where people can potentially provide important feedback. Help channels can also be set up for customers to join and speak to a person in real-time, allowing for queries to be answered quickly.

Discord can also be utilized effectively in engaging the media, with its unique text, voice and video capabilities – as well as the ability to make certain channels private or exclusive to a small audience. For example, a brand could dedicate a channel as a media repository where visual assets, press fact sheets and FAQs are stored. 

The platform can also be useful for coordinating virtual press conferences and events, with the ability to keep journalists in ‘holding channels’ or conduct simultaneous 1-on-1 interviews across different channels. Moderators and various spokespeople can also park themselves in these channels so journalists can pop-in with questions anytime. 

Twitch

A video live streaming service that focuses on video game live streaming, Twitch is a platform  where brands can leverage the real-time engagement  content creators and streamers earn. 

Streaming allows content creators to connect with their audiences in a more direct and intimate setting, and people can directly interact with the brand spokesperson or ambassador in real time. As long as a brand selects an ambassador who gels with the brand message and products, and is genuine in their recommendation, it can be easy for them to build affinity and loyalty through the platform. Ultimately, Twitch satisfies the need for organic and real-time engagement, and will make the brand feel more personable to the masses.

Quora

Quora is a social question-and-answer portal where users can collaborate by editing questions and commenting on answers that have been submitted by other users. One challenge that brands constantly have to tackle is community management as consumers often treat social pages as helpdesks, and managing queries through traditional social media channels can often be clunky. As such, a consolidated FAQ repository that allows users to access information and facts easily will reduce the load on the customer support front. 

Brands can also tap on Quora to share short-form thinkpieces and commentaries on the brand’s own platform, circumventing traditional media titles. Posts can be curated and edited to suit the tone of the brand, and publishing on a platform like Quora will also invite organic Q&A opportunities for consumers to engage in conversations. Ultimately, this helps build the brand  through a thought-leadership approach, where the brand consistently spearheads conversations about relevant topics and establishes themselves as a key opinion leader within the space.

In an era where digital mediums fight to keep people’s attention, brands should focus on what’s important for its business and its audience by  shifting away from pushing out new content and towards engaging their audience and maintaining brand loyalty.

Ultimately, it’s a long game: the brands that thrive are the ones that invest in their communities and engage them in meaningful ways that go far beyond gimmicks and flash campaigns.

Want to set up a solid social media strategy? You’ve come to the right place: hello@mutant.com.sg

No matter how hard we may hang onto our favourite pair of jeans and go-to hairstyles, changes in trends are inevitable: what’s fashionable one year may not be fashionable the next. Trends ebb and flow, and the same goes for fonts – every year, new fonts and font trends come to light, promising us new ways to express ourselves.

Quirky fonts have reigned supreme in the last two years, and we expect that 2022 will be a little calmer – consumers are looking to be reassured, and brands can easily stand out if they use fonts that comfort and soothe. But calm doesn’t mean boring – and it seems that the font trends in 2022 will offer us a very exciting year of typography. From soft-edged to retro, here are some typefaces we think will popular in the coming months:

Varied Versatility: Cotford

A contemporary serif from Monotype Studio’s Creative Type Director Tom Foley, Cotford is a languid serif with a wide range of weights. From delicate thin typefaces that bend like flower stems, to bold heavy weights that command the page and screen with confidence and vintage charm, Cotford’s layered versatility is a treat for designers.

Foley set out to create a soulful, modern serif typeface for designers to experiment and play with, and Cotford’s changeable font opens up a wide range of visual expression, allowing designers to experiment with different weights, contrasts, and optical sizes until they find the ideal weight, contrast, and optical size for their project. With its classic paradigm of three text and five display weights, it’s a great choice for brands looking to create online reports, brochures, as well as larger physical designs including books and billboards.

It’s Grooooooovy: Quinllyk

We’re going back to the 1970s with Quinllyk, a retro serif font series with thick, curved lettering. Assertive and cheery, Quinnlyk conjures spinning records, bell bottom jeans, and questionable hair products. 

With its expansive terminals and fillagrees, this font conveys a fantastical, adventurous atmosphere thanks to the font’s flowing curves that give it a sense of life. The  broad serif and unique shape make this typeface suitable for a wide range of projects, including  branding, logos, wedding designs, social media posts, commercials, product packaging, and any other projects that require a touch of handwriting.

With over 50 alternative characters and ten ligatures, this typeface offers something for everyone. 

In The Heights: Flexible

One of the most innovative fonts we’ve seen so far, Flexible is a modern, changeable, all-caps sans serif font. Its mixed-width typographies have a fun, graphic appeal that make them a variety of designs – product packaging, book and report covers, and so on.

Created by art director and illustrator Art Grootfontein, Flexible was inspired by late-19th century gothic typefaces from broadsheets and with animation in mind, the versatile uppercase designs come in eight widths and e heights, as well as a changeable version font that promises endless font possibilities. Using variable font technologies, designers can easily tinker with each letter height and width.

To maximise the font’s legibility, use a chunky sans serif font  and use high-contrast colour palettes to make your message stand out. This font family is ideal for eye-catching design work, and it’s well-suited for both print and digital applications including advanced web design or kinetic typography. Use mixed-width fonts for tasks that demand a little quirkiness.

Soft and Smooth: Visby Round

Looking for a fuss-free font? Visby Round’s rounded sans serif style communicates honesty and openness, making it ideal for product and brand logos, mobile apps, digital brochures, and advertisements. 

Once reserved for the domain of children’s products, rounded sans serif fonts have experienced a shift away from the world of all things kid-friendly thanks to their ultra-legibility, especially on digital screens and for visually challenged readers. The more mature renditions of the rounded type design that have emerged find the ideal blend of pleasant naïvety and geometric flair.

If you’re looking for a little smooth sans-serif deliciousness, Visby Round’s warm, approachable design  is the font for you – especially since Latin and Cyrillic scripts are included. This font looks great next to contrasting, sharp serif typefaces like Artifex CF and Addington CF. 

Though these are a few of our favorite new fonts, this is by no means an exhaustive list of what 2022 has in store. If the previous years have been any indication, new and innovative typographic breakthroughs are always around the corner — we just need to keep our eyes peeled. 

Need help selecting fonts for your business? You’ve come to the right place: hello@mutant.com.sg

Who ever thought that the day would come where Microsoft Windows would be making viral, five-second videos on Tiktok and that big brands like Amazon, Adobe and NASA often leave witty comments in response?

This shift comes alongside the rise of social media and messaging and evolving consumer expectations around brand engagement. People no longer want to simply hear from brands about what they can offer – they want to converse directly with brands.

Because of this, it’s now not uncommon to see some of the world’s largest corporations deliberately interact with audiences in a quirky and fun manner on social media. As brands focus on being more relatable and engaging, the perception of marketing is shifting from traditional techniques that can seem devoid of personality and leave less impact on audiences. 

There’s more to building a brand voice than jumping on Gen Z-driven trends or speaking like a teenager to make your brand more human, though. You need a deep understanding of your brand, values, and voice as well as a social media strategy. If you’re looking for ways to punch up your brand voice and social media presence, here are some ways you can get started: 

Be True To Your Brand 

Brand humanisation isn’t just about hopping onto viral social trends and trying to be relatable. When brands tap onto these trends simply for the sake of boosting engagement rates, more often than not the content flops. Your branding and social media presence needs to be consistent with who your company is, instead of coming across as being too try-hard for the sake of boosting engagement rates. When your brand voice and values are consistent throughout every consumer touchpoint, people will have a better, more holistic understanding  of your brand, which lends a hand in building credibility. 

Stimulate Your Audience’s Emotions 

A recent study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Braze, discovered that it is increasingly important for brands to ground communication channels with emotional attributes such as responsiveness and friendliness. A great way to achieve this is by weaving humour and empathy into your messaging. These attributes can help your business seem more relatable and can go a long way in getting people interested in why your brand is relevant to them. 

When putting together campaigns and creating content, remember that a compelling story is more impactful than rambling on about your brand’s list of accolades or constantly selling. Your audience wants to know more about the heart and people behind your brand as well! 

Stay Consistent 

Last but not least, ensure that your brand’s voice and storytelling is consistent across all communication channels. Consistency makes your brand feel dependable, and goes hand-in-hand with conveying a sense of allyship to customers. Maintaining brand consistency is key in ensuring that all the work that you’ve undertaken to build and execute your brand value and messages don’t go down the drain. 

Messaging and social media enable brands to create deeper connections and build credibility with their audiences, leading to better business results. The key to success lies in talking to your audiences like they’re real people and being self-aware, without trying too hard. 

If you’re still unsure about how you can build genuine and strong connections with your audiences, get in touch at hello@mutant.com.sg! 

In October 2021, Mutant Communications’ Heather Seet and Victoria Brown won Gold at ICCO’s inaugural Next Generation PR Word Cup, beating out global teams to bring home the top prize. Heather writes about the journey, and how they secured the win.

On the morning of October 21st 2021, Victoria and I were sending each other GIFs on Slack. Technically, we were sending one specific GIF, multiple times: 

We were in the Zoom waiting room of the ICCO Next-Gen PR World Cup virtual announcement ceremony,  and we were joking about the best ways to react if we didn’t bring home an award. But we never got around to testing the opposite, and when our names were actually called as the Gold Winners, we were almost too excited to speak.

But let’s rewind to the beginning. 

When Mutant first nominated us for the competition, I thought to myself: we’re in different countries, how are we going to pull this off? 

For a competition with a time crunch, it was going to be tough developing ideas with one of us in Singapore and the other in Malaysia. And while it definitely added a challenge, it reinforced the importance of clarity in communication, organisation in thought, and a robust approach to brainstorming.

The competition came with a hefty ask: create two award-worthy campaigns in very short timeframes. We had to come up with a regional consumer campaign in 48 hours, and a global corporate campaign and video pitch in five days.

Here’s how we did it: 

Rely on digital tools 

When Victoria and I first started working on the regional project – a consumer campaign for Singapore Kindness Movement to encourage a ​​kinder digital world – we sat on a Zoom call, unsure of the best way to enter a collaborative brainstorm. I had some things scribbled on loose paper, and she had some ideas typed up on a Word doc.

Instead of limiting ourselves to linear thought by sticking to a document, we got creative and searched for tools that would best suit our needs. After considering several digital tools, we eventually settled on using Google Jamboard, which allowed us to collaborate easily, as well as express and organise our thoughts.

Ultimately, we ended up with this:

Our Jamboard brainstorm for The Power of Words, our winning campaign for Singapore Kindness Movement

 While narrowing down which digital tools to use, Victoria and I found that the best tools are the ones that help to visualise processes, and allow streamlining of thought to distil the best ideas.

Say “yes, and…”

It’s a familiar phrase in improv acting, but it’s also extremely applicable to the brainstorming phase. We threw together all our wild, wacky ideas – even the ones that we thought might not have belonged. That said, we kept our objective clearly in mind, and when we found  ourselves veering off course, we didn’t just axe the route – we found a bend in the road to bounce off each other, and strengthened our ideas by saying “yes, and”.

After 30 minutes of pure ideation, we moved to grouping and categorising our ideas. This is the point  where the far-flung concepts got deprioritised, and our clearer concepts rose to the top to paint a coherent picture.

How we grouped our brainstorm session to identify consistent themes and progress areas

Messy is good, but only the start.

My personal favourite Jamboard slide is the one that depicts my true calling as an artist.

“Untitled” – Heather Seet, 2021

Once we started to prioritise the things that mattered, we took the time to clean it up. Not for the format – brainstorming is only a means to an end – but for clarity, so that we could clearly understand our flow of thought, and see how our process from start to finish responded to the brief.

This is also how we organised our final flow when planning the global-level corporate campaign which presented us with a challenging corporate brief from the International SOS Foundation. The campaign needed to educate C-Suite executives about Duty of Care. After our initial, messy brainstorm and the clean-up process, our Jamboard looked like this: .

Our thought process for Speak Up: Duty of Care, the winning campaign at the ICCO Next-Gen PR World Cup

With our brainstorming finished, our Jamboard organised, and our campaign goals clear, we were then in a great place to start taking these ideas and turning them into full-fledged campaigns.

Bringing our campaigns to life:

First up: The PRCA Next Generation PR World Cup APAC

At the regional level, our campaign for the Singapore Kindness Movement consisted of two phases: 

• The first phase focused on raising awareness about cyber-hate in Singapore through a ground-up hashtag campaign.
• The second phase moved to enact behavioural change through an interactive physical and digital art installation. 

Rooted in engagement with key stakeholders, our campaign focused on powering the dialogue on cyber-wellness, influencing conversations from individual activism to policy recommendations.

Our plan on a page for the PRCA Next Generation PR World Cup APAC

The Second Challenge: The ICCO Next Gen PR World Cup

Once we passed the regional phase and made it to the global level, we decided to switch campaign phases up a bit by turning the tables and starting from the ground up. By empowering the everyday workforce with the tools they would need to contribute their perspectives on employee health and wellbeing within their companies, we could enable them to speak up – and speak upwards – to key decision makers who could make a difference.

Our four-phase approach aimed to drive business leaders to implement organisational change, transforming their Duty of Care processes to create better workplaces that inspire confidence, peace-of-mind and employee satisfaction.

Our plan on a page for the ICCO Next-Gen PR World Cup

It was an incredible journey and an honour to represent our region and be awarded Gold as the inaugural winners of the ICCO Next-Gen PR World Cup. Holding our own and coming out on top in a global industry competition will always be a career highlight for me – and it wouldn’t have been possible without Victoria on my team, Mutant behind our backs, and some powerful brainstorming.

Need help with launching PR campaigns? You’ve come to the right place: hello@mutant.com.sg

“What are your pronouns?” 

Found everywhere from social media bios and university classrooms to medical intake forms, this now common question has generated confusion, celebration and outrage in equal parts.

The controversy this question courts has to do with the definition of gender as opposed to sex, and how ideas about gender have evolved from two options – she/her or he/him – to include gender-neutral options such as they/them, among others.

Proponents of the (grammatially correct!) they/them and other gender-neutral pronouns believe these additional options provide a more accurate way of referring to people who identify as queer, non-binary, or gender non-conforming, as well as a more sensitive default option when you’re unsure of another person’s gender and chosen pronouns.

Like everything, language evolves over time – and as the language we use to express gender identity publicly broadens to be more inclusive of people’s personal choices, brands should reflect these changes, too. 

How inclusivity differs from diversity

You may be wondering, “Okay, but what do pronouns have to do with advertising campaigns?”

Or maybe it’s more along the lines of, “But we already showcase diversity in our campaigns – what do pronouns have to do with that?”

Inclusivity goes hand-in-hand with diversity – both are incredibly important, and while many brands have worked very hard to become more diverse, both internally and externally, inclusivity is sometimes more elusive.

The difference is this: diversity reflects the characteristics that make everyone different from each other while inclusion treats everyone equally and respectfully, regardless of what you can or cannot see about them – such as their personal pronouns. Paying attention to a person’s chosen personal pronouns and respecting how they wish to be addressed is just one way to be inclusive of others. 

The easiest way to ensure that your brand is both diverse and inclusive is to make it look like the world around you, showcasing a wide array of people and lifestyles.

It really is as easy – and as difficult – as that.

A great example comes from what might be an unexpected source: Hasbro’s Potato Head. Mr. Potato Head and Mrs. Potato Head were classic toys that many of us grew up with, but in 2021 Hasbro decided it was high-time to make some changes: the company dropped the gendered “Mr.” from the Potato Head brand name and launched gender-neutral family sets that include a variety of accessories kids can choose from when playing with the toys, allowing them to dress their Potato Head family up as they see fit. It’s a smart solution that is as clever as it is inclusive.

How to become an inclusive brand

Let’s say you’re a heritage babycare brand. It’s a safe bet that your target audience is mothers. Because of this, the look and feel of your brand is likely crafted to appeal to the traditional idea of mothers – which is to say, heterosexual women who exhibit traditionally feminine gender characteristics. Everything from ad creative to copy on your website, in campaigns, and on social media is likely anchored in what you believe will make a mother stop and pay attention.

It might sound like moving away from this decision is a complicated one – 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 to mothers to appealing to parents. 

From there, consider who parents are these days – their age range, their sexual orientations, their genders, and their ethnicities are absolutely core considerations and can help you begin to reflect the world today. For example, parents include heterosexual couples, working parents, single moms, same-sex couples, stay-at-home dads – the list goes on and on. 

Another key component of inclusion is to highlight different lifestyles. Consider how these parents express themselves as individuals, what aesthetics appeal to them, what their interests are, and then incorporate these details into your campaigns.

For example, choosing to feature a mother who has a full sleeve of tattoos, a heterosexual couple who have adopted a child of a different ethnicity, or a single dad who uses a wheelchair is a great start. The next step is to adapt the copy you use to include mothers, fathers, families, and parents and to weave in a variety of pronouns that those people might use. These changes will help ensure your brand is not just diverse, but inclusive.

With one change in mindset, you’ve suddenly unlocked a treasure trove of opportunities and begun to appeal to not just traditionally feminine mothers, but parents of all stripes.

How agencies can help

A recent survey by R3 found that 40% of agencies across Southeast Asia said their client briefs never include diversity and inclusion specifications. Beyond this, 44% of the advertisements included in the report’s review had narratives driven by a male perspective and showed women in domestic, familial, or maternal roles.

This goes to show that there is still much room for improvement across the region and that agencies can help be a catalyst for change by speaking with clients about diversity and inclusion and making proactive recommendations that can help steer them in a more inclusive direction.

Change isn’t always easy – but inclusivity is worth it

When your brand embarks on inclusive campaigns, it is possible that you’ll ruffle some feathers along the way and may even encounter calls for cancellation. It can be hard to come under fire – and even harder to withstand it. But ultimately, reasserting your brand’s perspective and displaying inclusivity is never a bad move.

Singaporean jeweller Poh Heng Jewellery has been lauded for its inclusive campaigns, such as 2018’s “A Journey of Trust,” which included images of real couples including two gay couples, and 2021’s “Created for Love,” which featured three brides from different ethnic backgrounds and religions.

While it is important to consider market demographics when building a campaign, it’s more important to consider your brand, your target audience, and what you stand for as a company. Even if there is backlash to a new, inclusive direction, you’ll be appealing to a group of people who perhaps have never felt acknowledged by your brand before – and there is immense power in that.

This article first appeared in Campaign Asia.

Need help with inclusive language? Talk to us: hello@mutant.com.sg

With festive woven ketupat artfully displayed, pelita lamps providing a welcoming glow, the upbeat tune of Sudirman singing “Balik Kampung”, and the smell of lemang and rendang in the air – Hari Raya is upon us once again! 

Similar to Christmas, the month-long period of Ramadan and Hari Raya is not only a significant festive season and religious occasion, it is also one of the key campaign periods earmarked for the year. 

After two years of celebrating this momentous holiday in lockdown, Malaysians are thrilled to be celebrating Hari Raya in its full glory once again. From Hari Raya decor, new Raya outfits, and mouth watering delicacies, several brands went big to push their festive launches. But with many companies launching their Raya campaigns during this period, it is easy for brands to get lost in the chatter, leaving them with little return on investment. 

Find out how to make most of your Raya campaigns with these tips on how to amplify your brand and make your business stand out with effective public relations and marketing strategies.

Plan early

The first step is to plan in advance so that you have time to spark interest in your brand. The key is not to launch your campaign on Hari Raya itself, but right at the beginning of Ramadan – the month before Hari Raya, where Muslims observe fasting, spiritual reflection, and self-improvement. Iron out your campaign messaging, marketing objectives, and event planning to make the most of this festive period.

Stand out from the crowd

Differentiate yourself from competitors and capture people’s attention with limited-edition festive packaging, new products, or perhaps a heartwarming advert. The goal is to have your brand front, centre, and top of mind for your consumers. The key to achieving this is  creating a campaign your customers can relate to. If you can resonate with your audience, you can increase awareness and brand love, which will hopefully lead to sales and increased engagement. 

One great example comes from Subway Malaysia, which launched a campaign that definitely made them stand out from other quick service restaurant brands in the market. In the spirit of celebrating togetherness and local culture, Subway Malaysia introduced a new mascot in conjunction with Ramadan and Hari Raya. They partnered with social media art sensation Ernest Ng, known for his ‘Don’t like that la bro’ comic series, to produce the character ‘Sabweh’ that made its debut across Malaysia with limited-edition Raya packets that were available for guests to redeem in-restaurant with any purchase.

Not only does the ‘Sabweh’ character capture the attention of customers, Subway Malaysia also showcased a series of heartwarming videos featuring people from different walks of life, in an attempt to highlight the importance of sharing and kindness in the community.

Put together immersive media engagements 

Immersive and interactive engagements are sure to bring your Ramadan or Raya event to the next level! Not only is it a great way to bring media, influencers and partners together to celebrate the festive season, it is also a great way to kickstart your campaign!

Our team at Mutant Malaysia prides themselves on curating personalised experiences for the media and influencers so that they can immerse themselves in the brand – a few examples include working with clients to host a gastronomical Buka Puasa dinner after an entertaining ‘Eid In Harmony’ Hari Raya launch, conducting a mini Wayang Kulit workshop and hosting a private Wayang Kulit performance at Intermark Mall, and organising a spectacular performance by Upin & Ipin at Pavilion Bukit Jalil for the media and their kids.

Hosting unique media engagements not only secures more media attendance, it is also key to garnering quality coverage beyond a standard press release. 

Relying on social media 

Social media and digital marketing are not only essential strategies, they prove to be a great way to communicate with your target audience. Plus, it is a platform where people are spending more time during Ramadan. In fact, social media has been cited as the top online activity that Muslims engage in during the Holy Month of Ramadan. 

Islamic lifestyle app Muslim Pro is an excellent example of how a brand can use social media to engage with Muslims all over the world as well as successfully partner with Muslim influencers. For example, Muslim Pro collaborated with celebrity chef Rouba Shahin, who shared her recipes for breaking fast, and fitness entrepreneur Nawal Haddad, who contributed fitness routines for Ramadan workouts. Such partnerships can help businesses grow brand awareness by leveraging the social media following of influencers while also using social media as a platform for effective storytelling and brand building. 

Telling impactful stories

Get your name out there by landing solid media placements through engaging stories that are timely and relevant to the consumer. Storytelling is the most authentic and effective way to share your brand or products with audiences. 

One of our clients, Intermark Mall, a neighbourhood mall in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, used adept storytelling about Malaysian culture throughout the Ramadan period by creating Raya decorations that shone the spotlight on the ancient art of shadow puppetry with Malaysia’s traditional Wayang Kulit as well as nostalgic Malaysian childhood games such as Batu Seremban and Congkak. 

In addition, the mall collaborated with Wak Long Music & Art Centre so that shoppers could participate in interactive workshops and performances. To help spread the word about Intermark’s initiative, the Mutant Malaysia team organised interactive media engagements with journalists and bloggers, and arranged for one-on-one interviews with a master puppeteer for the media to write features on the importance of preserving an important piece of Malaysia’s culture.  

Interesting media gifts

Ramadan and Raya is all about gifting and giving back. What better way to appreciate the media, partners and influencers you’ve been working with than to present them with something special to celebrate the festive season?

Mutant Malaysia recently curated two unique media gifts for our clients over this festive period. To help promote Muslim Pro’s Ramadan content, we curated an exclusive Sunnah Superfoods box packed full of nutritious, immunity-boosting superfoods to fuel the mind, body and soul during the fasting month of Ramadan. We also loved Subway Malaysia’s sub-lime pillow that commemorates the star of Subway’s Ramadan campaign – the footlong sub. Media and influencers were certainly happy to receive this special sub-prise!

Brands that can successfully engage consumers during this festive period will hold the key to success. Fully taking advantage of the increased social media screen-time is a prime opportunity for brands to educate, entertain and engage consumers for them to leave a lasting impact that continues on beyond Ramadan and Hari Raya. 

Want to create campaigns that stand out? Contact us at hello@mutant.com.sg

Many moons ago, Greek philosopher Heraclitus famously quoted “the only constant in life is change” – and he was right. 

The world around us is constantly evolving and the only way to keep up is to change. On a personal level, we’re always changing something or the other – be it a snazzy haircut, a new diet or a whole new career direction.

The same logic applies to businesses as well. As companies grow and navigate changing circumstances, they need to make certain alterations along the way to remain competitive. Rebranding a company can be an opportunity to showcase these changes to the wider community and stakeholder network – but this is a huge (and sometimes risky) endeavour to undertake. 

So how should one go about this?

The psychology of branding

Before we discuss whether or not a company should rebrand, there’s a more important question to address first – what is a “brand” anyway? Famous marketer David Ogilvy described it as “the intangible sum of a product’s attributes”. In simple terms, it refers to the first thing that consumers think of when they hear the name of a company’s product or service.

Brands — much like people — have a distinct personality in the public eye. For instance, Apple is the cool guy with the latest gizmos, while McDonald’s is like an old friend who’s comforting and consistent. These associations develop in our minds over time and form the basis of our attachment to brands. They result from a combination of many things, but essentially it all boils down to three key factors – name, logo and colour. 

Don’t believe me? Ask anyone for the first thing that comes to mind when they hear Apple and McDonald’s and it’s very likely to be a half-eaten apple and a red-nosed clown.

Why change?

Over the years, many companies have made significant alterations to their brand identity in various ways. From Starbucks to Coca-Cola, many of today’s iconic brands started out with very different aesthetics.

More often than not, the main reason for a rebrand is because business leaders feel that the brand identity is outdated, creating a disconnect from its audiences. This happens when consumer preferences have changed and the brand’s persona needs to catch up in order to avoid losing market share.

Getting it right

One thing to bear in mind though is that rebranding exercises are not always successful. Marketing history is rife with examples of brands that have failed in their attempt to pull off a successful rebrand – and many have ended up losing customers or damaging their reputation.

Changing brand aesthetics barely scratches the surface of what needs to be done in a successful rebrand. From a communications perspective, the work starts with deep changes to the brand’s positioning and core messaging. But words are not always enough, which means that the company also needs to develop actionable steps to showcase their commitment towards transformation.  

Rebranding is an important business that needs proper time, attention and resources to meticulously plan and execute. Last year, we worked with brands including Singapore’s second largest telco M1 and leading Voice AI start-up AI Rudder to guide them through this process & secure epic results.

Get in touch at hello@mutant.com.sg to find out more about how we can support your rebranding plans and efforts!