Content Champions: Singtel

Singtel is a telco company headquartered in Singapore. It is one of the largest telecommunications and internet service providers in Southeast Asia. Founded in 1879 as the Singapore Telephone Board, Singtel has grown significantly over the years through both organic growth and acquisitions. In addition to its telecommunications services, Singtel has expanded into other areas such as digital services, cybersecurity, and investments in innovative technology startups through its venture capital arm, Singtel Innov8.

Content Champions is a segment during MARKETING-INTERACTIVE's Content360 conference in Singapore in which we highlight brands who have made significant impact in the content marketing space through their campaigns. This campaign was first shortlisted for Marketing Excellence Awards 2023 and was further evaluated by the editorial team at MARKETING-INTERACTIVE to make the shortlist. 

Campaign: Hunt for the Lucky Tiger and Not just better and Cleverer
Brand: Singtel

Challenge

The pandemic underscored the important role technology plays in our lives. This was highlighted when many activities shifted online including hybrid work, home-based learning and increase in online streaming. This presented a great opportunity to showcase and communicate how Singtel's 5G network helps meet consumers’ changing needs such as the importance of staying connected and higher expectations of networks speed.

However, there were two key challenges. Firstly, it was having to balance its key messages on 5G for the film while making sure that it did not come across as over-selling or too complex for its audiences. Since 2020, Singtel has unveiled its new 5G technology but awareness of its true potential, impact, or key benefits, remained low.

Singtel recognised the urgent need to step up and bridge this gap to bring greater awareness to its services.

Secondly, people started feeling restless as we entered the second year of the pandemic with certain restrictions still in place. There were also stories of individuals missing Lunar New Year reunion dinners circulating on social and mainstream media. As a result of the ongoing
sentiments, it was a test to find the right approach to communicate its messages without being too insensitive to the situation.

It had to bear in mind the need to put together a strong brand concept and narrative for our new 5G strategy, while ensuring that it did not overshadow the festive message which would require a softer and more optimistic tone to evoke emotions.

Strategy

The pandemic highlighted the importance of staying connected. It saw this as a great opportunity to share how Singtel’s 5G network had provided a solution to consumers’ problems and met their changing needs. Hence, its key strategy was to portray how next-generation 5G technology made it easier for our communities to stay connected and empowered.

Execution

To achieve that, Singtel integrated and balanced messages about its 5G capabilities in its film. Considering that the topic of 5G can be hard to communicate, Singtel used storytelling and curated simple content to share its messages, so more could understand it easily.

It also introduced relevant use cases and scenarios from everyday life – whether to work, live, play, or learn – demonstrating the actual applications of 5G to make it more relatable. Singtel also crafted an ending that highlighted that while we always find ourselves looking for material treasures, at the end of the day it is intangibles such as friendships that truly matter and will make a difference.

This is aligned with Singtel’s long-term strategy to show how technology helps create meaningful connections and reinforces its brand story-telling strategy and values of family, community, diversity, and inclusivity.

True enough, Singtel has long been invested in showcasing how technology can connect. In September 2020, Singtel’s GOMO 5G created a cheeky ear worm, “Not just better. Cleverer.” The campaign featuring local musician Benjamin Kheng, created in partnership with Publicis Singapore comprises of a mix of social content, digital ads and OOH.

To bring this approach and concept to life, the campaign kicked off with a catchy rap music video featuring Kheng, who penned the lyrics to capture the significant advantage of the fuss-free, no-contract SIM-only mobile plan.

In the video, Kheng employs his typical humorous style to demonstrate the superior quality of the GOMO 5G service for mobile gaming, livestreaming, 4K video calling and working from just about anywhere in Singapore – while calling on audiences to “Don’t just try to be betterer, time for you to get cleverer!”

Check out the other winners here.