London, Paris and Rome have their own charm, but it’s always a good idea to sidestep once in a while, to explore the European villages. They’re untouched by tourists and frozen in time. On our recent trip to Hallstatt from Salzburg, we accidently happened to visit an Austrian village, Obertraun. The place oozes postcard perfect landscapes – the rolling green hills, Alpine meadows, traditional Bavarian houses make you want to sing out loud. This place was magical, and we left a little piece of our heart there.
How to get there:
Take a train from Salzburg Hbf station to Attnang-Puchheim and then change the platform to take a train to Obertraun Dachsteinhöhlen Bahnhof. It takes about 2h 11m to get from Salzburg to Obertraun, including transfers. You can buy tickets online or buy through vending machines at the train station.
Check out the beauty of this place that we could capture in a video here.
An immersive two – day experience at the Influencer, Millennial and Growth Hacking Conference. I’m glad to have met and listened to experts from Zalora, Lazada, DBS, Unilever, Skyscanner, Luxury Escapes, KraftHeinz, Class Pass and many more. Each speaker shared their learnings, insights and case studies on their growth hacks and impact of influencers in shaping their brand voice.
We also shared how InstaReM Singapore has been able to achieve 400% growth in less than a year to emerge as one of the top players in the Singapore Fintech Space.
Here are some of the key takeaways:
1) Marketing is getting more experimental than ever now. And consumers are okay to experiment things with you as long as they know you’re genuine and authentic about it. It’s time to bold, to make mistakes, to unlearn and learn new things.
2) Personalization: With the availability of data like purchase history, consumer behavior, links clicked, marketers need to personalize content, products, emails, and more.
3) The Age of Stories: Visual content is becoming more powerful than ever on social media. The more we use our mobile phones, the bigger the urge to share a glimpse of our daily lives through images and videos. The usage of Stories is on the rise on social media while news feeds see a decline of usage.
4) Impact of Influencer Marketing: Influencer marketing is being quite mainstream, to the point that many marketers feel that it’s an extension of content marketing. We live in the era of TripAdvisor where experiences shared by others, even strangers’ matter. There is a greater emphasis on micro and nano influencers as they help push users to the consideration and preference stage of the funnel due to their credibility and authenticity.
5) Partnerships: Leverage on the partner network to grow yours. The key is to partner with a brand whose products can complement yours and vice versa.
And last but not least, have NECO (Never-Ending Customer Obsession)!
For more updates on trends in Marketing, follow me on LinkedIn
Never had I ever thought I’d visit the ancient city of Suzhou in China, but as luck had it planned, I was asked to make a business trip to represent my company in the Sino-Shanghai (Suzhou) Fintech Expo 2019. I flew a couple of days before the actual conference to ensure I get accustomed to the city before the show day and I’m glad I did because the city was nothing short of beautiful – a perfect amalgamation of modern futuristic China with the old-world charm intact.
Some facts about Suzhou:
Suzhou doesn’t have an airport, but it’s about 40 mins from Shanghai Railway Station by a bullet train.
Despite direct connectivity from most places in China as well, Suzhou is one of the 20 most popular tourist cities in China.
Suzhou is known for the ancient Chinese gardens, some of which have been listed in the UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Water towns are another popular attraction of Suzhou. It is also referred to as “Venice of the East”
The Leaning Tower of China – Also known as the Tiger Hill Pagoda is another famous attraction of Suzhou
Suzhou is also known as the “Silk Capital of the world” and is also famous for freshwater pearls.
3-Day Suggested Itinerary
Day 1: HUMBLE ADMINISTRATOR’S GARDEN, SUZHOU MUSEUM, AND GUANQIAN STREET
HOW TO GET TO SUZHOU
I flew from Singapore to Shanghai Pudong International airport and took a subway to reach Hongqiao Railway Station. While there was no changeover, but this was a long journey (about 1.5 hours). Once you’re at the Hongqiao Railway Station, take a high-speed bullet train to Suzhou Railway Station. It’ll take about 25 mins to reach Suzhou. Estimated Fare: RMB50 (first class ticket) and RMB33 (for a regular one)
Stay: If you’re traveling to sightsee, some neighborhoods I’d suggest staying would be Shantang Street, Guanqian Street or Pingjiang Street. These are quite centrally located, so it’ll be easier to navigate.
FIRST STOP: I started my exploration at the Humble Administrator’s Garden. It is a classical Chinese Garden that dates to the 16th century. It is now listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites and is known for its exquisite views. If you’re a garden person, you should definitely visit this place but even if you aren’t, I’d highly recommend taking a stroll here to enjoy its exquisite beauty, artistic value, and historical significance. Opening hours: 7:30 am – 5:00 pm Entry fee: ¥80 (SG$16)
Adjacent to this is the Suzhou Museum is another major tourist attraction, known for its modern Suzhou style architecture. The Humble Administrator Garden’s ticket gives you free access to the museum.
After the museum, I headed to Guanqian Street, the biggest shopping street in Suzhou for both locals and tourists. It is also one of the 4 biggest shopping streets in China and has nearly everything for everyone – from local to international brands. It’s a great place to enjoy some delicious food and is perfect for people watching as it reflects the culture of Suzhou. I had my dinner here and retired for the day.
DAY2: SHAN TANG STREET, HUQIU TOWER, AND WEDDING DRESS MARKET
I started my day by taking a stroll on the SHAN TANG OLD STREET. Regarded as the “Miniature of Old Suzhou and Window of old culture”, Shantang Old Street is a pedestrian walking street with the canal on one side and restaurants, old tea houses and craft shops on the other. I was amazed to find bakeries and shops here that date back to the 16th Century and have been following these recipes since then. I also took the Ancient painted boat ride that steers through the canal giving a small slice of a water town in China. It transported me back to Suzhou of 1000 years ago where Wy people lived peacefully by the water. Opening hours: 8:00 am – 9:00 pm Fee for the Boat ride: ¥80 (SG$16) for 40 mins
TIGER HILL PAGODA After the boat ride, I took a taxi to reach the Tiger Hill Pagoda. Before even entering the premises of Tiger Hill, you would be able to see a tall structure standing at the top. The Tiger Hill Pagoda is a seven-layer tower that boasts a 47.7 meters height and has started to tilt as time went by, now leaning 3″59 degrees to the northwest, thus it was also given the title ‘The Leaning Tower of China.’ You can easily spend about a couple of hours in this place as it is away from the hustle bustle of the city and the lush green surroundings calm you down. Entry fee: ¥80 (SG$16) Opening hours: 7:30 am – 5:00 pm
Right at the foothill of the Tiger Hill Pagoda, lies Suzhou’s LARGEST WEDDING DRESS MARKET. My trip to Suzhou would have been incomplete without visiting this place. I was like a child in a candy shop. Here you can see silk come to life in a dazzling display of design. So, whether you’re looking for a wedding gown, a cocktail dress or simply a traditional Chinese Cheongsam, you will be spoilt for choice here. Cost – Dresses start from ¥300 onwards.
DAY 3: PINGJIANG ROAD AND JINJI LAKE
PINGJIANG ROAD – This is a well-preserved part of Suzhou. This street is lined with bookshops, teahouses, plenty of shops selling traditional Chinese fan, silk handicrafts, etc. Walking along the street, I saw people taking gondola rides down the grand canal singing and humming the Chinese old songs. I also came across a shop that rented traditional Chinese outfits for a day or two; which could be worn before your gondola ride for an Instagram worthy photograph. It is no doubt a touristy street but totally worth a visit.
JINJI LAKE – Since I was in Suzhou for work, I was living right next to Jinji lake in the Suzhou Industrial park. This part of the city reflects modern China. Standing at the Lakeshore on Moon Harbor, you can get great views of the huge Ferris Wheel, Hanshan temple and the Gate to the East or the Gate of the Orient. I had dinner at a German place, Meister Brau Biergarten which offers Panoramic views of the Suzhou city skyline from its deck. It wasn’t the best day to get the perfect views as it rained that evening, but despite that, the views looked breathtaking.
Other suggested places in Suzhou:
Gate of the Orient
Hanshan Temple
Suzhou Amusement Park
Tongli Water Town
Some dining options that I loved in Suzhou:
Grandma’s Home – Located at the Harmony Mall in Suzhou Industrial Park, this place served authentically Suzhou style food.
This place was located at the Gate of the Orient Mall on level 4 and was known for its Yunnan cuisine.
I was in Iloilo City last week for work and since it was a Good Friday weekend, I decided to escape the urban jungle and explore the countryside. I visited the Damires Hills and Happy Farms. I wish I had longer time, nevertheless, I enjoyed this day trip and decided to put together a video sharing the highlights of my experience.
So, this is my first video. I didn’t plan it ahead. I just decided to weave together my photos and Instagram stories to give you a snapshot. This being my first shot at videos, I realize that there are many things I would do differently if I could go back. But since I can’t go back and to help others avoid such rookie mistakes, I wish to share my learnings with the wider community. So here are 5 things to take note to create a memorable travel video.
1) Orientation – If a video is being recorded for social platforms like FB stories, Instagram stories, Snapchat or even TikTok, portrait mode works just fine. But if you’re creating a vlog and hosting it on Youtube (like I did), also record in landscape mode or what is also called as the horizontal orientation.
2) Use a tripod or a selfie stick – If you’re holding a camera or your phone, especially for on-the-go videos like mine, a tripod or a selfie stick helps in stabilizing your device resulting in better quality footage. Also, a handheld device will lose the composition if it’s a long panning shot. *A panning shot is a shot where you move the camera to capture a scene from one end to the other.
3) High-Quality Images – I have a Samsung S9. My phone camera comes with dual aperture lens that adapts like human eyes and automatically switches between various lighting conditions. So, my photos should be friggin’ AWESOME. But every time I request someone for a photo, either the sky is missing, or the feet get cut. What’s worse is sometimes I’m out of focus or my face is blurred ☹ So, I have decided to
TAKE MY OWN PHOTOS to ensure the composition, quality, orientation, etc.
4) Using Custom Thumbnail or Cover image – Would you ever click a video with an ugly thumbnail? No right! The same rule applies for others too. Make your thumbnail interesting and topical. People click on videos with stimulating thumbnails.
And last but not least…
5) Not making optimum use of SEO – There are 2 places to put in comprehensive and useful text-based content that can help a video rank better on the platform’s algorithm. 1) Title 2) Description Box Make sure to include focused keywords and description to ensure your video gets a higher ranking.
This is just a starting point. With each new video you create, you’ll learn to improve on so many aspects of video creation. For now, just take the plunge, follow these tips and make your first one.
I visited Singapore for the first time nearly 5 years ago, but my journey in Singapore started about 3.5 years ago when I finally moved here. I still remember my first trip here as a tourist when I wanted to do so much but had only 5 days to cover it all. Who knew this would become home one day? 😊
Even now, when friends and family are planning a trip to this tropical island and I get a call bombarding me with the questions on the must dos and must visits, I go down the memory lane. So, I decided to pen down all the information you need to plan your perfect trip to Singapore.
Let’s start with the basics first.
Packing Essentials:
Clothes – Singapore is a tropical country, so it’s best if you carry airy, breathable clothes.
Sunscreen, Sunglasses, and Hats – These are some of the must-haves in your bag. Since Singapore is very close to the equator, the sun is very harsh.
Umbrella – In Singapore, a blazing hot sunny day can turn dark and stormy in the blink of an eye, so it’s best to travel prepared.
Swimwear – Most hotels will have swimming pools, but even if you’re Airbnb-ing, most Airbnbs will also have pools. Plus, there are beach clubs that are worth a visit, so it’s suggested you carry one.
2. Hotel locations: Singapore is the 2nd smallest country in Asia with one of the best public transportation systems in the world, so you can practically stay in any part of the country. However, some of the recommended locations based on the proximity to the most locations would be:
Orchard Road / Somerset
Little India
Chinatown
Bugis
Harbourfront / Sentosa
For budget travelers, Bugis & Chinatown have some great hostels options. Spacepod (pics below) at Lavender provides sleeping pods, neat and clean bathroom and even breakfast (upon request) to make your stay comfortable.
Getting into Singapore – Once you’ve landed at Changi airport, you can flag off a standard taxi from the taxi stand. Taxis are affordable, and I’ll highly recommend taking one, especially if you’re traveling with your family. You can go to the taxi stand and queue up until your turn. These are metered taxis, so there is no scope for bargaining. Alternatively, you can download any of the two ride-hailing apps (Grab or Gojek) and book a taxi. For downloading the app, you can use Changi airport’s offers free wifi which by the way has a great bandwidth. So you can connect and download it at the airport itself. In case you’re traveling on a budget or solo, you can also take the MRT from the train station at the airport. An EZLink card can be bought from the information counter at the MRT station and you can use it in all public transport (trains and buses) to navigate through the city.
Major attractions in Singapore
There are plenty of things to do in Singapore. But I’d suggest you pick the ones that suit your preferences.
Universal Studios – Located at RWS, Universal Studios is a theme park with rides, shows, and attractions. The mandatory universal globe picture is right at the entrance of this place, so this has to top your list. A ticket to Universal Studios costs about SG$75 and you’ll need an entire day to cover it. You can take an express pass to bypass the regular queues. The express pass is + SG$70 (approx). So overall, you pay double the price to skip the lines. My personal favorite rides are: Transformers, The Mummy and the Rollercoasters. Even the Steven Spielberg show is not to be missed. Insider tip: Go on rides in the single rider queue to skip the queue. You might not be able to sit with your family/partner (a few minutes of separation is not going to kill you), but it’s going to save a lot of your time for sure!
Singapore Zoo – Set in the rainforest environment, Singapore Zoo is known for its open concept. Animals here are not caged up in tiny cages. Instead, they live in their spacious natural habitat. It’s opened every day of the year and offers two interesting options to choose from.
Night Safari
River Safari
Both are quite unique, but I personally prefer the latter. The ideal way is to cover it on foot and align your visit to the shows to have a more engaging experience. End your trip with a much talked about – River Safari. Here a small boat will take you through different parts of the jungle.
Insider tip: You can check out the show schedulehere.
Sentosa Island– Sentosa Island has a lot of offer. You can read all about the attractions here and choose to suit your preferences. Reaching Sentosa – You can take a train to Harbourfront station on the circle & North East MRT line and take a cable car to get to Sentosa. Or take a taxi that takes you straight to the island. If the weather permits, you can walk to Sentosa via Sentosa Boardwalk – a 1 km long bridge that connects Sentosa island to Singapore. It shouldn’t take you more than 15 mins to reach. There’s plenty to do in Sentosa but my personal favorite attractions are:
SEA Aquarium
Skyline Luge and Skyride
Wings of Time
Dolphin Island Insider tip: Bear in mind, you’ll need 1 full day to cover these activities, so reach early. Apply lots of sunscreen, wear comfortable clothes (caps & sunglasses are a must) and keep yourself hydrated.
Singapore Flyer – Hop on to the Singapore Flyer to enjoy panoramic views of Singapore. The best time to go is when the sun sets. During this magical hour, the skies turn into a different hue and the skyscrapers light up to give you the best view of the skyline. The ticket cost per person is about SG$33. One round lasts about 30 mins so you can head to Gardens by the Bay post this. Now GBTB is not one of my personal favorites but I highly recommend you watching the Garden Rhapsody – the night light & sound show at the Supergrove trees. This is free of charge and happens daily at 7:45 and 8:45 pm. Insider tip: Try reaching 20 mins before the show time to grab the best seat.
Arab Street and Haji Lane – Head to Arab Street for some lip-smacking Mediterranean food. Masjid Sultan makes for an ideal backdrop for those looking for Instagrammable photos 😊 My favorite eatery here is Alaturka, but you can also try some local delicacies like Roti Prata and Murtabak in this neighborhood. Next up is Haji lane (my favorite place in Singapore!) – With the graffiti walls, hipster cafes, designer boutiques and so much more makes this the coolest place in Singapore. It’s a must visit for everyone coming to Singapore, especially for the first-timers. Some places to explore in Haji Lane:
BluJaz Café: Enjoy some live jazz music and beer inside the café or sit outside to soak up in the psychedelic vibe of the place by looking at the neon-lit graffiti.
Windowsill Pies: Enjoy delectable pies in a comfortable and cozy ambiance.
Boat Quay and One Altitude– Nestled in the heart of CBD, Boat Quay is one of the favorite sundowner spots in Singapore. Fancy a drink by the river? This place is for you! There are some nice eateries around here too so you can have a hearty dinner while enjoying the views of Marina Bay Sands and the CBD. Once you’re done, head to 1-Altitude, one of Singapore’s best rooftop bars with a spectacular 360-degree view of the city. It is one of the most popular places to dance the night away in Singapore. The cover charge – $35 inclusive of 2 drinks. Insider tip: Ensure you’re dressed for the night club. Entry in slippers/flip flops is strictly prohibited.
Clarke Quay (nightlife!) – One of the most talked about places to explore Singapore’s nightlife is worth all the hype. Some recommendations for partygoers will: Cuba Libre (Latin bar & nightclub), Zouk (plays top chartbusters) and Chupitos Shots Bar. Mind you, alcohol is Singapore can really cost a hole in your pocket. It’s best to pre-jam before you hit the clubs.
Merlion Park – Spoiler Alert!! The much-seen symbol of Singapore – the Merlion statue might disappoint you a little. But it’s still worth a visit for the mandatory Marina Bay backdrop selfie.
Chinatown – A trip to Singapore would be incomplete if you haven’t visited Chinatown. It’s known for authentic Chinese food, bright red lanterns, and cost-effective souvenir shopping. If you’re traveling around the Chinese New Year (Feb) or the Mid-Autumn Festival (Aug-Sep), you have to visit this place to check out the decoration.
Marina Bay Sands Hotel & the Infinity pool– Now if you’re in a mood to splurge, this place is for you! A night at The Marina Bay Sands Hotel would cost about SG$500 and the pool is accessible only to the hotel guests. The pool looks down at the city skyline, Marina Barrage, and the Flyer and you won’t find a more spectacular view anywhere. So, if your budget permits, go ahead and book at least one night at the hotel.
Some Money Saving Tips:
1) Eatigo:Eatigo is a time-based table reservation app, so if you’re dining in at a restaurant during the non-peak hours, you can get discounts up to 50%. But the reservations must be made 30-45 mins in advance. It has a map view that shows you the nearby restaurants and the discounts being offered by each to make your decision-making process faster.
2) Klook: Offers great deals and discounts on touristy spots and activities. Check out the on-going promotions here.
Hope my tips and suggestions are useful to you. Have a great time when you’re here! Feel free to ask any questions that you might have in the comments section below. Happy to help!
I’ve been working in a startup for the last 8 months and this has given me an opportunity to take a deeper look at other aspects of business besides marketing. It’s all about growth, constant growth. Month on month, year on year. As a business owner, your vision is very clear – you know where you are and you know where you want to be. Both in terms of customer acquisitions and sales. And hence you try to acquire users from anywhere – any acquisition source possible because the numbers have been projected and now it’s time to deliver.
But the biggest problem with this trial and error methodology is that the bottom line gets affected because you’ve been burning up your marketing $$ by spending on all customer acquisition channels possible. And while you’re acquiring users, it’s not the most optimum way.
So sometimes, it’s important to stop. Take a step back and look intently on who your customers are, what they do, where they find you and where you find them. Once this is done, take your notepad out and do this small exercise.
Draw three circles – one inside the other.
In the INNER CIRCLE, write down platforms that have given you the best results. Now, this could be totally different for different businesses. For eg: Organic search works best for HubSpot, but referral programs through incentives proved one of the best growth hack strategies for Dropbox. So identify what would work best for your customers and put it in this circle.
In the MIDDLE CIRCLE, write down other channels that will give you results but not your core lead nurturing channels. For e.g.: While blogs give us better search ranking and it helps us with discovery, but it does not translate into direct conversions. A lot of times, users might find our blog piece interesting and that could be their first contact with us (by us I mean InstaReM here. InstaReM is the company I work for), but they might not have the need to use the product. *InstaReM enables individuals and business to send money overseas. Remittance is a need-based product, hence a user reading our content piece might not have the use case for it. But at the same time, they might suggest us to a friend who’s leaving the country for overseas education. So this becomes our indirect source.
In the OUTER CIRCLE, write other channels that might be a long shot like Instagram or Pinterest in our case. It’s just a light touch to the customer but I’m pretty sure a user is not looking for an overseas remittance product on Instagram or Pinterest.
And once this is done, just put your blinders on and use your resources, energy, and marketing $$ on the inner circle. This is called the BULL’S EYE FRAMEWORK OF CUSTOMER ACQUISITION.
Bull’s eye framework of customer acquisition
WHY DO I USE BULL’S EYE FRAMEWORK?
Personally, it helps me focus my energy on the important acquisition channels while still casting a wide net. While my maximum priority goes to the highest performing channels, I run experiments with the middle circle which helps me identify new traction channels. And it’s a continuous process. With marketing being more dynamic than ever before, this is the need of the hour and it helps me justify my ROI.
Context Marketing is the new Content Marketing
It’s no longer enough to just have great content. In the time of wearables, connected devices, and the IoT, we now have access to consumer data at every step of their buying journey. And hence as marketers now need to know how, when, where and to whom, we should deliver. As Maya Hari from Twitter says Between when they are contemplating and when they’re analyzing context changes.
2. B2B is evolving like B2C
For decades, it has been understood that B2B customers and their buying decisions are rational and based on analytical process which is void of emotion. As the world has gone digital, the behavioral psychology of B2B buyers has changed. The buying behavior has become cohesive and it attributes to motivation and trust in a brand. And this is why emotional storytelling is important to the B2B marketing strategy.
3. Event Live Streaming
Live streaming has transformed the potential reach of an event. Marketers are not only putting an event for the audiences physically present in the room, but also for a huge set of remote viewers. Live videos give brands the opportunity to unlock the reach of these events, enlarging the live audience and radically changing the ROI calculation.
4. Meaningful and Snackable content
People are not consuming content in a linear fashion anymore. The mediums are changing too. They’re going on to social platforms to consume, celebrate and discuss various products. Hence, it is important for marketers to product snack size content which is perfect for on-the-go consumption
5. Move beyond Last Click Attribution
A very important point raised by Prantik Mazumdar of Happy Marketers. A consumer’s digital journey is very complex. They find information, build relationships, connect with the brands, ask their friends and social network. They research the web from their laptops, consult reviews on 3rd party websites before making their final decision. But if you’re obsessed with only the final interaction, you might miss some of the most important engagement points that led to a purchase.
Beyond last click attribution
Final thoughts –
The world of digital marketing is evolving every day, blurring the line between sales and marketing funnels but the good news is modern tools are keeping pace, making it possible for marketers to measure and optimize. It takes a shift in the mindset to embrace new platforms such as social and mobile, but with the ever-changing consumer behavior, it’s important for a B2B Marketer to analyze various tools & platforms and put together a well thought out strategy.
Padman is a story of a simple man from Tamil Nadu who revolutionized the concept of menstrual hygiene in rural India by creating a low-cost sanitary napkins machine. The guy is the more is referred to as a ‘Superhero’ in the movie and here are 4 entrepreneurship lessons to be learned from him:-
Every problem is an opportunity to invent something new Having a solution mindset is important and it need not necessarily be in your area of work. Muruganantham identified that his wife was using a dirty rag during her periods which could potentially lead to serious illness in the future. So he decided to create low cost sanitary napkins, not only for his wife but for the women of the entire nation. He was a small time welder but his background or qualifications did not deter him from devoting 20 years of his life on a mission to bring change in the world.
Try Try until you succeed Perseverance is the key to success. Muruganantham says, at the age of 29, he touched a sanitary napkin for the first time. From making his first napkin using cotton and cloth to being the first man to wear a pad to being ostracized from his village, and even getting almost divorced, he fought all the barriers until he achieved his aim.
Big things start small Be fearless, have a vision, believe in yourself, and stay focussed is pretty much what sums up Murugannatham’s success. He started his journey in order to find a solution to his wives’ monthly problem and during his expedition, he discovered that multinationals are using $Mn plants to produce pads. But his focus and determination to bring menstrual hygiene led to his invention of the machine that costed barely $1000 and produced world class sanitary pads at an affordable cost.
You don’t need a degree to be successful Muruganantham’s story is an example of what determination can do! A college dropout showed the way to the world and brought Red Revolution.
Padman is a superhero. Be like Padman!
Bitten by the ‘Binge’ bug yet? ‘Binge watching’ may not have assumed epidemic proportions yet but it sure is firming its grip on global audiences.
According to a research by a leading portal, 73% of Americans have binge-watched video content (watching three or more episodes in one sitting). That increases to 90% for viewers aged 14 to 33, with 40% of them reporting they binge-watch weekly. These younger binge watchers indulge in an average of six episodes, or five hours of content, in one sitting.
Binge is not a phenomenon. It is a change in consumer behavior. Triggered by high internet penetration rates and availability of a plethora of video streaming services, this trend is fast becoming an alternative to television viewing, especially in Singapore with its high Internet penetration rate.
The viewers now mine for content like news, sports, entertainment etc. across social media and other on demand content streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, HOOQ, YouTube etc. The idea is to find valuable content that would impart some useful knowledge. This explains the proliferation of YouTube channels dedicated to cooking, travel, lifestyle, fashion DIY, etc.
The number of platforms competing for the viewer’s attention is overwhelming. Not only are the consumption habits changing, the intensity of the attention paid to the streaming content has diminished. Thanks to multitasking. On an average, an individual carries out four simultaneous additional activities, including text messaging, social media, and web browsing.
Taking the cue from viewer fragmentation, we decided to experiment with short format content at Zee TV and launched Make It Snappy, a cooking show with bite-sized episodes of 5 minutes each. The show features a celebrity chef, Sarab Kapoor and targets NRI population who are living away from the family
and are looking for quick fixes when it comes to food.
This vignette format started as an experimental step in 2016 and had yielded good results from both, viewership and revenue generation point of view. Another hook that gives us higher engagement is co-branded content. The 12 episode series showcases guest chefs in every alternate episode who then become our brand advocates and help in spreading the message out to a wider audience. The episodes are also uploaded to our Youtube channel after the telecast for all time accessibility.
Short form content is programmed for millennials or Gen Z and looking at how much time they spend watching digital videos, particularly on their mobiles, it’s clear that’s where the viewer is headed, and it’s only going to increase in the next few years. And this trend will reflect on the TV industry too. The content is bound to get shorter and better.
Have you seen the Asian Paints newly released Digital Film titled #HomesNotShowrooms ?
How much it reminds me of my good old days in Singapore. We rented a fully furnished apartment on the 16th floor with a breath-taking view of the Singapore skyline. It was a beautiful house.
For the first time ever I was living in a rented house and our landlord was a very strict guy. We were handed a list of do’s and don’ts by him and our agent shared some ugly stories of how some of the previous tenants lost their security deposit by not abiding by it. We didn’t want to get into an ugly situation so we didn’t do up the house. Didn’t add any new furniture. Didn’t add any new furnishings. Did not even hang any photos of us. And as a result, we could never feel at home.
We spent about a year in that house and decided to move on. We could never get attached to it cause home is not just beautiful, but comfortable and personal as well.
Reviews of anything and everything under the sun worth my attention. An experiment to turn a non-quality into a virtue. Are you on board yet?
rtal, 73% of Americans have binge-watched video content (watching three or more episodes in one sitting). That increases to 90% for viewers aged 14 to 33, with 40% of them reporting they binge-watch weekly. These younger binge watchers indulge in an average of six episodes, or five hours of content, in one sitting.
Manceewrites 