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With more than 15,000 influencers, key opinion leaders, celebrities, and content creators who collectively reach over 20 million engaged social media followers throughout Malaysia and Southeast Asia, it’s little wonder that the Netccentric-Nuffnang Group is today synonymous with being ‘Asia’s Pioneering Digital Ecosystem’.
The Group today has one of the largest social media influencer communities in the region having represented international household brands throughout various captivating marketing campaigns.
In this exclusive report, MARKETING Magazine takes a spotlight on the various influencers who have and continue to work closely with Nuffnang – and how they have successfully executed memorable campaigns that have captured the imagination of clients. They are:
(1) Sean LJE (far left in pic) who’s a local actor, host and content creator. Sean is also one of the most popular non-Malay movies and dramas actors among the Malay language entertainment scene. His great acting skills in the rom-com genre and charming looks resembling an “oppa” are some of things he is best well known for.
(2) Charis Ow (centre left in pic), a host, singer and entrepreneur best known for her stint as the ‘club leader’ for Mickey Mouse Club and a couple of her music singles, “Could This Be Love?” and “Supernova”. She is now focusing on her modest fashion business brand called Niko and Clare; and is also a widely popular Thermomix advisor among the Thermomix community.
(3) Water Couple (centre right in pic), content creators (their other tiktok profile is here) who became popular at the start of the Covid-19 outbreak with the entertaining content that they have created to humour those who are in the lockdown. Their entertainment focused content tend to touch on light hearted family stories, family tips, and personal care tips for mothers and homemakers.
(4) Dr.Say (far right in pic), a medical doctor and well-known social media figure when it comes to topics on wellbeing and health tips for men and children. Many men have referred to him for tips and tricks when it comes to men’s health and, at the same time, tips on taking care of children from the perspective of fatherhood.
What (or who) inspired you to become a social media Influencer and content creator?
Sean LJE : I started creating content when I was in college. Inspired by UK YouTubers creating fun content. But the main reason for me was to practice my production skills in planning and executing content.
Charis Ow : I have always loved creating content as a child. Back then, blogging was a thing and I even taught myself how to code to customize my very own blog because templates were not cool enough. What inspired me further were the beauty/lifestyle OGs, Jenn Im & Michelle Phan. Since then, I mustered the courage and started my very own YouTube channel!
Watercouple : That would be Dato Dr Calvin Khiu (OE Academy founder) and each other.
Dr.Say : The inspiration comes when I see that, by being a doctor, instead of just consulting patients one by one, I can use social media to reach a larger population. Hence, I get to spread more awareness rather than focusing on one particular person at a time.
How would you describe your personal brand?
Sean LJE : Enthusiastic, cheeky, relevant.
Charis Ow : I would say I’m quite a “do-it-all” person. If you watch my content, you’d probably see beauty, lifestyle, comedy, dance, personal stories and even cooking!
Watercouple : Our branding is focused on creating light-hearted family content for our followers, mainly in TikTok.
Dr.Say : My niche market firstly is health and medical since I am a doctor. Secondly on parenting & relationship, I see two areas that could be further improved for families and couples. as i see these 2 areas are quite lacking in family & couples these days. If I were to describe my approach, it would be conveying information in layman terms through storytelling. That is why my social postings are lengthy as my followers love to digest the various narratives.
Why do you enjoy doing this?
Sean LJE : Interest, passion and love for entertaining others.
Charis Ow : It just gives me joy to be able to connect with my audience even with different areas or phases of my life. I light up when people react to my content/sharing via comments or likes and discuss with me about it via DM. I feel that it is amazing to be able to have this community of people from around the world!
Watercouple : Builds good relationships among myself, kids and wife, while also having places to keep all of our videos as memories. We are also happy to provide some entertainment for followers to relieve their stress.
Dr.Say : First and foremost, it is because I get to reach more people when it comes to conveying awareness and beneficial tips. Secondly, I get the freedom of time even though there’re deadlines.
What’s your perspective of social media Influencers doing live streaming or live commerce? Is there a future to this format?
Sean LJE : Definitely! I don’t think it’s just limited to influencers but people who actually work as emcees or hosts too! This format does have its perks and convenience so I believe that the future for this is bright. Look at China’s live commerce industry: They’re already 10 steps ahead of what we have going on here; hence much room for us to grow and explore. Working with good agencies like Nuffnang to come up with captivating show formats definitely helps while propelling us to catch up with neighboring countries’ (higher) levels.
Charis Ow : In my opinion, live streaming/live commerce provides a supportive platform for businesses – allowing consumers to have that “real-life” experience of a product or service. Unlike a commercial with fancy lighting and effects, this one-to-one experience builds trust within its consumers. Thus, it is vital to have an influencer who could host and convey the USP of the service/product effectively. It’s definitely an added value, for sure.
Watercouple : Just brave enough to press the button live and go ahead with your debut! Practice makes perfect. There is a future to this since the new generation enjoy watching live streams. If you are not confident, you can try working with Nuffnang because they provide training for new livestreamers.
Dr.Say : Definitely! People connect better with influencers rather than artists as they feel much closer to influencers. Hence, if influencers could step out of their comfort zone instead of just doing photo/ video posts and venture into live streaming, followers would definitely appreciate seeing their heros talking and interacting with them. Given that live streaming is being held by a responsible and reputable agency like Nuffnang assures influencers of venturing into this new field without any worries.
Any advice you would like to give to the new generation of social media influencers to prepare them for live content production?
Sean LJE : Be genuine, be yourself and do your best within your own capabilities.
Charis Ow : Read the brief multiple times and re-write your script in order tailor it to sound like you. It’s so important to know the product and service that you are “selling”!
Watercouple : Do some homework, watch others live stream before your own live streaming sessions. Also seek advice from agencies like Nuffnang as they are there to support new livestreamers. Always be well prepared as the opportunity is only for those who are well prepared.
Dr.Say : Just be yourself. However do study the brief carefully as the client would want all the key points to be conveyed to the audience. Other than that, take it also as a stepping stone to step out of the comfort zone. Remember that who we are today is solely because of our followers so in a way we are giving back to them by doing an appearance. Most importantly, do check on the agencies as I have worked with agencies that are very poor at handling live streams and agencies that are astonishingly good like Nuffnang as they prepare everything from A-Z to ensure your livestream is as smooth as possible.
What are the top 3 key elements that need to be in place to be successful in a live streaming session?
Sean LJE : Personality, timing (as in pacing) and products need to appeal to the audience.
Charis Ow : The perfect timing – avoid public holidays, weekends, Friday nights, or days when people would be out and about. Also good audio as people tune out when they are not able to hear you clearly. Finally, duration – keep it within an hour at most.
Watercouple : If you see it, you feel it, what else? Just go for it…Nothing is impossible in this world. When there is a will, there is a way.
Dr.Say : Confidence, well versed on what the live stream is all about and DEFINITELY A GOOD AGENCY THAT PREPARES THE PLATFORM PERFECTLY like how Nuffnang has been helping me with my livestreams all along.
