Sep 2, 2020

With the need to minimise face-to-face interactions, many of us have gone digital to find new ways to live, work and play

The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the way we communicate. With the need to minimise face-to-face interactions, many of us have gone digital to find new ways to live, work and play, giving rise to a renewed interest in digital interactive experiences.

During the NUS Giving Webinar titled The Renewed Interest in Interactive Experiences and Digital Media, Dr Elmie Nekmat, Assistant Professor at the Department of Communications and New Media at the National University of Singapore, outlined the current vibrant digital landscape, before introducing the three panellists for the event.

“The pandemic has impacted Singapore and everyone around the world. It has changed the way we meet and interact with one another, and how businesses run their business. There is increased attention and demand on social media and it has also given rise to many interactive and creative digital marketing practices,” revealed Dr Nekmat.

While Ms Evangeline Leong, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Kobe Global Technologies, spoke about how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted her business, Mr Benjamin Toh and Mr Randy Toh, social media influencers of BenRanAway shared how they have adjusted to creating content from the comfort of their home.

“Previously, we would travel out of our home and even go on overseas trips to produce content. However, now and especially during the Circuit Breaker period, we have to think of new ways to create content at home. We came up with interesting ideas like eating 24 meals in 24 hours for our Youtube channel and it was very well-received! Everyone resonated with it because they were all stuck at home as well,” Mr Benjamin Toh elaborated.

“We have also included snippets of us before and after, and found out that we gained weight during the filming process as well. Our followers enjoy watching such challenges during this time,” laughed Mr Randy Toh.

Indeed, with challenges come opportunities. The pressing need to change came fast but they, as individuals and as a brand, rose to the challenge and evolved as they navigated and adapted to the current situation.

With more than 10 years of experience in digital marketing, Ms Leong believes in having an agile mind-set as there will always be opportunities in times of crisis.

When asked about the opportunities that presented itself during the pandemic, Ms Leong replied, “People are stuck behind four walls hence they are staring more into their screens now – their mobile phones, laptops and televisions. There is an opportunity to engage consumers even more, not just via social media, but with livestreaming as well. This big upcoming trend opens up a whole new stream of ways to engage consumers while retaining authenticity and uplifting the direct connection that the content creator can have with the consumers.”

“In digital marketing, you have to be very adaptable to anything and everything that comes along the way. You will need a strong willpower, heart and mind to be adapting to all the changes and trends,” concluded Ms Leong.

Click here to watch the webinar on Facebook or visit the NUS Giving Facebook page for the latest updates on NUS Giving.

For further information on the NUS Giving Webinar Series, contact the Events team at dvoevents@nus.edu.sg.