In today’s highly competitive market, building a deeper connection with customers is crucial for brands to thrive. Customers are no longer satisfied with just a product or service; they want to engage with brands that understand their needs and values. This is where humanizing a brand and working with content creators can make a significant impact. By being authentic, personable, and accessible, brands can create an emotional connection with their audience, leading to increased loyalty, advocacy, and ultimately, revenue.
The Power of Humanizing a Brand
Humanizing a brand involves showcasing its human side, making it relatable and approachable to customers. It goes beyond just promoting products or services; it’s about connecting with customers on a deeper level. According to experts from Twitch and OMD Singapore, humanizing a brand can lead to increased customer satisfaction, loyalty, and a relationship that goes beyond mere transactions.
Melissa Tan, digital product lead at OMD Singapore, emphasizes the importance of authenticity when working with content creators. Creators have built a relationship with their audience, and promoting something that doesn’t align with their values can risk damaging that relationship. By allowing creators to speak on behalf of the brand in a natural and authentic manner, brands can tap into the creator’s established community and build a deeper connection with their audience.
Gemma Battenbough, brand partnership studio lead, APAC at Twitch, adds that it’s crucial for brands to work with creators who have a genuine affinity for their brand or product. This genuine connection allows creators to effectively represent the brand and engage with their audience in a meaningful way.
The Success of McDonald’s Singapore and Twitch Collaboration
McDonald’s Singapore successfully humanized its brand through a collaboration with Twitch, a versatile live streaming service primarily associated with gaming. The brand discovered that more than 60% of gamers eat at its restaurants at least once a week, leading to the launch of the ‘#TheSpicyDebate’ Twitch campaign.
The strategy behind McDonald’s campaign was to work with content creators who could spark debate and get the Twitch community thinking about McDonald’s. One of the content creators involved was Keiji, a local Twitch streamer. Keiji expressed how working with a big brand like McDonald’s was nerve-wracking but appreciated the brand’s approach of giving him full freedom to create content genuinely and authentically.
By leveraging the interactive capabilities of Twitch, McDonald’s aimed to build a strong relationship with the Twitch audience over time. The real-time aspect of Twitch allows for immediate feedback from viewers and enables creators to respond in real-time, creating a more interactive and personal experience. This unique advantage of Twitch can be especially valuable for brands looking to connect with their audience in a meaningful way.
The Role of Content Creators in Audience Connection
Content creators play a significant role in building deeper connections with audiences. They have established communities and a genuine affinity for specific brands or products. When brands collaborate with content creators, they can tap into the creator’s community and benefit from the relationship and trust already established.
According to Gemma Battenbough, it’s essential for brands to allow content creators to speak on behalf of the brand in a way that feels natural and authentic. This approach ensures that the content resonates with the creator’s audience and maintains the trust and relationship already built.
Melissa Tan highlights the importance of integrating brands into content in an authentic and seamless manner. Content creators have a relationship with their audience and don’t want to risk damaging that relationship by promoting something that feels forced or misaligned with their values. By having clear brand guidelines and being flexible to co-create with content creators, brands can achieve great results.
The Versatility of Twitch for Audience Engagement
While Twitch is primarily associated with gaming, it offers a versatile live streaming platform where creators can engage in a wide variety of activities. Keiji, the Twitch streamer who collaborated with McDonald’s Singapore, emphasizes the real-time aspect of Twitch as a unique advantage for audience engagement. Viewers can provide immediate feedback, and creators can respond in real-time, creating a more interactive and personal experience.
This real-time engagement on Twitch allows for a deeper connection between content creators and their audience. Brands can leverage this connection by collaborating with content creators who have an established relationship with their audience. By tapping into the creator’s community and creating content that aligns with their values and interests, brands can build a stronger and more meaningful connection with their target audience.
Collaborating with Creators: Building Trust and Authenticity
When working with content creators, building trust and authenticity are key. Brands need to find creators who genuinely align with their brand or product and allow them to represent the brand in an authentic and natural manner. By doing so, brands can tap into the creator’s established community and build a deeper connection with their audience.
McDonald’s Singapore’s collaboration with Twitch is an excellent example of how brands can successfully collaborate with content creators to build a deeper audience connection. By leveraging the interactive capabilities of Twitch and working with creators who have a genuine affinity for their brand, McDonald’s was able to create a more personal relationship with their customers. This led to increased customer satisfaction, loyalty, and a relationship that goes beyond just a transactional one.
In today’s competitive market, humanizing a brand and working with content creators are essential strategies for building deeper audience connections. By being authentic, personable, and accessible, brands can create an emotional connection with their customers. This emotional connection can lead to increased loyalty, advocacy, and ultimately, revenue. So, it’s time for brands to embrace the power of humanization and collaboration with content creators to build lasting and meaningful relationships with their audience.
To learn more about how brands can collaborate with creators, check out the full session on The Drum TV.
Additional Information
- The Drum’s APAC Trends Briefing discussed the importance of brands being genuine and transparent to build trust with customers.
- McDonald’s Singapore won the ‘Best High Impact Campaign’ category at The Drum Awards for Digital Advertising APAC 2022 for its ‘#TheSpicyDebate’ Twitch campaign.
- Content creators have built a relationship with their audience and don’t want to risk damaging it by promoting something that doesn’t align with their values or feels forced.
- Twitch offers a versatile live streaming platform where creators can engage in a wide variety of activities, making it valuable for brands looking to connect with their audience in a meaningful way.