ONCE upon a time, before social media, businesses would pay print media and billboard owners big bucks to advertise their brand.
These days, they hire on-the-pulse influencers and savvy content creators to attract eyeballs to their products and services. Jumping on the coattails of whatever topic is trending, such tactics have greatly changed the rules of “engagement”.
How does a company engage an audience? With Malaysians hooked on social media, one method is to recognise an issue that resonates with the public and produce a speedy response to capitalise on the chatter and subsequent SEO (search engine optimisation).
One good example is retailer Mydin Malaysia’s (Mydin) “advert” which the retailer posted on its TikTok account. The short clip shows Mydin boss Datuk Wira Ameer Ali Mydin expressing disappointment at Malaysia’s official Olympic gear, bluntly stating that the option at his stores was much more pleasing to the eye.
The clip is riding on the current storm-in-a-teacup created by the lacklustre public response to the official Yonex kit. The drama was subsequently turned into a political hot potato when Youth and Sports Ministry seemingly washed its hands of the issue, shifting blame for the poorly received design to the “approving” body – Olympic Council of Malaysia. Many have used this as a stick (*HYPERLINK*) to beat Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, whom they feel has been derelict in her duty.
This sentiment is very much reflected in the comments attached to Mydin Malaysia’s Tik Tok post.
Some netizens commended Mydin’s speed of action in capturing the zeitgeist.
Some chided the official bodies for coming second best to Mydin’s spur-of-the-moment “effort”, from the design to the unveiling using a real model instead of lifeless mannequins.
Some cheekily suggested that there was still time for the Ministry of Youth and Sports to ditch the Yonex kit and buy wholesale from Mydin for the national contingent headed to Paris. Note that the summer sports bonanza in the French capital will take place from July 26 to Aug 11.
The tactic seems to have the desired effect, with many netizens sharing the video and expressing the desire to purchase the Mydin strip.
One netizen hit the nail on the head by pointing out that Mydin had hired the right people to create the right buzz for its brand.
This episode shows how much the media landscape has changed. It is fast, fluid and quite often, funny.
In this particular case, Yeoh’s loss has become Mydin’s gain. – Focus Malaysia
