Planet U by U Mobile: Turning An Instagram Page Into A Community Through Storytelling
BACKGROUND
It’s not just telcos that connect people, it’s stories too. U Mobile, the leading 5G network in Malaysia, saw the potential that social media holds in forming communities around meaningful connections. The goal was to position U Mobile as not just a reliable network provider, but as a hub for discovering inspiring Malaysians and for feeling connected to other Malaysians.
By approaching social media content through an editorial lens, the team established a creative direction that not only showcased the telco’s reach throughout Malaysia, but also positioned the brand as an active member of the community. The result was engaging content with heart, that brought our audience together and inspired ordinary Malaysians to unleash their potential.
By approaching social media content through an editorial lens, the team established a creative direction that not only showcased the telco’s reach throughout Malaysia, but also positioned the brand as an active member of the community. The result was engaging content with heart, that brought our audience together and inspired ordinary Malaysians to unleash their potential.
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Client
U Mobile
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Year
2021 - 2023
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Area of Work
Editorial
Social Media
Content Design
Content Planning
Content Writing
Motion Graphic
-
Client
U Mobile
-
Year
2021 - 2023
-
Area of Work
Editorial
Social Media
Content Design
Content Planning
Content Writing
Motion Graphic
BACKGROUND
It’s not just telcos that connect people, it’s stories too. U Mobile, the leading 5G network in Malaysia, saw the potential that social media holds in forming communities around meaningful connections. The goal was to position U Mobile as not just a reliable network provider, but as a hub for discovering inspiring Malaysians and for feeling connected to other Malaysians.
By approaching social media content through an editorial lens, the team established a creative direction that not only showcased the telco’s reach throughout Malaysia, but also positioned the brand as an active member of the community. The result was engaging content with heart, that brought our audience together and inspired ordinary Malaysians to unleash their potential.
By approaching social media content through an editorial lens, the team established a creative direction that not only showcased the telco’s reach throughout Malaysia, but also positioned the brand as an active member of the community. The result was engaging content with heart, that brought our audience together and inspired ordinary Malaysians to unleash their potential.
THE GOALS
01
Turning A Telco Into A Community
We invited our audience to have a hand in building their own community around Ramadan, and build anticipation for the Raya season. The #RamadanWithU campaign centered around genuine connections and reciprocal sharing while uplifting small local businesses. In order to achieve this, we gathered suggestions from our audience on small businesses selling clothes, food, and trinkets and interviewed the owners about their businesses. We turned these suggestions and interviews into listicles and features that united our community in gearing up for the festive period.
02
Giving ‘Unlimited Potential’ A New Meaning
We went beyond the usual constraints of a telco to bring new meaning to the “Unlimited Potential” slogan. We interviewed a local nasi lemak seller, BangSudu, who went viral for pricing his nasi lemaks at RM1, and refusing to raise the price. His reason? So that all Malaysians would be able to afford a balanced, hearty breakfast. We shared his inspiring story with our audience, and the results spoke for themselves.
03
Redefining Instagram For Brands
We turned the idea of Instagram for brands on its head and began to look at social media as a tool for connection, rather than commercial gain. This connection was built by providing resources to our audience that would help them navigate through tricky areas of life with ease. For example, we showed first-timers how to file their taxes, and guided new voters through their first experience at the polls.
First timer’s guide to doing your taxes
Guide for first-time voters
04
Planet U By U Mobile
We pivoted the Instagram page to be more focused on matters of sustainability, environment, and community while still maintaining an editorial approach. An editorial approach allowed us to tackle hard-hitting subjects in a lighter, more positive manner while providing ways for our audience to become more sustainable in their own lives. We encouraged our audience to shop less by giving them a guide to planning their own clothes swap, and put together resources for our audience to responsibly recycle their old shoes.
Have old shoes you’re thinking of throwing out?
Guide to planning your own clothes swap
05
Providing A Platform For People To Thrive
Through the community that had been built over time, we ensured that no one would be left out of the conversation. We created content that focused on how to show up others, by highlighting positive stories of everyday acts of kindness. Our “Lending a Helping Paw” feature showed our audience how they could make a difference to animals, while our feature for the International Day of People with Disabilities highlighted some of the ways we can show up for all of our friends.
The result was a social media page that was not incentivised by follows and likes, but by connecting with people, whether it be the people we interviewed or the people who consumed these stories.
The result was a social media page that was not incentivised by follows and likes, but by connecting with people, whether it be the people we interviewed or the people who consumed these stories.
Lending a helping paw
A world for us all: Int’l Day of People with Disabilities
06
Communicating Through Colour
Based on U Mobile’s user demographic of mostly young people, we used bright, engaging colours to aid in our storytelling. In our 101 feature on fast fashion, we utilised collage cut-outs and bold graphics to grab the attention of a younger audience who heavily prefer visual aids.
