1.
KEYNOTE
Alice Tong
HEAD OF MARKETING APAC,
CONTENT SOLUTIONS
ECONOMIST IMPACT
The Art of Storytelling
and Content Marketing
In A Digital Age
SINGAPORE ~ SEPTEMBER 15 - 16, 2022
DIGIMARCONSOUTHEASTASIA.COM | #DigiMarConSoutheastAsia
DIGIMARCONSINGAPORE.SG | #DigiMarConSingapore

2.
About Alice
● Head of Marketing APAC, Content
Solutions, Economist Impact
● Hands-on experience and regional
exposure on large integrated
campaigns that involves content
marketing, advertising, social media,
project management, events, PR,
market research
● Involved in the company’s most
successful thought leadership projects
e.g. Safe Cities Index, Global Business
Barometer, Back to Blue
● Based in Singapore, born and raised in
Hong Kong
● Normally spends half of her free time
on the water

3.
Why storytelling
● Ever since human beings sat around
the fire in caves, we’ve told stories
to help us deal with the dread of life
and the struggle to survive
● Some specific stories have roots
that stretch back for around 6,000
years.
● Storytelling appeared as a way of
cementing social bonds, and
instilling an ethic of cooperation
● Storytelling is a universal human
trait. It emerges spontaneously in
childhood, and exists in all cultures

4.
Why storytelling
● Cognitive psychologists describe how
the human mind, in its attempt to
understand and remember, assembles
the bits and pieces of experience into a
story
● Stories are how we remember; we tend
to forget lists and bullet points
● Storytelling can impact human
emotions. It can also lead people to
accept original ideas or encourage them
to take action

5.
We are hardwired for stories
● American neuropsychologist Michael
Gazzaniga developed experiments to study
split-brain patients
● Image of a chicken foot was registered by the
left brain, image of a snow scene was
registered by the right brain
● Left brain is responsible for language, right
brain is responsible for spatial orientation
● Why did his left hand pick the shovel?
● “Left-hemisphere interpreter”
● Anything can be made into a story

6.
“

7.
● People trust businesses (61%) more than government
(53%) and media (51%)
● 86% expect CEOs to publicly speak out on societal
challenges
● 68% expect CEOs to step in when the government does not
fix societal problems
● 65% think CEOs should hold themselves accountable to the
public and not just to the board of directors or stockholders
Source: Edelman Trust Barometer 2021
Why does storytelling matter to corporates and CEOs?

8.
“Drama is anticipation mingled with
uncertainty.
William Archer, writer

9.
A story expresses how and why life changes.
1. Setting the scene: What does my protagonist want in order to restore balance in his or her life?
2. Conflict: What is keeping my protagonist from achieving his or her desire? - suspense
3. Resolution: How would my protagonist decide to act in order to achieve his or her desire in the face of
these antagonistic forces? - empathy
Problem -> Solution
Position the problems in the foreground and then show how you’ve overcome them
Good storytelling requires a deep understanding of human emotions, motivations, and psychology.
Make me care!
What makes a good story

10.
The story spine

11.
“
Robert McKee, award-winning writer and director
If you can harness imagination and the
principles of a well-told story, then you get
people rising to their feet amid thunderous
applause instead of yawning and ignoring you.

12.
“

13.
Back to Blue
1. Setting the scene: The ocean is the world’s
largest ecosystem and is now under threat
1. Conflict: Human activities are causing pollution
in the ocean. Chemical pollution may not be as
visible as plastics, but the harm it causes to our
ecosystem is just as severe
1. Resolution: Private sector can drive change by
using safer chemicals; more research can be
done to convince governments to act; greener
business models

14.
“
Simon Sinek, writer and inspirational speaker
People don’t buy what you do, they buy why
you do it.

15.
The golden circle
By Simon Sinek

16.
The 5Ws of content marketing
1
Why?
2
What?
3
Who?
4
How?
5
Where?
Defining the goals and objectives of the content will inform the content strategy and measurements. Align marketing
goals with business goals.
Develop a content strategy based on your understanding of your target audience and what they would like to see, as
well as your marketing objectives.
Define your target audience based on your marketing and business goals. Internally, understand who the stakeholders
are in the content creation process.
Find out the resources / budget you have for creating content, choose a partner / vendor / internal resource that can
help you achieve your marketing objectives.
Understand where your audience is and where they consume content, which will give insights into where the content
should be hosted and amplified.

17.
Why
Back to Blue
What
Who
How
By partnering with The Nippon Foundation, the largest philanthropic
organisation in Japan, and pulling together different resources within The
Economist Group: research team, editorial, media, marketing, production,
design.
The ocean is drowning in plastic: 11 million tonnes enter the seas each year. 83% of the
general public are either “concerned” or “very concerned” with issues affecting the
ocean, but there is a lack of actionable insights on issues concerning ocean pollution.
The Economist’s brand purpose is to "take part in a severe contest between
intelligence, which presses forward, and an unworthy, timid ignorance obstructing our
progress."
A multi-year programme with research outputs that aims to create actionable
insights for policymakers to fill the gaps in knowledge and create opportunities
for action.
The general public who are concerned about issues such as ocean health, climate
change, sustainability, as well as policymakers and relevant stakeholders.
Where
Content is hosted on a dedicated content hub (https://backtoblueinitiative.com/)
and amplified through the Economist’s paid, owned, earned platforms.

18.
Storytelling to reach businesses and the public
Insights to Inform
Participation from Significant Stakeholders
Driving Recognised Impact
Amplified Cross-Channel
From Anthem Awards:
“It was an honor to recognize you in our Inaugural
Anthem Awards as a member of the broader social
impact community. Your Anthem Win sets your
work apart and identifies you as a voice that
sparks global change. This is an incredible
achievement. “

19.
Owned
Earned Paid
- Website
- Social media
- Newsletter
- Paid social media
- SEM
- Organic social media
shares
- Media coverage
PR
- Economist.com
- Print magazine
- Digital edition & app
- World Ocean Summit
- SEO
- Influencer
mentions / shares
Content
Content marketing strategy - Back to Blue

20.
Owned

21.
Paid

22.
Earned

23.
Back to Blue
Research
& Insights
Two major primary
research pieces
across 25 countries:
‘The Plastics
Management Index’,
and ‘The Invisible
Wave’ ocean
chemicals report.
Podcasts, blogs, film,
editorial, reports,
whitepapers and
more brought this
multifaceted
programme to life
through stunning
creative.
Creative
Innovation
A robust campaign
including LinkedIn
tactics, TEG print and
digital channels, PR,
international workshops
and event exposure such
as the World Ocean
Summit.
Engagement
& Influence
5k
956
47.5
m
Hours spent on
hub
Pieces of earned media
coverage
Impressions on
TEG channels
2
Anthem Awards,
a subsidiary of
The Webby
Awards
80.9%
Improved issue understanding
87%
Business & citizens
reconsidered their own impact
on ocean health after engaging
with BTB
The challenge:
The ocean is earth’s largest
ecosystem and faces critical
challenges. The Economist Group and
The Nippon Foundation have been
leading influencers in global efforts to
understand and restore ocean health,
and accelerate a sustainable ocean
economy. But there is much more still
to be done. Ocean and coastal health
continue to deteriorate. Human
activities and climate change impacts
are undermining global fisheries,
changing the chemistry of the ocean,
threatening coastal ecosystems and
putting at risk hard-won economic
progress in developing countries and
small island developing states.
The results:

24.
“What you’re trying to do, when you tell a story,
is to write about an event in your life that made
you feel some particular way. And what you’re
trying to do, when you tell a story, is to get the
audience to have that same feeling.
Pete Docter, director at Pixar

25.
“

26.
The digital airlines
The challenge:
To showcase Singapore Airlines’
world class service by exploring the
training, technology and character of
SIA crew.
At Singapore Airlines, digital
innovation is no substitute for service
excellence. Their ethos is that
technology means nothing without
the human element—the ability of
people to interpret, shape and use it.
To showcase Singapore Airlines as a
provider of world-class service, TEG
proposed a content and media
programme that highlighted how
Singapore Airlines elevates the
customer experience in the air,
through innovation within the
organisation.
The results:
● Page views: 271% of KPI
● Total visits: 344% of KPI
● Video completion rate: 155% over
benchmark
● Engagement rate of Facebook and
Instagram paid amplification: 386%
over benchmark
Emotional responses:
● Pride (18% vs 3%)
● Inspiration (16% vs 8%)
● Happiness (13% vs 8%)
Respondents in Singapore find positive brand
values such as high quality (94%), genuine
(93%), credible (92%) and innovative (88%).
Purchase intent: 57% (vs 39% norm in
Singapore)

27.
Summary
How to tell stories that make an impact:
1. Know your purpose
2. Storytelling techniques: Scene setting -> conflict -> resolution; the Story Spine
3. Create an emotional connection with the audience - make them care
4. The 5Ws of content marketing: Why? What? Who? How? Where?
5. Be genuine

28.
“
Gary Vaynerchuk (Gary Vee), entrepreneur and inspirational speaker
How you make your money is more important
than how much you make.

29.
Thank you